Let’s face it – as content creators, we need to spend a significant amount of our time in front of a computer on a daily basis. That being said, it’s paramount to set up a workspace in a manner that inspires creativity while maintaining our productivity and quality of work all at the same time. To achieve this goal, however, one needs to have the right gear that strikes a balance between style, comfort, and efficiency, which sometimes could be a tricky task on its own.
When it comes to creating the best workstation setups, Jonathan Morrison is one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field with numerous reviews of custom setups built from scratch and showcased on his YouTube channel in the recent years. Now, the tech-guru outlines what he believes is the perfect 2018 MacBook Pro setup, tailor-made for creative professionals who deal with images and videos for a living.
While the setup shown above is mainly geared towards photographers, most, if not all of the tools shown apply to video editors as well, especially for those looking for inspiration as to how they should set up their own workstation.
The foundation of this setup is the desk, which in this case is the Husky 62-inch Adjustable Workbench. Not only does the spacious 62-inch width provides plenty of space for your peripherals, but the desk itself is height-adjustable, allowing you to stand while you work. In addition, the wood finish on the workbench surface is gorgeous and eye-catching, complementing all the technology that lays upon the desktop.
Of course, the heart of this setup is the 2018 MacBook Pro, specifically the 15-inch model. With newly updated specs – including the latest Intel processors and beefed up memory, storage, and graphics – the 2018 MacBook Pro is a portable powerhouse that can be taken on-the-road for fast editing, all with generous screen real-estate.
When parked on a desk, the 2018 MacBook Pro is complemented with the BenQ 32” 4K Monitor: a professional monitor with an impressive set of specs, including HDR and P3 color gamut support and a 10-bit panel for professional color work.
Despite the out-of-the-box color accuracy of the BenQ monitor, Morrison and setup collaborator Sam Elkins decided to use a Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS to ensure that the display’s colors were as accurate as the display of the 2018 MacBook Pro. When it comes to professional content creation, color accuracy is key, and the extra money spent on the Spyder5EXPRESS turns out to be a smart investment.
For peripherals, Morrison had chosen the Logitech MX Master and Apple Wireless Keyboard, both of which are equally respected for their ergonomic designs and reliable reputations. For audio monitoring, the Sony MDR-7506 seems to be the perfect fit for the setup – a widely-used pair of headphones by mixing professionals.
Another interesting peripheral choice made is the Palette Aluminum Modular Control Surface: an expandable set of control faders, knobs, and buttons to give editors a more hands-on feel to their program controls.
Finally, to store all project data, Morrison had decided to use the LaCie 8TB 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 Drive. Not only is it a blazing-fast external drive for file storage, but it also includes CompactFlash and SD Card slots which are absolutely essential for transferring files on the fly.
Although all the gear outlined in the video may be on many people’s wishlist, don’t think that you need all of these tools to make great content. As long as you have the essential bits and pieces, you can still produce some stunning imagery in virtually any situation.
Instead, take the setup above as a means of inspiration so that when you are ready to build out your own workstation, you would have a better understanding of the tools that you’ll need to put together the dream desk that you have ever wanted.
[source: Jonathan Morrison]
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