Hey guys this is E and this is my desk setup. Strap in and maybe grab a drink because this
will be a long one. All the products will be linked in the description below and for
many of the product mentions, you'll most likely find a dedicated review on my channel.
Without wasting any more time let's begin with the desk.
This is Autonomouis' SmartDesk 2 Premium, which is a fully adjustable standing desk.
Constructed on a sturdy steel frame it comes with 4 programmable height settings. The motorized
foundation lifts up quietly at the press of a button, which is great for when I decide
to stretch my legs. I went for the white oak top and grey frame because this colour combo
matches my drawers and wardrobe....and the overall theme in the studio. Cable management
is OK although not the best because I can't seem to find a decent cable management solution
locally so, for now, I am resorting to IKEA's cable management rack but I will probably
improve on that section of the desk later on.
The one and only monitor which fits this dual computer setup flawlessly is LG' 38WN95C-W UltraWide
144hz gaming/production monitor. I've reviewed a fair share of displays and this 38 Inch
beast is my absolute favourite so far and for few good reasons. First off, its colour
representation capabilities are exceptional for video production and this being ultrawide
delivers an amazing canvas for video creators where there's plenty of real estate for all
the tools one might need. Next, the size of this display eliminates the need for a dual
monitor space hence making it perfect for compact setups like this and for those who
rock first-gen M1 machines that support only one thunderbolt display. Also, this is a 144Hz
curved display which paired with my new PC is more than what I can ask for, delivering
a phenomenal immersive experience. Just a side note...after using this curved LG display
for a while now, every other flat display feels weird to me as if it is bent backwards,
towards my face, or like you are viewing your monitor through a wide-angle lens - very weird
experience. Anyway, this display is a no-brainer and an absolute recommendation.
My workstation is the tiny M1 13" MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
These new Macs are exceptional and I couldn't be happier being able to work off of this
tiny portable machine and handle complex 4k edits, intensive graphic projects and more
with ease. With so much internal power and a battery life that you can simply forget
about, I don't need more...for now! The laptop is raised on Rain Design's mStand which
is beautifully crafted out of a single piece of aluminium stand that raises the laptop
and also acts as a heat sink, by cooling it. I've had this silver version for probably
10 years and I absolutely love it. The second machine in this setup is my new budget
PC and what can I say...this is perhaps the most beautiful PC that I've ever had. This
PC build is special for few reasons - it's a budget PC that is no slouch that is purposefully
put together to serve as a gaming machine and nothing else. Second, this IQUnix case
is one of the main reasons to make this build because for the first time in years, I fell
in love with something so aesthetically pleasing and minimal and last but not least, it was
built in collaboration with my friend Dmitry from Hardware Canucks who helped me pick the
parts and put it together. We actually shot the entire build which I'll link here and
in the description below in case you are interested. In that same video, you can also find more
details about the parts that we chose, but I'll be sure to put a link to this gorgeous,
minimal case in the description below. The speakers on the desk are by Kanto, model
number YU2. These are powered speakers which means the amplifiers are built-in. The sound
these small speakers produce is truly astounding. The highs and mids are unlike anything I’ve
ever heard from desktop speakers, especially in that size: crystal clear mids and highs
giving the impression that the music is being played live, in front of you. Stereo separation
is excellent with 0 vibrations. Lows are compromised of course because of...physics but they don’t
lack bass and I find them ideal for my use. If bass by any chance gets that important,
Kanto provides excellent just as aesthetically pleasing plug and play subs.
If I don't want to annoy anyone around me and when doing video edits I always resort
to my headphones which are the AirPods Max. Despite being heavy they are by far the most
comfortable headphones for my big head and the sound that they produce is just my cup
of tea. Now, after my blindfold headphones test, I am afraid to rate headphones because
I was blown away by the results and the fact that sound quality is absolutely subjective,
but the AirPods Max are definitely my favourite go-to headphones.
On the back of the desk, on a Rode's boom arm I keep my microphone of choice which
is Sennheiser's MKH 416 shotgun mic. This is an expensive mic but I consider it an investment
because it is here to stay and this being a microphone used in movie productions you
can get an idea of its potential. This has been my video production mic for two years
now and for the first time, I decided to double it as my meetings mic as well, because who
wouldn't want to flex on meetings sounding like Mathew McConaughey in a Cadillac commercial.
To run this amazing mic for both my video recordings and meetings I purchased an EVO
4 audio interface which is a magnificent 2 in 2 out USB sound card with phantom power.
EVO 4 comes with preamps – offering 58dB of gain range and 113dB of dynamic range.
Musicians can plug in their instruments using the dedicated ports and record instantly.
My favourite feature of this device is the Smartgain mode which determines the input
level automatically helping me avoid any clippings. To keep my laptop in clamshell-style, I had
to resort to an external video camera and although placing a mirrorless camera sounds
tempting, I didn't want to ruin my ZEN space so I did what every average consumer does
and purchased a Logitech Stream Cam with little to no research. I know that there are
probably way better options out there, but honestly, I didn't care that much. To my surprise,
this full HD camera is very nice when it comes to resolution and quality. The exposure is
a bit too bright for my taste and there might be an easy fix should the Logitech software
decide to run on my M1 laptop. Nevertheless, I am happy with this tiny camera, because
first of all, it looks aesthetically pleasing, especially in this light colour and fabric
like front and the fact that it has a built-in mic, makes it great for an all in one meeting
solution. If you follow my Newsletter, you might be
familiar with my struggles with USB-C docks and after many attempts, few destroyed MacBook
Ports and motherboards, the kind people of Other World Computing or OWC jumped in and helped
this setup by sending over their Thunderbolt dock. This dock adds 3 Thunderbolt and 4 USB
ports, along with Ethernet, audio, and a card reader. The Thunderbolt 4 port provides 90Watts
of charging power and a lot of functionality and style to any setup. Although it looks
gorgeous on the top and the addition of a glowing logo that changes upon power on and
connection, I made the choice to tuck this dock underneath my desk to reduce the clutter.
If I were to have only one minor complaint about this product, it would be the fact that
the laptop has to be plugged upfront which in general is absolutely logical, but not
as nice looking for more inconspicuous installations like mine. I've worked with OWC products before
and I stand behind my recommendation of their goods, including this dock which works great
with M1 setups. Underneath the desk, in the vicinity of the
dock, I have stuck a 4TB Toshiba hard drive which I use to offload my project files. Honestly,
nothing special about this old school spinning hard drive which soon will have to be replaced
by the next one., BTW, if you enjoy this video, SUBSCRIBE....because
WHY NOT?!? Now, let's move to some more compact and just as useful items.
On the left of my right speaker, I keep my new favourite Nomad product which is a MagSafe
Mount that nests the OEM Apple MagSafe puck. This mount is designed to precisely fit the
MagSafe charging cable, and since it weighs quite a bit I can be sure that this thing
is going nowhere when I lift up my phone. Machined from a solid block of stainless steel
this thing matches any decor with its timeless design and I absolutely love it!
My current favourite mouse pad is by DeltaHub and it's called minimalistic desk pad. It
has anti-slip material that prevents the pad from moving around and the soft fabric on
top makes working and mousing on the desk extremely pleasant...plus, it adds this additional
layer of completeness and style to the desk setup. Another DeltaHub product that I am
currently testing is something called Carpio and this is version 2. This is an ergonomic
wrist rest that relieves the usual pressure of the wrist and on paper should help in the
long run, especially for people with Carpal tunnel syndrome. I can't confirm that at the
moment, but it feels verty nice and forgiving to the wrist.
The mouse that I am currently using is in fact a gaming mouse by a company called Glorious.
The model of the mouse is O and this is my first high-performance, ultra-lightweight
wireless mouse and a gift from a close friend of mine. This mouse in combination with the
144Hz monitor changed my perspective of computer experience and despite not being able to set
it up properly on my Mac and having to switch the dongle between the Mac and the PC, I am
not sure if I'll be able to grab another heavy mouse again.
The keyboard that I am currently rocking is the IQUNIX F96-Knight edition. This is a high-quality
mechanical keyboard with cherry brown switches that comes with a full aluminium enclosure.
It is a 96% layout RGB backlit, with USB-C. It is definitely one of the most badass looking
keyboards, especially with the blank tops and the letters neatly printed on the front
side of the PBT keycaps. I chose the wired version because normally such keyboards don't
last that long and I prefer to have to think about one less thing when it comes to charging.
On the left side of the keyboard, I keep an Apple trackpad. This trackpad is only used
on certain occasions but when it is, it comes in very handy. In most cases, I use it to
move over between desktop spaces and when dragging files between apps and timelines
it becomes especially handy. Underneath the laptop stand, I keep my favourite
Nimbus + controller by SteelSeries. This controller is one of my favourites because it is extremely
ergonomic and it's built like a tank. I use it to play games on my iPad in most cases
and many times to control my teleprompter. Finally, the chair that ironically pushed
away the all famous Herman Miller Embody is IKEA's Markus, which I will most likely use
from now on. As much as I love the aesthetics of the Herman Miller chair, this 5 times cheaper
chair by IKEA seems to be way more comfortable to me and it is definitely the chair to recommend
to most people who look for a versatile and ergonomic office solution.
Going into details and covering my IKEA Drawers will make this video too long so I'll just
give you some space to take a glimpse at what's inside and how they are organized. If you
have any questions about any of the items, be sure to list them in the comment section
below or ping me on Twitter and if you enjoyed this video, be sure to click on the top right
playlist which holds many of the product's individual reviews.
As always, It's been an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over & Out