Highlights of the desk
Platform is made specifically for music production, with design in mind. Created by musicians, for musicians. Every single detail from function to finish is tailored for music production.
Keyboard Tray
Platform’s keyboard tray fits most controllers (up to 88 keys). The tray has multiple attachment points so you can customize the height as well as the amount of extension.
Finished Woods
Platform is made of birch, chosen for its sturdiness and resistance to warping from heat or humidity.
Each desk has its own fingerprint featuring unique patterns from the original wood; yours will be truly one of a kind.
Rack Space
Platform comes equipped with rack ears that can hold up to 9U of gear. Each angled separator can be reversed and installed with a straight edge for a different look and feel.
Cable Management
Platform streamlines cable management so your studio will be set up in style with unsightly cables hidden from view and cleanly organized. A horizontal panel under the desk perfectly conceals the entire cable management system.
My thoughts on the overall desk.
There are so many options for a studio production/workstation. I did some research and couldn’t find anything I liked. The obvious thing was to build my own that I spent $75 on parts & labor. I was happy with it, but I needed something module as soon as I started buying more gear. You know, something that was affordable, sleek, and had some cable management. The Platform from Output was my best option.
Backorder Delays
I ordered the desk and sidecar back in October of 2019. They were on backorder and stayed on backorder for several months, and then a month later, it came in. I can’t imagine the amount of buzz and excitement from a desk like this with all the hype. The people from Output were so cool they gave me some free goodies for the late shipment. There was a shift in the production warehouse to another, so it delayed the process. I also pre-order the monitor stands. I knew there were better ones out there, but I wanted to get the Output studio gear experience without making any modifications to other studio gear. When the boxes came in, it was pretty overwhelming; however, these clever people at Output created some videos on putting it together. I mean, who reads manuals these days anyway?
Sidecar
Sidecar is Platform’s perfect match, fitting side by side to streamline your workflow. The sidecar can stand on its own or seamlessly integrates next to the Platform Studio Desk. Fully Customizable Setup. Sliding Tray. Cable Storage. Made in the USA. 12 U of Rack Space.
I had no problem setting this up. Again the video tutorials go into great detail on how to put it together. I really love the shelf and sliding tray for my headphones and small things that I use like flashlights, tuners, strings, capos, etc… If you want to read more about sidecar, I create a separate review.
Build Complete
The desk and stands had some issues with hole alignments when I was putting it together. As soon as I heard from Output that they changed to another warehouse for production, I knew there would be some imperfections. I was okay with that; I had my tools/drill to make any necessary fixes. However, someone who might not have these tools might have a hard time making the adjustments.
Once the platform, sidecar, and stands were built – it looked and worked amazingly well!
A Year Later
The only two things that stuck out but can easily be fixed:
- The sidecar hinge lock seems to stay locked when you try to push back into the sidecar. You have to push down the locks from the hinges to make it go back. Not a big deal for me, but I can see how this can be annoying if you use this pull-shelf every day. Perhaps If I did use it more often, it wouldn’t lock up?
- I typically do not use a mouse pad, and where my mouse is positioned, I noticed the paint sealer started to pill off. Again not a big deal, I kind of like the road-worn look.
Overall the build is pretty solid, and I am pretty happy with it. There are way more features that I didn’t cover that make this desk and sidecar such an excellent option, like the pullout headphone rack and cable management.
I also feel that the hole alignment issues are fixed by now. I didn’t bother reaching out to Output about this when I knew I could fix it with some basic tools. Again, I can’t imagine all the orders placed during that time when they came out. I’m sure they have all the kinks out with their new production warehouse now that were in 2021. I’m pretty happy with it and look forward to using it for my music/workstation for many years.
I will be posting soon how I created my first desk if this is not something that fits a budget over $1,200; after all, you can create music with any desk, floor, bed, coffee table, or couch – you get the idea.
Sidenote: For each Platform purchased, Output will donate $5 to One Tree Planted, a 501C3 global reforestation organization that plants one tree for each dollar received. That equals 5 trees per purchase.
