I'm a minimalist and I often take pride in my McGuiver-like abilities to make things work based on what I have. For example, I had problem with an 1/8” jack connecting to the it's 1/4” adapter. (By the way, NEVER buy headphones with 1/8” jacks for studio use.) To put pressure on just the right position of the jack, I used taped a ketchup packet to a guitar stand and taped the adapter to it. It worked perfectly for years. The good news is the players could hear with out signal cutting out. The bad news is they didn't have much room to move.

Recording studio furniture isn't all that different. You can get by with some plywood and cinder blocks, but often times it's preferred to use furniture that was specially designed for studio work. While, I'm not big on aesthetics, especially in a home studio, there is no doubt that the studio can effect the emotion of the musicians in that studio. Recording is nothing more than capturing emotions. So, creating a proper setting is ideal.

Of course, some of us have bigger problems than the look of our recording gear racks. As I like to say, “I have bigger fish to fry”. So take a look at your studio. You may be able to increase your work flow, create an environment that is fun to work in, and hopefully crank out better music in the process. But for me, I'm sticking with the plywood and cinder blocks.

?Of course, don't forget comfortable chairs. I never realized how big of deal finding the right chair for the studio was until I went to Nashville. EVERYONE USES THE SAME CHAIR!! It's some $2,000 chair that sort of holds you up with fabric. They are very comfortable, yet keep you from getting lazy (like the couch). The fact that every studio I've been to in Nashville has these chairs means there is something up.