Mid-Century Modern Eurorack Credenza
Beyond its visual appeal, design has the power to solve real-world problems and enhance daily living. To me, that’s the real power and draw of design. Recently I encountered a specific problem where thoughtful design significantly improved and changed my daily life.
My challenge was this: I had a sprawling collection of Eurorack synth cases that took up a ton of real estate in my detached music room. While my setup was perfect for composing soundtracks, this setup isolated me from my family. Weekday evenings are precious, and I found myself constantly choosing between my passion and being present with my wife and daughter. It was an impossible 'either/or' situation.
There are 3 cased on the top of the piano that made up the entire modular system, along with some in the rack to the left.
The obvious solution—bringing everything inside—quickly turned into a disaster. My kitchen table became a chaotic landscape of synth cases, and the daily ritual of setting up and packing down was exhausting. I realized I needed something more refined, something that wouldn't clash with our home's aesthetic. It had to be mobile enough for gigs and secure enough to protect my gear. So, I grabbed a pencil, sketched out a case with detachable legs and a front panel, and started cutting.
The construction really wasn’t too complicated. The width of the case was predetermined by the rail sizes. The left was made to fit standard 19” rack units, and the right was a very common 280hp size. I sourced the rails and power supply, added some needed features like handles and power ports, and threw it all together over the course of a few days. It was a great deal cheaper than buying any comparable sized case and served the purposes I needed it for much better.
Crucially, it solved the core problem. The case seamlessly integrated into our living space, no longer making our den resemble a Star Trek command center. I could finally slowly build up patches organically like I would in my music room and still be around my family. This slow process of building up a patch over the course of a few days or even weeks, is how I’ve always worked. Now I really could have the best of both worlds - my music and my family.
This seemingly small design change profoundly improved my daily life. As a bonus, it proved surprisingly effective for live performances. While not optimized for constant gigging, its portability—thanks to the handles and removable legs—and ideal height for doubling as a synth stand made it perfect for my current workflow.
