I bought your plans, built the desk (with some modifications) and it is awesome. I'd say this is the happiest I have ever been with a desk. Main change that I made was to put the whole drawer assembly on sliders, so as to be able to move the entire thing to the back -- I like to sit cross-legged, and I wanted the drawer completely out of the way when I am not playing keyboard. But anyway, very grateful for your post. Thanks and good luck.
Thank you so much, Lewis. Your comment means so much to me and it absolutely made my day!! Thank you for sharing your design/modification too! Love to have the comment section to be a brainstorming platform ☺️☺️ All the best to your musical career x
Lewis i am so curious what you mean by putting the whole drawer assembly on sliders and how you did that? I am about to make a desk for my NI S88 MK2 and i want the best option. Hope you can give me some advice?! Kind regards Ellen
@@ellensoomers9496 Hi Ellen, so, the completed assembly uses 4 sets of sliders. Basically, I got a couple of heavy-duty sliders, affixed them to the tops of the sides of the drawer and then attached those sliders to the underside of the desk. This allows me to slide the whole assembly to the back of the desk when I'm not using it. So, this set of sliders is basically oriented orthogonally to the second set (which just slides the tray out). The rest of the assembly is more-or-less per the plans. I am not sure whether this would be needlessly complex for your use-case, though -- I did it this way because I like to sit cross-legged at my desk and I didn't want my knees bumping the keyboard tray. Your mileage may vary, of course :) .
Great video and nice design👍I have built similar and discovered a few issues namely (1) the keyboard and desk height being ergonomically correct while still offering leg room PLUS (2) the keyboard staying in position once deployed out (no wobble or retraction while playing) for (1) I used the thinnest possible support tray (metal frame around keyboard) and the minimal clearance for the top of the keyboard) For solution (2) I made a special wooden wedge which I could insert behind the tray and “lock” it in its deployed position so it wouldn’t move retract or wobble. The other issue is to use very large side roller hinges and minimal travel to reduce the up/down playing movement to a minimum- Another solution for (2) is you could easily have a pair of side-swinging legs which could support the keyboard/tray when deployed out: this would negate all up/down movement,wobble,retraction and could serve as a positional “lock” for the tray when deployed
@Jolin Jiang Music I'm so glad you mentioned using a warehouse that provides custom cutting and prepping of the wood. I didn't know that existed. Thats the thing that has held me back from doing this. Now I know I can have someone cut the wood and prep it for me. You have provided an invaluable resource to me and I was glad to give you the $3 USD for it.
Hi Jolin! Thanks for this tutorial. I followed this kind of table using metric measurements. I added some ikea cable managment thing and a small covered drawer so I can put the monitors power adaptor while staying connected, so I don't need to put them behind the monitor or on the floor messing everything. The 88key now slides nicely and its so pretty and uncumbersome! I also added a lateral support for a clap on studio mic arm. When I don't need it, it can be just put aside and it's kept out of sight below the table. I also bolted a powerstrip to the lateral support, so I can connect some devices to electrical if needed (it stays out of sight). You are so pretty btw
Can you help with some more building specifics? Your design sounds GREAT but building it i will need to have some more details. Would appreciate the help, thanks!
Thank you for the idea. I purchased a 47 1\4" x 31 1/2" MÅLVAKT table top at Ikea . Just got 4 screw on legs. Adils. Trying to figure out how to incorporate my keystation 49S . Great idea with the slides. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Hi. Nice build👏. Though the 700mm high legs to the worktop underside don't give much knee clearance for the the pull out tray that is underslung for optimal ergonomics and playing position of elbows and wrist angle. Also, the fully deployed tray is quite wobbly and could do with additional bracing for solidity reassurance when playing all the types of key pressure. 💛
I wonder how that absolutely heavenly accent came about? Is that really only from Australia? No time spent in Britain? I have never heard any Australian accent that is so easy on the ears, so auditorily soothing. So many Australians talk with a nasal twang. Yours is music to the ears, pure linguistic perfection.
What would be interesting is putting the camera on a tripod/fixed mount, then show the tray when you're playing something forcefully to see how much vertical movement there is. As I was watching the construction I wondered if this support problem (when the tray is extended) could be solved with a wrap around desk design. That way the tray wouldn't need to extend out at all. Just the depth of the tray would be needed in the "wrap". And one could always make the tray quite a bit wider than the piano as long as quality wood (that was strong enough so there was no flex) was used. Maybe 1" or more plywood. One might also use steel or aluminum angle instead of the 2 pieces of wood holding the tray to the desk though there is probably not much need for additional strength there in the side to side lateral plane. What is really needed though is a design that allows for a vertically adjustable desk with piano tray with horizontal tilt for writing AND piano playing. Haven't figured that one out yet.....:) BTW your Chopin Nocturne was wonderfully phrased. Very sensitive and melancholy, just like he imagined it I'm sure.
Thank you so much for your feedback, either this year or next year I’ll make another video showing how the desk is doing. I’ll take your suggestions into account 😊 Initially I thought of doing an adjustable standing desk with the tray, but didn’t want to risk it for my first design hahaha… it looked like there would be a lot going on under the desk so couldn’t figure it out :’) Also, thank you for checking out my other videos!! 😁😁
@Jolin Jiang Music Thank you! The only thing is I have a Korg X3, from 1993. It's 4 feet long by 1 foot wide and 5 inches tall. But I'll figure a way to make it work. Your build is very clean and functional. I definitely want that. Great job!!!
Hi Jolin, I actually watched this awesome DIY video years ago, and it was great. However, for some reason, I wasn't very active on TH-cam, and I was just a browsing-only person back then. Today, when I was thinking of making a music desk, your video immediately came to my mind. So, I just wanted to drop you a message and say thank you for the incredible information and work you've done. It was so easy to follow, the finish was nice, and it seemed doable! I've liked and subscribed this time, and I really wanted to leave a comment to let you know that you're doing well. Of course, I'll also listen to your music. Thank you! 😀
Thank you so much for taking the time watching my video and leaving such a lovely comment. It means so much to me! Wish you all the best with your musical career :)
@@JolinJiangMusic Hi Jolin, thank you for the coming back msg :) i was finished the music desk from your idea, you can have a look for the vlog video if you have some time :) thank you again :) if you would like it, I can adding your link on my description as well :)
@@kakit-music Your desk actually looks amazing with the adjustable legs. Great build! That’s so nice of you for offering to share the link to my video. I would very much appreciate it actually. Thank you! And keep all the great new music coming please 🎵😄😁
you dont have too much movement of the drawer when playing when its fully drawn out? probabyl i would have put 2 more folding legs to give it more stability when its drawn out. in any case nice work!
Hi Jolin, nice video (the first I've seen of yours). I'm considering something similar, same Keylab 88 as you. Do you get much flexing from the drawer sliders when the tray is extended and you are playing? Really like the way you recessed the resting position of the tray so you have room for your legs - this concern is why I"m not too sure about buying a pre-made solution. If I do make one myself, I'll follow your lead with that!
Hi!! Thank you for taking notice of the leg space of the design; I put a lot of thought into this. I haven’t noticed any flexing from the sliders, but I did purchase the strongest ones available from the warehouse. I’m planning on making another video on the workstation at the end of this year for a “1-year review” 😁😁 Feel free to check it out then!
Nice build. I would suggest getting a pocket hole jig for a hand held electric drill, and use pocket holes to hold the drawer vertical supports to the desktop. The little square brackets MAY not be strong enough long term.
@@JolinJiangMusic Just so you know, your build looks way more pro than mine. I basically knocked my music workstation together with pocket screws, construction grade plywood, and a complete disregard for aesthetics. But my MIDI synths/keyboards and computer have a home and I spend hours every night playing music at this thing. Yours is actually super nice, compared to mine. Mine you could probably jump on though. I prioritized strength over looking nice, because I'm like that.
Nice job I am a carpenter and cabinet maker by trade (Since music production and performance won’t pay the bills) So I am curious Does your slide out keyboard shelf still function well, is it sturdy? My first edition Arturia 88 is quite heavy so those glide rails and side mount fasteners into 1x pine have me wondering if it is still functional I can get pretty energetic while playing and therefore I may bend or break the slides bearings So a year on How is the keyboard shelf holding up?
Looks great! I tried to order the PDF but the system only wants to deliver it to my home adress. How do i do it so that I can pay and download the PDF?
Great setup! Have you tried playing something more forceful on the piano? I really want a slide out piano setup like this, but my last one was so wonky and wobbly, I hated it lol. Was wondering what it would take to make it very stable.
Thank you for the great video. I'm thinking of installing and using the keyboard tray like this, but are you still using it well? I'm worried that the desk might be bent or damaged because it's too heavy.
Gotcha, thanks. I ended up doing something a bit differently for my setup. Put my piano to the side of my desk and mounted a second monitor on an arm behind the piano. But I am sure this video will be very useful for somebody. It's still the only video I've seen that takes leg space into account for a piano drawer setup. @@JolinJiangMusic
i really appreciate you sharing this! I am also curious about your floor desk and chair--did you build these as well or if not, where can I find something similar? ty! :)
Thank you for noticing them! They are my guqin desk and chair. I bought them from Taobao (like the Chinese ebay). Here is the link: 【淘宝】m.tb.cn/h.UsnMiQi?tk=PtDAd9y9aIK CZ3457 「可折叠桐木古琴桌凳禅意共鸣矮琴桌便携式古筝桌中式国学桌膝琴桌」 点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开
Hello! Thank you for the video. I've already solved it, but the right speaker cable is disconnected. And it's been a year, so is there any problem with the piano sagging when playing?
Hi Angela, the materials costed me about $300 AUD. You can find what I used here: jolinjiang.com/product/jolin-jiang-music-workstation-information-sheet/
Lovely video! I was searching to do something Like that.. my digital piano has the same weight as yours.. how is the playing now with the tray? Does it bounce or it’s very sturdy ? Thanks!
Hi Adrian, thank you for your time leaving the comment. The tray has been pretty steady for me so far, but I’m using the keyboard for scoring and composing (as in I don’t apply too much force when I play the keyboard). If you were playing Liszt or Rachmaninov on it there might be some issues 😄😆 I’m planning on making another video on the workstation at the end of this year for a “1-year review” 😁😁 Feel free to check it out then!
I had the same idea, BUT, if you need to leave space for your legs under the desk, it means your legs do not fit under the keyboard. So, how do you play?
I wanted to buy a preconstructed desk I saw and had no idea how expensive these things were. At least $1k for the cheapest ones so I guess it's just better to build for a fraction of the price.
When I click on the link, I get an error message instead of loading your site. It also happened when I just typed the URL myself. "There has been a critical error on this website." I have a Yamaha DGX-650, which is a pretty heavy beast. Did you have to find extra-sturdy drawer slides?
Thank you, Daniel, for your feedback and your question. My website is under maintenance today due to the latest WordPress update. I have been working on it so please feel free to check back in a few days! Apologies for any delays in advance as I am the only person that manages all these platforms while constantly working on my music. To answer your question, I am using a pair of ball-bearing slides for my keyboard which is 14.7kg. It's been working fine so far :)
How much was the final build and is it possible to buy materials in USA? :) Just want to confirm as if it ends up being over the expected I may opt to buy a ready desk since I just want more space saving 😅
Hi Sherry, it cost me about $300AUD. I purchased everything from an Australia warehouse. I’m sure there would be similar, if not the same material in the US 😁 In any case, hope you enjoy making music on your new desk!
yeah, these keyboard trays are too short, meaning the knobs and sliders are almost always covered. some desks have a cutout on the upper surface, to alleviate this problem, but still… im looking at tables with the tray for an 88 key synth and am now leaning towards a regular height adjustable desk, but then the desk surface needs to be really wide in order to accomodate both an 88 key and a mouse and a keyboard, so… bleh, tiring is the process of research. lol. cheers.
Thank you for asking, Zephirus🙂 The height from the floor is pretty standard 400mm. You can find more info re the measurements in my PDF file here jolinjiang.com/product/jolin-jiang-music-workstation-information-sheet/ Enjoy your build!
When you open the piano fully out and play, wouldn't the desk tend to fall on your side? I actually made a similar desk long time ago and at the end had to hold the desk in to the wall so it won't fall. Well my Keyboard is about 20kg, that might be the problem... Let me know
Hi! Thank you for commenting! So far I haven’t experienced any desk falling yet. Maybe it’s coz I’ve got two big screens on the other side of the desk, and that my keyboard is around 8kg 😁
I just got this made through a carpenter of course. I am from India. The only problem I'm having is that we got the height of the tray a bit lower so it's not giving me room for my knees. My knees are touching and i have to bend my legs backwards a lot to accommodate, and i won't be able to use the pedal in future comfortably; So im gonna call him tomorrow to increase the height with 2 inches, and then i will perhaps have to increase my table height as well coz theres a limit for the height of the tray, since its underneath the desktop. It has to be manufactured based on the height of our knees coz we can adjust height of the chair height but the knee height cannot be changed. Knees should have good room underneath. I searched for the standard height of piano keybed from the floor, It's hard to find it, it saw it's around 71 to 72 cm. I will see how is current height of my tray and will tell the carpenter but anyway, we must make it acc to our knee height in sitting position. Maybe you can include this in your next video its crucial. I am surprised how talented you are in carpentry. Great video.
Hi Michael, thank you so much for your feedback and kind words. I’m so sorry to hear that you ran into problems. Unfortunately, the suitability of the height of the tray and the legs is different for each individual case. When I designed the tray, I had to take into account the height of my keyboard (which is quite tall) and my own knee height. The measurements work for me but it might not be perfect for others. I have now updated my PDF file to flag this consideration. All the best with your adjustments!
@@JolinJiangMusic Hi, the carpenter increased the height to the limit now where it's just a tiny space left between the Komplete Kontrol A49 keyboard and the top edge. I got a good room for my knee however it still touches the tray when perpendicular, but I can manage easily by a little bend but earlier I had to bend a lot and it would be a prob for future pedal use. I shift it behind to make space for the mouse when not in use. Though the length of the tray is not much. The steel slider is 14 inch I guess. I can adjust chair height in future for a better downward angle of the forearm. Pic ibb.co/vZmmYsS
HI JOLIN ( NI HOA MA! : ) I JUST FOUND YOU VIDEO HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF YOU BEFORE, ( OH AND IM WRITING IN CAPS TO HOPEFULLY GET YOUR ATTENTION! IM NOT YELLING, AND IM NOT SING JING BING! : P ( I KNOW I DIDNT SPELL THAT CORRECTLY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT ) SO I WATCHED THIS VIDEO BECAUSE TO BE HONEST YOUR PRETTY FACE FIRST CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ON MY SCREEN, THIS VIDEO WAS AMONG SEVERAL VIDEOS ON MY PAGE WHEN I OPENED TH-cam. I SAW YOUR FACE AND THOUGHT, HMMMM, WHO IS THIS? THEN I WATCHED YOUR VIDEO AND HONESTLY WAS VERY IMPRESSED! YOU APPEAR TO LIVE ALONE, AND YOU BUILT YOUR OWN MUSIC WORK STATION, YOU DESIGNED IT, YOU SEARCHED OUT THE RIGHT PLACE TO GET ALL YOUR SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, YOU HAD CUSTOM CUTS MADE AT THE STORE, AND YOU EVEN HAD YOUR OWN DRILL AND TOOLS AT HOME TO GO ABOUT BUILDING EVERYTHING YOURSELF! NOT ONLY THAT, YOU LOOKED VERY COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT DOING IT TOO! AND INFACT, YOU REALLY LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE HAVING FUN TOO! THIS ALL IMPRESSED ME! THEN I NOTICED YOUR FURNISHINGS. YOU HAVE A FULL SIZE PIANO ON YOUR WALL, YOU HAVE TWO HUGE WALL UNITS WITH STACKS OF BOOKS! ( DID YOU READ ALL OF THOSE BOOKS? ) I THINK YOU HAVE! I THINK YOU ARE VERY SPECIAL.. BUT WAIT!!! THIS IS ALL BEFORE I GOT CURIOUS ABOUT YOU FURTHER, AND I DECIDED TO CLICK ON YOUR TH-cam CHANNEL ( JOLIN JIANG MUSIC ) AND IT WAS THEN, THE SECOND THAT YOUR VIDEO ( THE MONKEY AND THE TREE ) STARTED TO PLAY, AND I HEARD YOUR ANGELIC VOICE!!! : / THAT IS WHAT MADE ME STOP AND LISTEN AND IT BLEW ME AWAY! YOUR VOICE AND THE MATURITY IN HOW YOU SING! BEAUTIFUL! AND THEN I REALIZED YOU MADE AND STARRED IN YOUR OWN MUSIC VIDEO TOO!!! YOU ARE AMAZING! AND THEN I LOOKED THROUGH THE REST OF YOUR VIDEOS AND WONDERED WHY I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF YOU BEFORE??? I ALSO AM A MUSICIAN! AND I TEACH MUSIC TOO! ( JUST TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY ) THERE IS NO MUSIC INDUSTRY ANYMORE SO AS YOU KNOW IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A COMFORTABLE LIVING WITH MUSIC THESE DAYS.. BUT! THEN I NOTICED THAT AMONG ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS YOU ONLY HAVE 100 OR UNDER VIEWS!!!!!!!!!! : / I SAID WHAT?????? THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE! YOU HAVE EVERYTHING IT TAKES TO BE A WORLD WIDE STAR!! AND I MEAN THAT.. BEAUTY, TALENT, VOICE, STYLE, INTELLECT! SO I DECIDED I WOULD WRITE YOU A LETTER AND TRY TO GET YOUR ATTENTION TO TELL YOU I TRULY BELIEVE IN YOU, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU CONNECT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD! IM SURPRISED YOU DONT HAVE A RECORDING CONTRACT WITH A CHINESE OR OTHER ASIAN RECORD LABEL YET!!!!! DO THEY EVEN HAVE RECORD COMPANIES IN CHINA? THEY MUST, I HAVE FRIENDS THAT OWN CHINESE RESTAURANTS HERE IN NEW YORK, AND THEY ARE ALWAYS PLAYING CHINESE MUSIC, AND WHEN I ASK ABOUT CERTAIN SONGS AND ARTISTS SOME TIMES? THEY TELL ME THE NAMES AND THAT THEY ARE MUSICIANS FROM CHINA. SO IM SURE THEN YOU COULD ALSO BE ONE OF THOSE MUSICIANS TOO. WHAT HAPPENED? DID YOU NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY? OR ???? I WANT TO HELP YOU TO GET EXPOSED TO THE WORLD, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OFFER THE WORLD! YOU HAVE A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL AND RARE, VOICE.. SO I AM SURE YOU WILL APPEAL TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.. YOU REMIND ME A LITTLE OF A SINGER NAMED SADE! LISTEN TO HER HIT SONG " is it a crime" I CAN HEAR YOU SINGING THAT SONG! YOU SOUND LIKE HER IN THAT SONG! ( SIMILAR TO THE VOCALS AND VIBE OF THE SONG I HEARD YOU SINGING ON, THE MONKEY AND THE TREE SONG ) " IS IT A CRIME" SOUNDS SIMILAR TO YOUR SONG I MEAN.. PLEASE LISTEN TO IT AND YOU WILL SEE.. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME AND I WILL SEND YOU AN E MAIL WITH MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE CAN TALK MORE AND I WILL EXPLAIN HOW I CAN BE OF HELP TO YOU AND YOUR MUSIC... ( AND MAYBE YOU CAN BE OF HELP TO ME WITH MY MUSIC IN CHINA? ) : )
Hi Rocky, thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for checking out my music. Hearing people’s comments and feedback means the world to me :) I’d love to connect with you! What music do you play? Or do you write music too? I’m active on Instagram and TH-cam, with the profile name Jolin Jiang Music. Are you around on either of these channels? If you’d like to chat more, feel free to shoot me an email to jolin@jolinjiang.com ☺️ Thank you again for your lovely comments on my work!
PDF sheet for $3.5... Are you serious? xDDD If people want to donate you they will of course, but to take a payment for kind of information we can get free here on youtube from other bloggers.. don't have any words to describe this xDDDD
Hi James, thank you for sharing my music. :) My email address is jolin@jolinjiang.com If you could send me an email and attach a screenshot or any proof of the sharing of my music, I’ll send you a free copy of the PDF. Looking forward to hearing from you via email ☺️
Carpenter + musician is wild 🙌
Perfect, you inspired me to try building my desk. Thanks
I bought your plans, built the desk (with some modifications) and it is awesome. I'd say this is the happiest I have ever been with a desk. Main change that I made was to put the whole drawer assembly on sliders, so as to be able to move the entire thing to the back -- I like to sit cross-legged, and I wanted the drawer completely out of the way when I am not playing keyboard. But anyway, very grateful for your post. Thanks and good luck.
Thank you so much, Lewis. Your comment means so much to me and it absolutely made my day!!
Thank you for sharing your design/modification too! Love to have the comment section to be a brainstorming platform ☺️☺️
All the best to your musical career x
@@JolinJiangMusic u are soooooooooooooooo cute
@@sdafafsfs what the heck dude
Lewis i am so curious what you mean by putting the whole drawer assembly on sliders and how you did that? I am about to make a desk for my NI S88 MK2 and i want the best option. Hope you can give me some advice?! Kind regards Ellen
@@ellensoomers9496 Hi Ellen, so, the completed assembly uses 4 sets of sliders. Basically, I got a couple of heavy-duty sliders, affixed them to the tops of the sides of the drawer and then attached those sliders to the underside of the desk. This allows me to slide the whole assembly to the back of the desk when I'm not using it. So, this set of sliders is basically oriented orthogonally to the second set (which just slides the tray out). The rest of the assembly is more-or-less per the plans. I am not sure whether this would be needlessly complex for your use-case, though -- I did it this way because I like to sit cross-legged at my desk and I didn't want my knees bumping the keyboard tray. Your mileage may vary, of course :) .
Great video and nice design👍I have built similar and discovered a few issues namely (1) the keyboard and desk height being ergonomically correct while still offering leg room PLUS (2) the keyboard staying in position once deployed out (no wobble or retraction while playing) for (1) I used the thinnest possible support tray (metal frame around keyboard) and the minimal clearance for the top of the keyboard) For solution (2) I made a special wooden wedge which I could insert behind the tray and “lock” it in its deployed position so it wouldn’t move retract or wobble. The other issue is to use very large side roller hinges and minimal travel to reduce the up/down playing movement to a minimum- Another solution for (2) is you could easily have a pair of side-swinging legs which could support the keyboard/tray when deployed out: this would negate all up/down movement,wobble,retraction and could serve as a positional “lock” for the tray when deployed
This is a really brilliant design and completely bypasses the knees issue, so simple too. Well done!
@Jolin Jiang Music I'm so glad you mentioned using a warehouse that provides custom cutting and prepping of the wood. I didn't know that existed. Thats the thing that has held me back from doing this. Now I know I can have someone cut the wood and prep it for me. You have provided an invaluable resource to me and I was glad to give you the $3 USD for it.
I literally have the same keyboard and was looking for ideas! This is literally what I wantttttt!! Thank you so much for video!
Thank you!!
Hi Jolin! Thanks for this tutorial. I followed this kind of table using metric measurements. I added some ikea cable managment thing and a small covered drawer so I can put the monitors power adaptor while staying connected, so I don't need to put them behind the monitor or on the floor messing everything. The 88key now slides nicely and its so pretty and uncumbersome! I also added a lateral support for a clap on studio mic arm. When I don't need it, it can be just put aside and it's kept out of sight below the table. I also bolted a powerstrip to the lateral support, so I can connect some devices to electrical if needed (it stays out of sight). You are so pretty btw
Can you help with some more building specifics? Your design sounds GREAT but building it i will need to have some more details. Would appreciate the help, thanks!
Thank you for the idea. I purchased a 47 1\4" x 31 1/2" MÅLVAKT table top at Ikea . Just got 4 screw on legs. Adils. Trying to figure out how to incorporate my keystation 49S . Great idea with the slides. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Thank you for sharing! Hope your build went well!
@@JolinJiangMusic
It worked perfect. Thanks
Hi. Nice build👏. Though the 700mm high legs to the worktop underside don't give much knee clearance for the the pull out tray that is underslung for optimal ergonomics and playing position of elbows and wrist angle. Also, the fully deployed tray is quite wobbly and could do with additional bracing for solidity reassurance when playing all the types of key pressure. 💛
The best simple DIY piano desk tutorial so far. Thank you 💕
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Thank you so much, i have wanted something like this for a long time and this saves me so much design work
I wonder how that absolutely heavenly accent came about? Is that really only from Australia? No time spent in Britain? I have never heard any Australian accent that is so easy on the ears, so auditorily soothing. So many Australians talk with a nasal twang. Yours is music to the ears, pure linguistic perfection.
Hello Jolin nice setup.
What would be interesting is putting the camera on a tripod/fixed mount, then show the tray when you're playing something forcefully to see how much vertical movement there is.
As I was watching the construction I wondered if this support problem (when the tray is extended) could be solved with a wrap around desk design. That way the tray wouldn't need to extend out at all. Just the depth of the tray would be needed in the "wrap". And one could always make the tray quite a bit wider than the piano as long as quality wood (that was strong enough so there was no flex) was used. Maybe 1" or more plywood.
One might also use steel or aluminum angle instead of the 2 pieces of wood holding the tray to the desk though there is probably not much need for additional strength there in the side to side lateral plane.
What is really needed though is a design that allows for a vertically adjustable desk with piano tray with horizontal tilt for writing AND piano playing. Haven't figured that one out yet.....:)
BTW your Chopin Nocturne was wonderfully phrased. Very sensitive and melancholy, just like he imagined it I'm sure.
Thank you so much for your feedback, either this year or next year I’ll make another video showing how the desk is doing. I’ll take your suggestions into account 😊
Initially I thought of doing an adjustable standing desk with the tray, but didn’t want to risk it for my first design hahaha… it looked like there would be a lot going on under the desk so couldn’t figure it out :’)
Also, thank you for checking out my other videos!! 😁😁
Needed some inspiration for my 88 atturia. Perfect video.
Thank you :)
Awesome video, thanks for your valuable information
Such a great idea! How much did the materials cost?
we have the same computer chair beautiful studio and workstation
Thank you ☺️
This looks fantastic
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!! Cheers! Brilliant!
Thank you! Cheers!
@Jolin Jiang Music Thank you! The only thing is I have a Korg X3, from 1993. It's 4 feet long by 1 foot wide and 5 inches tall. But I'll figure a way to make it work. Your build is very clean and functional. I definitely want that. Great job!!!
Thank you for sharing. A very nice desk.
Thank you for your kind words; hope it inspires people to DIY more :)
Hi Jolin, I actually watched this awesome DIY video years ago, and it was great. However, for some reason, I wasn't very active on TH-cam, and I was just a browsing-only person back then. Today, when I was thinking of making a music desk, your video immediately came to my mind. So, I just wanted to drop you a message and say thank you for the incredible information and work you've done. It was so easy to follow, the finish was nice, and it seemed doable! I've liked and subscribed this time, and I really wanted to leave a comment to let you know that you're doing well. Of course, I'll also listen to your music. Thank you! 😀
Thank you so much for taking the time watching my video and leaving such a lovely comment. It means so much to me! Wish you all the best with your musical career :)
@@JolinJiangMusic Hi Jolin, thank you for the coming back msg :) i was finished the music desk from your idea, you can have a look for the vlog video if you have some time :) thank you again :) if you would like it, I can adding your link on my description as well :)
@@kakit-music Your desk actually looks amazing with the adjustable legs. Great build!
That’s so nice of you for offering to share the link to my video. I would very much appreciate it actually. Thank you!
And keep all the great new music coming please 🎵😄😁
@@JolinJiangMusic Thank you for confirming :) I've just puting up your link back and description
@@kakit-musicthank you ☺️☺️☺️!!!
Very interesting, I'm about to start looking for a new desk but this has made me think about buiding one. Thank you. 😎
You should!! DIYing the desk was extremely rewarding for me. Good luck with your build 😁😁
you dont have too much movement of the drawer when playing when its fully drawn out? probabyl i would have put 2 more folding legs to give it more stability when its drawn out. in any case nice work!
Love ur design. how is the tray in use. Are these long rails flexing when u play?
Thank you for your lovely comments! I haven’t noticed any flexing but I also don’t play anything super dramatic on my keyboard. Hope it helps ☺️
Hi Jolin, nice video (the first I've seen of yours). I'm considering something similar, same Keylab 88 as you. Do you get much flexing from the drawer sliders when the tray is extended and you are playing?
Really like the way you recessed the resting position of the tray so you have room for your legs - this concern is why I"m not too sure about buying a pre-made solution. If I do make one myself, I'll follow your lead with that!
Hi!! Thank you for taking notice of the leg space of the design; I put a lot of thought into this. I haven’t noticed any flexing from the sliders, but I did purchase the strongest ones available from the warehouse.
I’m planning on making another video on the workstation at the end of this year for a “1-year review” 😁😁 Feel free to check it out then!
Hey, Jolin Jiang Music I just had a quick question
Could you let me know what wood you used for the table top?
Sorry, could you also link the table legs you used?
thank you.
Amazing, well done! This is inspirational. Looking to make a similar table!
Very cool
Nice build. I would suggest getting a pocket hole jig for a hand held electric drill, and use pocket holes to hold the drawer vertical supports to the desktop. The little square brackets MAY not be strong enough long term.
Thank you so much for your suggestions! I’ll keep it all in mind for my next build 😁!
@@JolinJiangMusic Just so you know, your build looks way more pro than mine. I basically knocked my music workstation together with pocket screws, construction grade plywood, and a complete disregard for aesthetics. But my MIDI synths/keyboards and computer have a home and I spend hours every night playing music at this thing. Yours is actually super nice, compared to mine. Mine you could probably jump on though. I prioritized strength over looking nice, because I'm like that.
Nice job
I am a carpenter and cabinet maker by trade
(Since music production and performance won’t pay the bills)
So I am curious
Does your slide out keyboard shelf still function well, is it sturdy?
My first edition Arturia 88 is quite heavy so those glide rails and side mount fasteners into 1x pine have me wondering if it is still functional
I can get pretty energetic while playing and therefore I may bend or break the slides bearings
So a year on
How is the keyboard shelf holding up?
You're amazing and beautiful. I'm want to try this soon.
creep
Looks great! I tried to order the PDF but the system only wants to deliver it to my home adress. How do i do it so that I can pay and download the PDF?
Great job. Way to tackle this.
Thanks!
Bought the PDF. Thanks again for the efforts.
@@StandForSomethingGood Thank you very much for your support! All the best to your build!
Very good build :)
Thank you!
Your keyboard is soo pretty 😍
very helpful, thank you very much for all the shared work and for the PDF, what keyboard you use ? looks like an arturia keylab if i'm not mistaken.
Yes it is!!! 😁
Hi, very nice.
Please..
What is height between ground and keyboard drawer bottom?
What is height of the table?
Tks.
Awesome stuff! I'm currently building my own music production desk as well.
Thank you so much! Hope your project goes well too ☺️
I am jealous and I want one.
Great design!
Thank you 😊
Awesome!
Perfect ...
Amazing !!! Thank you
Wonderful
Rockin 😎😃
Great setup! Have you tried playing something more forceful on the piano?
I really want a slide out piano setup like this, but my last one was so wonky and wobbly, I hated it lol. Was wondering what it would take to make it very stable.
Thank you for your comments. No I don’t play anything forceful on the keyboard. I’ve played chords in fortissimo very rarely but nothing too dramatic.
Nice!! May I ask you if you're using an SSD, and which one would you recommend for big, cinematic libraries? Thanks a lot 🤓
Hi Kara, I’m using the Samsung 1 TB SSD 😊
Thank you for the great video. I'm thinking of installing and using the keyboard tray like this, but are you still using it well?
I'm worried that the desk might be bent or damaged because it's too heavy.
Yes I’m still using it well almost 2 years in. I do believe that it would need to be rebuilt/replaced eventually though
Superb
Awesome. Any wobble?
Thank you!
It’s been almost 2 years in using this setup. Legs are steady. Keyboard tray shakes a tiny bit if I apply force playing the keyboard .
Gotcha, thanks. I ended up doing something a bit differently for my setup. Put my piano to the side of my desk and mounted a second monitor on an arm behind the piano. But I am sure this video will be very useful for somebody. It's still the only video I've seen that takes leg space into account for a piano drawer setup.
@@JolinJiangMusic
i really appreciate you sharing this! I am also curious about your floor desk and chair--did you build these as well or if not, where can I find something similar? ty! :)
Thank you for noticing them! They are my guqin desk and chair. I bought them from Taobao (like the Chinese ebay). Here is the link: 【淘宝】m.tb.cn/h.UsnMiQi?tk=PtDAd9y9aIK CZ3457 「可折叠桐木古琴桌凳禅意共鸣矮琴桌便携式古筝桌中式国学桌膝琴桌」
点击链接直接打开 或者 淘宝搜索直接打开
awesome!
Great video! Thank you so much!
Thank you for your kind words :)
Thanks. This helps a lot!!!
Thank you :)
Hello! Thank you for the video.
I've already solved it, but the right speaker cable is disconnected.
And it's been a year, so is there any problem with the piano sagging when playing?
This is amazing thank you so much!! will be sharing. How much did this cost you in total for materials?
Hi Angela, the materials costed me about $300 AUD. You can find what I used here: jolinjiang.com/product/jolin-jiang-music-workstation-information-sheet/
Lovely video! I was searching to do something Like that.. my digital piano has the same weight as yours.. how is the playing now with the tray? Does it bounce or it’s very sturdy ? Thanks!
Hi Adrian, thank you for your time leaving the comment. The tray has been pretty steady for me so far, but I’m using the keyboard for scoring and composing (as in I don’t apply too much force when I play the keyboard). If you were playing Liszt or Rachmaninov on it there might be some issues 😄😆
I’m planning on making another video on the workstation at the end of this year for a “1-year review” 😁😁 Feel free to check it out then!
I had the same idea, BUT, if you need to leave space for your legs under the desk, it means your legs do not fit under the keyboard. So, how do you play?
May I know the brand/model of your keyboard?
Thanks so much for sharing this vid!
Of course and pleasure!
My keyboard is Arturia 88 mk2 😊
@@JolinJiangMusic thank you so much!
I wanted to buy a preconstructed desk I saw and had no idea how expensive these things were. At least $1k for the cheapest ones so I guess it's just better to build for a fraction of the price.
Absolutely!
looks great! I'm curious how heavy your keyboard is? I am looking at a similar project but mine is an old lunky suzuki
Thank you ☺️ My keyboard is about 14.7kg
When I click on the link, I get an error message instead of loading your site. It also happened when I just typed the URL myself. "There has been a critical error on this website."
I have a Yamaha DGX-650, which is a pretty heavy beast. Did you have to find extra-sturdy drawer slides?
Thank you, Daniel, for your feedback and your question. My website is under maintenance today due to the latest WordPress update. I have been working on it so please feel free to check back in a few days! Apologies for any delays in advance as I am the only person that manages all these platforms while constantly working on my music.
To answer your question, I am using a pair of ball-bearing slides for my keyboard which is 14.7kg. It's been working fine so far :)
Where did you go to buy your wooden pieces ? And the slide tray?
I live in Australia and I went to the warehouse Bunnings :)
Hi Jolin, I am planning to make a shelf for my 88 piano keyboard. May I ask you how much is the weight of your keyboard? Thanks.
Mine is 14.7kg www.arturia.com/store/hybrid-synths/keylab88mkii Good luck with your build! ☺️
nice , where are you in the world ?
How much was the final build and is it possible to buy materials in USA? :) Just want to confirm as if it ends up being over the expected I may opt to buy a ready desk since I just want more space saving 😅
Hi Sherry, it cost me about $300AUD. I purchased everything from an Australia warehouse. I’m sure there would be similar, if not the same material in the US 😁 In any case, hope you enjoy making music on your new desk!
yeah, these keyboard trays are too short, meaning the knobs and sliders are almost always covered. some desks have a cutout on the upper surface, to alleviate this problem, but still… im looking at tables with the tray for an 88 key synth and am now leaning towards a regular height adjustable desk, but then the desk surface needs to be really wide in order to accomodate both an 88 key and a mouse and a keyboard, so… bleh, tiring is the process of research. lol. cheers.
Can you tell the height from the floor to the top of the keys and also from the floor to the top of the desk? Thanks
Thank you for asking, Zephirus🙂 The height from the floor is pretty standard 400mm. You can find more info re the measurements in my PDF file here jolinjiang.com/product/jolin-jiang-music-workstation-information-sheet/ Enjoy your build!
When you open the piano fully out and play, wouldn't the desk tend to fall on your side?
I actually made a similar desk long time ago and at the end had to hold the desk in to the wall so it won't fall.
Well my Keyboard is about 20kg, that might be the problem...
Let me know
Hi! Thank you for commenting! So far I haven’t experienced any desk falling yet. Maybe it’s coz I’ve got two big screens on the other side of the desk, and that my keyboard is around 8kg 😁
❤
I purchased the digital file but it says I have reached the download limit of the file. Please help, cannot access it anymore
Thank you for bringing this to my attention and sorry for the trouble. Have emailed you back :)
I'm making My one out of My old front door.
Amazing! That’s so smart!
The link is broken
Hii!! Whats the weight of your keyboard? I think that mine is so heavy
Hi! Mine is 14.7kg :)
I just got this made through a carpenter of course. I am from India. The only problem I'm having is that we got the height of the tray a bit lower so it's not giving me room for my knees. My knees are touching and i have to bend my legs backwards a lot to accommodate, and i won't be able to use the pedal in future comfortably; So im gonna call him tomorrow to increase the height with 2 inches, and then i will perhaps have to increase my table height as well coz theres a limit for the height of the tray, since its underneath the desktop. It has to be manufactured based on the height of our knees coz we can adjust height of the chair height but the knee height cannot be changed. Knees should have good room underneath. I searched for the standard height of piano keybed from the floor, It's hard to find it, it saw it's around 71 to 72 cm. I will see how is current height of my tray and will tell the carpenter but anyway, we must make it acc to our knee height in sitting position. Maybe you can include this in your next video its crucial. I am surprised how talented you are in carpentry. Great video.
Hi Michael, thank you so much for your feedback and kind words. I’m so sorry to hear that you ran into problems. Unfortunately, the suitability of the height of the tray and the legs is different for each individual case. When I designed the tray, I had to take into account the height of my keyboard (which is quite tall) and my own knee height. The measurements work for me but it might not be perfect for others.
I have now updated my PDF file to flag this consideration. All the best with your adjustments!
@@JolinJiangMusic Hi, the carpenter increased the height to the limit now where it's just a tiny space left between the Komplete Kontrol A49 keyboard and the top edge. I got a good room for my knee however it still touches the tray when perpendicular, but I can manage easily by a little bend but earlier I had to bend a lot and it would be a prob for future pedal use. I shift it behind to make space for the mouse when not in use. Though the length of the tray is not much. The steel slider is 14 inch I guess. I can adjust chair height in future for a better downward angle of the forearm. Pic ibb.co/vZmmYsS
@@OneStepTodaysolution: get a motorized sit/stand legs.
Please update pdf link
Thank you for letting me know
how long is the keyboard space? Will it fit a 56" keyboard?
My keyboard is 1293mm long; the tray can definitely fit a 56” keyboard ☺️
@@JolinJiangMusic that is 5” shorter than mine. Is there 130mm room on either side?
@@rachelvision2594 oh sorry I completely misunderstood 56” as 56keys 😥. I think my design would be slightly too short for your keyboard.
what kind of keyboard are you using?
It's Arturia 88 mk2 :)
HI JOLIN ( NI HOA MA! : ) I JUST FOUND YOU VIDEO HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF YOU BEFORE, ( OH AND IM WRITING IN CAPS TO HOPEFULLY GET YOUR ATTENTION! IM NOT YELLING, AND IM NOT SING JING BING! : P ( I KNOW I DIDNT SPELL THAT CORRECTLY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT ) SO I WATCHED THIS VIDEO BECAUSE TO BE HONEST YOUR PRETTY FACE FIRST CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ON MY SCREEN, THIS VIDEO WAS AMONG SEVERAL VIDEOS ON MY PAGE WHEN I OPENED TH-cam. I SAW YOUR FACE AND THOUGHT, HMMMM, WHO IS THIS? THEN I WATCHED YOUR VIDEO AND HONESTLY WAS VERY IMPRESSED! YOU APPEAR TO LIVE ALONE, AND YOU BUILT YOUR OWN MUSIC WORK STATION, YOU DESIGNED IT, YOU SEARCHED OUT THE RIGHT PLACE TO GET ALL YOUR SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, YOU HAD CUSTOM CUTS MADE AT THE STORE, AND YOU EVEN HAD YOUR OWN DRILL AND TOOLS AT HOME TO GO ABOUT BUILDING EVERYTHING YOURSELF! NOT ONLY THAT, YOU LOOKED VERY COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT DOING IT TOO! AND INFACT, YOU REALLY LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE HAVING FUN TOO! THIS ALL IMPRESSED ME! THEN I NOTICED YOUR FURNISHINGS. YOU HAVE A FULL SIZE PIANO ON YOUR WALL, YOU HAVE TWO HUGE WALL UNITS WITH STACKS OF BOOKS! ( DID YOU READ ALL OF THOSE BOOKS? ) I THINK YOU HAVE! I THINK YOU ARE VERY SPECIAL.. BUT WAIT!!! THIS IS ALL BEFORE I GOT CURIOUS ABOUT YOU FURTHER, AND I DECIDED TO CLICK ON YOUR TH-cam CHANNEL ( JOLIN JIANG MUSIC ) AND IT WAS THEN, THE SECOND THAT YOUR VIDEO ( THE MONKEY AND THE TREE ) STARTED TO PLAY, AND I HEARD YOUR ANGELIC VOICE!!! : / THAT IS WHAT MADE ME STOP AND LISTEN AND IT BLEW ME AWAY! YOUR VOICE AND THE MATURITY IN HOW YOU SING! BEAUTIFUL! AND THEN I REALIZED YOU MADE AND STARRED IN YOUR OWN MUSIC VIDEO TOO!!! YOU ARE AMAZING! AND THEN I LOOKED THROUGH THE REST OF YOUR VIDEOS AND WONDERED WHY I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF YOU BEFORE??? I ALSO AM A MUSICIAN! AND I TEACH MUSIC TOO! ( JUST TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY ) THERE IS NO MUSIC INDUSTRY ANYMORE SO AS YOU KNOW IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A COMFORTABLE LIVING WITH MUSIC THESE DAYS.. BUT! THEN I NOTICED THAT AMONG ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS YOU ONLY HAVE 100 OR UNDER VIEWS!!!!!!!!!! : / I SAID WHAT?????? THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE! YOU HAVE EVERYTHING IT TAKES TO BE A WORLD WIDE STAR!! AND I MEAN THAT.. BEAUTY, TALENT, VOICE, STYLE, INTELLECT! SO I DECIDED I WOULD WRITE YOU A LETTER AND TRY TO GET YOUR ATTENTION TO TELL YOU I TRULY BELIEVE IN YOU, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU CONNECT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD! IM SURPRISED YOU DONT HAVE A RECORDING CONTRACT WITH A CHINESE OR OTHER ASIAN RECORD LABEL YET!!!!! DO THEY EVEN HAVE RECORD COMPANIES IN CHINA? THEY MUST, I HAVE FRIENDS THAT OWN CHINESE RESTAURANTS HERE IN NEW YORK, AND THEY ARE ALWAYS PLAYING CHINESE MUSIC, AND WHEN I ASK ABOUT CERTAIN SONGS AND ARTISTS SOME TIMES? THEY TELL ME THE NAMES AND THAT THEY ARE MUSICIANS FROM CHINA. SO IM SURE THEN YOU COULD ALSO BE ONE OF THOSE MUSICIANS TOO. WHAT HAPPENED? DID YOU NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY? OR ???? I WANT TO HELP YOU TO GET EXPOSED TO THE WORLD, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OFFER THE WORLD! YOU HAVE A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL AND RARE, VOICE.. SO I AM SURE YOU WILL APPEAL TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.. YOU REMIND ME A LITTLE OF A SINGER NAMED SADE! LISTEN TO HER HIT SONG " is it a crime" I CAN HEAR YOU SINGING THAT SONG! YOU SOUND LIKE HER IN THAT SONG! ( SIMILAR TO THE VOCALS AND VIBE OF THE SONG I HEARD YOU SINGING ON, THE MONKEY AND THE TREE SONG ) " IS IT A CRIME" SOUNDS SIMILAR TO YOUR SONG I MEAN.. PLEASE LISTEN TO IT AND YOU WILL SEE.. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME AND I WILL SEND YOU AN E MAIL WITH MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE CAN TALK MORE AND I WILL EXPLAIN HOW I CAN BE OF HELP TO YOU AND YOUR MUSIC... ( AND MAYBE YOU CAN BE OF HELP TO ME WITH MY MUSIC IN CHINA? ) : )
Hi Rocky, thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for checking out my music. Hearing people’s comments and feedback means the world to me :)
I’d love to connect with you! What music do you play? Or do you write music too? I’m active on Instagram and TH-cam, with the profile name Jolin Jiang Music. Are you around on either of these channels? If you’d like to chat more, feel free to shoot me an email to jolin@jolinjiang.com ☺️
Thank you again for your lovely comments on my work!
I think you did not plug the right studio monitor well in the back
Oh yeah lol! Just rewatched; you are right!
am I wrong or your legs won't fit under the desk?
What kind of headphones are those sweetie?
They are studio headphones from Audio-technica :)
Ahh I just noticed there is another pair of headphones in the video lol. That pair is Sennheiser HD 300
Hey man I saw her first.
You went to BUNNINGS lol
I certainly did 😆
@@JolinJiangMusic lol I always find it funny when people go to places near where I livr
I FORGOT TO ASK... ARE YOU IN CHINA? OR AUSTRALIA?
I’m based in Australia ☺️
@@JolinJiangMusic Hi. You didnt answer ANY of the questions i asked! : / Would you like to talk?
@@JolinJiangMusic Jolin? You havent answered me. I have skype. We can talk directly on there.
lets colab
PDF sheet for $3.5... Are you serious? xDDD If people want to donate you they will of course, but to take a payment for kind of information we can get free here on youtube from other bloggers.. don't have any words to describe this xDDDD
I hate you because you are able to understand things that I don't understand...
I like to get your plans on pdf I sent your muisc on spotify to freinds and family I am happy to pay for it I can't find your email address
Hi James, thank you for sharing my music. :) My email address is jolin@jolinjiang.com
If you could send me an email and attach a screenshot or any proof of the sharing of my music, I’ll send you a free copy of the PDF.
Looking forward to hearing from you via email ☺️
❤