Anyway — the desk was original spec'd for some gear + a pair of Mackie MCU controllers, shown below — I almost never really mixed on those, so I just finally re-homed them.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51898425340_ea30d5d39e_c.jpg)
I would like to bring my Toft ATB-16 back into arms reach so that I can have it in the input-stage part of my workflow more conveniently (it's off to the side nearly all the time right now) so I'm planning on ditching the left rack-pod and bucketing the console in the desk. Just eyeballing it; I think the console is gonna fit nicely into there (it's wider than the Mackie MCU pairing, so I can't just plop it in between the rack-pods)... but I don't really need 24 RU of equipment in the desktop (each rack pod had 12 spaces facing up in those angled racks)
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51956575101_f39877f415_c.jpg)
But as a parent of a ~2yr old, I know that I don't have a ton of time to do these DIY projects... so I didn't wanna disassemble & build what's needed before re-assembling. I decided to use a CAD app to plan out the cuts & parts... this way I can just take it apart NOW / re-assemble & keep working my normal way for a while, during the design/drawing/build processes. Challenge is, getting the desk "drawn". Sadly... the Sterling Module manual doesn't have super-specific dimensioned drawings in it... and the center bucket was custom made for this client, so I really needed to take it all apart to draw it out.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51956636128_694a290101_c.jpg)
I spent an hour last night, measuring the components & virtually "building" them in SketchUp — which finally works well with Trackpads, BTW.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51955584367_387da175a9_c.jpg)
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51955584332_652d309260_c.jpg)
I certainly could, but don't want to hack apart the original parts — in case I ever move away from the Toft console / do something else... I wanna be able to unload the Sterling Modular desk "fully working / intact" but I think I can probably accomplish what I want while making only a few small / mostly non-structural modifications to the original parts. I think I'm gonna make a low internal shelf (for HDDs / computer / power strips / USB hubs) and then a "bucket" shelf for the console to sit in. I'm also gonna make a nice new front arm rest and match that wood to a new set of outside wood side panels (the ones shown are bamboo, and I wanna do something in a darker "maple" wood.
I'm gonna virtually build a semi-full replica of the rack pods, then I can figure out what new/modified parts I'll need to make / which parts can be plywood vs which need to be hardwood / then I can build it all & do a final disassemble/reassemble when I finally have the new parts made. (fingers-crossed that my measurements are accurate enough)
My previous studio desk (shown below) was entirely made from scratch / totally eye-ball construction / but worked well and now serves another Toft Owner. So I'm confident I can do this... I just wanna minimize my studio downtime:
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/1708/25016383500_0ed6764c5b_c.jpg)
Wish me luck!