Home studio setup_ergonomics

am setting up a studio at home, so I am mostly thinking it has to be designed so it enables you to work longer hours without breaking your back or neck.

I am ofcourse on the budget here and would like to see some cool setups that you think are working for you. Links are also welcome.

My gear:

MacBook Pro laptop

Focusrite Saffire FW

a PA system i am hoping to sell and ten buy some desktop monitors

Edirol MIDI /USB keyborad

a.

Sit on an exercise ball and make everything reachable. Get a really large monitor.

Get Logic studio, KRK speakers, and you're ready to go.

What's the budget?

Grab an Apogee Ensemble (get a great all-in-one converter made for your notebook). You won't regret this purchase. And you need good monitors. I'd suggest trying to find a dismantling studio and picking up a deal on some used monitors off a 100% user rating from Ebay. Go with what you like... KRK.. Mackie. This is something you can't cheep out on (this is why you'd want an ensemble unit)... or pick up a used MOTU828MkII or something (not in the same class as Apogee, but can be found in great condition used for way cheeper).

You got a MacBook Pro, so grab Logic for sure... (Apogee is built for logic and the Mac). You'd also have your midi/pres and A/D D/A converters in the one ergonomic box. Logic got tons of instruments. Logic/Ableton will save you screen realestate and are really efficient programs to run.

Grab a highspeed external hard-drive.

Damn... I'm getting out of hand here...

But right off the bat, Logic Studio is a must have for you.

I thought he was talking about studio ergonomics.

Yup, I'm an idiot and winged off on some tangent. I was thinking ergonomics in terms of all-in-one gear that takes up very little time/wires and workspace, which he pretty much already has.

I'd fire up Logic Pro on that laptop... it has lots of software synths to start with... and tons of tools.

Sorry dudes!

Don't wait until the end and just stick you speakers wherever they fit. Find a good sounding spot for them.

Get those monitors at ear level.

BTW, when I said "get a large monitor" in my first post, I meant computer monitor, just in case anyone's thinking I was recommending that he get "Back To the Future"-sized studio monitors!

Figure out where everything needs to be and then design the furniture to hold it.

I used that premade kitchen counter formica covered stuff and cut it to taste.

You really have to prioritize what you are going to be fiddling with most, and plan accordingly. Put the stuff you have to fiddle with closest, the stuff you just turn on/off farther away (or lower), etc.

everything is at a close reach--slight turn to use the keyboards but, still all is at a close range

id like to see more pics

tnx

Get a high quality mesh chair. That's the best thing I did in terms of egonomics. I happened into Office Despot and they had one on the floor where the head rest thingie had been broken off, so I got a $600 mesh chair for $100. And it's enormously more comfortable and supportive than any other non-mesh chair I've used (and I know from chairs being a software engineer.)

Though I didn't plan it, I also found that having a small table behind me, with a rug off it so that it's very soft, is a good thing. It provides a safe place to put down guitar/bass safely, to work on the guitar or bass action or change strings, etc... I just had nowhere else to put that table so it ended up there, and it's been quite useful. I also spin around there if I want ot take a break and grab a snack while I read some music production related books or work on lyrics and such. The desk is too crowded for that, and it's dangerous having food and drink around it all the time.

And learn your hot keys. You can get around the DAW much quicker while tracking if you learn your hot keys. Or perhaps get a remote control surface type product if you track at some distance from the DAW.