gcapel
boom box recordings
I know for sure I'm going to build computer desk / studio workstation. This may be a shot in the dark but is there any where on the net plans or layouts for a desk that may save me some time designing one?
technominds
New member
gcapel said:
I can make you a quick render of what it will look like, but its up to you to plan the size of the cuts.
What are you housing?
P
psylux
New member
The following found in 4 mins googling "DIY music desk"
http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/Workstation5/default.aspx
is nice.
http://www.goatinatree.com/desk/desk.htm
aint bad.
http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/Workstation5/default.aspx
is nice.
http://www.goatinatree.com/desk/desk.htm
aint bad.
gullfo
New member
depending on your skills, budget, and what you are looking for, it will vary as to what desk is "best". if for example you are looking to have a PC desk with enough space for a keyboard, you might find it less expensive/time consuming to just get a desk from Staples. there are a couple of office desks that would be ideal for a PC workstation. audio monitors, and have a 76 (or perhaps 88) key keyboard on it without mods. for less than $250. You'd have to do some assembly.
You could also check Raxxess (sp?) or other commerical studio furniture.
another option is list out what equipment you have/want and what the approx layout or workflow might be and see if someone can design it.
Maybe you need 2 desks - one for you PC and one for your equipment... all depends on how you like/need to work and space...
You could also check Raxxess (sp?) or other commerical studio furniture.
another option is list out what equipment you have/want and what the approx layout or workflow might be and see if someone can design it.
Maybe you need 2 desks - one for you PC and one for your equipment... all depends on how you like/need to work and space...
alexfranke
42
Here are some resources and some tips you might find useful:
I have a couple of tutorials online that might help you out. psylux found one of these in a previous reply.
How to Build a Studio Rack - http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/Workstation5
All About Racks and Rack Rails - http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/RackRails
Recording Studio Workstation & Rack Plans - http://plans.thefrankes.com/Racks
You can subscribe to an RSS feed of studio-related content on my site by pointing your aggregator here: http://plans.thefrankes.com/rss/rss.aspx?cat=studio
Also, see this thread, with has a couple other links and some more ideas.
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=217003
Here are some hints and other ideas.
* Prefer 3/4-inch plywood to MDF or particleboard -- especially where you're fastening the rails -- becuase plywood holds screws much better and it's much more resistant to sagging.
* Remember that 3/4-inch plywood is acually 23/32 inches thick. Most other sheet goods are 3/4.
* Office desktops are typically around 30 inches high, which can be uncomfortably high if you're in a typical chair and doing a lot of work with something placed on top of the desk (like a mixer or keyboard). So, consider the height of the equipment you're working and the chair you want to use with when planning the height of your base cabinets and desktop.
* Google recently acquired a tool called SketchUp which is free and may be useful in designing and visualizing your workstation.
* Before you cut any wood to make racks, be sure the rails you have are compatible with the internal width you plan to use for the rack gear, and adjust any measurements on your plans accordingly. (e.g. 19" might work, but 19.125" might work better.)
* Remember to allow easy access to cables if necessary.
* Plan for cable paths by installing gutters, drilling holes, etc, so you can run all the cables you need to run.
* Remember to install support for extra heavy gear, even if it's installed in rack rails, which typically only support the front of the gear.
* Prefer steel rails to wood (or milk crates)
* You might find it easier to pre-stain the wood before you start cutting and assembling it.
* Use dado and rabbet joinery if you have the tools and skill. Or if you use butt joinery, be sure to use dowels or biscuits. Use fresh wood glue.
* Remember to build it in pieces that will fit through your halls, turns, and doorways (!!!) and assemble in place if necessary.
* You can save a lot of cash on the wood if you're planning to paint instead of stain.
* I've found great deals in the past on long rails, which don't sell very well, but also don't stand up very well to a sharp hacksaw!
Hope this helps!
I have a couple of tutorials online that might help you out. psylux found one of these in a previous reply.
How to Build a Studio Rack - http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/Workstation5
All About Racks and Rack Rails - http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/RackRails
Recording Studio Workstation & Rack Plans - http://plans.thefrankes.com/Racks
You can subscribe to an RSS feed of studio-related content on my site by pointing your aggregator here: http://plans.thefrankes.com/rss/rss.aspx?cat=studio
Also, see this thread, with has a couple other links and some more ideas.
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=217003
Here are some hints and other ideas.
* Prefer 3/4-inch plywood to MDF or particleboard -- especially where you're fastening the rails -- becuase plywood holds screws much better and it's much more resistant to sagging.
* Remember that 3/4-inch plywood is acually 23/32 inches thick. Most other sheet goods are 3/4.
* Office desktops are typically around 30 inches high, which can be uncomfortably high if you're in a typical chair and doing a lot of work with something placed on top of the desk (like a mixer or keyboard). So, consider the height of the equipment you're working and the chair you want to use with when planning the height of your base cabinets and desktop.
* Google recently acquired a tool called SketchUp which is free and may be useful in designing and visualizing your workstation.
* Before you cut any wood to make racks, be sure the rails you have are compatible with the internal width you plan to use for the rack gear, and adjust any measurements on your plans accordingly. (e.g. 19" might work, but 19.125" might work better.)
* Remember to allow easy access to cables if necessary.
* Plan for cable paths by installing gutters, drilling holes, etc, so you can run all the cables you need to run.
* Remember to install support for extra heavy gear, even if it's installed in rack rails, which typically only support the front of the gear.
* Prefer steel rails to wood (or milk crates)
* You might find it easier to pre-stain the wood before you start cutting and assembling it.
* Use dado and rabbet joinery if you have the tools and skill. Or if you use butt joinery, be sure to use dowels or biscuits. Use fresh wood glue.
* Remember to build it in pieces that will fit through your halls, turns, and doorways (!!!) and assemble in place if necessary.
* You can save a lot of cash on the wood if you're planning to paint instead of stain.
* I've found great deals in the past on long rails, which don't sell very well, but also don't stand up very well to a sharp hacksaw!
Hope this helps!
alexfranke
42
Hi all -- I added another article to my site that includes the tips in my previous post, plus a whole lot more. Check it out and let me know what you think!
http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/RackTips/
http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/RackTips/
homestudioguy
Well-known member
$80 Workstation
I have a thread in here as well with some positive comments.
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=212611&highlight=$80+workstation
For a nice low-cost alternative go to my website and click on the "Build This Workstation". The photos and instructions are fairly easy to understand.gcapel said:
I have a thread in here as well with some positive comments.
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=212611&highlight=$80+workstation
alien
New member
I built the following desk around my console and, to this day, I still believe that is the best approach.
The section on the right was originally going to have a table-style rack on the top, but I decided against it at the last moment and that decision has worked out well in my studio enviroment.
I can give you a rough drawing I did of the desk, but it will not have any measurements on it. I calculated those right before I built it and wrote them down by hand on my sketch.
The stability of the desk comes from a 2x4 that runs along the bottom of the main table. The inner wall of the racks are nothced at the top to allow the 2x4 to sit into the notch and then it is bracketed on the outter walls. I did this, primarily for support, but it also led to another design discovery:
Neother the rack nor the computer area had to be attatached to the table except for the brackets. This means that maoving will be a cinch since the patch bay using box connectors. I simply have to unhook the box connector for the lower rack, take out two screws on each end, and voila - the table lifts up off the racks with no problem and stays stable in the process.
The EQ's are for the monitors, have been set, and have a piece of plexiglass covering them to prevent errant knees and feet from inadvertantly adjusting the graphs. The meter bridge is being built. I am making a custom one based off of the schematics of the console. It will be mounted to the wall behind the desk.
http://lychesis.com/album/photos/desk2.jpg
The section on the right was originally going to have a table-style rack on the top, but I decided against it at the last moment and that decision has worked out well in my studio enviroment.
I can give you a rough drawing I did of the desk, but it will not have any measurements on it. I calculated those right before I built it and wrote them down by hand on my sketch.
The stability of the desk comes from a 2x4 that runs along the bottom of the main table. The inner wall of the racks are nothced at the top to allow the 2x4 to sit into the notch and then it is bracketed on the outter walls. I did this, primarily for support, but it also led to another design discovery:
Neother the rack nor the computer area had to be attatached to the table except for the brackets. This means that maoving will be a cinch since the patch bay using box connectors. I simply have to unhook the box connector for the lower rack, take out two screws on each end, and voila - the table lifts up off the racks with no problem and stays stable in the process.
The EQ's are for the monitors, have been set, and have a piece of plexiglass covering them to prevent errant knees and feet from inadvertantly adjusting the graphs. The meter bridge is being built. I am making a custom one based off of the schematics of the console. It will be mounted to the wall behind the desk.
http://lychesis.com/album/photos/desk2.jpg
gullfo
New member
nice!
yeah, the key is to think about how you work or would like to work and write those ideas down. do you do in-the-box or hardware mixes? do you have aroom with soffit mounted speakers or plan on putting near-fields on the console (or right behind it)? what effects do you have use? will you need some in the console and some in another cabinet? etc...
all these things matter in deciding the type of desk (or desks) you need. looks around at a variety of designs (like people showing you here) and pick the features that make sense to you. then think about the buy-versus-build decision - are the features something you can buy within your budget? or do want to construct the desk because its special or less expensive?
I built my own because I wanted to consolidate all my current equipment into a single desk with 2 iso-cabinets on wheels as a base. this way I could have all my equipment nearby and organized and also move it around as needed and keep the ADAT and PC noise levels down. since I don't have a proper room yet, I decided that near fields on the console work for now and later I can soffit mount other monitors and still have the near fields. I also do both hardware and ITB mixing so having a video monitor centered between the audio monitors was important for balance and ease of use.
took me about a month to design it since I didn't want to use heavy wood for it (I used 15/32" finishing plywood), but wanted it rigid enough to handle the weight of the equipment and not have too much resonance prior to damping it. I have it about 1/2 wired but it already makes a big difference in terms of ease of use in hardware mixes and proper positioning relative to the near field monitors.
yeah, the key is to think about how you work or would like to work and write those ideas down. do you do in-the-box or hardware mixes? do you have aroom with soffit mounted speakers or plan on putting near-fields on the console (or right behind it)? what effects do you have use? will you need some in the console and some in another cabinet? etc...
all these things matter in deciding the type of desk (or desks) you need. looks around at a variety of designs (like people showing you here) and pick the features that make sense to you. then think about the buy-versus-build decision - are the features something you can buy within your budget? or do want to construct the desk because its special or less expensive?
I built my own because I wanted to consolidate all my current equipment into a single desk with 2 iso-cabinets on wheels as a base. this way I could have all my equipment nearby and organized and also move it around as needed and keep the ADAT and PC noise levels down. since I don't have a proper room yet, I decided that near fields on the console work for now and later I can soffit mount other monitors and still have the near fields. I also do both hardware and ITB mixing so having a video monitor centered between the audio monitors was important for balance and ease of use.
took me about a month to design it since I didn't want to use heavy wood for it (I used 15/32" finishing plywood), but wanted it rigid enough to handle the weight of the equipment and not have too much resonance prior to damping it. I have it about 1/2 wired but it already makes a big difference in terms of ease of use in hardware mixes and proper positioning relative to the near field monitors.
alexfranke
42
I think one of the biggest benefits of going the DIY route is that if done right, you end up with something truly customized to meet your specific needs and equipment (and height and style and so on) -- like having your suit tailor made instead of just wearing it off he rack. Plus I must admit it's a great sense of pride, especially when the compliments come in. They say, "wow, nice furniture!" and you think to yourself, "yeah, and I did it myself!"
That said, it does take some time to design and build these things, and some people would rather spend the time on other things. But even if you're going to buy some furniture, you still going to need carefully assess your needs. For me, once that was done, it was a lot easier (and less expensive) to build it myself. You can pretty much hire a cabinetmaker to build a drawing on a napkin for the price of some of what's out there!
By the way, you know what they say about measuring twice and cutting once. Well, forget about that. Measure three times at least before you cut. When you're building furniture to fit expensive metal gear, you need to be fairly accurate, and there nothing worse than finishing up on hours of work just to find out you were a little off here and there!
That said, it does take some time to design and build these things, and some people would rather spend the time on other things. But even if you're going to buy some furniture, you still going to need carefully assess your needs. For me, once that was done, it was a lot easier (and less expensive) to build it myself. You can pretty much hire a cabinetmaker to build a drawing on a napkin for the price of some of what's out there!
By the way, you know what they say about measuring twice and cutting once. Well, forget about that. Measure three times at least before you cut. When you're building furniture to fit expensive metal gear, you need to be fairly accurate, and there nothing worse than finishing up on hours of work just to find out you were a little off here and there!
gullfo
New member
alexfranke said:
and then double-check after that!
