Computer keyboard problem

DeadPoet

DeadPoet

carpe diem
Hi guys

I have a little ergonomic problem in my working room right now... I've bought a medium-sized mixing board that takes about all of the place I have on my 2.10m by 90cm desk.
I still have some space left at the left side for the mouse (I'm a lefty) and I 'could' put the keyboard at the right side, but there's about 1.40m space in between...

I've tried putting the keyboard on top of the console, but then I can't see the knobs of course.

Best idea I had so far is kind of making a rail system at the front side of the desk, mount a small piece-o'-wood on it and put the keyboard on it so I can move it left and right when I need it/don't need it.
Only thing now is: HOW ? I've found a small rail system like that which is normally used for computer keyboard drawers, but I only have like 40cm of left-right-movement and I want more. I've tried 'modifying' them to make one long with several short ones, but that doesn't work...

Would anyone know of a way to accomplish this (and a supplier if possible) or another way to tackle this problem ?

(oh yeah, making a drawer under the desk is not an option, no space there, I'm 1m92 with long legs ;) )

I'll post a pic.


Herwig
 
One option you have is a wireless keyboard with a built in trackball. I've seen several of them in various computer stores in the last couple of months, though I don't recall if they are logitech, microsoft, or other. But they do exist.

Use the keyboard when you need it either on top of the mixer, or on your lap, then toss it aside when you're not using it.

Another option is to make your rail system extend the width, or more of the width so you can slide it either way. Looking at your picture, its just a matter of buying more rails, screwing them lengthwise end to end, then bending the stops so the keyboard can cross rails easily enough. A good pair of vice grips should be able to do this acceptably, from what I can see in the picture.

My console is going to be a little different ergonomically, though. The console will be approximately 11' wide or thereabouts, and in front of the faders will be a level surface thats covered in leather, as an armrest. In the dead center of that leather armrest, there will be a routed area in the wood below it that has a flush-mounted keyboard and trackball (huge one, on the left side, since I"m a lefty also), flush with the surface of the padding. This will hook to my 16-port KVM switch for the two studio computers, the internet catch-all computer, and the multiple hard disk recorders that also use PS2 keyboards for a lot of their functions, especially naming tracks, songs, and projects.

Hope that helps.
 
Wireless: not really an option, I still have a keyboard to put somewhere. Been thinking about a trackball though, but I guess it take a lot of time to get used to it (decades of mousing around...)

Extending the width with the system I found in the local home depot -type of store is not mossible, the 'inside' moving piece moves on little balls and will not accept extension (believe me, the one you see in the pics are like my 4th pair or so ;) )

I've thought about the same thing you've done too, but problem is my exisiting desk is 90cm deep which leaves almost no space at the back (and I've got a 19" CRT to hang back there)...

A friend pointed me to a store where he thinks they might have what I need... will check that out.


Herwig.
 
Trackball - I've been using versions of this trackball over the years: http://www.kensington.com/html/2200.html simply because its large, easy to use, and you can program some of the buttons to load applications, like sonar, cakewalk, cdex, etc. It did take a little while to get used to a trackball over a mouse, but the main advantage of a trackball is twofold - whatever space the base takes, thats all the space you need. It never moves, and you can flush mount it if you really want to route out your desk surface. The second advantage, which is a big one for me and maybe not anyone else, is that the cord doesn't move either, therefore it doesn't get tangled in anything limiting my mouse movement. I've ALWAYS had that complaint. Anyway, if you are considering getting away from mice, this $100 trackball will serve you well. You can drop it and spill in it and it will survive - for a while. Wonder how I know that? :-D

Wireless keyboards are a good thing, but if it doesn't float your boat thats okay. It doesn't float mine either, because wireless keyboards don't seem to work well with KVM switches (keyboard, video, mouse), and since I have one in the core of my studio, wireless is out.

Regarding the tracks... I feel your pain... but at the same time take a step back and look at what the track is. Its nothing more than a piece of metal. You can either make a new one out of metal, or using vicegrips and a hammer, make it work by putting them end to end. I did this with a folding door, actually. I bought two folding doors, and instead of having them attached to the walls on either side of the doorway, meeting in the center, I modified the tracks so I could hinge the doors together, and push all four door halves to one side, across the same tracks. Using vice grips, I flattened the end-of-track stops, then used a ballpeen hammer to put the track back into shape from the pliar work :) Magically, it worked just dandy. I upgraded the hinges on the doors so they could support the additional weight of four door panels instead of two.

Not trying to be argumentative, just suggesting you take a step back and look at the track as "raw material, a piece of steel" rather than as a keyboard track :) Sometimes that way of thinking really helps.

I do that with "car stuff" all the time.... I have a 1993 Rover 3.9L block, with '64 buick 300 heads, with chevy 5.7" rods, a Rover 4.0L crank, and ford 255 pistons, giving me about 770HP @ 8500 RPM with two ford thunderbird turbos.

Parts are parts :)
 
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