TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Sound Business Venture

ADVERTISEMENT

By PAUL CATALA, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 10, 2007

Updated: 10/08/2007 07:11 pm

TEMPLE TERRACE - Part by part and note by note, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's latest album is coming together at Morrisound Recording.

Before a recent session with the 33-member band, an art-rock outfit best known for its recordings of Christmas songs, Morrisound co-owner Tom Morris looked over his schedule for the day. He had just received a phone call letting him know some of the band members would be late.

Morris, 52, penciled in some notes and said the recording crew would work around it - something it has had to do plenty of times.

A diverse group of big-name recording artists, including K.C. and The Sunshine Band, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Marilyn Manson, Marvin Hamlisch and The Bellamy Brothers, has molded its music at Morrisound over the studio's 26-year history.

Once the members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra arrived, they were soon working under the direction and production expertise of brothers Tom and Jim Morris, who opened their studio in a delivery truck in 1981.

Since laying down their first notes on tape in June that year, using a mobile, eight-track analog recording system, over the years the art of saving sound has become much more exact at Morrisound.

Tom and Jim Morris said sometimes it's the unexpected challenges, like reworking schedules and constant changes in the field, that has made their jobs interesting.

'The whole market is changing a lot. In just the past 10 years, the whole music industry changed - not only in the way people buy and sell music, but also the way they record it,' Tom Morris said.

To make sure their business keeps current, Tom Morris said, he and his staff have to keep up with recording styles, music trends and recording trends. To do that, they charge artists $175 per hour for Studio A and $135 per hour for Studio B.

Sitting in Morrisound's Studio A, which features digital recording equipment, computerized editing features and two 24-track analog recorders, Tom helped his brother prepare the studio for Trans-Siberian's first Morrisound project, 'Night Castle,' a classical music-inspired rock album they began recording in March.

A 1976 University of South Florida graduate with a master's degree in chemical engineering, Tom Morris said he got the recording bug the first time he got into a studio with a band in the mid-1970s. He and Jim Morris said it's like they haven't had to work since.

'The first time I got into the studio, I fell in love with the whole process of creating music and I knew I wanted to make it my career,' Tom Morris said.

After working for DuPont from 1977 to 1981 in West Palm Beach, Tom Morris moved back to Tampa, invested some savings and, along with his brother, began Morrisound.

With the help of Tom Morris's first wife, Laurel, and friend Rick Miller, they moved from the vehicle into a rented storefront, but soon outgrew that and moved to their current location at 12111 N. 56th St. In 1985, they built their studio, and it became the only facility on the west coast of Florida designed solely as an audio recording facility.

Since then, the brothers said, they have had their share of fun, frustration and financial success with Morrisound.

Jim Morris, an accomplished composer and guitarist, as well as recording engineer, spent a recent afternoon recording parts for his progressive-rock album 'Spiritual Apocalypse.' In front of him were two computer monitors with digital recording software applications.

With a background in electrical engineering, Jim Morris, 50, said the career he has spent running a studio with his brother and eight full-time employees has been 'fun.'

And what the brothers call 'fun' continues at Morrisound. This year, in addition to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, they have recorded the Tampa-bred Southern rock band The Outlaws and one of the progenitors of the 'death metal' genre, Obituary.

One of Trans-Siberian's composers and lead singer for Savatage, Jon Oliva, said he has recorded internationally, but the Morris brothers' flexibility and attitude has made Morrisound his permanent recording home.

'They go above and beyond the call of duty in there,' said Oliva, who recorded four albums with Savatage at Morrisound. 'They're wonderful guys and it's a really comfortable feeling when you're there. They're simply the best in the state, if not around the world.'

Another Tampa musician, singer Ed Lowery, has bounced around several Tampa Bay area recording studios during his career with the ska-reggae band Magadog, a seven-piece, Tampa-based band recently reunited after a seven-year hiatus.

But over the span of 15 years and four full-length albums, one studio stands out in Lowery's mind for its commitment to its musicians and its recording quality. 'Morrisound always offers a wonderful experience, and they offer all the tricks of the trade,' said Lowery, who with Magadog spent about 100 hours recording the album 'DUI & I' in 1997. 'They offer a lot of amenities, they're very professional, but they let you have your fun when you're there.'

In Studio A, Jim Morris got ready for another take on his guitar. Before playing, he said he realized he's fortunate to be in business doing what he loves.

'I always wanted to make a living doing something I enjoy and I have,' he said between recording takes. 'I've been able to feed my family and put my daughter through college and still have fun doing this. That's great.'

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT