Nine years ago, I decided to return to making music after a long hiatus. Initially, my setup was very modest, consisting of an old ThinkPad and a cheap MIDI controller. I didn’t even have an audio interface to properly record my guitar.
Since then, well, things have gotten a little out of hand. My synth collection has grown from a few toys (a Casio VL-1 and a Stylophone) to over a dozen instruments. I have more MIDI controllers than any human being needs. I purchased a complete set of studio monitors, audio interfaces, and even some ADAT extensions to keep my ever-growing collection of gear connected.
But one thing that didn’t change was my desk. Just a few weeks ago, I was still making do with the same cheap Ikea Lagkapten and Alex combo ($220). Although it was a large desk, it didn’t offer much flexibility in the layout of the setup. I had a chance to check out the latest version of De-Fi’s Platform Studio Production Desk, which features dedicated mounting points for rack gear, space for speakers, and a pull-out keyboard tray, but you wouldn’t know it. You can come back anytime. If you’re looking for an affordable studio desk for music production and trying to choose between cheaper options and dedicated desks like this one, keep reading.
calm down
Despite all its aesthetic angles and recording studio appeal, the platform desk, originally made under the brand Output and now rebranded to De-Fi, still looks as harmonious as Ikea furniture. This is part of a flat pack and requires assembly using a screwdriver and hex wrench. It’s definitely sturdier than your average Malm product (what’s with it being made of plywood rather than particleboard?), but the basic concept is the same.
Photo: Terence O’Brien
Believe it or not, one of the things that IKEA excels at with De-Fi is the quality of their instructions. There is a video walkthrough of the assembly, which is fine, but could be more detailed. With the “Print” version, you don’t have to bother printing. For some reason, the PDF is formatted as a one-page PDF when it’s clearly supposed to be five or six pages. When you try to print it, you end up with a narrow, unreadable band in the middle of the sheet of paper.
The parts list also didn’t mention that one of the bags contained a power drill bit for a hex screw. I only realized this halfway through assembly after I had to remove a few screws with a hex wrench because my hands were hurting.
It’s also worth mentioning some minor quality control issues I encountered during assembly. The top shelf pin holes were missing on one side, so I had to drill them myself. Also, some of the edges weren’t particularly clean. I also had some pretty bad debris flying off the edges of my desktop.
living in a small space
Once everything was fully assembled, there was one glaring drawback. That’s the size of this desk. I live in New York City, so space is at a premium, and fitting a 60-inch wide by 38-inch deep desk was difficult. Those with plenty of space won’t have the same problem, but it’s worth considering the size before ordering. My home studio is both an office and a guest bedroom. It was a little small at first. There used to be enough room to walk between the unfolded pull-out couch and my desk. Now my chair doesn’t even fit between the desk and the drawer legs. I had to remove the monitor stand to make room for the desk (the desk has a high space to set up the monitor).
Another immediately obvious drawback is that platform desks do not have drawers. Granted, studio desks generally aren’t like that, but typical desk storage meant I had to store it around my old desk’s Alex drawer unit. The total floor space of the renovated recording area suddenly exploded.
