It is a complete nightmware, especially for more compact home studios and keyboard players who want to sit in front of the monitors. I ended up building my own which I plan to detail in a blog. It is a multi-tier desk with sliding keyboard tray to accommodate an 88-key fully weighted controller, 2 drawer units with 4 drawers each, 6 shelves, 9 rack units, a 1550 x 400 mm primary top and a 1550 x 300 mm second tier for the mac, monitors and other stuff. It was several weeks work to build and is not flat-packable so a nightmware to move if and when I need to do so, but it's been one of the best things I've built for the studio and by far the best piece of studio furniture I've had. The key thing for me was minimising the footprint so it's 1550 x 700 mm, which is a lot smaller than most of the bulky, space-wasting options on the market that don't have half the features.
It's not my area of work or music work, but why do you necessarily want a keyboard between the speakers ? If you're composing, are you trying to critically mix at the same time? Sobtou even need full range monitors when using the piano keyboard ? I find that making music and mixing, critical listening come at completely different times, use different styles of thinking and so I keep them separate in order to make a better environment for the two different activities.
@@natdenchfield8061 in my case it’s a multi purpose room. So I am not necessarily doing critical mixes, but regardless there wouldn’t be room to have speakers elsewhere in the room easily.
@@natdenchfield8061 Often space doesn't permit multiple setups for most people. And sometimes when you're a solo musician or you're working on your own ideas, you want a setup that is all integrated. I can go from mixing / mastering to playing virtual instruments simply by sliding out the keyboard. Obviously the listening position changes slightly, as to expose the full control set the keyboard extends roughly 300 mm in front of the desk so you end up moving backwards 300 mm in relation to a 'normal' sitting position. But you're probably not making critical mixing decisions when you're playing a keyboard. In an ideal world the mixing station and the keyboard station would be separate, albeit using a shared computer but with their own monitors and some kind of monitor controller or hardware control surface to control the output routing on the interface. But most setups and spaces are far from ideal, the vast majority of monitor controllers are dreadful, and most interfaces don't handle multi-monitor, multi-stereo setups very well.
Before becoming a Donk Techno producer, i used to be a seamstress in the 1890s and so I like to use a desk that has the rocker pedal underneath for powering the sewing machine. I have this connected to a dynamo for my modest macbook setup! Old habits die hard (and I don't... ).
I had my question answered on stream about if you could do built in monitor stands for speaker with the possible future desk in the works and Mark said he would not want to do that at all. But why make a MB MUM if you are against a meter bridge? It should have been implied that decupling would be used... is it really a such a bad idea? If for a room with amply space then I myself would say to have stands but in small rooms a stand will be pretty much the same. I was speaking of the speaker stands be a bit back.... making a extra deep desk so the speakers are back a bit and where they are can me in the design of a meter bridge... or, I personally think if you really think about martials used then it might be completely fine. Maybe with a two point decoupling system. Decoupling where they attach to the desk, and then the typical 3rd-party decoupling with the speakers and the platform they will sit on. If the idea is a modular desk, they maybe they could be a bit pricy but then a separately purchased add on for those that would favour that. I'd like also, if you do this, ways to completely change the way you can set it up entirely... softube controllers... any sort... I have many ideas on how I'd like to have a desk setup with both mixing and production in mind. The same martial as the speakers is a great idea... is there equally eco friendly material, even something just as a topper layer that reduces reflections that could be used?... being a google warrior as a normal person with passion seems to be much better as finding perfect products to use over very well paid research people in big companies... plus allowing a community to chirp in helps... purifi was already one I knew about and saw you guys find out about those before I could say... but us people do find much more interesting and quality stuff than these big companies we've been looking up to for years... hence you finding out how much that tweeter costed in those speakers you pulled apart. The fact you do not have distribution costs added to the cost of your product, the desk is sure to be a massive value... even if it cost the same as others it'll be because it's 4 times better
FYI Antion Vikram Singh aka Vic Briggs from the animals. He Lived in NZ till is passing 2021. I spent some time with him on a few events. You mentioning your story reminded me of him. I am lucky to have recorded him and played with him. Thanks for the memories. When he passed, he gave his fav guitar to our studio. We use it every time we can....
Around 46:00 h are you talking about Vibro Acoustics platforms or some similar name ? That have been around since about late 90s or early 2000s? If so, they are actually rebranded lab equipment for such things as optic tables (where you fire laser beams down two paths and measure the difference in time between them etc etc) where the goal is to only keep vibrations out. As you say, not for when the vibration is coming from the object on the object itself. Very good for turntables (if you ignore airborne vibration).
Being a piano playing producer I needed a desk with a slide out 88 note keyboard shelf. I went for the £700 ZAOR Miza M Flex which I assume falls into Mark's 'shit' category, (obviously if your speakers are on stands it really doesn't matter what wood your desk is made of) with a pair of stylish Sigel SB100 acoustic tiles placed at the desk's reflection points. It's solid, functional, look's great and with my Adam's A8H'S positioned behind on stands I'm really pleased with the sound. I'm in a purpose built garden studio with a concrete floor which really helps with the speaker stand isolation. 😎 N.B. Remember, 60 years ago an old guy and four lads from Liverpool were producing some of the greatest music ever made in front of an old fashioned desk, 1960's speakers and a four track! 🤔
I've had 4 desks and the custom/rack mount type desks always end up getting in the way when you buy new gear or get rid of something (cause now you have an ugly nasty looking gap). So to future proof my set up, my last 2 desks have been just that...a "desk". I have a very large rectangular desk top and set all my SSL controllers on top since I don't use any out board gear anymore. Very neat and clean and fits my needs perfectly. Fyi...I recommend buying a bigger desk that you think you'll actually need. Trust me on this one.
Germany is home to a very reputable studio table manufacturer. I'm happy that I had them construct my studio table. A small team that provides a service that no wholesaler can match. Regretfully, only accessible in Germany. Music Customs is the name of the business.
Would diffusion on the desktop work - like wooden slats / irregular embossed patterns? Why do most speaker stands have such a tiny top plate? It seems like you'd struggle to fit 6 inch monitors on them nevermind 8 or 10s.
Guys, don't build your desks or buy any that are too tall. And use articulating displays on the sides rather than sitting them in front of you on top of the desk. Life changing
Love the love and respect to people you know and now miss Mark. ❤
It is a complete nightmware, especially for more compact home studios and keyboard players who want to sit in front of the monitors. I ended up building my own which I plan to detail in a blog. It is a multi-tier desk with sliding keyboard tray to accommodate an 88-key fully weighted controller, 2 drawer units with 4 drawers each, 6 shelves, 9 rack units, a 1550 x 400 mm primary top and a 1550 x 300 mm second tier for the mac, monitors and other stuff. It was several weeks work to build and is not flat-packable so a nightmware to move if and when I need to do so, but it's been one of the best things I've built for the studio and by far the best piece of studio furniture I've had. The key thing for me was minimising the footprint so it's 1550 x 700 mm, which is a lot smaller than most of the bulky, space-wasting options on the market that don't have half the features.
Yeah I share your pain, I’m currently using a digital piano with monitors on top because I couldn’t fit them on stands behind
It's not my area of work or music work, but why do you necessarily want a keyboard between the speakers ?
If you're composing, are you trying to critically mix at the same time? Sobtou even need full range monitors when using the piano keyboard ?
I find that making music and mixing, critical listening come at completely different times, use different styles of thinking and so I keep them separate in order to make a better environment for the two different activities.
@@natdenchfield8061 in my case it’s a multi purpose room. So I am not necessarily doing critical mixes, but regardless there wouldn’t be room to have speakers elsewhere in the room easily.
That's what I figure - from a practical stand point (no pun intended).
@@natdenchfield8061 Often space doesn't permit multiple setups for most people. And sometimes when you're a solo musician or you're working on your own ideas, you want a setup that is all integrated. I can go from mixing / mastering to playing virtual instruments simply by sliding out the keyboard. Obviously the listening position changes slightly, as to expose the full control set the keyboard extends roughly 300 mm in front of the desk so you end up moving backwards 300 mm in relation to a 'normal' sitting position. But you're probably not making critical mixing decisions when you're playing a keyboard. In an ideal world the mixing station and the keyboard station would be separate, albeit using a shared computer but with their own monitors and some kind of monitor controller or hardware control surface to control the output routing on the interface. But most setups and spaces are far from ideal, the vast majority of monitor controllers are dreadful, and most interfaces don't handle multi-monitor, multi-stereo setups very well.
I’m for more than 2 years searching for a new desk. So looking forward to your ideas.
Before becoming a Donk Techno producer, i used to be a seamstress in the 1890s and so I like to use a desk that has the rocker pedal underneath for powering the sewing machine. I have this connected to a dynamo for my modest macbook setup!
Old habits die hard (and I don't... ).
I did measurements with and without ISO pucks and could see the difference in low end.
This is interesting. I’ve thought about it like everyone else but I’ve never solidified a vision for myself
I had my question answered on stream about if you could do built in monitor stands for speaker with the possible future desk in the works and Mark said he would not want to do that at all.
But why make a MB MUM if you are against a meter bridge?
It should have been implied that decupling would be used... is it really a such a bad idea?
If for a room with amply space then I myself would say to have stands but in small rooms a stand will be pretty much the same.
I was speaking of the speaker stands be a bit back.... making a extra deep desk so the speakers are back a bit and where they are can me in the design of a meter bridge... or, I personally think if you really think about martials used then it might be completely fine.
Maybe with a two point decoupling system.
Decoupling where they attach to the desk, and then the typical 3rd-party decoupling with the speakers and the platform they will sit on.
If the idea is a modular desk, they maybe they could be a bit pricy but then a separately purchased add on for those that would favour that.
I'd like also, if you do this, ways to completely change the way you can set it up entirely... softube controllers... any sort... I have many ideas on how I'd like to have a desk setup with both mixing and production in mind.
The same martial as the speakers is a great idea... is there equally eco friendly material, even something just as a topper layer that reduces reflections that could be used?... being a google warrior as a normal person with passion seems to be much better as finding perfect products to use over very well paid research people in big companies... plus allowing a community to chirp in helps... purifi was already one I knew about and saw you guys find out about those before I could say... but us people do find much more interesting and quality stuff than these big companies we've been looking up to for years... hence you finding out how much that tweeter costed in those speakers you pulled apart.
The fact you do not have distribution costs added to the cost of your product, the desk is sure to be a massive value... even if it cost the same as others it'll be because it's 4 times better
FYI Antion Vikram Singh aka Vic Briggs from the animals. He Lived in NZ till is passing 2021. I spent some time with him on a few events. You mentioning your story reminded me of him. I am lucky to have recorded him and played with him. Thanks for the memories. When he passed, he gave his fav guitar to our studio. We use it every time we can....
Around 46:00 h are you talking about Vibro Acoustics platforms or some similar name ? That have been around since about late 90s or early 2000s?
If so, they are actually rebranded lab equipment for such things as optic tables (where you fire laser beams down two paths and measure the difference in time between them etc etc) where the goal is to only keep vibrations out.
As you say, not for when the vibration is coming from the object on the object itself. Very good for turntables (if you ignore airborne vibration).
Being a piano playing producer I needed a desk with a slide out 88 note keyboard shelf. I went for the £700 ZAOR Miza M Flex which I assume falls into Mark's 'shit' category, (obviously if your speakers are on stands it really doesn't matter what wood your desk is made of) with a pair of stylish Sigel SB100 acoustic tiles placed at the desk's reflection points. It's solid, functional, look's great and with my Adam's A8H'S positioned behind on stands I'm really pleased with the sound. I'm in a purpose built garden studio with a concrete floor which really helps with the speaker stand isolation. 😎
N.B. Remember, 60 years ago an old guy and four lads from Liverpool were producing some of the greatest music ever made in front of an old fashioned desk, 1960's speakers and a four track! 🤔
I think it's best to buy racks and use them to build your own desks.
I've had 4 desks and the custom/rack mount type desks always end up getting in the way when you buy new gear or get rid of something (cause now you have an ugly nasty looking gap). So to future proof my set up, my last 2 desks have been just that...a "desk". I have a very large rectangular desk top and set all my SSL controllers on top since I don't use any out board gear anymore. Very neat and clean and fits my needs perfectly.
Fyi...I recommend buying a bigger desk that you think you'll actually need. Trust me on this one.
Germany is home to a very reputable studio table manufacturer. I'm happy that I had them construct my studio table. A small team that provides a service that no wholesaler can match. Regretfully, only accessible in Germany. Music Customs is the name of the business.
That sounds very nice! Unfortunately, I'm poor. So diy for me it is ^^
Would diffusion on the desktop work - like wooden slats / irregular embossed patterns? Why do most speaker stands have such a tiny top plate? It seems like you'd struggle to fit 6 inch monitors on them nevermind 8 or 10s.
I got a decent one for about £500 off thomman but it took YEARS to find one.
Orange desk to go with my orange mum’s. Shut up and take my money 🤜💰
Hell yeah!
Sign me up for a MUD!
Guys, don't build your desks or buy any that are too tall. And use articulating displays on the sides rather than sitting them in front of you on top of the desk. Life changing
It’s a fucking nightmare, having to upgrade my desk and speaker stands right now.