This video is brought to you by Brilliant! This is my office/second studio desk setup.
Unlike my asymmetrical jam-packed home studio corner, this end-of-2022 iteration is much
more balanced and prettier looking. In this video, I'll take you on a tour of it and showcase
the different components, and as well as last time, I'll also share what I don't like about
each item I feature. Of course, all the links will be in the description below, so let's
get to it. The desk is a mix between IKEA's ROG collaboration
mixed with a tabletop that was provided to me by a friend of mine. The black tabletop
that initially came with the IKEA desk scratched way too quickly. What's worse, it collected
dust and skin marks like crazy. You can see what I am talking about in my earlier batman-inspired
desk setup. Luckily this wood-finish tabletop is fantastic, being larger and 10 times better
looking. The desk structure is exceptionally sturdy, and I have to credit IKEA and ROG
for creating a great-looking frame. The gaming graphics are inconspicuous and are not in
the way of creating a more minimal-looking setup. There are 4 programmer height presets,
and the controller comes with a USB-A charging port which is fantastic! Even more awesome
is the included cable tray underneath the desk for all the cable and charger mess. The
motors of the motorized legs are plenty powerful and very quiet. The size of this tabletop
is much better than the one I use in my ironically busier setup at my home studio. I'll leave
a link to that tour at the end of this video. Overall, I am delighted with this desk. The
only thing missing here is casters. This is something to work on and improve sooner rather
than later. Next up is the Balolo shelf part of Balolo's
Setup Cockpit. This time the shelf is in an all-black finish which, in combination with
the tabletop, is a chef's kiss. The shelf is equipped with 10 accessories. On the right
side, I have the laptop dock, which regular viewers have seen plenty of in my recent desk
setup guide episodes. Looking at the front, I have a MagSafe charger and dock for my iPhone
14 Pro and an iPad-iPhone stand which I use for my tablet. On the right, I have a tray
organizer with 3 catch-all trays, each of which holds various bits and pieces of tech
and great - like USB adapters. I have two cable organizers on the back to better route
cables and a headphone stand. If you want to find out what I don't like
about this shelf system, be sure to check out my home studio video, where I also talk
about my MacBook Pro, which I'll omit this time to protect my regular viewers from complete
and utter boredom. Aside from my MacBook Pro, the 11-inch iPad
Pro is my second most used device on this desk. It is my go-to writing, browsing, researching,
and entertaining device for everything besides video editing.
I try to use it more and more in a desk setup environment, yet I am still struggling. If
you want to find out why, you can check out my iPad in a Desk Setup Guide video, which
I'll link below. BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe, because WHY NOT?!?
Even if I don't use the iPad as a computer, I still place it on the Balolo stand as my
sidekick to my MacBook, which is the ultimate combo. With the help of sidecar and Universal
Control, I can be very productive using both iPadOS and MacOS in tandem. What I don't like
about the iPad Pro is probably clear by now - Apple wants to make it an excellent tool
to be used in a desk setup, but it's not there yet.
Next up is the Apple Studio display. These are the most gorgeous 27 inches of 5K resolution
I use daily. Although this monitor does not boast the mini LED tech featured in the XDR
display, it is still the benchmark for picture quality. Aesthetically, it looks beautiful
on both sides. For those who might be wondering - I purchased it with the extra expensive
stand before my introduction to this beautiful shelf by Balolo.
Nevertheless, I am happy with the stand since it allows me to push it down and achieve this
nice floating effect. I have a dedicated video on this product if you are interested. If
I were to point out what I don't like about it - it would be the price. I don't mind the
bezels at all (I know some people are complaining about them), but the price makes it very difficult
to recommend. Unlike my home studio setup, I don't require
a dock and speakers. The Studio Display sounds as good as my powered Kanto speakers at home.
With the additional 3 USB-C ports on the back, I am covered in terms of ports...although
a fourth USB-C would've been marvelous since I now have to plug in my mouse dongle in the
Mac directly (not a dealbreaker at all). On top of the Studio Display, I have placed
my Xiaomi screen bar. I am a huge advocate of screen bars because they help stay focused
and reduce eye strain from other lights - something I find very useful, especially in winter times
when the day is shorter. Like my favorite BenQ screen bar Halo, the Xiaomi bar boasts
high quality but has no rear light. This is ideal for this setup since there's another
opposite desk, mine. There is a rotating control knob in the package that I can use to control
the intensity of the light and the color temperature. Fun fact - the removable batteries have been
replaced ever since I purchased the bar. It has been running with them for almost two
years now. If there's one thing to complain about here, it is the fact that it covers
the webcam. If I were to use it for a meeting, I might have to move it to the side for the
duration of the call. Regarding peripherals, I use the Logitech
G502 X mouse, which, as I mentioned in my recent desk setup guide, is the perfect mix
between a light gaming mouse and a productivity one like the MX Master. It's very well sculpted,
uses USB-C, and has plenty of customizable buttons. I use only two side buttons to move
between my screens - so 11 more buttons to play with 🙂 If you want to learn more about
my mice collection, you can check out my Peripherals episode, which I'll link below.
The keyboard of choice here is the Keychron K3 Pro. This low-profile mechanical keyboard
is absolutely fantastic. It not only looks great, but it helps me write faster. It's
very satisfying to use, and the blue switches are just amazing to listen to. Although it's
RGB, I keep the lights off to preserve the battery.
Just like in my home studio setup, I also have a secondary Apple Magic Keyboard that,
most often than not, you can see resting on my iPad stand. I use it as a backup keyboard
since it lasts over a month when not used as a primary, and most of all, I use it for
the Touch ID button. Honestly - if there was a Touch ID dongle to purchase from Apple,
I would buy it in a heartbeat, even if it costs an arm and a leg. It saves me tons of
time. As usual, my mouse pad of choice is the Enough
Pad, which, if you are new here, is my own product. I love it because it's black, made
from recycled materials, and it is the perfect mix between a leather mouse pad and a gaming
pad. It's not as smooth as a gaming pad, yet it's nowhere near as sticky as a leather pad.
At the same time, it's soft on the wrists and much more forgiving than a wool felt pad.
If you want to have a chance to win a pad, leave a like on this video and drop a comment
below telling me which is your mouse of choice and why. In the first week of 2023 (right
before my birthday), I will announce two winners on my social media channels. If you want to
double your chance to win, do the same on my home studio setup video, where I have a
different question for you. I'll leave a link to it at the end of this video.
Since I am not alone in the studio, I often rely on headphones, and I grab the AirPods
Max in those cases. Having the best noise canceling and, most of all, transparency mode,
I can wear them for hours. At the same time, even if I don't use them with a cable, I can
witness little to no lag while editing. One complaint with them is some recent connection
issues I've been experiencing. There is a construction sight close to me, so I suspect
it might be the reason for such interruptions. BTW, the headphones are usually plugged in
to charge and rested on the headphone stand I mentioned earlier.
Just as I like to keep my tech up-to-date and my desk setup as optimal as possible,
I like to keep my knowledge and skills as relevant as I can. If you work or want to
work in STEM, you know how fast-changing everything is. That's why I'm a fan of Brilliant. It
offers a collection of thousands of courses that gets expanded every month. One that I
really enjoyed was Computer Science Fundamentals. It teaches computational problem-solving through
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translates into efficiently splitting up a task between several team members, solving
a problem faster with more storage, and so on. The best part is that Brilliant's hands-on
approach lets you learn by doing. You solve all these fun puzzles, but at the same time,
you learn to think. It empowers you to stay ahead and have what it takes to shape the
future. The low-pressure feel of it works for lifelong learners of any age.
To get started with the app for free, visit brilliant.org/thisise or click on the link in the description. The
first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription.
If you enjoyed this video, then you should definitely check out my home studio setup
episode and my desk setup guide series, where we talk about all the essentials and inessentials
in the world of setups. Like & Subscribe to the channel, as well as
my newsletter, and as always, it's been an absolute pleasure,
This is E Over & out