VI Products:

The VI Composer's Desk and VI Rack FAQs

Q. How much does the desk cost?

A. $2495 plus shipping by quote (unless you’re in the Los Angeles area, in which case delivery is included).

The VI Composer’s Desk is a top quality, artisan crafted, hand-finished, solid hardwood, highly specialized piece of furniture that should last forever. It’s beautifully made with lots of little details everywhere you look - half-blind dovetail joints, French polish finish (a process in which layers of varnish are built up gradually by hand; you rarely see it these days because it’s so labor-intensive), hand-routed round edges throughout...absolutely no compromises have been made.

About a quarter of the cost of the VI Composer’s Desk is the actual materials. By comparison, that’s not the case with even the highest quality digital mixer furniture you’ll find at music retailers. And those units are all made out of pressboard veneer rather than hardwood - not that there’s anything wrong with lower-end designs, just that it puts the value of this desk in perspective, since those units cost almost as much.

Q. What is the overall concept of the desk?

A.The most important feature is that composers need to go between playing the keyboard and working on a full desktop all day long, so we made the desktop slide effortlessly over a full 24” range. It takes literally half a second to move it between playing and full desktop positions - it really glides like butter. You can float the desktop over the piano keys, push it all the way forward underneath the bridge shelf to reveal the entire keyboard surface, or pull it up to your belly to work on the desktop.

Another part of the design takes into account that composers today are typically not using a whole lot of hardware that they need to access all the time. They need their speakers in the ideal listening position, and they might have a few rack pieces (which fit on the bridge shelf on either side of the computer monitor). But today’s project studios tend to be highly streamlined, with the bulk of the production being done inside computers.

The VI Composer's Desk is intended to fit into that environment.

Incidentally, the Knape & Vogt 8900 drawer slides used are the heaviest-duty ones on the market. They’re massive - 3” wide and ¾” thick, rated for 10,000 travels; these slides are built to accommodate 500 lb. tool drawers in trucks. You have to feel how well the desktop slides to appreciate the quality of this hardware. It’s very satisfying!

Q. What are the dimensions?

A. The desk was designed to be resized easily to fit any controller keyboard when it’s made, so the desktop height and width will vary slightly depending on the keyboard model. What doesn't change is that the bridge shelf is 7’ wide and about 17” deep, and the distance from the front of the controller keyboard shelf to the back of the desk is about 50”. The keyboard height is 29-1/2” from the floor, the same as a real piano, and the bridge shelf is 37-3/4” high.

Q. Your ad mentions racks that sit on the bridge shelf.

A.Yes, please see the photos. These unique racks are just gorgeous, and they’re available in any size. Like the desk, the VI Rack is made of solid red oak, and it features half-blind dovetail joints and French polish finish. The wood is a full ¾” thick, and the rounded edges make it appear even thicker.

An important feature of the VI Rack is that it has wood rails rather than metal ones. Wood rails don’t short the equipment chassis to each other, which means no ground loops (hum). Unless you specify otherwise, we ship the rack with no holes drilled in the rails. That lets you leave less than 1U of air space between units, should you want to do that. But you do need to drill starter holes for the rack screws, so please let us know if you don’t feel comfortable using a drill.

The rack in the photo is 8U by 17” deep, just the right depth for the desk’s bridge shelf, but they’re available any size you specify. The VI Rack has rubber feet.

Q. How much are the racks?

A.The one in the photo is $549 on its own, or $500 with the desk. Different sizes will vary somewhat. Please contact us for a quote.

Q. Your ad mentions that there’s lots of room underneath the desk for a subwoofer or a quiet computer box that’s under development.

A. Yes, and you can easily fit lots of equipment you don’t need to look at often such as amps and MIDI interfaces. Since the front-to-back size of the desk is about 50” and the front leg is about 1-1/2’ from the front of the desk, there’s a lot of room for things under there even for tall people with their legs extended. We’re working on a quiet computer box to fit under the desktop, but we don’t have a firm date for that yet.

Q. How do you have the computer monitor mounted?

A.It’s on an LCD arm attached to the bridge shelf, which we’ve determined to be the best solution. You can put the monitor at just the right height and distance from you for comfort, and it stays where it is when you slide the desktop underneath it.

These arms are available in a variety of configurations. The one in the picture is an old Ergotron model, shown holding up a 30” Apple Cinema Display. There are other models that hold two monitors, that hold laptops, and so on.

We have a small inventory of LCD arms, or we can get them for you while the desk is being made if you need something different from what we have in stock. The price is just passed on without markup as a courtesy.

Q. I’m using a control surface (or laptop).

A. The best solution would be to use another LCD arm with a laptop attachment and attach it to the bridge shelf just like the computer monitor. That will let you float the controller or laptop in just the right position, and it will stay there when you slide the desktop.

The bridge shelf is absolutely solid, so you don’t have to worry about straining it.

Q. Why not have the controller keyboard slide instead of the desktop?

A. Because then you have to move your chair back every time the keyboard comes out and move forward every time you put it away. Not only is that a nuisance, it puts you at the wrong distance from the computer monitor and the speakers in one of the two positions.

The sliding desktop is simply the correct solution; there’s zero disruption to your workflow when you go between playing and full desktop positions. You’ll be surprised how this changes the way you work - for the better, of course.

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Q. How long does it take to get the VI Composer’s Desk?

Our standard quote is to allow four weeks for delivery, but please ask at the time you order.

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Q. Is assembly required?

A. Maybe your grandmother couldn’t stand the desk up, but she could put it together in three minutes. You only have to put in ten screws.

The leg assemblies are fitted to the frame on interlocking wood pieces, but they’re secured by two screws each; these screws fit into embedded nuts and hold as soon as you give them a couple of twists with your hand, even before they’re tightened all the way. Then there’s a supporting wood rail that connects the back legs, and the bridge shelf is secured by two screws on either side. That’s it.

Please call +1 818/905-9101 for further information or to order.

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