Production Desk

T

tremblayj

Member
I am in the planing stages of building a production desk and was looking to get some feedback on my current plan. Its intended to be a desk that is comfortable to just sit at and play but also function as a normal desk.
I have attached a screenshot of the sketchup.
The idea is to have a desk that has a place to hide all of the wires and a solid slide out keyboard for a 61 key controller. There is a brace placed right behind the controller which will act as support for the top as well as create a cavity in the back to hide the wires (from the one year old who loves wires). I also do not want the desk to be too wide which is why I have the keyboard tray overlapping the two side cabinets. I find this leaves plenty of room but also adds some stability as I can add drawer slides on the bottom if ever I upgraded to a heavier keyboard.
I plan to build the top out of a yet to be determined solid wood so as to avoid any chance of sag and the sides out of a cabinet grade ply. My ideal would also be to have the ability to remove the top and separate the sides for easy transport for future moves.
My question for the forum is whether anyone can see any points for improvement before i go ahead with the build?
desk.jpg
 
The spaces on the left and right should be capable of housing 19" wide rack gear (that is the standard full rack size).
And full rack preamps, comps, EQs...etc...will be made for a 19" rack. You may not think of outboard gear as necessary, but you will need preamps at the least, and many interfaces are also made for standard size racks.

Consider also the final height of your monitors. Your ears when sitting at your mix position should be level with the midpoints between the tweeters and the speakers.
 
Good points miroslaw. I will note that the two openings on either side of the drawers are spaced for 19" gear. I currently only have a Presonus firestudio project so I may change the configuration to just one opening. I don't want unused open space but then I also like the symmetry it currently provides.
I have been wrestling with the monitor height (both studio and computer monitors). I want the computer monitor at eye level to control neck fatigue and figure that i can use some wedges to angle the studio monitors if necessary. That being said, I have never used the wedges and am not sure if this would be a suitable solution.
 
I really like this design. I'm planning on building a similar style in the near future. I'm worried about sag on the top too, but don't have the tools available to piece a top made of hardwood together.
 
Just as an update - I have been working on the desk and it has been a learning process. Its seem even over the course of the build I have change my mind multiple times about what future gear I might have and how to build for it. I think that ultimately I will have the skills to modify so I am building for my current needs. Below are some pics of the build process thus far including a quick test fit without the keyboard tray. Keyboard tray is currently being glued up and should be ready to test out tomorrow. IMG_20151123_172640451.jpgIMG_20151122_151929410.jpgIMG_20151121_161441069.jpgIMG_20151109_193930870.jpgDSC01858.JPG
 
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Set it up for temporary use as well as to test out whether it needs any adjustments. So far I am really liking the way it feels.

RT_Productions, don't wait too long. I am using an old sears table saw I bought for $60 and borrowing the rest of the tools. It's a learning experience but also very rewarding.

Thanks for the kind words liv_rong, ghetto desk comparison not intended...
 
I love the idea of a keyboard tray. Looks like you got it working good.

How will you finish the edges of the plywood?
 
when you mentioned keyboard tray i thought kewl idea .. then i saw you meant a KEYBOARD tray !!! and thats a foooking blimmin bloody great idea :D



like chili im wondering how your gonna finish her off .. me i might go for wax,or maybe a stain,but the edges ?
 
Keyboard tray can be slightly misleading but controller tray doesn't seem to make sense to most people... It is pretty great being able to just pull out the tray and play.

The plan is to finish the edges with some hardwood. I have some maple strips I picked up for cheap ($5) and I am thinking of doing a sort of face frame to enhance the look as well as protect those edges.

The finishing process remains undecided. I am using poplar and maple which both tend to blotch so its going to be a challenge. I might try to shellac it and then use some gel stain to get that consistent colour or possibly use dye's and spray it. The process will involve a lot of trial and error.

I've been browsing these forums gathering ideas for some time. For the moment I am just happy to have a usable desk!
 
Wow, that looks awesome. I'm thinking of a similar project also with a keyboard tray, that looks so usefull! Only I've got a keyboard with as much keys as a piano has, which is a bit broad for desk. I'll follow your progress, good job!
 
Thanks for the kind words.
I did make this desk with a modular design so that it could accommodate an 88 key controller in the future. It would require a new tray and a wider support brace but that is all.
I just met a guy who has a heated shop so I may be able to make more progress than I thought I would this winter. It will be difficult to take the desk apart as I am enjoying it quite a bit thus far.
 
Quick update on the project. I was able to get working on the desk again as the warm weather rolled in. Couple pictures of the doors and the rest of the desk built. I have sprayed some colour and am now applying a poly finish. My hope would be to have it finished by this weekend but we'll see.
I also included a pic of my "spray booth,wood shop, finishing area" (also know as the family garage) to show that building this stuff is possible without a full shop...it just takes a lot longer. I still don't have a dedicated studio room but my dream is to someday get a place that would allow me to build one. I always have an eye on the "let me see your studio" thread. It's amazing what many of you can do with a simple room in your home.
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what about the drawers?

So what are the drawers for?
The front, i see, is to contain your CPU. Always a good idea. Some nob might be tempted to chime in about 'heat', but it's done like this all the time, if there's an opening in the back.
But the drawers? I know if they were in my desk, i'd have them carefully filled with completely unmanageable clutter. What we're you going to put in them? Stuff?


Ponder5
 
"Carefully filled...unmanageable clutter" seems about right! My wife doesn't like clutter so the drawers are a place to hide it all. I will also be making some little drawers to go on either side of the middle rack unit on top. You can never have too much storage for extra picks, strings, chords...

The back of the unit is completely open which allows plenty of airflow. I have seen the mesh fronts but I just don't care for the look.
 
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