The studio furniture market is rather small, and the lack of competition seems to have led to an array of drastically overpriced studio desks. However, several studio furniture companies have recently taken a stand and started making high-quality studio desks accessible at reasonable prices. In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at 4 of the best music production desks on the market.
1. On-Stage WS7500 Studio Workstation (Best Budget Studio Desk) - $215
For bedroom producers without much gear, who want a dedicated music production desk, the WS7500 Workstation Desk is calling your name. It can hold a computer monitor, MIDI keyboard, computer keyboard and mouse, and two small near-field monitors.
With a basic home office desk, you often have to reach over your keyboard and mouse to access your MIDI keyboard—assuming there’s space for all these devices on the desk in the first place. The great thing about the WS7500 Workstation Desk is that it includes a computer keyboard tray that you can slide under the desk to access your MIDI keyboard easily.
This desk is compact, making it perfect for bedroom producers. It sits in the same price range as many home office desks from IKEA, but it’s made specifically for music production. If you’re on a budget and you produce music as a hobby, you won’t be disappointed with the WS7500 Workstation Desk.
As your little music production set up expands, you’ll be able to purchase studio furniture add-ons that match the WS7500. There's a corner accessory and rack cabinet part of the same On-Stage studio furniture line as the WS7500 that are both incredibly affordable.
Desk Dimensions: W43" x D30” x H37.5" with the keyboard tray pushed in.
2. Output Platform Studio Desk (Best All-Round Studio Desk) - $549+
Producers that are looking for a desk that’s as functional as it is beautiful should take a look at Output’s Platform. It includes a MIDI keyboard tray, rack ears that can hold up to 9U of gear, and a cable management system. You can also choose between a natural, kodiak brown, or driftwood grey finish.
Platform is made of birch, which is naturally sturdy and resistant to warping from heat or humidity. This desk looks and feels like a product well beyond its price point. It also provides enough tabletop space for a few producers to set up their laptops beside your keyboard, making it great for collaborations.
This desk was designed with the modern producer in mind. It accommodates a mainly in-the-box workflow but provides the option to rack-mount some of your favorite hardware. For producers with a dedicated home studio space, who want a highly functional multi-purpose desk at a fair price, Platform is the desk for you.
If you want more rack space, or if you’re looking for a place to store a turntable, records, headphones, and beat pad, Output sells a matching piece of studio furniture called Sidecar. Output also produces a height-adjustable pair of hand-crafted speaker stands built with heavy grade steel to reduce unwanted vibrations that will compliment Platform nicely.
Desk Dimensions: W60" x D36" x H36.5" with the keyboard tray pushed in. Platform comes with optional risers that boost the height of the desk to 37.75", giving your knees an extra 1.25" of space.
3. RAB Audio Pro Rak Studio Desk (Best Studio Desk for Consoles) - $1,349
The RAB Audio Pro Rak Studio Desk for Consoles up to 36” is built specifically for mixing engineers that use a mixing console. It includes a center console tray, two 10U studio rack bays, two 4U rear rack bays, a keyboard tray, and a cable management system. You can also adjust the angle of the center console tray.
Certain console desks are built for specific consoles, which isn’t ideal if you want to upgrade your console at some point in the future. The space in the center of the RAB Audio Pro Rak Studio Desk lets you make use of a wide variety of mixing consoles, which means you won’t have to buy a new desk when you upgrade your gear.
This desk is made of 3/4” MDF, which has allowed RAB Audio to keep costs down. It’s capable of holding a full load of rack-mounted gear, along with large studio monitors, so the build quality is up to par. Functionally, you’re going to have a hard time finding a comparable console desk at this price point.
Desk Dimensions: W77.5"x D35.25"x H34.25" with the keyboard tray pushed in.
4. JamRacks MDE Mastering Desk (Best Studio Desk for Mastering) - $2,599
For mastering engineers that make use of a substantial amount of rack gear, the JamRacks MDB Mastering Desk is perfect for you. It includes 32U of rack space (24U + 8U), along with a computer keyboard tray. Slits in the desk allow for increased airflow, keeping your gear cool.
In mastering studios, where the acoustics are everything, you need a desk that affects your perception of mixes as minimally as possible. The JamRacks MDE Mastering Desk’s narrow width lets you stay within your critical listening space while making processing adjustments. On top of this, the desk’s compact size and angled top reduce comb filtering caused by first reflections.
This desk is made of bamboo, which has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, and concrete. It’s tensile strength rivals steel, but bamboo is also relatively light-weight, making it easy to move the desk around if necessary. One of the added bonuses is that this desk has been designed to be taken apart, so it’s portable to some degree.
Aesthetically, the JamRacks MDE Mastering Desk is exquisite. It comes in four different colors that include bronze, carbonized, ebony, and parchment. Regardless of your mastering studio’s vibe, this desk comes in a color to compliment it.
Desk Dimensions: W41"x D35-1/4"x H33" with the keyboard tray pushed in.
