This video is brought to you by Orbitkey.
Not my home studio, BTW…this is my office desk setup…anyways, let's start with the
desk.
This is IKEA's UPPSPEL desk which was built in collaboration with ROG.
The frame itself is very sturdy, and, despite being deemed a gaming-oriented desk, it works
just fine in a more subtle, productive environment.
The larger version of the desk is a bit on the expensive side, but it's not too crazy.
One thing I didn't like from the beginning was the black tabletop.
Although it was cut nicely and had a nice bevel up front and a recess on the back, the
finish was collecting way too much dust and, most annoyingly, skin marks.
I could rarely make it look clean.
Luckily, a good friend of mine was trying to find a new owner for this dark wood tabletop,
and I think the end result speaks for itself.
At this point, the only hint of gaming remaining is the leg graphics, which are fairly subtle.
The desk has four height memory presets, and a nice addition is the USB-A port on the height
controller itself, which I always forget about.
In terms of cable organization, things are not so bad, as I can easily tuck things inside
the integrated cable tray that holds the power outlet as well.
The must-have addition to any of my desks is the full-size Balolo shelf, which serves
a very interesting purpose here.
This is the all-black finish, which I think fits well with the tabletop.
Since all Balolo shelves have the mounting grid on the bottom, I equipped mine with two
trays and the side dock, which keeps my M1 Max MacBook Pro tucked securely without taking
up very little space.
The shelf itself is sturdy enough to carry the weight of the Apple Studio display, as
well as half the weight of the leaning bottom display, which I'll talk more about in a second.
Because of this monitor configuration, I am sacrificing some of the front access of the
shelf, yet I still have access to my treys on both sides.
Plus, I don't think this setup would have been possible without the Balolo shelf.
By the way, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe because WHY NOT?!?
Before we get to the dual-monitor setup, I want to give a shoutout to the last-minute
package that I got from Edifier.
These speakers, sitting on the all-black shelf, are a match made in heaven.
Perfect head-level sound, as well as ideal separation.
These are the Edifier R1280DBs speakers that feature 42 watts of total power for what Edifier
calls distortion-free listening, and you know what?
I believe them.
Even maxed out, these speakers sound fantastic, and I can tell the difference as I edit my
own footage.
As I am so used to my own ambient and voice recordings, I can clearly distinguish all
sorts of sounds I've barely been able to hear, even with headphones - very good sound quality.
What's more extraordinary here is the price of those bad boys - guess how much this pair
costs?
I'll put the price and link in the description, and you tell me in the comments if you guessed
it, right?
Honestly, these are speakers that I would easily recommend as they are so versatile
and accessible, especially when you consider what they come with - various connection options,
Bluetooth, remote control, side access...and more.
So, going left to right, I'll start with
all the various bits and pieces.
The brightest thing on the left side is the 8bitdo Ultimate controller, which I recently
featured in my favorite Mac accessories episode.
This bad boy comes with its own charging stand and can connect with all sorts of devices,
including my Mac.
As it is readily available, I can just reach out to it and smash some games while waiting
for an export, for example.
Check out my Mac accessories video if you want to know more about it.
Behind the controller, I have a Balolo pen holder where I keep my pens and pencils.
Next up is an accessory that I use all the time - the Orbitkey Nest Organizer.
You might have seen me carrying this hard-shell organizer in some of my previous EDC videos.
Its compact design makes it an ideal addition to this desk setup or on the go, as it can
accommodate all sorts of loose items and keep them...well...organized.
When I come to the office, for example, I use it as a valet tray where I place my wallet
and keys, and inside I keep some of my Apple Watch bands, charger, and more.
On top, once plugged in, the left side of the lid functions as a 10W wireless charging
pad, which is awesome if I need an additional charger, something that comes in very handy
when traveling.
The organizer comes with customizable dividers too, which is fantastic.
At this point, you may have noticed the key Organizer, which is special.
This EDC accessory transforms my keys into a neat and silent stack, protecting my pockets
and other items from scratches.
This new edition is part of Orbitkey's Star Wars Retro Collection, inspired by iconic
vehicles from a galaxy far, far away.
It can hold between 2 and 7 keys, as well as fobs on the D-Ring.
The key organizer comes in a wide variety of materials and colors, but you should definitely
check out the Star Wars designs that include the Millennium Falcon, Death Star, X-Wing,
and Tie-Fighter.
Use code THISISE for 10% off all Orbitkey items across all international Orbitkey online
stores.
This offer is valid for 60 days.
In the Balolo shelf catch-all treys, I keep loose items like SSD drives, useful cables,
and adapters.
Next to the left speaker, I have the Xiaomi screen bar controller, which I can press to
turn on and off or twist and rotate to change the temperature and intensity of the screen
bar, which is placed on top of the Studio Monitor.
Having a screen bar is as important to me as having casters on each desk.
It’s an inconspicuous accessory that adds just the right amount of necessity to my everyday
life.
OK…moving on.
The CalDigit TS4 dock is a paramount accessory on this desk as it connects all the bits and
pieces around here.
In fact, you can only give this little thing credit once you look at it on the back and
realize how many things are plugged in.
The CalDigit dock features 18 ports, and one of my favorite features is the fact that both
monitors and the laptop cable run from the back, allowing for a clean front setup.
Continuing to the right, I have the M1 Max MacBook Pro, which is cradled inside the Balolo
dock.
Anyway, on the right side of the laptop, I have the Benks headphone stand and charger,
which is made with the AirPods Max in mind.
As you can see, the shape doesn’t allow for the AirPods Max mesh to stretch like on
other stands, and the added bonus of having an extra charger on the bottom is clutch.
My main smartphone charger is not that one, however.
I usually top up my phone on the Nomad Stand One, which is one of the heaviest and most
minimal-looking chargers out there.
Because of its weight, this 15W charger stays firmly in place whenever I grab my phone from
it.
It comes in two colors, BTW, and I think the white version would’ve contrasted this angle
better, but the panda, as I call it, looks just as good.
So my main monitor is the Apple Studio display.
I have a separate review video of it which I’ll link in the description if you are
interested.
This 27” 5K display, with its 600 nits sustained brightness, is one of the best-looking and
most reliable displays I’ve used.
For the longest of time, I’ve been using the built-in speakers of this monitor as they
are absolutely amazing, but now that I have the Edifiers, I will keep it quiet for a while.
I ordered the monitor with the optional height-adjustable stand, which is a piece of art on its own,
but for this setup, I could’ve easily gone with just the standard stand.
Nevertheless, I prefer to have the flexibility, especially knowing that I’ll most likely
tear down this setup to experiment with something different at a later point.
Now, as Mister Rables pointed out, the webcam of the Studio Display is covered by the screen
bar, which I can always push to the side if I want to, but I won’t find a reason for
it as I now use the Insta360 Link webcam.
I recently mentioned this over-engineered webcam and called it a webcam from the future
for a few reasons.
First of all, it comes with a 3-axis gimbal, which allows this webcam to track me and even
create presets for different positioning angles.
Second, the webcam has a microphone array with noise-canceling features and provides
great audio for my occasional FaceTime meetings.
Honestly, can’t ask for more from a webcam.
Now, the weirdness of this setup is achieved by the bottom, vertically-stacked ASUS monitor.
This 24-inch monitor, surprisingly, is considered a portable one, as it comes with a handle
that serves as a hook and plenty of other mounting features which I shared in my last
video.
That specific handle is what allows me to put it at an ideal angle, straight on the
Balolo shelf.
Even though this is an FHD display, which looks miles apart from the 5K display on top,
I don’t mind that, as I use it as a timeline monitor - or an assistant to my main display.
It might hold my finder or my email client and, most often, my video editing timeline
where I don’t require the most accurate or sharp image.
Despite that, I am pleasantly surprised at how bright and vibrant this display is, it
being IPS (which has built-in speakers as well, BTW).
The only downside of this monitor is the side ports which in my scenario is not ideal, but
kudos to ASUS for creating such a versatile monitor.
Keep in mind that this setup is more of an experiment for me.
I want to see if I’ll find this vertically stacked setup useful in my workflow, so having
such a big monitor on the bottom, might not be the best solution for you.
In fact, if it was up to me, I’ll probably put something smaller in the future, like
a 21” one or even 15.6”.
The mouse and keyboard up front are placed on top of the Orbitkey slim leather pad in
this creamy white color.
I think this mouse pad was made for this setup as it fits perfectly and locks the ASUS monitor
in place, not allowing it to slide down.
If you want to know more about my mouse, keyboard, and stream deck setup, you can jump over to
my Mac accessories video here.
Like & Subscribe to the channel, as well as my newsletter, and as always, it’s been
an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over & out