Status Updates 6 - New Setup

Intro

I’ve mentioned previously on the back injury I had back in April and how it made me invest in a new standing desk. While I had no intention of doing any big upgrades for my workspace this year, the purchase of the new desk changed that and I decided to do upgrade my workspace a bit. In the time that has passed since my injury, I’ve upgraded the setup to make doing work from home far more enjoyable.

Out With The Old

My previous desk was small and the basis for my old setup. Clocking in at about 31.5in x 19.5in. I bought it a few years ago, and at the time, it was the best I could get due to my limited space. The rest of the setup was as follows:

• Dual Monitors (a Cintiq 13hd and a 22in 1080p Viewsonic monitor)

• A small shelf with casters for my computer

• A HP Z2 G3 Mini and a 2021 M1 Pro MacBook Pro

• Recording equipment: MXL Cardiod microphone, microphone arm stand, Scarlett Solo USB audio interface

There were some other, smaller additions like my keyboard and such but that was the just of the old setup. I found it to be functional, but cramped. I was able to get work done, but it wasn’t the funnest experience. I would have to constantly change things around, risk dropping some tools, accidentally unplugging the monitors, and if I spilled something, there was a much higher chance of it causing damage. Drawing on the iPad was fine enough, due to it’s size and that was probably the most optimized part of the space.

After upgrading to the standing desk, I decided to keep the old desk. Normally, I would not do that (I’m a minimalist) but after working in a cramped space for so many years, I’ve come to appreciate having extra space and wanted to utilize it. Now that desk is what I would call a “focus space”. When I want to work without the distractions of my monitors or if I want to do some handy work I now have a space dedicated to that. I didn’t think I would make much use of it, but I really like it. In order to better utilize that space now, I’ve also had to add some lighting to the space.

When I want to work with no distractions while listening to some music, that’s the space I default to. The vibe is top tier.

In With The New

After getting the new desk, I moved all of the electronics from the previous desktop to it. I did not expect everything to fit as it did, but it does and it’s amazing. The standing desk is about 48in x 30in so there’s a lot more room to put stuff. Another limiting factor to the previous workspace, was that the desk was kind of flimsy, and I worried a lot about putting too many things on it. There’s a lot of equipment I have and if any of it fell and broke, it would take a long time to replace. Now I don’t have to worry about that anymore. The new desk is very sturdy. I can’t remember how much weight it can hold but it is definitely north of 250lbs. This gives me a peace of mind about my equipment that I don’t know if I’ve ever had. It’s nice.

The current setup is also super convenient. All of my electronics are on the desk instead of spread around different pieces of furniture. This keeps everything in arms reach in case I have to fix, clean or move things around without having to accidentally knock stuff over. The additional space also allowed me to add desk shelves and a new tablet arm. The desk shelves allow me to stack my things vertically. They’re not that sturdy so I’ll be replacing them with a dedicated “desk cockpit” as they call them, either later this year or early next year. The tablet arm is great and effectively turns my iPad into a 3rd screen I can use for reference photos, or I can extend the arm out and draw. It’s pretty nifty.

The new setup also allows me to do more to increase quality of life:

• Far better organization of wires and equipment along with ease of access

• All equipment is setup and within arms reach for any adjustments

• Much better lighting so I can work without straining my eyes and contributes to overall ambience that makes working more fun

• The desk allows me to stand, sit or squat at will giving me a chance to be more active to reduce the poor effects of being sedentary

Those are more or less all of the big changes I’ve made to the setup this year. It’s just the beginning and I intend to upgrade the space little by little as time goes on. Some of the planned upgrades are:

• A new Cintiq Movink as that line only needs a USB-C wire to be used and my 13hd is getting very long in the tooth

• Balolo desk cockpit for sturdier material and better upgrade capacity

• A larger curved monitor that’s at least 34in wide, but up to 40+in

• A Mac Mini or Mac Studio

Outro

These upgrades were way past due and I’m glad I made them. It took me about a month to get things to where I’m happy with them, and it set me back a good chunk of money. I didn’t expect the effects of these changes to make a big difference, but they did. I feel far more focused and excited when working now. Both spaces are designed to get the most out of my energy while I work. There is no resistance to getting anything done now, and I can jump right into something without spending time to set things up.

It feels like a high quality studio space now and I have a sense of freedom that I previously did not. I’m not sure how to express it. Perhaps there’s a revitalizing and renewing energy in the space now, that was lacking before.

The workspace is a pet project of mind, and like I mentioned previously, I plan on updating it little by little as time goes on. There’s still a lot more I can do to really capture the vibe of the space I dream about, but I think I’ll get there.

Lastly, I’ll be updating the blog with any new or major additions I add to the space, so if that’s something you’d be interested in, stay tuned!

-Until next time-