I'm looking for any thoughts and opinions on this studio desk from Amazon to replace my current separated computer desk and keyboard with stand. It has good reviews and the price is great, my concern is the fit of the slide out keyboard shelf and the SX900. Both about 40" wide. Could be a tight fit.

Or if you have a recommendation for something similar, as I'm also interested if anyone uses a studio desk.
Thanks

I don't really use a desk, actually I don't have one anymore. Sounds embarrassing, but I conduct most of my business on a couch :-)

I respect that a desk is still more comfortable way of working for many people. But personally I'm not so sure that it is that vital unless you have to write a lot with a pen and work with papers.

When a computer mouse can run on any surface and you can type with your keyboard on your laps, I'm not sure there's a good reason to be so disciplined and decent at home as if it was in an office (which tends to move to home lately anyway).

Yet, I don't have a lot of free space either. If I'm lucky to get a large apartment I might reconsider some of my views about the comfort.

PSR is quite a large and heavy keyboard, perhaps desks like this are more suitable for keyboards without speakers, mostly MIDI controllers, but who knows, it could be a good match after all.

Some good points Kabinopus, and thanks for pointing out the weight of arrangers and the slide out tray that may be a problem. I didn't even factor that in, I was more worried about size, rather than weight.

And yea, I'm still using a PC. There is just something more productive about sitting at a desk, maybe it's less distractions, sitting upright, for me, just more productive. I'm semi secluded in a small room, and can I can simply concentrate more, even though I also do the laptop on the sofa thing.

My problem is room size, and trying to cram a keyboard, and PC/Desk in a 9x10 area. That's my reason for a possible studio desk, or maybe I'll scrap the PC setup altogether and downsize to a smaller laptop work area.

Funny stuff!!! Kab, you have quite the sense of humor

I solved this problem many, many years ago, when I designed and constructed a custom console that held all my power supplies, my TC Helicon Harmony-M vocal processor, played a soft strip light on the keyboard for nighttime use, had a lighted sign on the front, and my Acer Netbook PC was mounted on the top. It takes up no more space than a standard arranger keyboard stand, and there was less weight to carry, set up time was less than 7 minutes, and it all folded flat and fit in the back of my Dodge Grand Caravan with stow and go seats.

The mouse for the PC was placed on a relatively small, wooden platform, held in place on top of the keyboard stand's right arm by the weight of the keyboard. Not a lot of wires showing, just three, and this photo was taken in the marina where I kept my boat just prior to doing a nighttime party.

Gary

Cool setup Gary. All these years, I don't recall seeing this photo.

It appears your keyboard stand is deeper (front to back) than normal to accommodate a keyboard and your custom laptop holder.

What you shared is a space saver for sure, and would work for me. Do you have a patent?

I think it’s better to put the keyboard on the top, stable surface and put the computer keyboard on the pull out shelf….

A friend of mine just did a similiar thing to Gary's. I gave him a table type stand and he made a box to sit on it. Keyboard, wires, plugs, and a light go inside the box. The flat top allows him to put a computer or laptop ( or tip cup ) on there is he wants. I just got a two tier stand from Geekstands.com and the upper tier could be used for a computer if you put a shelf across the upper tier arms. Very inexpensive and well built. Unfortunaltly doesn't fold up for transport so its just for the studio.

Larry, no patent, however, I did post a complete set of instructions on how to build this on the PSR Tutorial site.

Diki, my keyboard is very stable, and the laptop/netbook is held in place with industrial strength Velcro. Additionally, there is room for a plastic beer pitcher, which I used for a tip jar. (Loved watching that beer pitcher get filled with greenbacks!)

I built about a dozen of these for some of my internet friends on music forums, and with few exceptions, they are all still in use today, more than 10 years since I constructed them. The cost of materials was about $60 and I purchased the aluminum from a local welding shop, where I had them bend it into the shape I wanted. The Lexan for the front of the sign, and the top of the console, was purchased at Home Depot, cut to fit, then held in place with 1/4-inch pop-rivets. I painted the aluminum flat black using Krylon High Temperature spray paint. It does not chip very readily and held up well through thousands of gigs.

My foot pedals were also held in place inside using Velcro during transportation, thereby almost eliminating my possibles bag where they were previously contained along with mics and spare cables. I don't think I opened that bag for nearly a decade other than to get the mic out.

Hope this helps,

Gary

Gary, my post was about the OP’s rig. Those slide out shelves aren’t all that rigidly locked. Maybe it’s because I am from a pianist background (although I played a lot of organ too) but I need a keyboard that doesn’t move a millimeter no matter how hard I play. Pianos don’t bounce! 🎹😂

Perhaps it seems unimportant, but consider how a keyboard recognizes velocity… it is the speed that the key moves at when you hit it. All fine and dandy until you start to have the keyboard itself moving. Now the speed that you strike the key gets either added to or subtracted from the speed that the keyboard is bouncing at. This leads to a slight degradation in how accurately it is detecting YOUR force.

This is why I always have my keyboards on the most stable stand I can use. In the case of live performances, a ‘leg at each corner’ type keyboard stand, in the studio, on top of the desk, not suspended underneath it on some flimsy sliding shelf!

When I play a keyboard, the ONLY thing I want to move is the keys! 🎹