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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 8:38:16 GMT -6
Hey guys -- does anyone know of a desk that keeps your outboard in the 'sweet spot' without costing a fortune, and which doesn't create other issues? All I can buy locally is the crap from guitar center, which has stupid rack shelves that A) Put your LCD monitor too high, and B) don't have enough rack space and C) create issues with monitor placement. For example: www.guitarcenter.com/Studio-Trends-30--Desk---Cherry-H74597-i1919612.gc Something like the Sterling Modular plan Uno, or Plan A would be perfect. However, those are pricey, and I hate to sink a ton of money into something that I might not need later (if CAPI starts selling a DIY console for example, I wouldn't be able to resist... but this type of desk wouldn't work). Also since I live in NC, it would be next to impossible to resell such a thing without losing 80% of the cost. I would DIY the thing, but my in-laws moved into my basement and we converted my workshop into their bedroom  . So I no longer have a table saw, drill press, etc. Does anyone know of anything? Or maybe I should just hire a carpenter to do the wood work using the sterling dimensions as a guide? www.sterlingmodular.com/pdf/Plan-Uno.pdf |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 9:02:52 GMT -6
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 9:23:44 GMT -6
I was thinking about going the 'equipment rack as desk' route, but I think you'd need to at least build a front section for keyboard and mouse, and leg room.... which maybe would be a good, inexpensive way to do it. The grundorf is $400, plus building a shelf/tray around it would add maybe another $75 in materials. Not too bad. Wouldn't look that great... but beggars can't be choosers I guess. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 9:26:03 GMT -6
I was thinking about going the 'equipment rack as desk' route, but I think you'd need to at least build a front section for keyboard and mouse, and leg room.... which maybe would be a good, inexpensive way to do it. The grundorf is $400, plus building a shelf/tray around it would add maybe another $75 in materials. Not too bad. Wouldn't look that great... but beggars can't be choosers I guess. Wouldn't look great, needs to be modded, and still runs $400+. Still not a great option IMO. |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 9:36:14 GMT -6
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 9:37:11 GMT -6
I guess you could stick two of these side by side and have your 'Plan A.'
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 10:00:21 GMT -6
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 11:46:00 GMT -6
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 11:55:42 GMT -6
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 12:10:56 GMT -6
Tipping it over and spinning it around, so you still have the upward slant.... that could work. Although I think I like this one better, for more depth, and the carpet might actually help prevent some comb filtering. Build quality of the odyssey racks seems good too (based on reviews). Same price (ish). www.amazon.com/Odyssey-CRS12-Space-Carpeted-Studio/dp/B0002DVD7E |
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Post by popmann on Oct 16, 2014 12:15:09 GMT -6
The problem with the market for project studio level furniture, is that every studio owner wants and works completely differently with a completely different set of gear.
Like I have a wonderful mix desk setup....for my given gear (and it was PERFECT when the mixer was bigger and the LCD wasn't needed)....but, I would LOVE to find a good stripped down set up to combine the keyboard station and the recording station as I move back to not doing client mixing gigs. As an artist--more important that I'm comfortable with the 90% of the time NOT mixing or editing or whatever....but, I can't.
For the same reason you can't find what amounts to a slant rack with a keyboard stand and arms coming off the back to hold monitors and an LCD. It's the nature of the project studio.
What amazes ME is that all the ones that are for sale ARE....like I wonder "who does THAT work for?"
DIY--I was looking because I need something NOT static--ability to tuck the 88 keyboard away.....or the mixer--depending on which you want to move....that gets into a more complex build when you have sliding shelves bearing either amount of weight. Yours isn't $100 in rack rails and MDF. Use the scrap MDF to build monitor stands (if you don't already have them)....and add budget for a Vesa mounting arm to attach to the back for the LCD. They're not cheap, but you could use a static wall mount and build a panel off the back to use as "the wall"--if you don't plan to change LCD sizes thus needing to move/rotate it.
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Post by popmann on Oct 16, 2014 12:16:41 GMT -6
Thos DJ things are too shallow on the top for ANYTHING, because it's pointing down into the BOTTOM--so, put a deep unit on the bottom and EVERYTHING has to be shallow on the top...the PlanUno is a MUCH better design for what you want--hell, the have a PDF with a measurements. How lazy are you guys?  Joking..... |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 12:17:36 GMT -6
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 12:31:30 GMT -6
Yeah all the odyssey stuff is carpeted except for the flight cases, which would looks ridiculous. I'm not a fan of the look of carpet either, but if you added a front shelf/tray you mostly wouldn't see it except around the edges. The sweetwater desk looks nice for the money, but I had acoustics issues when I had a desk that wide. I'm going to talk to a local contractor/woodworker who did some cabinet work for me in the past and see what he wants to build the sterling desk from scratch. If he'll do it for like $800, I'll bite. Otherwise, the tipped over slant rack seems like the most functional/economical choice, and modifying it would be cheap/easy. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 12:35:48 GMT -6
Yeah all the odyssey stuff is carpeted except for the flight cases, which would looks ridiculous. I'm not a fan of the look of carpet either, but if you added a front shelf/tray you mostly wouldn't see it except around the edges. The sweetwater desk looks nice for the money, but I had acoustics issues when I had a desk that wide. I'm going to talk to a local contractor/woodworker who did some cabinet work for me in the past and see what he wants to build the sterling desk from scratch. If he'll do it for like $800, I'll bite. Otherwise, the tipped over slant rack seems like the most functional/economical choice, and modifying it would be cheap/easy. I bet you'll get a fair price from the cabinet guy. I thought about going that route, but I'll need to be semi modular because I'm in a second floor room with tight stairs/doors. Damn 1800's houses. |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 12:36:18 GMT -6
Thos DJ things are too shallow on the top for ANYTHING, because it's pointing down into the BOTTOM--so, put a deep unit on the bottom and EVERYTHING has to be shallow on the top...the PlanUno is a MUCH better design for what you want--hell, the have a PDF with a measurements. How lazy are you guys? Joking..... Pretty lazy! I mean busy... I'll usually DIY anything I can, but I just don't have access to my woodworking tools anymore, or space to build something like that. I would be all over a second hand Plan Uno, but I'd probably need to live in NY/LA/Nashville to find something like that...... although Nashville is a mere 8 hour drive  . Guess I'll check nashville craigslist... and maybe make a weekend of it if I can find something. |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 12:43:45 GMT -6
Craigslist is a bust... nothing remotely decent in Nashville or even NY.
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Post by popmann on Oct 16, 2014 16:19:36 GMT -6
You won't likely find it used for the same reason you can't get them for $400 at GC. It's too individual a need. If you pinged everyone here "would this work for your set up?" --even before discussing price, answer would be 90%+="no".
....as would nearly any specific desk expect the most generic kinds of things....which are what they sell at GC. Here's a few variations of "controller/mixer plus racks/monitor stands" and "keyboard plus computer with monitors".
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 16, 2014 16:23:36 GMT -6
You won't likely find it used for the same reason you can't get them for $400 at GC. It's too individual a need. If you pinged everyone here "would this work for your set up?" --even before discussing price, answer would be 90%+="no". ....as would nearly any specific desk expect the most generic kinds of things....which are what they sell at GC. Here's a few variations of "controller/mixer plus racks/monitor stands" and "keyboard plus computer with monitors". I feel like a mastering style, gear facing up, rack is a pretty standard thing that a lot of people would like. We're not talking about crazy, specialized stuff here. Just a rack that put the controls in the sweet spot for mixing with outboard. |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 16:27:16 GMT -6
You won't likely find it used for the same reason you can't get them for $400 at GC. It's too individual a need. If you pinged everyone here "would this work for your set up?" --even before discussing price, answer would be 90%+="no". ....as would nearly any specific desk expect the most generic kinds of things....which are what they sell at GC. Here's a few variations of "controller/mixer plus racks/monitor stands" and "keyboard plus computer with monitors". I'm sure you're right about that... worse a shot though. I'll update this thread whenever I do whatever it is that I decide to do. |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 16:34:18 GMT -6
You won't likely find it used for the same reason you can't get them for $400 at GC. It's too individual a need. If you pinged everyone here "would this work for your set up?" --even before discussing price, answer would be 90%+="no". ....as would nearly any specific desk expect the most generic kinds of things....which are what they sell at GC. Here's a few variations of "controller/mixer plus racks/monitor stands" and "keyboard plus computer with monitors". I feel like a mastering style, gear facing up, rack is a pretty standard thing that a lot of people would like. We're not talking about crazy, specialized stuff here. Just a rack that put the controls in the sweet spot for mixing with outboard. You would think.... but not a single desk of that style in Nashville or NY for sale right now (as far as I can tell). They're rare on GS classifieds too, and most of those were Plan D's. The last plan A was nearly 2 years ago, and sold in 2 days. Maybe the average project studio isn't that concerned about the sweet spot... or they're totally ITB, or they don't care about acoustics. |
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Post by winetree on Oct 16, 2014 16:56:44 GMT -6
I built this one.  |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 16, 2014 17:07:28 GMT -6
That's a good lookin desk. Nice work! |
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Post by popmann on Oct 16, 2014 18:07:46 GMT -6
Dude those speakers look HUGE....to be so close. Are those considered nearfeilds? I get the idea, J&MD....I just think you have to have a mixer or it really isn't as useful as you think it might be. "Outboard" doesn't really take a load of tweaking. Meanwhile, I promise faders=equal better mixes. Doesn't have to be a full spread, but you've got to have them. A mouse simply won't allow closing your eyes to adjust. The more you have to look at the LCD, the worse off the mixes will be. IME. That said....this is the nicer looking version of what my "studio in a box" was at home for years: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ECR10/10ChMine was actually a custom ordered 15 over 18!! The top held a Mackie 1604 rotopod'ed so the connections were up (same surface as the faders)--and the patch bays were up there above it--so, I could patch anything in the rack into anywhere in the mixer---the analog 8 track, DAT, compressors, synths--everything was in the patchbay, normalled to typical channels, but I could easily with a few patch cables just break it and route it however. ' Anyway--build a key/mouse shelf onto the front (or buy a sliding tray for the first vertical 1U.....done. Not hella pricey. |
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Post by popmann on Oct 16, 2014 18:09:04 GMT -6
Also note--you likely want the 12 over 8--I linked the 10 because the picture is open, where the 12/8 is pictured closed.
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. So I no longer have a table saw, drill press, etc.
Joking.....
. Guess I'll check nashville craigslist... and maybe make a weekend of it if I can find something.
