When Steve Boyce, sound reinforcement director at Morgan Sound in Lynwood, Wash., explains the services that the company offers, he’s very clear about what is on the menu. It’s one thing: sound. That’s all, nothing more.
“Quite frankly, we hate lights and staging,” Boyce remarks with a laugh. “I mean, we like it when we’re at a show, but as far as us doing it? No. We’re just not interested in that.”
Well, okay, the company has a little bit of squint-gear. “We have small lighting packages in our rental inventory, so if we’re doing speakers-on-sticks kind of shows, they’ll work for that,” Boyce says. Or access to lighting. “We have partners that we work with on a regular basis, same with backline. Somebody can call me and I can give them a turnkey solution, but it’s just not our focus.”
Focusing on Sound
While he’s joking about hating the ancillary services, Boyce is clear that Morgan Sound is dedicated to sound and only sound. It’s been that way since the company opened its doors 35-plus years ago, first as a regional sound company, then as a nationwide touring company when Gordon Lightfoot hit the road during his heyday. A handful of years after the company launched, Morgan Sound added a retail storefront and installation business to better serve its client base.
To serve the Pacific Northwest sound market, Morgan Sound has stocked its rental shelves full of JBL equipment. “Charlie Morgan, the owner, has had a great relationship with JBL since the 1970s,” Boyce reports. “In the early days, we had the old Northwest Sound boxes with JBL components, then we went to the Concert Series system. That served us very well, and when JBL moved to the HLA system, Charlie decided not to bite. He waited for the VerTec line array and then we were one of the first in the country to hop on that.”
Morgan Sound, Boyce adds, is fairly Harman-centric, and the company uses Crown amplifiers, BSS processing, Dolby Lake processing as well as a variety of desks from Yamaha, including PM-5Ds, M7s and LS9s. With a laugh, Boyce adds, the company still has a handful of analog boards on hand. “I’m still surprised when people say they don’t want digital, they want a 4K.”
The next major purchases, Boyce reports, will be on new consoles. “But, we’re doing pretty well with what we have right now, and even though the company is doing well, we are keeping an eye on the economy and we are being conservative, just like most everyone else.”
Watching the Riders
Boyce has spent his fair share of rider-watching these days to make sure Morgan Sound is keeping appropriate gear in stock, and he has only seen one minor surprise lately. “I’m putting a quote together for a group that wants a M7, but it had to be clocked with an Apogee Big Ben,” he says. “That was actually in the rider. I don’t know that I seen that before. I know some guys like to use the Big Ben with whatever desk they are using for reasons that we all know, but that was the first time I’d seen it in a rider.”
Over the years, he has had the ability to see riders come across his desk from hundreds of major acts that have toured through the region, including folk legends John Prine and Judy Collins, comedians Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin as well as dozens of funk, rock and, yes, grunge bands. “For quite a few years Morgan Sound was the only game up here, and so if somebody needed a large sound system we were who they would call,” Boyce reports.
Of course, that’s not still true today and Morgan Sound has its share of competitors in the area. Boyce points out that can be both good and bad. “It all depends how hungry someone is,” he explains. “There are a few guys around who got their inheritance, bought a sound system and work for little money. That’s just not good for the market. Of course, there are other guys, too. We don’t have enemies up here. We are all friends, so if I need something I’ll call somebody and vice versa.”
And while some of the national companies have made a stop in the Northwest, Boyce has not been concerned with their presence. “I am sure that there have been a few jobs that I’ve bid on that I lost out on, but in some ways I love those guys because they are so expensive,” he says. “We can come in at a fair price and do well without cutting to the bone, like we have to do on some of these music festivals or music shows.”
Competition, as regional sound companies around the States are finding, is just one of the challenges being faced these days. Certainly, the economy and companies cutting back is a major issue. “We have lost a couple of corporate events to budget cuts,” Boyce says. “But I’ve found that open communication is key. I’ve had a few clients, as I’m sure everyone else has, who have said that their budgets have been cut. I tell them we can talk about it. If I’m open with them and they are open with us, then we can figure out a way that works for both of us.”
Moreover, he’s quick to point out, he’s keeping himself educated on the news while keeping a positive eye towards the future. “Without sounding too out there, I’m a strong believer in the concept of thoughts creating reality,” he says. “It never ceases to amaze me how much negativity and fear there is out there — much of if created by us, the public — by buying into the news about how bad things are and how it hasn’t been this way since the Great Depression. The more we hear it, the more we tend to believe in it.
“I choose to listen, read and stay informed, but buy into as little as possible,” he continues. “Instead, I think positive thoughts and visualize prosperity. We have some strong, positive thinkers here at Morgan Sound, and I truly believe that, in addition to our commitment to always doing the best job we possibly can, is a major reason we are still here and thriving.”
