Where I Am Now With This

Right now, the wiring harness is being finished off and I'm investigating Alesis vs. Fostex vs. Tascam for my MDM (Modular Digital Multitrack) choice. The AC is temporary, and all the audio wiring is a rats' nest. I'm particularly bummed by the inflexibility of the computer wiring stuff. They don't make it easy to implement anything other than their own preferred configuration, and so all of the keyboard and mouse extension items have been a real pain, expensive and clumsy. It should not cost $40 to get 10' of ADB cable extension. Hear that, Mac Connection? SCSI cabling has been equally bad, and the unavailability of extension cables for Macintosh CPUs to computer monitors has been extremely frustrating. There have been other minor glitches (the synth wiring harness is klutzy, f'rinstance), and the interconnect problems of the computers make their isolation an ongoing nightmare. If I were to do it again, I'd love about an inch more of vertical knee space under the console, and I might lower the meter bridge by about an inch.

Outside of that, the desk works great and looks great, and should last me for at least ten years without any particular trouble. The best part is that the critical listening capability has proved to be excellent. I can really hear out stuff easily, while listening at sane levels, and I feel confident that my recordings will travel well. So, think about what this means. I've managed to fit all of the hardware for a reasonably comprehensive 32-track project studio, plus synths, plus computers, plus acoustical lab test gear, into a comfortable, easy-to use package 2 1/2 feet tall by 3 feet deep, by 12 feet wide. The desk lets me work, quiets the noisy pieces, gets the unnecessary crap out of the way, keeps everything accessible for service, and even has room for manuals.

Phil Brown, of Brown Construction, Ashburnham, MA (978-827-5665), did the actual construction. He kept a set of drawings and a cut list, in case anybody else is interested. As this is custom work, it wasn't particularly cheap, but if you were to economize on materials and finish work, you could get a lot of bang for the buck, and Phil says he would redesign the desk to fit your space, provided I'd be willing to look over the work.

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