Uses

My workspace is a constant work in progress. I believe designing a workspace is an exercise in setting the tone and values of your work. We all design our workspaces, either intentionally or otherwise. Of late though, I have been making calculated moves to eliminate things that don’t work well and replace with stuff that sets an ambience that inspires creativity. My elimination process has evolved to identifying a weakness, deep diving into potential fixes, then buying something with a money-back guarantee, and friendly return policy (pro-tip). My list is not a recommendation list, but a collection of things that work very well for me, YMMV. Here we go:

• Smart Power Trolly Inverter Link
  It’s not a proper setup in Africa if it doesn’t account for backup power, is it? Well, to counter the unpredictable loadshedding, I got an inverter that provides uninterrupted power until Eskom (main power supplier in South Africa) sorts its issues out. I fit in two 12V 100Ah Lithim Ion batteries and given it produces 1000W pure sine wave output, it’s able to power all my devices. It’s a worthy investment and probably my favourite on this list. Rating: 4.5/5

• Keychron K1 V4 Link
  I have had this keyboard for about a year now and I kinda love it. I got it with brown switches so it’s pretty clicky, probably a bit too much for my liking but for my first mechanical keyboard it eased me into the “art” nice and gently! I still however think that I type faster on my Macbook Pro but I love the feedback this keyboard gives me. One challenge I encountered is where to place my palms so I paired it up with a palm rest and the combo works well enough. Rating: 3.5/5

• Logitech Master MX 3 Mouse
  I love this mouse! It’s an absolute beast and it’s touted as one of the most productive mice one can have, I can testify to that. It’s super sensitive, and very configurable (per application). Before getting this I used a Magic mouse from Apple and there’s a big difference between the two, at least for me. Rating: 4/5

• Asus Proart display 27 inch Link and 24 inch Link
  These displays are phenomenal! I got the 24 inch at the time when I was suffering from massive screen glare from a LG widescreen. At first I wasn’t super excited about the downgrade from a 33” to a mere 24” but the resolution on these displays is amazing!! With the ability to tilt them too, I started off with the 24 inch set up vertically but over time I have them sitting side by side and it’s a set up that works tremendously well. Rating: 4/5

• TekDesk Standing Desk Link
  I don’t think I can say a lot about this desk except for that it’s pretty functional. One of the big advantages is the ability to work whilst standing, of course, which works when short of energy, it will keep you on your toes, quite literally. Rating: 3.5/5

• Elgato Key Light Link
  I have mixed feelings about this light. Whilst it works like a light should, it’s not very responsive from its app. After the initial struggles of connecting it via Wifi each time, its controls are easy to understand and it comes with a 2800-lumen output and a temperature range of up to 7000K which is fine. Rating: 3.5/5

• Sony MX3
  Again, this is pretty functional. I can’t say anymore than that, it’s silently effective, so much that I haven’t put on any other headphones and felt like i’m missing out massively. Being no audiophile, what I always need are headphones that allow me to focus in Starbucks and in random cafes I go to on Fridays for a change of scenery. These headphones excel at that and when travelling on a plane, they’re in a league of their own. Rating: 4/5

• Sony a6400 Link
  What a camera! I’m glad I got this beast for video calls and recordings. Not only is it strong and feels sturdy, but it the default 16-50mm lens it comes with are absolutely fantastic. I, of course, didn’t know that when I purchased so I coupled it with the also incredible but limited Sigma 30mm f1.4 lens. I say limited because of it has a fixed range, which is not always the best given the distance between where I place the camera and where I sit during calls. Away from the desk, it can’t do no wrong in terms of potrait photos, the aperture really flatters the photographer. Rating: 4/5

• Shure SM7B mic Link
  This is a legendary mic. The best in the business, probably. The only sad thing about it is you don’t get to hear yourself but from the feedback of people on calls, it’s marvelous. I couldn’t be happier in terms of mic choice and I hope to give it a solid run over the next couple of years. It’s built like a tank as well so this is easily a great investment. Rating: 4.5/5

• Shure MVi Digital Audio Interface Link
  This is a logical choice that I had to make quickly after reading reviews that it can handle the SM7B nicely. Being a noob at sound, and with the SM7B not being a condenser mic, I felt it would work and it does. It’s easy enough to use, but takes only one input which might come to bite me later should I decide to connect an instrument but for the purpose of podcasting and getting audio to the computer, it’s checked all boxes. Rating: 3.8/5

• TS3-plus Link
  To bring all the equipment together, the displays, network cables, and anything else I need to plug into my laptop really, I use the very dependable TS3-plus. It’s a mean beast and ensures I use just one cable from my laptop to it, with the rest of the ports nicely hidden away. It does get hot after many hours of use but besides that, I like how it handles everything I throw at it. Rating: 4/5