Gear I Use
Table of Contents
I often get asked about the gear I use or what’s on my desk. This page lists the gear I use both personally and professionally along with some thoughts about the gear to provide context. I’ve built up this collection over time and I’ll do my best to keep this page up to date as things change. Generally, I have the following principles when buying gear.
- Understand compatibility with existing gear.
- Prefer wired gear over wireless gear.
- Favor gear that is repairable and extensible.
- Extend the budget if the value is there.
Desk & Chair #
DeskHaus Vertex Pro Diamond 4-Leg Frame #
I’ve only ever used IKEA table tops and legs before this desk. I extensively researched DeskHaus and ultimately decided to go with their standing desk frame based on Reddit reviews and the DeskHaus YouTube channel. This is the best desk frame I’ve ever used in my life, period. UPLIFT, Fully, and Autonomous desks aren’t even in the same league as DeskHaus. It’s heavy and extremely stable even when raised to its maximum height. I have the 30" legs, extended range height, and programmable switch.
DeskHaus Solid Wood 1.75" Work Surface #
I wanted real, solid wood as the top for my desk frame. and DeskHaus stocked solid wood tops so I bought one with my desk. Much like the frame, it’s also heavy and the finish is great. I have a 30"x72" Walnut top and I love it. If I could do it again I probably would have just bought a top from a local woodworker to save on cost and have more control over style and finish.
Herman Miller Embody #
I’ve only ever used IKEA chairs before this chair. I figured it was time to get a real chair since I spend a good deal of time sitting for work. I went with this chair since the company I worked for at the time had a company discount. It’s been a great chair and the warranty is fantastic. I’ve used the warranty to replace the bottom fabric after it lifted in a few areas. I have the Canyon fabric.
Grovemade Matte Desk Pad #
I had a SteelSeries desk pad previously but its rubber bottom didn’t let my wooden desk breathe and would dull the finish after extended use. I figured the cork bottom on this Grovemade desk pad would let my wooden desk breathe much better and I always wanted to try a Grovemade product. I purchased the Dark Green color in the Medium Plus.
Computer #
Custom Workstation #
The complete parts list is in the above link but it’s an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, 256 GiB of memory, an AMD 9070 XT, and a 4 TiB NVMe. I use this workstation for everything- programming, gaming, rendering, AI workloads, streaming, recording, and anything else that comes up. It runs Windows for compatibility with peripherals and software but most of the programming work happens either in WSL2, by SSHing somewhere else, or via some computer that’s connected to a capture card for recording and streaming.
Framework Laptop 16 #
I have two of these laptops, one for personal use and one for work. Both run Arch Linux and are maxed out with the exception that the work model has 96 GiB of memory and the GPU module while the personal model has 64 GiB of memory and no GPU module. This laptop feels very much like a v1 product in both a good and bad way which I described in this post on X. I’m happy with my purchase and enjoy supporting a company that’s focused on repairable, sustainable computers.
Computer Peripherals #
Dell U4025QW #
I bought this monitor after using my two ASUS PB258Q monitors for 10 years with a quick stint using an LG 27UD68P-B. Initially, I was planning on buying either a 27" 5K or a 32" 6K monitor but there weren’t any that had above a 60Hz refresh rate. I ended up buying this monitor since it’s 5K at 120Hz and supports Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, really USB4 in my case. It’s lower pixels per inch (PPI) than I wanted but the text is still lovely at 200% scale. I love that it has a built-in KVM switch which allowed me to get rid of my dock and USB switch.
This monitor uses multi-stream transport (MST) to split the monitor into sections for one computer to treat as two monitors or two computers to treat as one monitor. I use its 50%/50% mode with one computer if I want to act like I have two monitors (e.g., for screen sharing one monitor and not the other) and I use its 25%/75% mode with two computers where the streaming computer uses the 25% and the computer being recorded uses the 75% which is a perfect 4K resolution. If I’m not doing either of those things I’ll just use its 100% mode as a single monitor.
ZSA Moonlander #
My keyboard journey has been long.
- Das Keyboard 4 Professional
- Drop CTRL
- Drop Preonic
- ZSA Moonlander
I loved my Preonic but typing on it kept my shoulders and chest closed which wasn’t great for posture and health. Ultimately I decided to bite the bullet and try a split keyboard. At the time the Moonlander just released so it was a good time to give it a go. I also really liked ZSA’s stance on sustainability which they discussed more on Changelog Interviews #608. If I had to buy a split keyboard again today it would be a tough decision between the ZSA Moonlander and the Kinesis Advantage360 Pro. I have the Dark Matter color with blank keycaps and lubed TTC Silent Bluish White V2 switches.
Logitech G502 X #
Pour one out for the legendary Logitech G9x. The Logitech G502 X mouse is the closest I’ve come to my beloved Logitech G9x. People say to use the Logitech MX Master but I tried that and it wasn’t great for me. I have the wired version of this mouse and it works for my needs.
Roost V3 Laptop Stand #
This laptop stand is cool because it collapses nicely for travel but it’s way too expensive for what it is. It also doesn’t adjust to a low enough height for for my liking. It does keep my laptop raised though which is nice for cooling, saving desk space, and aligning the laptop monitor with another monitor. However, I wouldn’t buy this again unless the price dropped by 50%.
Writing #
LAMY safari Fountain Pen #
Even though I work with computers I prefer physical writing to digital writing. Fountain pens are fun to write with and helped reignite my joy for writing. These LAMY safari pens are inexpensive and a popular choice for fountain pens users. I have a Yellow pen with a Fine nib filled with a warm-toned ink and an Umbra pen Fine nib filled with black ink.
LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook #
Notebooks are ultimately a preference. My co-hosts on Fallthrough convinced me to try a LEUCHTTURM1917 notebook and I love it. My friend at Skriptble Press convinced me to try the B5 paper size and it’s much better than the smaller A5 size I was used to. Paired with a fountain pen, a LEUCHTTURM1917 notebook is a great way to take notes and plan. I have a Classic Notebook and a Weekly Planner and Notebook, both in B5 size and hardcover.
Audio #
Shure SM7B #
I had a Blue Yeti previously and I didn’t care for its mini USB connection and audio quality so I upgraded to the Shure SM7B. Honestly I didn’t do much research here I just went with the microphone that was most popular with content creators on Twitch and YouTube. Perhaps I should have done more research here since I ended up buying a Cloudlifter CL-1 and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen) to drive this microphone before swapping those out for the Rode Rodecaster Duo.
Rode Rodecaster Duo #
I replaced the Cloudlifter CL-1, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen), and Schiit Vali 2 with this Rodecaster Duo and I should have just bit the bullet up front and got this device way sooner. I have USB 1 plugged into my Windows workstation so that it gets access to 2 inputs and 2 outputs for separating general audio from background audio like Discord chat or music. Then I have USB 2 plugged into my Linux workstation to get 1 input and 1 output. This allows me to share my microphone and headphones with both computers without ever having to switch cables or connections. Love this thing!
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro #
I bought two pairs of these headphones because I loved the first pair so much and didn’t want to be without them when I sent them off for repair. These are great for everyday use in meetings, watching content, and listening to podcasts. I love that they are open-back so my ears breathe and I can hear my dogs fussing around in the room when I’m working. There’s good third-party support for repairing them and getting new parts which I’ve done a few times in the many years I’ve had them. I have the 250 Ohms model.
Video #
Panasonic Lumix S5IIX #
This is the first professional camera I’ve ever purchased. I use it as a webcam for meetings, streaming, creating videos, and as a camera to take product pictures for my wife’s chocolate business, Lily & Sparrow. I like this camera because it has a fan to keep it cool when recording for a long time and the Panasonic family of lenses are pretty great. I use the S Series 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 L-Mount Lens. I was also pretty frustrated with the color on USB webcams and wanted to fix that. I’m not a photographer by any means but I’m quite happy with this purchase.
Blackmagic Design DeckLink Mini Recorder 4K #
I bought this capture card to connect my Linux workstation to my Windows workstation. I had an Elgato card before this but Elgato doesn’t support Linux so I gave that card away for free. This card supports Linux at a lower price point than Magewell cards and I’ve used Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve video editor before so I was familiar with the brand. Even though I use this card in Windows I like having the ability to change OS and have hardware remain compatible.
Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Recorder 3G #
I bought this capture card to connect my camera to whatever machine needs it, even when traveling. It connects using Thunderbolt 3 to provide data and power. This card supports Linux at a lower price point than Magewell cards and I’ve used Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve video editor before so I was familiar with the brand.
Lighting #
Amaran P60x LED Panel #
I have two of these lights to help balance lighting in my office. I have four windows in my office and I noticed that there are shadows on my face at certain times of the day. These lights remove those shadows and keep me looking great regardless what time it is.
Rigging #
Smallrig Encore DT-30 Desk Mount #
I have three of these that hold up my camera and two lights. They are strong, adjustable, and from a popular, reputable rigging brand.
Smallrig Aluminum Panoramic Ball Head #
I have three of these to mount my camera and two lights to rigging. The quick disconnect feature is great when I want to take my camera with me without ruining its placement at my desk.