Thanks mlange. Yes, it's the result of a lot of trial and error over the years.

The way it came about is that I'd built myself a desk using the same concept (sliding desktop going under fixed bridge shelf with speakers and computer monitor, revealing the MIDI keyboard underneath) out of Ultimate Support hardware. You don't have to move when you play the keyboard, and sliding the desktop back - which takes no time - puts the computer keyboard in the perfect position over the keys.

Every time a composer friend would come over, he's say "that's what I need." So I found a woodworking guy who took the concept way beyond anything I could have thought of. His work is just outstanding - really a true craftsman.

The desk in the pic is the prototype one I'm sitting at now, but actually even it has been modified since then - the bridge shelf has been extended forward (and the edge cutting replaced with a simpler design that fits my taste). And the ones we've built for customers have a couple of subtle tweaks we learned from this one too, but nothing anyone would notice from the picture.

We've shipped them all over the world.

At the moment we're thinking about how to make a lower-cost product, one that doesn't take so much labor and has a much lower materials cost (the wood alone is about a third of the price right now, because the frame, legs, and bridge shelf are solid hardwood and the desktop is top shelf ply - to say nothing of the drawer slides, which are a couple of hundred bucks alone). The problem is that it's too much of a niche thing to go to composition board and automated manufacturing like KK or Argosy do.

...but I don't think there's any way around using an expensive LCD arm. That's the key - floating the computer monitor (or monitors) in the right place.

We've been recommending this one, which we get at a reduced price:

http://www.lcdarms.com/products/LCD_Radial_Arms/7500.html

While it looks very functional and well made, it's also butt ugly! It looks like something that would come out of an old ladies house. Seriously, you should work with a good designer to get the asthetics up to the level of the ergonomics.

I and everyone else disagrees, and my taste has always been impeccable.

As I said, the edge cutting on the front of the bridge shelf isn't my taste, and I've had it removed from my desk. But some people have ordered it with that, so what can I say.

Looks great.

I built my own desk (I did a thread about it here). Took a day and cost about $40.00.

Someday when I take a break from building guitars I'll do something really fancy.

noah, where's the link? I'm curious.

You missed this:



That doesn't do it, nor does Nick's piece.

I've built myself a few desks that have the MIDI keyboard controller directly underneath, in a sliding drawer like that. The problem with that for me is that, with the height of a decent MIDI keyboard and a drawer and then the upper desk surface, you end up with a compromise somewhere. Either the MIDI keyboarfd is too low or the desktop surface is too high.

A true piano keyboard is in fact a little lower than a traditional desktop surface so, I initially thought it would be do-able like that (and maybe I'm just too sensitive to the height issue) but you can't get both to be the right height, with a system like that.

So, I just have a desk w/ the computer keyboard and monitor on it, right in front of me, with the DA-7 mixer on the left, angled toward me, and then a MIDI keyboard controller to my right, and other stuff (MIDI Drums, floor controllers for guitars, etc.) on my left. All arranged in a semi-circle so I can just kind of turn my chair and get to everything.

Hmmm, alrighty then... you're highly height sensitive I suppose. I guess you couldn't be one of those Rick Wakeman type guys with the giant stacks of keyboards (even though they're all setup in a semi circle)!

Nick dude, c'mon! The thing looks sort of like and old Hammond Organ console... not exactly an example of cutting edge contemporary design.

That's exactly what I used for years.... gutted console organ shells with multiple shelves installed. Three layer of keys, plus a fourth level on the top for a pair of monosynths.