Back in 2020 I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my neck and have had chronic neck pain that is particularly bad when bending my neck down. I finally got surgery in January, which has helped a bit, but I’ve found that it’s still very aggravated by looking down at things.
This has made it particularly difficult to use desktop music gear, such as my DTII and DNII. I currently have a two tier stand, with the top tier being pretty close to vertical and the bottom tier slightly angled (close to the Analog MKII angle), but I’m finding it still very irritating to look down at the lower tier.
I realize this might be a very niche problem , but I’m curious if anybody else has had similar ergonomic issues and has found a good solution to keeping everything at eye-level? I feel like most stands I find are either two tier like the one I have, or side-by-side, but with not enough angle.
Basically looking for a way to get my gear raised and angled close to vertical.
I haven’t had similar issues (and I’m sorry to hear that you do, I hope things get better gradually) but I do know that the Digis have VESA mounting holes in the back, which opens up all sorts of possibilities for stands and monitor arms.
The problem with using gear at eye level all the time is that it quickly turns into shoulder problems, and the shoulder back and neck are all intertwined.
I’d encourage you to stand there and pantomime the act of turning encoders and pressing buttons with your arm extended from your shoulder, or bent at whatever the angle would be at your desk, feeling how the muscles move differently and have to support the arm differently than they do when extending at an angle downwards.
Forget an hour-long session, just stand there for 15 minutes turning encoders etc. If you think that it won’t be a problem in the long term, then go vesa mount so that you have some versatility. The rack would be convenient but you’re more committed to a position and that might not be flexible enough for your problem.
I had Analogs on the top tier on Jaspers at the eye level and I am going to be lowering them to the level below and putting the pedalboard assembly to the top level.
But that applies for standing setup. Eye level on the desk setup while sitting will be a bit different and likely more sustainable…?
Thanks everyone, appreciate the thoughts! Sounds like Jasper or some VESA compatible solutions might be ideal. I do have a sit-stand desk already, but this unfortunately does not stop me from having to look down at things…
The problem with using gear at eye level all the time is that it quickly turns into shoulder problems, and the shoulder back and neck are all intertwined.
True, perhaps it’s more the middle ground of not quite eye-level but still elevated/slanted. I am currently using this guy, which makes the unit on top pretty comfortable to use. I could probably just use 2 of these, but then the foot-print would be a lot bigger than needed considering I won’t be using the bottom tier.
How crazy would it be to keep the gear at a good ergonomic height but use a camera/screen so you aren’t looking down?
That would be ideal, in fact it would be a potentially good use-case for OB, but I am pretty sure OB doesn’t include the sequencer.
I also have cervical spine issues and cannot lean forward over gear or turn my head to the left for longer than a few seconds.
I’ve built myself a stand at a 45-50 degree angle that sits on top of a side desk (to the right of my computer desk) and means I can look at my hardware gear at close to eye level when sitting down. It is very comfortable (for me) because I don’t have to tilt my head much and I also don’t have to extend my arms (I have trapped nerves in my spine affecting my left arm and hand).
Photo is a bit out of date (TR8S is rotated out of my setup at the moment) but shows how I’ve laid things out.
The stand is homemade… essentially a large wedge made from MDF with an oak trim that’s about 90cm wide, 70cm tall and 50cm deep from front to back at the base. The whole thing is covered with velcro which means I can move things around easily.
I do a lot of woodworking and have a good set of tools, so knocking up a riser or support bar to fit in a new piece of gear is simple.
I think what @Bryan_T means is to setup a camera overhead the hardware pointing down, then live-feed that camera view to a display directly in front of you so you can look straight ahead but see the hardware from top-down/plan view whilst it remains flat on the table? That’s what I understood anyway - and hence my non-reversing mirror suggestion.
The VESA mounts will help a lot, especially since you can adjust them after set up. Beware that mounting gear at eye height may cause you to shrug your shoulders statically which can lead to more neck issues. If you have to keep it high then taking breaks and moving around is the way.
I am after 2 surgeries of cervical spine. Neck pain was one problem, the other of mine was lack of space on the desk. I could barely fit there a cup with coffee, but nothing more.
I decided to buy Jaspers rack on wheels. It was pricey, no doubts. But dealt with both problems. Restored the space on my desk and I no longer have to look down.
But if your problem is just the neck, maybe you should consider buying the desk with height regulation. If you don’t have it, it may make your life better
, but I’m curious if anybody else has had similar ergonomic issues and has found a good solution to keeping everything at eye-level? I feel like most stands I find are either two tier like the one I have, or side-by-side, but with not enough angle.
