4 Cheap Studio Desks Under $400 That Don’t Suck

• Cheap studio desks often get a bad wrap for being bad quality, but not all are made equal.
• Low price point to suit the producer who wants an economical and efficient workstation for their home studio setup.
• Hands-on, honest studio desk reviews so you can make an informed choice.

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It can be difficulty to find a high quality studio desk at a reasonable price, but there are lots of great options for desks under $400.

If you’re looking to upgrade that ratty IKEA table that we have all had at one point in our life then look no further for studio ideas. Below, we have compiled our thoughts on 4 cheap studio desks worth considering when you are shopping on a budget.

4 Budget Studio Desks Under $400

The best studio desks that we could find under $400 (that weren’t a total waste of money), were the following:

1. Onstage – WS7500 Wood Workstation (Our Pick)
2. StudioRTA – Creation Station
3. Jamstands – JS-SW Workstation

1. On Stage ‘WS7500’

Simple, practical, and at a price that appeals to the even the tightest of penny pinchers, the On Stage WS7500 is one of the most popular budget studio desks for the producer’s home studio setup.

Features

• High-quality and affordable studio desk
• Ergonomically designed for maximum comfort and efficiency
• Sturdy, rectangular steel tube frame
• Sleek, compact Z-frame with plenty of leg space
• Hideaway keyboard shelf included
• Pull-out shelf height (from floor): 25″
• Weight capacity: 175 lbs.
• Expansion and accessory options available

Review

The On Stage brand is one I’ve been familiar with for a while. I own a pair of their monitor stands, and they’ve supported my Yamaha HS8 monitors without a hitch. So upon doing this review I was already going in with a reasonably high expectation of quality in this studio desk. It comes in 2 different colors, which you can have a look at here.

Assembly came with a few hiccups, a couple of screws did not align 100% accurately but with some determination, it all fit together. Also, some instructions on how to properly assemble the keyboard tray would have been nice. Fortunately, we have done this a zillion times, so we managed. However, if you do have issues there are assembly tutorials on Youtube that you can follow along to.

I believe the wood isn’t actual ‘wood’, which usually raises concerns among furniture buyers but hey what can you really expect for a desk under $200? Whatever the material is, it certainly does do its job though, and that is to support quite a fair bit of weight under my usual stress test (a pair of 6.5″ Yamaha HS7s) and a 24″ monitor. In fact, the desk quotes a 175lb capacity of weight, which is mighty impressive for a desk at this price.

You’re not going to get anything in the vein of rack space for outboard gear, but what you will get is a sturdy, 2-tiered desk that can comfortably hold a fair bit of weight, ample leg space and a hideaway keyboard shelf that you could use for either a keyboard or micro-sized MIDI controller.

Again, where this desk (and many others in this price range) suffers, is its lack of cable management features although given the price this isn’t something to grumble at too much.

Ergonomically, it is comfortable to sit at, though some taller users have reported that they wish the 2nd tier was a little bit higher. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue if you have an adjustable seat, though.

All in all, I’m pleased with the quality of the desk. It’s one of the more popular studio desks in this range.

If you’d like to check out the desk in more detail, click here (opens in new tab).

The WS7500 is available at

ZZOUNDS | AMAZON

2. StudioRTA – ‘Creation Station’

The Studio RTA Creation Station Studio Desk is a complete computer-based home studio workstation that offers great features at a great price point. The large workspace can accommodate most synths and MIDI keyboards plus accessories. It’s available in 2 great colors: for more photos, click here.

Features

• 2 large work surfaces
• Full-length monitor shelf
• Dual 4-space 19″ rack bays
• Rear panel for cord management
• 4 casters (2 locking)

Dimensions

• Dimensions (WxDxH): 151 x 75 x 95 cm
• Height of the work plate (with rolls): about 65 cm
• Distance from the lower plate to the middle plate: 53.6 cm
• Space beneath the lower plate for the chair: 67 cm
• Distance from the edge of the work surface to build up 45 cm from the center, 44 cm from the left and right edge

Review

The StudioRTA ‘Creation Station’ looks the part. The build quality, paint finish and construction are on par with some of the higher price-point studio desks I have tried, and I had the feeling I was sitting down at a relatively professional studio desk when roadtesting. The under-section is quite spacious and allows for a decent sized PC computer tower and/or printer depending on your requirements, not to mention a decent amount of leg room but the slide out keyboard shelf could have offered a bit more space.

The desktop is spacious enough for a keyboard, mouse, and accessories (effects units, samplers, drum machines etc) and a SMALL synth or MIDI keyboard.  If you aren’t a producer that is jamming out beautiful melodic synth lines over your tracks and are comfortable with the basic 25-key version then this desk is great. If not, I would suggest either attaching your own keyboard shelf underneath or buying a keyboard stand to sit next to your desk. It’s a cheap studio desk that is great for space and also for tuning out and focusing on the music without the distraction of a screen.

The monitor shelf is decently wide and was able to fit a 22″ monitor and two Yamaha HS8’s on IsoAcoustics stands. I personally prefer to work with dual-monitors so if I were to buy this desk would definitely opt for some cheap speaker stands as it isn’t really capable of fitting all of them side by side.

The rear cable management system is a great addition to the Creation Station. I am pretty picky when it comes to hiding my cables so this was definitely a welcome feature to my OCD. The depth of the tray is enough for you to comfortably fit a few looms of audio cable, as well as power to your various units.

The included rack housing is a smart feature, especially when desk space is more limited. I have a rack-mounted RME soundcard and a few go-to rack units so found this to be a really beneficial inclusion. The only issue I could see was if you had a lot of gear crammed on the desktop it could potentially obstruct your access to said units.

The Creation Station is available at

Thomann

Looking for more studio gear? Check out our review of the Duex Plus USB Monitor.

 

3. Jamstands – ‘JS-SW300 Studio Workstation’

The simple JS-SW300 studio desk from JamStands has been designed to accommodate the small studio, bedroom, or apartment producer with a small space for a price that doesn’t burn a hole in the pocket. The z-shaped design of the desk is built to maximize your vertical space while easily fitting into almost any size room. Constructed from steel, featuring a sliding keyboard shelf, and showcasing a large desktop surface area make this low-cost solution perfect for a wide range of project studios and professional environments.

Features

• Decent surface area for size
• Sturdy welded frame construction
• Open design for extra leg room
• Second tier
• Sleek Z-shaped design
• Sliding keyboard tray

Dimensions and weight

• Height:- Main Surface: 29.5″ – Keyboard Surface: 27.1″- 2nd Tier Surface: 40.3″
• Width: – Main: 48″ – Keyboard: 42″ – 2nd Tier: 42″
• Depth: – Main: 24″ – Keyboard: 15″ – 2nd Tier: 18″
• Weight capacity: 175 lbs.
• Finish: Black Laminate

Review

If you’re after a simple, well laid-out desk for your small studio that leaves a smidgen of a footprint (as much as a desk can), then the JS-SW300 from Jamstands is worth considering. It’s cheap, it’s surprisingly sturdy, and it’s a breeze to assemble.

Just like the others, the keyboard tray can fit a small MIDI keyboard, synth, or standard keyboard and mouse combo.

The 2nd-tier monitor shelf can comfortably fit either dual screens or one screen and two speakers. I had a 22″ Acer monitor and pair of Yamaha HS8’s on isolation stands fit quite comfortably up there. I did find the shelf a little high. I wondered why it was at such a height but can only assume it is for those that want to purchase 4-space rack units to have underneath it if they feel so inclined.

One complaint from me is the lack of cable management solutions. I feel it’s pretty easy to implement some sort of option to cater to this in this day and age, even if you’re making budget equipment. A simple 50mm hole would have sufficed.

Overall, WYSIWYG with this desk. It’s simple and doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It’s a great space saver and an ideal choice for anyone on a budget or looking for a temporary studio solution (I’m looking at you, college students).

The JS-SW300 is available at

BHPhotoVideo

 

4. Millenium ‘SD-180 B Studio Desk’

The SD-180 B is at the higher end of price in this list but we love the look of this spacious studio desk and the rack space is great for anyone mixing with analogue gear. Although only available in one colour the unit still looks great but may be a struggle for those wanting to fit their setup into a small home studio setup.

Features

• Large Countertop
• 5 x 64mm Castors
• Sliding Keyboard Tray
• Oak Finish

Dimensions and Weight

• Overall Dimensions: 1800 x 1020 x 930 mm
• Top Shelf: 600 x 240 x 18 mm
• Countertop: 1800 x 800 x 25 mm
• Keyboard Shelf: 1000 x 400 x 18 mm
• Height At Countertop: 785 mm
• Weight: 47.5 kg
• Integrated 19″ racks with 2 x 4U includes M6 rack screws

Review

The unit is easy to assemble and comes with castors enabling you to move the desk around if need be and the counter top gives plenty of space for monitors. The pull out keyboard slot is spacious at 100cm in length meaning you can easily fit your midi keyboard or synth on the shelf. Alternatively if you prefer to keep your keyboard and mouse there you still have bags of room on the top shelf.

The shelves are made of plastic coated MDF however, which may put some people off but really at the budget end of things this is nothing to complain about as the oak decor still looks sleek.

The SD-180 B has rave reviews from not only producers but those who make music and game as well, so if you’re looking for an all in one setup or short on studio ideas this could be for you.

The SD-180 B is available at

Thomann