Morgan Studios

Morgan Studios (founded as Morgan Sound Studios) was an independent recording studio in Willesden in northwest London. Founded in 1967, the studio was the location for recordings by notable artists and bands such as The Cure, Jethro Tull, the Kinks, Paul McCartney, Yes, Black Sabbath, Donovan, Joan Armatrading, Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, UFO and many more. Morgan sold its studios in the early 1980s, with some of its studios succeeded by Battery Studios.

Morgan Sound Studios was founded in 1967 by Barry Morgan, Monty Babson, Jerry Allen, and Leon Calvert, who were operating a jazz record label at Lansdowne Studios and wanting dedicated office space for their label. Upon securing a location at 169–171 High Road, in the Willesden area of northwest London, the musicians decided to also build a recording studio. They hired ex-Olympic Studios engineer Terry Brown to manage the studio, who appointed another Olympic Studios alumnus, Andy Johns as chief engineer. Roy Thomas Baker, who would later achieve fame as an engineer and producer at Trident Studios, also worked at Morgan in its early years as an assistant engineer.^[1]

Studio manager Terry Brown knew that Clive Green was designing a new mixing console for Lansdowne Studios, and he asked if he could buy the design. Green instead chose to build the console himself, resulting in the founding of mixing console manufacturer Cadac Electronics. The first Cadac console - a custom hand-wired 8-channel split-console desk with transformerless balanced inputs and outputs - was installed at Morgan Studios. Morgan Studios initially operated with a modestly-sized 20 foot x 20 foot live room and a 17 foot x 10 foot control room with a Scully 1-inch 8-track recorder as well as Ampex 2-track and 4-rack recorders.^[1] The studios also had a Steinway grand piano and a Hammond organ.

In 1969, a new, larger Studio 1 was built upstairs, with the original studio being re-named Studio 2. The new studio was outfitted with a modular 24x16 Cadac mixing console, a 16-track 3M recorder, and a 2-track Studer A80.^[1] The same year, four of the studios' employees, including founder Barry Morgan, keyboardist Roger Coulam, guitarist Alan Parker, and bassist Herbie Flowers joined forces with vocalists Roger Cook and Madeline Bell to form the British pop group Blue Mink.^[2]

In 1972, Morgan opened a significantly larger Studio 3 on the ground floor of a building across the street, outfitting it with a 24x24 Cadac console and a 3M M79 24-track recorder.

In 1974, Morgan purchased another property around the corner to open Studio 4, Morgan's largest studio space yet. Outfitted with a 28x24 Cadac mixing console, Studio 4 also had the distinction of being the recipient of the first Ampex 24-track tape recorder in England (although it was later replaced by a Studer A80).

Each of Morgan's control rooms had 3 EMT plate reverbs, 2 Pye limiters, and 2 UREI limiters. Morgan's studios also utilized Neumann U47 and U67 microphones.^[1]

In 1980, Morgan Studios 3 and 4 were sold to the Zomba Group and became Battery Studios. In 1984, Morgan Studios 1 and 2 were sold to Robin Millar and renamed Power Plant Studios, which closed 6 years later.^[3][4]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (June 2013)

• List of UK recording studios

51°32′50.05″N 0°14′0.42″W / 51.5472361°N 0.2334500°W / 51.5472361; -0.2334500