Studio Monitor/Speaker Stands: DIY Project

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
Post Reply
Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

I have long wanted a good pair of solid, heavy duty monitor stands.

Most 'speaker stands' on the market are not sufficiently robust. And I do not wish to desk-mount the monitors.

It dawned on me a week or two ago.... what if I considered non-studio alternatives ?

What type of furniture can comfortably take the weight ?

And I discovered a bar stool from IKEA ! The seating dimensions are favorable, and the load rating is most adequate (110kg)

But this thread is not a "...story about a guy who assembled flatpack furniture, then placed his monitors on top..."

That would be a little bit dull.

So I'm designing a mechanical platter system, in order to rotate the monitor's output direction. This is of particular benefit for my dual-use, being both a 'music maker' and a 'music listener'. Quite significantly different seating positions.

I also do not have a wood workshop, or any specialized tools. Actually, all that is required is a screwdriver and a large spade bit (to drill a single hole).

Here is the project documentation, as a PDF:

>
Mechanical_Platter_200511_JSC.pdf
(265.21 KiB) Downloaded 152 times
>
Last edited by Proboscis on 11 May 2020, edited 1 time in total.

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

guide_01.PNG
guide_01.PNG (210.42 KiB) Viewed 3064 times

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

guide_02.PNG
guide_02.PNG (79.18 KiB) Viewed 3063 times

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

guide_03.PNG
guide_03.PNG (160.83 KiB) Viewed 3062 times

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

guide_04.PNG
guide_04.PNG (34.74 KiB) Viewed 3061 times

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

guide_05.PNG
guide_05.PNG (28.63 KiB) Viewed 3057 times


User avatar
DaveyG
Posts: 2499
Joined: 03 May 2020

11 May 2020

You probably need to do something on the bottom of the stool feet. Rubber feet for hard flooring or spikes for carpet.

I'd also consider adding mass to the stools. A good lump of concrete if you can make it work aesthetically.

User avatar
jam-s
Posts: 3036
Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Location: Aachen, Germany
Contact:

11 May 2020

Proboscis wrote:
11 May 2020
guide_05.PNG
Is that plater really 15cm thick?! :o

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

11 May 2020

gullum wrote:
11 May 2020
won't you get a pair of stands cheaper than that from a store ?
As mentioned, I'm looking for 'robust', and no speaker stands I have seen offer anything close to the stability of the stools. There is a consideration of them being as tip-proof as possible, when faced with mischievous pets, children and drunk dancing.

My set up is currently moved to my living room, so there is an aesthetic aspect also. I'm working on 'de-studioing' the vibe of the room, and working on a pleasing dual-purpose living space.
DaveyG wrote:
11 May 2020
You probably need to do something on the bottom of the stool feet. Rubber feet for hard flooring or spikes for carpet.

I'd also consider adding mass to the stools. A good lump of concrete if you can make it work aesthetically.
The legs will sit in rigid 'castor feet', which have multiple spikes on the underside, to lock in to the carpet. There is also close to no vibrations travelling into the stool (this is without even installing the bearing yet), thanks to the isolation pads. Further to that, when the bearing and platter are installed, there is only an effective vibration transfer vector of 150x150mm. Well actually a lot less, since the bearing has a large hole in the center

As for extra weight - why ? I haven't yet measured the tipping force required to topple them over (I plan to, and have equipment to measure), but I would guess it's at least 30kg.
jam-s wrote:
11 May 2020
Is that plater really 15cm thick?! :o
Well spotted - and no, thats an error. thickness is 15mm

User avatar
DaveyG
Posts: 2499
Joined: 03 May 2020

12 May 2020

Proboscis wrote:
11 May 2020
As for extra weight - why ?
Because at high volumes that lightweight wooden stand will resonate in sympathy with the bass, coupling through the air not through the rubber. Being wood, it will not "ring" like metal but it may still colour the sound. I'd also worry about that metal bearing resonating at certain frequencies. It depends on your monitors and on the listening level.

Regardless of that some extra low-down weight would definitely help decrease the knockoverability. :thumbs_up:

Anyhow, good project. Go for it and report back!

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

12 May 2020

DaveyG wrote:
12 May 2020
Because at high volumes that lightweight wooden stand will resonate in sympathy with the bass, coupling through the air not through the rubber. Being wood, it will not "ring" like metal but it may still colour the sound. I'd also worry about that metal bearing resonating at certain frequencies. It depends on your monitors and on the listening level.

Regardless of that some extra low-down weight would definitely help decrease the knockoverability. :thumbs_up:

Anyhow, good project. Go for it and report back!
Fair points, theoretically, but if 'air coupling' is likely to be an issue, then surely a larger surface area grounding would aid this, not hinder it. For a wooden frame being suspended between spikes and the bearing I wouldn't want it to exist in free space, rather to be absorbed by he ground (which is carpet over concrete).

And my room is not acoustically treated, so when volumes are high, there is a much bigger potential issue with room resonance, at two specific frequencies. I have completely re-arranged the room since I last tested resonating frequencies though, with some ideas in mind to address some problems, so it will be intriguing to see what my test results are when I run another test after I've set everything up.

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

04 Jun 2020

So its been over three weeks, and I decided today to try and sort this out, for one side at least.

Some issues I encountered were drilling a massive 25mm pilot hole to assemble the whole bearing between the plates. ( my drill went flat), and also some screws that were too long. I will get more bits & pieces before the next one.

I thought I would measure the weight of my monitors. 11kg / 25lb each.

Thats some heavy-ass electronics !


>
monitor_weight.jpg
monitor_weight.jpg (61.89 KiB) Viewed 2896 times

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

04 Jun 2020

Its a challenge to find round pieces of timber, especially in the size I required. In my first post, I found a cutting board from a local chain store. But since then, I discovered a product from IKEA that was only 1cm less in diameter, and also of a timber type (and therefor color) that fit better with the stool.

Ironically, the "Snudda", an IKEA product, is sold as a Lazy Susan, which is what I set out to do.

>
snudda_intact.jpg
snudda_intact.jpg (65.54 KiB) Viewed 2894 times
>
However I assume the bearing load on the product to be quite light, so I set about to completely disassembling the product. I only want the top platter, as an almost perfect diameter of timber. It is made from birch.

>
snudda_disassembled.jpg
snudda_disassembled.jpg (92.04 KiB) Viewed 2894 times
>
I can use the two lower halves, and one of the bearing mechanisms, to make another Lazy Susan to place under an indoor house plant in the future.

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

04 Jun 2020

To revisit the cost of the project, it has changed only by $2.

The IKEA platters were $1 less each, from my original overview

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

04 Jun 2020

DaveyG wrote:
12 May 2020
Because at high volumes that lightweight wooden stand will resonate in sympathy with the bass, coupling through the air not through the rubber. Being wood, it will not "ring" like metal but it may still colour the sound. I'd also worry about that metal bearing resonating at certain frequencies. It depends on your monitors and on the listening level.
I am coming back to this... I wonder how I might measure the resonance ?

I have a 'contact microphone' which I never use. It clips onto a surface to pick up the movement of whatever it's clipped to.

If I could affix that to a leg of a stool, try running a frequency sweep (and record it) and see where (or if) it's resonating, and compare it to the monitor on the stool (with the isopads), and again with the monitor straight on the stool top, I may see some differences ..... ,maybe not.

Is this an experiment in sound that people might like to see ? If so, now would be the time for me to consider it, before I convert the second stand.

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

04 Jun 2020

Personally, I don't believe that what you are proposing is going to be an issue.

Proboscis
Posts: 1004
Joined: 28 Aug 2019

04 Jun 2020


OliverBlack77
Posts: 19
Joined: 08 Nov 2018

13 Jan 2021

Great project! Keep us updated! I'm currently looking for a new studio monitor through the resource so I also will keep you posted what I get.

User avatar
selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

13 Jan 2021

For just $75 more you could have been rocking these stands for the past 6 months:
https://output.com/products/stands
I love them, SUPER stable, never going to tip over even with my big JBLs on them. :)
Selig Audio, LLC

User avatar
O1B
Posts: 2037
Joined: 26 Jan 2015

13 Jan 2021

Perfect find. Thank you!
selig wrote:
13 Jan 2021
For just $75 more you could have been rocking these stands for the past 6 months:
https://output.com/products/stands
I love them, SUPER stable, never going to tip over even with my big JBLs on them. :)

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests