Thomas Catlaw

Thomas is a sound artist, field recordist, and musician
based in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert on the
ancestral lands of the O’Odham (known as the Pima),
Piipaash (known as the Maricopa),
the Yavapai-Apache Nation, and their ancestors. 

Photo by Thomas Catlaw

Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, MA, Winter

Equipment: Sennheiser 8040s (stereo pair, ORTF), Cinela Albert, Zoom F3 (48 kHz/32-bit float)

Processing: EQ, Compression


Photo by Thomas Catlaw

Deer Lake, South River, ON, Dawn, Late Spring

Equipment: Sennheiser 8040s (stereo pair, ORTF), Cinela Albert with heavy fur, Zoom F3 (48 kHz/32-bit float)

Processing: EQ, Compression


Photo by Thomas Catlaw

Tubing before the Storm, Black Canyon River Access Point, Camp Verde, AZ, Summer

Equipment: Sennheiser 8020s (stereo pair, spaced A/B 90 cm), Rycote WS10, Zoom F3 (48 kHz/32-bit float)

Processing: EQ, Compression


Photo by Thomas Catlaw — nearby but not taken at recording location!

Monsoon Rain on Metal Roof, Clarkdale, AZ, Summer

Equipment: Clippy EM272-Z1s (stereo pair, spaced A/B 30 cm), Rycote Super-blimp with windjammer, Zoom F3 (48 kHz/32-bit float)

Processing: EQ, Compression


Photo by Thomas Catlaw

Parsons Spring, Sycamore Canyon, AZ, Late Spring

Equipment: Sony PCM-D100 (48 kHz/24-bit), wide-angle;, Rycote windjammer Clippy EM272-Z1s (stereo pair, spaced A/B 90 cm) with foam + Rycote windjammer, Zoom F3 (48 kHz/24-bit)

Processing: EQ, Compression


Photo by Thomas Catlaw

Town Lake from Pedestrian Foot Bridge, Tempe, AZ, Fall

Equipment: JrF D Series Hydrophone (L), Aquarian H2D Hydronphone (C), Ambient ASF-2 Soundfish (R), Zoom F8n Pro (48 kHz/32-bit float)

Processing: EQ, Brickwall limiting

These recordings were used in “bridge (morning)” in soundsketches of a desert suburb


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