This video is brought to you by LARQ.
This is my current Home Studio desk setup.
It’s my first almost all white setup that is big enough for what matters.
We have 16 items to go through all of which will be linked in the description below.
Let’s not waste any time and get right to it.
If you have seen some of my previous setups, you might be familiar with the Autonomous
desk.
I actually have two and I made a mish-mash (Very delicious meal by the way) between the
two.
I used the black legs with the white table top and the fantastic metal cable trey that
Autonomous sent over last time.
A new addition to the desk are the set of wheels, which I’ll put a link below for
those who are wondering about the size and thread.
I’ve been using these desks for a long time and when something is well done, there’s
really nothing that can go wrong or make you look for another solution.
At most, if you get bored, you can simply swap the tabletop and boom - a panda black
and white setup.
I recently switched my speakers to the glossy white Kanto YU4s.
These are powered speakers that feature 4-inch drivers and 1-inch dome tweeters.
These speakers also have phono preamp which is great if you are into vinyl as well as
the ability to connect to them via Bluetooth, which I find no need for.
I use them for their clean and fairly accurate sound representation but if you are looking
for more bass, you might have to think about throwing in a Kanto subwoofer since they have
a flatter profile.
On the desk right next to one of the speakers, I always keep my water bottle by LARQ.
LARQ is the first self-cleaning water bottle that uses PureVis technolog to eliminate up
to 99% of bio-contaminants such as E. coli.
The bottle takes only an hour to charge and can keep the water fresh tasting and free
of bacteria for a month before the next charge.
Since it is a self-cleaning bottle, it doesn't require constant scrubbing to keep water tasting
great.
It works automatically by self-cleaning every two hours.
Refreshing the water can also happen manually by triggering the button on the top - something
that I do when I come back to the studio the next day.
It is an insulated bottle that can keep the water cool for 24 hours and hot for 12.
It comes in two sizes - 500 and 740 ml and in a range of high-quality colorful finishes
for any taste and setup.
Stay hydrated and be sustainable by clicking on the first link in the description below
and grabbing the LARQ bottle.
Next to the opposite speaker I keep the Nomad Base One Max charger.
This charger is made for MagSafe.
It is extremely high-quality and it weighs a ton and by a ton I mean 2 pounds.
The reason for the weight is to stay anchored when lifting or placing the Apple Watch and
the iPhone.
It provides 15W of MagSafe power while the Watch charges at 5 watts.
This is a premium and classy looking product that will remain timeless in design no matter
how old it gets.
I love how it matches the overall aesthetics of the desk setup and keep in mind that it
comes in two colors - black and white.
The 16 inch M1 Max MacBook Pro is the brains of the operation.
I love this laptop for many, many reasons.
My config is the M1 Max with 32GB of unified memory and maxed out graphics.
I also have a 2 TB SSD.
This new generation of Pro machines is a game changer for people like me.
It’s an ultra fast and responsive laptop that helps me feed the family and saves me
time that I can spend with the kids.
I can’t ask for more.
I’ll link my full review of it at the end of this video if you are interested.
The M1 Max is aided by the 12.9 inch M1 iPad Pro.
I recently rediscovered the iPad, especially when I purchased the Magic Keyboard in white
- but that’s a topic for another video.
One of the quickest reasons for upgrading the iPad to the unreleased iPadOS 16 was something
called Reference Mode.
When I turn that on the iPad enters color critical mode that is to be used in controlled
viewing environment.
In other words, I get to use the iPad as my ultimate and most accurate viewfinder when
working on a graphic project or most often on a video.
I‘ll be talking a lot about iPadOS 16 and the new Apple software versions very soon,
so subscribe to the channel and click on the bell icon.
I also use the iPad as an extension to my Mac thanks to SideCar and Universal Control.
My MacBook stays docked most of the time and I unplug it only when I have to edit a video
from another location.
The rest of the time I just grab the iPad.
The monitor that I am currently using is the newly released Samsung M8.
I plan on doing a dedicated video on it very soon but in a nutshell, this monitor exists
in a class of it’s own.
Its only real competitor is the old version of the same display.
This is a monitor that is also a smart TV.
It’s 4k, 32 inches and it is a VA panel.
The fact that it’s a VA panel, means you can’t expect fantastic viewing angles.
On the other side, the blacks on the VA panel are much better than on an IPS.
When sitting directly in front of it, especially after a proper calibration, I can’t complain.
I know people will be asking - yes, I’ve been using it and I will keep on using the
M8 for graphic and video work (at least until my Studio Display arrives).
I do have some thoughts about this monitor so stay tuned for that.
One big complaint about it is the lack of a stereo jack on the back.
I assume it was for thinness reasons, but to me, it is very important.
For that simple reason and also in the need of a USB-A port, I am resorting to a first
gen OWC travel dock that I have hung on the back of the display.
The travel dock can also be used as a secondary SD card reader, but I have found a need for
that.
The side SD card of the laptop is fast and capable enough for my needs.
Now, so far, I have 2 problems that I need to address.
The first is that I’d like to raise the monitor by about 3 inches so that the iPad
doesn’t block the bottom part of the display, which I might do at the time of the recording
of the video via an IKEA ELLOVEN doheeky and the second thing I need to address is to find
a better hub that I can use on the back.
Moving on to peripherals I just found the perfect trifecta which I am sure I’ll stick
with for a while.
The mouse that I recently unboxed is the Logitech MX Master 3S.
This updated version of the legendary MX Master 3 features the same fantastic ergonomic profile
and stance but a much quicker sensor.
Another feature that I appreciate a lot is the extremely quiet buttons.
I am not sure if the white version is new with the 3S, but I certainly love how it matched
the setup.
I might do a separate review on it as well.
To help the mouse, I am also using the latest generation Magic Trackpad, also in white.
The large edge-to-edge glass surface area is ideal for swiping between desktops or grabbing
and holding stuff while navigating to a folder with the mouse.
This double cursor input method is not very common and I’ve found many people question
it, but I find it extremely productive for my workflow.
The keyboard that made me ditch my mechanical favorite Keychron is the latest generation
Magic Keyboard.
The ONLY reason for my betrayal is the inclusion of Touch ID.
I’ve been using exclusively Apple laptops for over a decade and as a clamshell desk
user, I’ve been dreaming of a biometric keyboard.
Even if the Magic Keyboard is not the best or most satisfying keyboard out there, the
inclusion of Touch ID is worth for me.
I hate that globe input button on the bottom left however so I might have to find a way
to remap it.
All the peripherals are comfortably contrasting on the ENOUGH mouse pad.
I am extremely proud to show you this pad, since this is my very first physical product.
It is 40x80cm in size, ideal for most desks, without interfering with your monitor legs.
As a desk pad person, I’ve always hated when I have to tuck the pad under the top
portion of my monitor legs.
This is the very first prototype of the pad that I’ve been using for over 6 months now
and you can see that it looks just as good.
I’ll put a link to the pad below, which is a very limited drop by the way, so if you
are interested and it runs out by any chance, let me know on twitter and I‘ll create a
waiting list for the second version.
Since I can’t use the light bar from my previous setup because of the Samsung M8 web
cam on top I placed a Xiaomi desk lamp pro on the side, which I am also using as a headphones
stand and charger.
The desk lamp was a gift for my birthday.
It is a minimal looking lamp that uses HomeKit which is always something I am after (thank
you guys).
I can control the intensity and the temperature of the light via the control knob or the app
and with one command I turn on and off the entire setup.
Handing on the edge of the lamp, I have the AirPods Max.
I use the Max exclusively for video editing since they have almost no input lag and I
can be sure that my levels and presets are as good as they can get.
The AirPods Max are noise canceling beasts by the way so when I turn noise cancellation
on I can space out like no problem.
Finally, I have the Elgato Stream Deck.
I use it for two primary reasons.
The first reason is to control all the home kit accessories around the studio.
I have many lights that I want to have full control over when shooting and the quickest
way to do that is via the deck.
Otherwise, I will get old if I have to wait for Siri to turn off just the 8 that are on
the ceiling.
Another reason to use the deck is for MacOS and app shortcuts.
For example, I use it with Final Cut Pro (my video editing software) to trigger quick shortcuts.
Some quick nicks and knacks on the desk might be the SD cards and maybe something to write
on.
The Nomad pen by the way just came in and I have to tell you - it is machined from solid
stainless steel and aluminum with some crazy coating that only Nomad can obsess about.
I’ve never used such a perfectly weighted pen.
The chair that I’ve been using is the Herman Miller Embody. 5 years later, this chair still
looks great, despite my abuse.
It has plenty of adjustments and it is a chair that keeps the body engaged in a sense that
you can’t really rest in the sense of completely relaxing your body on a couch for example.
The chair helps you sit and work while not allowing you to melt down physically.
It is an expensive chair that I always come back to and 5 years later it looks just as
good and it doesn’t creak or squeak or anything of
that sort.
If you enjoyed this video, I’m sure you’ll be interested in my previous desk setups,
which I’ve placed in this playlist.
Subscribe to the channel and as always, It’s been an absolute pleasure,
This is E Over & Out