How I Built a Motorized Standing Desk for My Home Studio (for Under $150)💸

Working in audio, whether it's for composition, sound design, mixing, or production, means spending very long hours in the same position. And when, like me, you've been suffering from back pain for over 8 years, it becomes urgent to rethink your workspace. With this in mind, I built my motorized standing desk for home studio, simple, stable... and above all, economical.

In a standard sitting position, the height adjustment allows for a perfectly adapted position.

What is a motorized standing desk for the home studio? ⚙️

A sit-stand desk allows you to easily adjust the height of the tabletop to alternate between different positions throughout the day:

In a standing position: you can alternate between a tonic posture or a more relaxed one, depending on the time of day.

• Standing 🧍

• Sitting on a chair 🪑

• Sitting on a ball 🏐

  
  

  This allows for varying postures and reducing tension associated with prolonged static positions. The mechanism can be motorized or manual, and the main advantage is having a desk always at the right height, regardless of your position.

  
  

  An idea born thanks to the community 🎧

  
  

  It was following a discussion on the Game Audio France Discord about chairs and desks that the idea truly took root. A big thank you to Wilfried Nass for recommending the brand SongMics, which I wasn’t familiar with and which offers motorized bases at very reasonable prices. Luck had it that I stumbled upon a model on sale for €87 (instead of €168).

The equipment used 🧰

Here is what I chose to build my setup:

• Motorized base SongMics (1 motor) : 87 €

• Main platter (Weldom) : 15,95 €

• Small elevated stand for screens (also at Weldom):10 €

• Ikea legs recovered from an old assembly (reference)

• Clamping collars, screws and washers, sandpaper: approx 20 €

• Power strip screwed under the desk for better cable management: approx 10 €

➡️ Total: approximately €140

Assembly 🔩

• The assembly of the base was very simple.

• I had to sand and round the corners of the main board (due to the basic material).

• The small elevated shelf is attached with Ikea legs, a screw, and a clamp.

• For cable management, I used extensions, clamps, and screwed the power strip under the board.

• It’s a homemade setup, but the result is very stable, even in the raised position.

Here is the base package, quite heavy but easily transportable.

The base is assembled, the parts are well numbered, and the provided tools are sufficient.

Maintenant, je teste le plan de travail, mais il faudra le poncer et le fixer avec les vis fournies.

I have secured the feet on the secondary plane and I am checking that everything fits.

Now, it's time to organize all this... cable management isn't exactly fun, fun.

Small DIY technique to secure the legs: clamp loop + screw + washer

Here is part of the cable management; I'm quite pleased with the result!

Here is the part that controls the engine, three memories, and for my part it's (chair, ball, standi

The First Effects on My Posture 🧍‍♂️🪑

I can already feel improvements in my back pain. The ability to work standing regularly is a real plus. But above all, even when sitting, the comfort is better because the desk is finally at the right height—which is rarely the case with a fixed desk and a standard chair.

Conclusion: an accessible and useful desk 👍

For €150, I finally have a modular, comfortable desk that suits my body. Even if the motor doesn’t last for years, it will be more than enough to confirm the health benefits before possibly investing in a higher-end model someday.

💬 How about you?

Have you also found solutions to relieve your back at work?

Do you use a sit-stand desk, a ball, or another tip?

Feel free to share your feedback, experiences, or advice in the comments! 🙏