Home studio desk (furniture) in UK?

[babylon 303]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a decent place in the UK that makes computer/studio desks? I've got pretty precise requirements - my 88 key MIDI controller has to be on a pull out tray just below the main desk and I have 2 different sized TFT displays, one above the other (it's the way I like to work) so needs to be able to accommodate this with some sort of shelving.

Am finding it hard to find any decent, affordable suppliers in the UK that can get hold of something. Anyone got any tips?

Thanks!

[Baritonealone]

studioracks.co.uk

[thefruitfarmer]

Ikea Jerker Desk...



if....

you have enough room for one, it is pretty big..

and if you can find one as they are not made any more....

...I do have one that I do not use but I do not want to be shifting it more than about 50 miles!

[padfurnitre]

Hello everyone
Thanks for share this useful information ......this information really helpful to me

[Nicky T]

Make sure you check your measurements - I've needed a similar workstation - if you've got the 88 note keyboard shelf under the desk it needs to be at a height where 1. your legs fit under it comfortably 2. the key bed is at a comfortable playing height from this sitting position 3. The desk top above that is at a comfortable height to work from.

You'd be surprised how precise those heights need to be to fit it all in and still be comfortable working long hours at the station. Good luck!

[thefruitfarmer]

You do not necessarily need a pull out shelf below the main desk surface....

It would be convenient but you can just put your controller keyboard on a keyboard stand and slide it under the main desk surface.

I had to get a couple of extra holes drilled in my keyboard stand so it would fit under a relatively low desk.

[Logarhythm]

How much is "affordable" for you?
I think Thomann will ship desks to the UK without it costing a fortune, and last time I looked at this I noticed this desk with a pull-out shelf for an 88-note keyboard, but you'd have to do a bit of modification to mount your monitors one above the other.

Otherwise, if budget is a bit tighter there is a lot to be said for a visit to Ikea and perhaps B&Q - lots of the Ikea desks are available in parts that you can purchase seperately and combine to get the desired structure and layout to suit how you work. May also be worth having a look at ikeahackers.net as there are a variety of ideas for studio desks there.
B&Q do sliding drawer rails that "lock" in the out position that seem to work well for keyboard shelves; mechanism is reasonably smooth and they've held up well for the two years I've been using them so far.
I'm currently using an old Ikea table that was a freebie being thrown out by a family member, modified with a keyboard shelf I've made from B&Q bits.
My master keyboard is only 61-note, but I'm sure the principle would work for an 88-note model (with perhaps a bit of extra bracing to take the extra weight).
Total cost for this set up was about £30 and an afternoon with a saw and drill. Perhaps not the most elegant in terms of aesthetics, but works for me as a home for my very budget setup!

N.B. Nicky's advice about checking heights is very relevant - it's surprising how hard it is to get the controller keyboard to a height that is comfortable to play and doesn't hit your knees, whilst keeping the top part for the computer keyboard and mouse low enough to also be comfortable to use for long periods. I'd therefore also plan for a bit of fine tuning once you're set up!

[MrMarkits]

Good old Ikea hacking! I cobbled together this desk from my old Malm oak effect bed (been sleeping on the floor for three months now!). You just have to be careful when sawing their hollow stuff in half, it's made of Weetabix

[Martin Walker]

Now that's impressive MrMarkits!!

Martin

[Pink Fluid]

Clever....what bits of the bed did you make the speakers from?

[TheBev]

Yup that is a beauty, & the "weetabix" comment.. now that's funny.

[hollowsun]

I bought THIS a while back. Ok, from Germany not the UK but they dealt with it all flawlessly. Bloody excellent desk - one of the best things I've spent my money on.

Here it is in situ today...



It is pretty big though so make sure (as mentioned above) you measure up well.

And €400-odd might seem a lot but you can spend £thousands on this stuff.

[Kedge 123]

Good old Ikea hacking! I cobbled together this desk from my old Malm oak effect bed (been sleeping on the floor for three months now!). You just have to be careful when sawing their hollow stuff in half, it's made of Weetabix

Other than Weetabix and a bed what else did you use?

[asja90]

Found some great stuff here:

And your blatant advertisement lasted for a few seconds before I deleted it

[zenguitar]

Found some great stuff here:

And your blatant advertisement lasted for a few seconds before I deleted it

Because Martin Walker doesn't just use Weetabix to make studio furniture, he has 3 for breakfast. Don't mess with our Martin or you have me to answer to... 3 Jack Daniels' for breakfast

Andy

[LeeJamieHayes]

Afternoon,

Apologies for hijacking the thread but I'm after some furniture too. I'd also reccomend checking out the Zaor stuff as the new Miza range is both cheap and stylish.

Has anyone had experiences with Zaor's Miza range?

Anyone aware of a UK dealer for Zaor stuff?

[scindapsus]

you can find what you need at melodyhome.

[JH Brandt]

Be aware that many of the 'desks' used by home studios are not really ideal due to their large reflective surfaces and they will direct reflection right into the ears of the operator causing comb filtering at the mix position.

Many people copy the argosy and other pro desks.. which are mainly designed for use in large studios with mid and far-field speakers/monitors. The angles of these desks are about 15 degrees.

This is an example of one of our designs (attached) And if you plan on building your own, map out the reflections from the speakers and make sure that there will be no interference. The desk shown has rack angles of 25 degrees. (and this is for a large studio)

Speakers should be on Stands.. NOT the console.

Cheers,
John

[GIK Acoustics]

Wow John! I knew you designed desks, but I've never seen one of the designs before. Looks really cool!

[JH Brandt]

Thank you sir.

We are just putting together arrangements with a 'partner' in Canada to have many of our designs built and shipped in the Americas. Wish me luck!

Cheers,
John

[Martin Walker]

We are just putting together arrangements with a 'partner' in Canada to have many of our designs built and shipped in the Americas. Wish me luck!

Good luck John!

Martin

[Dramatic Hammer]

Massive dredge.

Has anything changed in the world of studio furniture? Any new companies to check out? Any best-practice guides in terms of speaker location/rack angles/etc ?

I'd like a producer desk (Ie. no large mixer involved) that's reasonably attractive, with easy access to rack units, has space for desktop units and a sensible arrangement of computer bits.

[MarkPAman]

Buso do quite a lage range of stuff: https://busoaudio.com

We've recently put their Producer XL into our studio at work.

This is how to build one!
https://youtu.be/IkDfTC_rdg0

[Dramatic Hammer]

Buso do quite a lage range of stuff: https://busoaudio.com

We've recently put their Producer XL into our studio at work.

This is how to build one!
https://youtu.be/IkDfTC_rdg0

Thanks, they look nice - how's the quality?

[MarkPAman]

Very pleased with ours.

We've made a few holes for cable management, out of sight at the back, and they're not made of Weetabix!

Ours is black, (which is why you can hardly see it in the video) and it's a shame that the rackstrip it came with is not black too, but that's really a very minor point.

It's survived one term of student use with no sign of any problems that I'm aware of.