The 17 Best Studio Desks for Music Producers

Setting up a home recording studio means a pile of decisions, from treatment to where the speakers go. A lot of them come back to one piece of furniture: the desk.

The right desk puts your keyboard and speakers where your body wants them. Get it wrong and you’ll feel it three hours into a session, in your shoulders or, in my case, your lower back.

For most producers, the best studio desk is the De-Fi Platform (formerly the Output Platform). It has a birch build, 9U of rack space, a keyboard tray that fits most 88-key boards and a monitor shelf you can raise or lower, for about $1,099. On a tight budget, get the On-Stage WS7500 for about $350. And if you run a lot of outboard gear, the Argosy Dual 15 is the kind of desk you buy once.

My first desk was from IKEA, if I remember right. Then I used my grandfather’s desk. He built it in the 1960s, and I refinished and painted it.

These days I work at an UPLIFT standing desk (it’s number 17 below). I sit when I mix and try to stand for everything else. I switched because of lower back problems. The desk helped, but so did regular deadlifting and weightlifting (more on that in lower back pain for music producers).

Quick Picks

Click any pick to jump to it.

How I Picked These

I picked these based on a mix of what I’ve used myself, what my producer friends work at, a lot of public reviews, and a whole hell of a lot of research. Every one is still being made, so you can actually buy it new.

Prices come from the maker’s own store, or a big US store when the maker doesn’t sell direct. In each group, the desks go from cheapest to most expensive.

Pick a Desk Based on What’s Going On It

Find the setup that looks most like yours and start with those picks.

• A laptop and a small controller, no rack gear. A plain surface does the job. Threshold Loring, IKEA LAGKAPTEN / ALEX or the Branch Office Desk.
• A 49 or 61-key controller in a small room. RAB ProRak LS840, AZ Studio The Hub 61 or the RAB ProRak 61.
• An 88-key keyboard. De-Fi Platform, AZ Studio Spike 88, RAB ProRak 88, Studio Desk Harmony or the Zaor Miza 88 Flex.
• A growing rack of outboard gear. Sessiondesk GUSTAV 2.0 or the Argosy Dual 15.
• You want to stand for part of the day. FlexiSpot E7 Plus or the UPLIFT V3 Custom Solid Wood.

What to Look for in a Music Production Desk

Run through these before you start shopping. Most of them come down to the size of your room and what’s going on the desk.

Price

The desks on this list run from about $130 to about $3,560. Under $500 you mostly get a surface, maybe with a monitor shelf or a small rack. From $500 to $2,500 you get real studio desks, most with keyboard trays and rack space. Above that, you’re paying for a lot of rack space and a desk you’ll keep forever.

Desk Size and Studio Space

Measure your room before you fall for a desk. Most people don’t realize depth is the one that bites you: a 40” deep desk against a wall can put your monitors too close and your chair in the doorway. Width matters if you have an 88-key keyboard, which is around 50” wide on its own.

Desk Height

For most people, a desk 28” to 30” off the floor is comfortable for typing. A keyboard tray should sit a few inches lower, so your forearms stay level when you play. Monitors go on top, with the tweeters at ear height.

Materials and Build

Rack gear is heavy, and keyboard trays get pulled in and out all day. Check how much weight the desk and tray can hold, and what it’s made of. Birch plywood and thick MDF hold up. Thin particleboard doesn’t.

Gear Space

Rack space is measured in units, and one rack unit (1U) is 1.75” tall. Count the rack gear you own, then add a little room to grow.

No rack space on the desk you want? A desktop rack adds it to any desk. Mine is a 2U double-bay rack from Nice-Racks, 12” deep and stained cherry. The owner built it himself and emailed me updates along the way, and I can’t recommend them enough. Their double-bay straight racks start at about $340, with free shipping.

For keyboards, measure your controller and make sure it fits the tray. You might not need a tray at all, though. My desk doesn’t have one. A controller can live on the desk or on its own stand.

Style

You’ll spend a lot of hours staring at this thing, so it helps if you like how it looks. If clients come to your studio, it’s also the first thing they see.

Pro Tip: How far your monitors sit from your head matters more than how big the desk is. A smaller desk that puts you at the right distance will sound better than a bigger one that doesn’t.

Best Music Studio Desks

1. On-Stage WS7500

For about $350, the On-Stage WS7500 gets you a raised shelf for your monitors and room for a small controller.

Size: 43” W x 32.5” D, desktop at 29”

Rack space: none built in (a matching WSR7500 rack cabinet is sold separately)

Keyboard tray: 15” x 27”, sized for a computer keyboard

Price: about $350 (On-Stage sells it in black, rosewood and white)

The top shelf sits 37.5” off the floor, which gets your speakers close to ear height without stands. The main surface is 43” by 24”, plenty for a laptop and an interface.

If that’s your whole setup, this desk will hold you for a long time.

Best for: your first studio desk.

Watch out: the slide-out tray is for a computer keyboard. A 25 or 32-key controller fits on the desktop; anything bigger needs its own stand.

2. RAB Audio ProRak LS840

Most desks under $500 are just a flat surface. The RAB Audio ProRak LS840 adds 8U of rack space and a keyboard tray, for about $480.

Size: 40.5” W x 16” D main surface

Rack space: 8U (two 4U bays)

Keyboard tray: 32” W x 12” D, adjustable, included

Price: about $480

The rack space is built into the frame, and you set the desk height when you put it together.

If you outgrow it, RAB sells add-ons for a bigger tray and monitor shelf.

Best for: budget setups that need rack space.

Watch out: the tray fits a 49-key controller at most, so measure yours. The desk is only 16” deep, so your monitors go on the top shelf.

3. Acme Furniture Eleazar

At 83” wide, the Acme Furniture Eleazar gives you more desk than anything else under $600.

Size: 83” W x 40” D x 37” H

Rack space: three angled gear stands and a hutch (no rack spec listed)

Keyboard tray: yes, size not listed

Price: about $520 at Home Depot (black oak; the natural oak finish usually costs more)

It wraps around your chair, with three angled stands for gear and a shelf for monitors across the back. It’s on wheels, too.

Acme has no store of its own. You’ll find it at Home Depot or Target, and on Amazon.

Best for: a big surface on a small budget.

Watch out: buyers report shipping damage and a keyboard tray that sits low, so inspect it when it arrives.

4. AZ Studio The Hub 61

Of the desks here with a tray that takes 61 keys, the AZ Studio The Hub 61 is the smallest, at 47” wide and 26” deep.

Size: 47” W x 26” D x 31.5” H

Rack space: none standard (an optional top shelf adds up to 4U)

Keyboard tray: 45” x 14” pull-out, three height positions, fits 61 keys

Price: about $949 (the top rack shelf is $99 more)

The tray has three height settings, so you can get your hands in the right spot. The plywood version looks great for under $1,000.

AZ Studio is a US maker and sells it direct, with a two-year warranty.

Best for: small rooms with a 61-key controller.

Watch out: without the optional shelf there’s no rack space, and your monitors sit on the desktop.

5. De-Fi Platform (formerly Output Platform)

My top pick, the De-Fi Platform, used to be the Output Platform. De-Fi makes and sells it now.

Size: about 60” W

Rack space: 9U (three pairs of reversible rack ears included)

Keyboard tray: included, fits most 88-key boards

Price: about $1,099 in natural birch, about $1,199 in Kodiak Brown or Driftwood Grey

The middle shelf has three heights, so you can get your screen to eye level. Panels underneath hide the cable mess.

Nothing else here under $1,500 gives you real wood, rack space, a full-size keyboard tray and a monitor shelf that moves.

Best for: most producers who want one desk that does everything.

Watch out: check your keyboard against De-Fi’s compatibility list before ordering, and check availability if you want one of the colored finishes.

6. RAB Audio ProRak 61

If you have a 61-key controller and some rack gear, the RAB Audio ProRak 61 fits both, with a shelf across the back for your monitors.

Size: 61” W x 32.5” D, 29” standard or 34.5” extended height

Rack space: 6U (two 3U bays)

Keyboard tray: 44” W x 16” D rolling shelf, fits 61 keys

Price: about $1,280 (casters add about $80)

There’s plenty of leg room, and the taller legs work well if you’re tall or sit on a stool.

The finish is plain black laminate.

Best for: 61-key setups with a few rack units.

Watch out: you’re paying for the monitor shelf. If you don’t need it, there’s a version without it for about $960.

7. AZ Studio Spike 88

In a bedroom, depth is what matters, and the AZ Studio Spike 88 is only 28” deep while still fitting an 88-key keyboard.

Size: 63” W x 28” D, desk surface at 31.5”

Rack space: 6U

Keyboard tray: 59 3/8” W x 15” D full-extension shelf, three heights, fits 88 keys

Price: about $1,399

The other 88-key desks here under $2,000 are 35” to 39” deep. In a small room, those extra inches are the difference between fitting your chair and blocking the door. The keyboard shelf pulls all the way out and has three heights, and your monitors go on the top shelf.

It comes in black, white, maple or a black and white mix, with a two-year warranty.

Best for: bedrooms and small studios that still need 88 keys.

Watch out: a shallow desk puts your monitors closer to you, so leave space to angle them in properly.

8. RAB Audio ProRak 88

If your 88-key board shares the desk with a second synth or a drum machine, the RAB Audio ProRak 88 gives you the room: 81” of desk for about $1,590.

Size: 81” W x 38” D, 29” or 34.5” height

Rack space: 8U (two 4U bays)

Keyboard tray: 58” W x 18” D rolling shelf, fits 88 keys

Price: about $1,590

It’s MDF on steel legs. Nothing fancy, but it holds a lot of weight.

You can get it with feet or wheels.

Best for: 88-key setups with more than one instrument.

Watch out: 81” by 38” is a lot of floor, so tape out the footprint first.

9. Studio Desk Harmony

The Studio Desk Harmony looks more like furniture than studio gear, but it still has angled rack space and room for an 88-key board.

Size: 65.8” W x 39.2” D x 40.3” H

Rack space: angled rack bays on both sides

Keyboard tray: keyboard area for an 88-key board up to 58.66” wide

Price: about $1,590

The racks tilt toward you, so you can reach your gear without leaning over, and the monitor shelf adjusts up and down.

It ships from the US or Europe, depending on where you are.

Best for: rooms where the desk is part of the look.

Watch out: it weighs 192 lb and runs almost 40” deep. Don’t set it up alone.

10. Zaor Miza 88 Flex

Most trays here have three height settings. The one on the Zaor Miza 88 Flex has six.

Size: about 57.9” W x 34.8” D

Rack space: 6U (3U each side, rails removable)

Keyboard tray: pull-out, six height steps, fits 76 or 88 keys up to about 55.9” x 13.8”

Price: about $1,849 in black, about $1,899 in black-oak or grey-wenge

More settings make it easier to get your wrists level, and you’ll notice that on long sessions. Monitors go on a shelf above the racks.

If your keyboard is bigger, there’s an XL version for about $2,200 to $2,300.

Best for: keyboard-heavy setups.

Watch out: measure your keyboard first. The tray fits up to about 55.9” x 13.8” x 4.7”.

11. Sessiondesk GUSTAV 2.0

The Sessiondesk GUSTAV 2.0 costs a little over half what the Argosy does, and it holds more rack gear: 18U against the base Argosy’s 16U.

Size: 90” W x 44” D x 36.2” H

Rack space: 18U (two 9U racks)

Keyboard tray: optional KEY drawer

Price: about $1,999 in birch, about $2,499 in color finishes ($2,299 and $2,799 with the KEY drawer)

Two 9U racks sit on either side of you, with your monitors on top, and the middle section has three heights.

It ships from Sessiondesk’s US store, usually within 7 to 10 business days.

Best for: a big rack without the Argosy price.

Watch out: at 90” by 44”, it’s huge. The keyboard drawer costs extra, so add it in if you play.

12. Argosy Dual 15

Anywhere from 16U to 38U of outboard gear fits on the Argosy Dual 15, depending on which rack modules you pick.

Size: 94” W x 50” D, 29.25” to the armrest

Rack space: 16U with the 800 rack modules (22U, 30U and 38U modules also available)

Keyboard tray: the Dual15K version lowers the desk platform for most 88-key boards

Price: from about $3,560

Argosy builds it in the USA on steel legs, and with the bigger modules it’s very hard to outgrow. A padded armrest runs along the front, and your monitors sit on a lowered platform at the back.

Bigger rack modules cost more, so size them to the gear you own plus a little room to grow.

Best for: studios with lots of outboard gear and the room to match.

Watch out: it’s the only desk here over $3,000, and at 94” by 50” it needs a dedicated room.

Best DIY Studio Desks

Studio furniture is a small market, so it’s expensive. If you’d rather spend the money on gear, a well-chosen general desk does the job (mine has no tray and no built-in rack), and you can add a desktop rack or a keyboard stand later.

13. Threshold Loring Wood Writing Desk

Nothing else here costs less than the Threshold Loring Wood Writing Desk, about $130 at Target.

Size: compact writing desk

Rack space: none

Keyboard tray: none

Price: about $130 at Target

It has two drawers and a built-in charging spot for your phone, and it looks fine in pretty much any room.

Target used to sell it under its Project 62 label. It’s the same desk.

Best for: laptop rigs and minimal setups.

Watch out: it’s small. A laptop and a pair of compact monitors fill it up.

14. IKEA LAGKAPTEN / ALEX

Producers have been building studios on IKEA for years, and the LAGKAPTEN / ALEX combination is the classic version: 78 3/4” of surface for about $277.

Size: 78 3/4” x 23 5/8” top, 28 3/4” high

Rack space: none

Keyboard tray: none

Price: about $277 in white (the 55 1/8” version runs about $140 to $240)

That’s wide enough for a 61-key controller and a pair of monitors side by side, and the two drawer units give you ten drawers for cables and spare gear.

Every IKEA sells the parts, so a damaged piece is easy to replace.

Best for: a DIY build that needs width.

Watch out: IKEA says this length needs an extra leg in the middle, so add an ADILS leg for about $7.50. For rack gear, put a 2U or 4U desktop rack on top.

15. Branch Office Desk

The Branch Office Desk is a simple desk with a 10-year warranty, and Branch says it takes about 15 minutes to put together.

Size: 48” x 24” or 60” x 30”

Rack space: none

Keyboard tray: none

Price: about $499 (48” x 24”), about $679 (60” x 30”)

It comes in a few finishes. There’s a hole for cables, and you can add built-in power.

The 60” size is the one to get for music: it fits monitors and a small controller side by side.

Best for: a home office that doubles as a studio.

Watch out: no tray, no rack. Work out where your keyboard lives before the desk arrives.

Pro Tip: This is the shortcut if you’re going DIY: a cheap keyboard stand next to the desk does the job of a built-in tray, and you can set it to any height you want.

Best Standing Studio Desks

16. FlexiSpot E7 Plus

The FlexiSpot E7 Plus has four legs instead of two, and that’s why it works in a studio. With monitors and a keyboard on top, it wobbles a lot less when you type.

Size: tops from 47.2” to 78.7” long and 27.6” to 35.4” deep, height 26” to 51.6”

Rack space: none

Keyboard tray: none built in, works with add-on trays and monitor mounts

Price: about $500 with a top

It lifts up to 440 lb, way more than a full studio setup weighs, and it goes low enough to sit and high enough for tall people to stand.

The frame has a 15-year warranty.

Best for: a standing desk on a budget.

Watch out: the price moves with the top you pick. Configure it before you compare.

17. UPLIFT V3 Custom Solid Wood

With the UPLIFT V3 Custom Solid Wood, you pick the size and the wood.

Size: tops from 42” x 24” to 80” x 30”, height 22.6” to 48.7”

Rack space: none

Keyboard tray: none built in

Price: from about $1,989 in maple (cherry adds about $120, walnut about $280)

There are a lot of sizes to choose from, and the frame lifts 355 lb with a 15-year warranty.

This is the desk I use, except mine has a reclaimed wood top: Douglas fir, 72” by 30”, on a gray frame. The keypad has height presets, so switching between sitting to mix and standing to work is one button.

Best for: a solid wood standing desk.

Watch out: it only has two legs. If you want it as steady as possible under heavy gear, the four-leg FlexiSpot costs a lot less.

All 17 Side by Side

Frequently Asked Questions

Start With the Desk You Have

I didn’t start on a studio desk either. It was IKEA (I think), then the desk my grandfather built, and the standing desk only showed up when my back asked for it.

If you’re just getting started, use whatever desk you have and upgrade when your gear outgrows it.

When it does, and you just want me to pick:

1. Tightest budget. On-Stage WS7500, about $350, or an IKEA LAGKAPTEN / ALEX build for about $277.
2. Budget, with rack space. RAB ProRak LS840, about $480.
3. One desk that does everything. De-Fi Platform, about $1,099.
4. A small room and 88 keys. AZ Studio Spike 88, about $1,399.
5. A rack that keeps growing. Sessiondesk GUSTAV 2.0 from about $1,999, or the Argosy Dual 15 from about $3,560.

Once the desk is sorted, this one’s worth a watch. It’s seven of our favorite production hacks:

A good desk gets you through a long session without hurting. After that, the music comes down to the arrangement and hundreds of tiny mixing decisions, and that’s what the Masterclass is built to teach.

Have a question about desks, or think something belongs on this list? Send us a message and we’ll take a look.

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