Does anyone have any recommendations for where to buy, for the common in house studio desk. Room for Monitors, 21" Screen, keyboard, 002 etc. ? Any decent inexpensive options like Office Depot, Best Buy etc for decent desks? Or do you need to go the route of custom built http://www.anthro.com/ etc, to really get a good desk?

http://www.craigslist.org/

Click on your city from the right side column and then check out the furniture or music category, from your town.

Cheers

Do you have an IKEA within driving distance? If you're trying for a 'studio' look on a 'rumpus room' budget you can put together something pretty slick looking with a little creativity.

I got my desk at Office Depot and it's worked quite well. Cost a couple hundred. Here's a couple links that might help:

Computer Desks

Home Recording Thread

I gotta second the IKEA thing. I've got mine pretty much the way I want it but they've got some pretty cool looking stuff that would work quite well.

Get yourself two file cabinets and use those as the left and right supports for a desk...plenty of storage space. Alternately, you can use one or two rack cases depending on how your setup will work. For the work surface/table...get a "flush" (ie...flat, with no panels) 2'0" x 6'8" lauan or birch door blank. This should be the actual door only, not pre-hung. The door can be attached to the file cabinets or rack cases by screwing up into the bottom of the door from inside the cabinets and the door can be finished however you like. Clear poly (semi or low-gloss wears better) is EZ and looks nice. You now have a large sturdy surface with plenty of storage and that can easily accomodate a shelf for a monitor bridge or whatever with a little simple carpentry.

-john

Yeah, I'm thinking of getting a solid door, cutting it to the size and shape I need, building a rack for one support and a computer cabinet for the other, and a simple overbridge for screens, possibly with more rack space under it. My monitors will be on stands behind the desk. I'm going to stain the wood rather than paint it, and then varnish over it to protect it. The stain should soak in more than paint which will help hide scratches.

Office Depot and Staples often have great closeouts and floor demo's on sale. Ikea is a good suggestion as well.

I'll see your Ikea and raise you one!

Here's what I just bought--it's called the Jerker, it was only $129 at Ikea, plus $20 each for the swiveling shelves. Sturdy. Keyboard Mag has it in their December issue.

Nice cactus... makes a sweet headphone/cable storage unit.

Yea Jazzooo,
where'd you get that cactus?
I beez needin on of dem!

I fourth, errrrr...maybe fifth the IKEA jerker idea. I was looking up there two weekends ago and fell in love with that desk. They had like 6 in the scratch and dent section for like $85!!! Sweet, I didn't have room to get it then, but I'm thinking about heading to Hotlanta this weekend to pick it up. Plenty of room for everything and very sturdy.

Hey Jazzoo, I see you have those little roland Micro Monitors. What do you think of those things? Have you every tried mixing on them or anything? I've got a pair that I use for mixing some and I'm curious as to what other folks think of them.

I sixth IKEA, but not specifically the Jerker (what a name). In our old house I used to have an Ivar bookcase with height adjustable shelves that I put my flatscreen and computer in (and loads of other stuff). In front of that I had a not too deep desk (1,5 feet or so) for keyboard and mouse. My monitors were in the bookcase as well.

In our new house (when I finally get around to it, probably December) I'll go for the same setup, only I want to put my monitors on quicklok stands (or IKEA bar stools) on the left and right of the desk.

i bought a KK Audio desk and hacked it up, added wings and shelves and sidecars, and cut an inlay for my US2400 controller on the main table.

I hacked the beejeesus out of a Staples corner computer desk. Actually had plenty of room when my board was a Mackie 24*4, but when I upgraded....ummmm......well, I'll just show you...

Wow H2oskiphil!
That desk is almost the same as mine. I got mine (corner computer desk) from Wal-Mart in 2003. Paid $99 for it. Pic below:



I had to do a little bit of customizing to it to get it to fit my stuff on it the way I wanted. It was easy though. Only took me about an hour or so.

I bought my 'desk' at a used office equipment place for $35.00...solid mahogany desktop, 2 drawers, huge...then took another piece of mahogany from an old mantel, set it up on a couple of flower pots filled with sand to raise up the audio and video monitors...

For a while, I had a couple of things in home made racking units under the riser, but have since moved everything to racks...problem is now all this space has become an acculator of junk...papers, folders, CD spindles, tuners, calculators, reading materials, etc...I have GOT to get organized someday..

See it Here...if you dare New pics on the way...someday.

i have often rocked a solid core door and sawhorses.

makes me feel like i'm building something...
or maybe i am???

cheapest (but extremely good for the price) desk at Staples called the Z-Line Gemini L Desk.
very nice, chcek it out, and i got it on sale for only 50$

I don't know how cheap we're looking for here, but I'd thing $200.00 is not a budget breaker... this is what I use:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Recording/Misc?sku=546550

They make them in different sizes and it comes with integrated rack mounts.

R