Melbourne-Made COVID Carpentry

Co-created by producer Aaron Dobos and designer Tim Denshire-Key, Plank Audio’s range of furniture are tailored to audio production. The range includes production desks and 19” rack gear boxes, with further products currently in development.

Plank Audio’s approachable products are well-designed for a studio setting. 

The first offerings from Plank Audio will launch on 12 August via Pozible’s pre-order campaign till 21 September.

Made in Melbourne, the Plank Audio range embodies an ethos encompassing quality, sustainability and modularity while utilising high quality industry standard hardware for 19” rack gear.

Sustainability is at the core of Plank Audio’s range. The pieces are built from reclaimed timber and FSC certified plywood, allowing a balance between precision manufacturing and handmade aesthetic. Timber is reclaimed which enables the material to live on in a new form. Limited runs of reclaimed timber will be released over time, making each individual piece unique.

For the launch of Plank Audio, four different reclaimed timber options will be offered for the Plank Production Desk. This includes reclaimed Australian hardwood, reclaimed Baltic Pine, reclaimed Basketball flooring and reclaimed Jarrah.

Modularity has been built in from the beginning of the design process. The Plank Production Desk flat packs to allow for easy transport while specialised fixings allow for quick and easy assembly, and a sturdy structure when in use. The basic desk design allows ample space for 19” rack gear, it comes stock with three bays of 6U rack space at users’ fingertips and two bays of 6U space under the desk.

There is the option of a desk fill panel for additional workspace between the two modules and more add-ons are in development. Each of these will allow the user to customise the desk to their individual needs and workflow.

For day to day engineering/production work the Plank Audio range has been designed to allow users to spend less time on the technical set up while saving time for creating great work. The Plank Audio range assists to set the scene and build the creative bridge needed between client and producer/engineer for great project outcomes.

Created In COVID

Plank Audio was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic disruption in 2020. The idea for Plank Audio has been in the works for a number of years, since Aaron and Tim’s first collaboration on a customised desk for Aaron’s studio. Since then, both Aaron and Tim have been collaborating on a number of ad-hoc projects including a bespoke mixing desk for singer-songwriter, Tash Sultana. It wasn’t until the disruptions caused by the pandemic that both Aaron and Tim found time away from their individual creative practices to bring that thought to reality.

Over the last few months, Aaron and Tim have refined their earlier bespoke studio solutions into a range created for batch production under the Plank Audio brand. This range has been informed by studio industry experience and feedback, as well as principles of sustainability and circular design.

From the uncertainty and disruption of 2020, the Plank Audio range has emerged to enhance audio production environments of all levels.