You won’t find The Zone Recording Studio by accident. The pavement ends as you turn onto the gravel road that leads to an unassuming structure. It’s quiet out here, even by Dripping Springs standards. Walk inside and you instantly feel a sense of calm and a spirit of music and creativity.
“One hundred percent of people talk about the vibe,” says founder and musician Mike Morgan.
“They feel comfortable. We’re the ‘get-away from everything’ place. It’s the retreat. That’s the point of this place.”
His partner, fellow multi-instrumentalist Pat Manske, chimes in, “We never worry about an ambulance blowing by and killing a take.”
“Maybe a coyote!” jokes Morgan.
Morgan custom built the studio in 1996. Unlike many recording spaces, this isn’t a retrofitted house or church. It’s a single-purpose building that’s been the creative birthplace of some of the most enduring music ever to come out of Texas.
Robert Earl Keen recorded his last five records in this room. Ray Wiley Hubbard has been working here for 26 years. The client list reads like a who’s who of Texas, Americana, red dirt, and country music stars: The Chicks, Parker McCollum, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jason Bolland and the Stragglers, Cory Morrow, Joe Ely.
The soundboard isn’t like most you see on television. Sure, wires sprout in every direction, some plugged in, others flailing loose. The custom setup is a digital and analog Frankenstein creation. It’s all about getting a different sound; that’s by design. “Even in the same space, it can sound very different,” says Morgan. “No two days are the same. Each band is unique and we give them their own treatment.”
This custom approach differentiates the music made here from the cookie-cutter country of the Nashville machine. It’s a big reason the studio is booked 300 days a year. Morgan and Manske know what they're doing.
The music recorded here is heard far beyond dance halls in Texas. The band Gaelic Storm regularly sells out 10,000-person venues in Chicago and across the Northeast. They’ve recorded here for years while selling records and touring around the world.
“Prog rock, jazz, Irish, pop, rock—the variety is what we love,” Morgan says.
Besides Morgan and Manske, you’re most likely to see legendary musician and producer Lloyd Maines at The Zone. He works here about 100 days per year. “He’s just the best. He knows how to call the shots and 90% of the time, it’s the right shot to call,” says Manske.
"Each band is unique and we give them their own treatment.”