I can never have enough horizontal workspace or shelving, and my hacked-together standing desk became frustrating. Bought an electronic standing desk base and an 8-foot butcher block countertop made out of Acacia and cut it up into a new desktop and bookshelves for my smaller books.

Project Started 6/30/2024

Project Finished 7/8/2024

Posted 7/10/2024 11:16:21 PM

Edited 7/10/2024 11:22:20 PM

Store-bought 4" wide shelves with clear acrylic lip to prevent pedals from falling forward when something gets bumped.

Project Started 6/21/2024

Project Finished 7/3/2024

Posted 7/10/2024 11:11:26 PM

Edited 7/10/2024 11:13:31 PM

Bought a broken Korg EX-800 for really cheap with the intention of fixing and upgrading it. Spent way too long trying to understand the internals and getting it to basically work again, and then went ahead with some common mods that were well-documented online.

* Got basic audio working again by swapping the soldered-in battery for a fresh, replaceable one.
* Re-loaded the the factory patch bank.
* Replaced all audio jacks to clean up noise.
* Replaced the power jack.
* Cleaned up the button contacts, but ended up just replacing all the buttons (to get around double- and non-presses).
* Added potentiometers to the main panel for cutoff and resonance (normally these are only available as parameters, requiring many button presses).

Still considering 3d-printing new buttons (some of the old ones broke during my work), and adding a switch to jump between 2-pole and 4-pole filtering. But I was sick of this sitting on my desk and not getting used out in the studio... so perhaps more work later!

Project Started 9/10/2022

Project Finished 12/6/2022

Posted 12/22/2022 5:37:31 PM

Edited 12/22/2022 6:25:19 PM

Bubinga, Purpleheart, and Maple cutting board. Finished with mineral oil. Made as a Christmas gift.

Project Started 12/5/2022

Project Finished 12/7/2022

Posted 12/12/2022 1:47:15 AM

Edited 12/12/2022 1:48:59 AM

Also known as Mixing Desk #3.

After a couple years using my control surface-oriented mixing desk (and veering toward more outboard gear), it was time for another workflow re-orientation. The gear needed to be easier to reach without having to leave the listening sweet spot. The preamps, interface, and other components I tweak less often would move farther away from the mix position.

I took a hybrid approach: a mastering-style desk with extra room for faders. Incorporated 30U of immediately-accessible rack space, 18U of rack space below, a section for compact control surfaces, and an accessory drawer.

I lucked out at the big box store when sourcing plywood, and came across quite a few sheets of birdseye maple. This inspired the decorative side panels and provided support for the front and back shelves, as well as a means of partial disassembly.

Project Started 10/26/2022

Project Finished 6/9/2023

Posted 10/7/2022 2:57:27 PM

Edited 7/5/2023 5:09:15 PM

Since the modular synth obsession is expanding and studio floor space is contracting, it seemed appropriate to replace my earlier desk with wall-hanging cabinets.

This increases module capacity (from 728hp to 1188hp for 3u modules, and from 104hp to 188hp for 1u modules), and establishes a more general pattern for future expansion.

Also learned some case sizing, body ergonomics, and patch workflow lessons during a year and a half of desk usage.

Project Started 7/8/2022

Project Finished 10/11/2022

Posted 7/8/2022 7:42:33 PM

Edited 10/31/2022 4:24:58 PM

My cordless drills, batteries, and chargers needed a home. Made entirely from scraps (plywood and 1x3 cutoffs).

Project Started 6/23/2022

Project Finished 6/25/2022

Posted 7/5/2022 3:08:19 PM

Turns out MIDI patchbays aren't really a thing anymore (i.e., expensive if you can even find them at all). I have a number of synthesizers now that I'd like to be able to quickly route to and from each other without having to get behind my various desks. This simple utility brings all the rear ports from around the room to the front, and localizes them into one rack space.

Project Started 7/12/2022

Project Finished 10/28/2022

Posted 6/21/2022 2:12:30 PM

Edited 10/28/2022 2:14:15 AM

I have an ever-expanding collection of guitar pedals in use as studio effects, wired up through a patchbay and all. I had everything hook-and-loop-fastened to a scrap piece of MDF, which is ugly. The collection has become a mainstay at this point, so it warranted a more color-matched wire-organized approach.

Project Started 6/20/2022

Project Finished 6/24/2022

Posted 6/21/2022 2:09:27 PM

Edited 7/5/2022 3:29:23 PM