Mac Setup: The Desk of a Technical Director
This weeks featured Mac setup is the awesome workstation of Emir R., let’s dive right in and learn a bit more about the hardware, desk, lighting, and how everything is put to use:
What do you use this awesome Apple setup for?
I am a Technical Director for Jaden Social and run a team of 8 developers and 4 designers and one solutions architect. I use my setup as a home office. The iMac functions as a home server which runs all media and systems.
What hardware is part of your Mac setup?
Here is the list:
- iMac 27” Slim i5 with CTO 256GB SSD – This is the house server which runs everything in the house. Hue Lights, Plex Media Server, iTunes, eyeTV.
- MacBook Pro 15” with CTO 1TB PCI-e SSD and 2.6Ghz i7 – This is my work computer
- Dynaudio MC 15 Desktop Speakers
– Speakers for listening to studio quality sound while working - Lacie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2TB – Raid 1 Redundant personal files
- LaCie 4big 8TB – TV Shows Hard Drive
- LaCie 4big 8TB – DVD Movies Hard Drive
- Promise Pegasus2 R6 Thunderbolt 12TB RAID – HD Movies Hard Drive
- Griffin PowerMate USB Knob – Easy access to the volume control and programmed to initiate Target Display Mode with just a click.
- Logitech K811 Wireless Backlit Keyboard – This keyboard can have 3 different devices connected to it which is why it was chosen
- Belkin Thunderbolt Dock – A way to get all the wires and peripherals off the desk and under the table.
- Philips Hue Iris Mood light – to provide some mood lighting and is connected to all the hue lights in the house
- Magic Mouse with Mobee Magic Charger – Hassle free mouse charging
- Persian rug style mousepad and Analog Clock – smooth mouse movements since the surface is glass and also provides a contrasting feel to the desk’s modern look.
- IZON Web Camera – for keeping an eye on the apartment
- Netatmo Weather Station – Making sure the temperature and Humidity is right
- Twelve South BackPack Shelf for iMac– A convenient shelf for the Lacie Rugged
- 1TB Lacie Rugged USB3 Hard Drive – Portable drive which goes with me if I need to move large files
- Ikea desk architect style wooden support and pool fence glass as a table – my own creation to add some wood to the ultra modern setup
- Custom designed modular chrome and glass shelf – this was designed by my dad as a prototype but never made it to production, one of a kind.
- Elgato EyeTV TV Tuner – Provides free to air TV for the whole house and devices in it
- Apple Magic Trackpad – for the laptop when plugged in.
- HP Envy AirPrint capable Wi-Fi Printer
- The iMac is connected via Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter to a 60” LG Plasma and via a Optical Cable to Meridian Director DAC which feeds to Plinius analog class A amplifier that runs Dnyaudio Focus 110 speakers
– Speakers for listening to studio quality sound while working
8TB – TV Shows Hard Drive
– HD Movies Hard Drive
– This keyboard can have 3 different devices connected to it which is why it was chosen
– to provide some mood lighting and is connected to all the hue lights in the house
– Making sure the temperature and Humidity is right
– A convenient shelf for the Lacie Rugged
– Provides free to air TV for the whole house and devices in it
The biggest challenge with this setup was hiding the huge amounts of cables that connect everything together.
What apps do you use most often? Are there any apps you can’t do without?
For the iMac apps which are constantly running are, SiriProxy (For the Hue lights), Philips Hue Deskop App, iTunes, Plex Media Server, eyeTV.
For the MacBook I mostly use Mail, Chrome with tabs open to 10000ft.com project management, Usersnap.com feedback tool, Gmail, stripe, rackspace control panel, Google Apps, Adobe Photoshop, Skype, VMWare Fusion, Coda 2, Fetch, Wunderlist, GasMask.
As for tools I can’t live without: 1Password, Dropbox, Skitch.
Do you have any Apple tips or other helpful info you want to share?
MenuMeters a great little tool for keeping an eye on system activity. GasMask is the easiest way to manage your hosts file.
With the iMac, always go SSD.
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If you’re not ready to share your setup, you can always browse through past featured Mac setups instead!
Wow, Emir R.’s Mac setup as a Technical Director is truly impressive and well thought out! The combination of the iMac 27″ serving as a home server and the MacBook Pro 15″ for work showcases a seamless integration of personal and professional needs.
I am new to the Apple world. I am looking forward to enjoying my iMac. Thanks so much for showing me my potential.
This could not be a worse environment for audio. The reflective surfaces of the windows and the glass desk, combined with the entire setup being in a corner, is nothing short of audio destruction. While it may look cool, it is completely inaccurate for any audio production.
The workstation is probably pretty bad for launching rockets into space or studying coral reef on the sea floor, but fortunately it’s a “technical director” desk and not that of an audio producer or a zoologist.
The article makes no mention of launching rockets or coral reef studies however it does specifically address “Dynaudio MC 15 Desktop Speakers – Speakers for listening to studio quality sound while working” so I stand by my comment. there is no way what the listener at that setup is hearing anything even remotely close to “studio quality sound”.
“While it may look cool, it is completely inaccurate for any audio production.”
Perhaps @drperp’s message may have been lost to you due to his crazy references to rockets and coral reefs, so allow me to highlight the *subtle* point that was being made. This is the home office of a technical director who manages a team of dev’s, a team of designers, and a solution architect. I can see that you may have been fooled into thinking that he is an *audio* director, and this would explain why you’re so upset about the “audio destruction”, but, no where in the article does he state he is attempting “audio production” of any kind.
While I applaud your staunch defence of any “audio destruction” in home offices, perhaps it would be more sensible to realise that the author’s comment: “Speakers for listening to studio quality sound while working” needs to be taken in context. Perhaps you missed some of that context, so again I’ll highlight it for you as it may have slipped past you. It’s a home office. He wants good sound quality. Yes, the glass would distort this *if* he needed to hear every potential flaw in his “audio production”. However, as I and @drperp pointed out, no where in the article does the author claim he is performing “audio production”. You have merely assumed this.
You are free to “stand by your comment” all you like, and, the rest of us are also free to laugh uncontrollably when reading it.
If you look at the pictures carefully you will see a big thick cable running at the back. This is a cable sock, i also have 2 cable boxes behind the table for excess cables. The other trick i used is a thunderbolt Dock undrrneath the table which centralises some of the cables.
Great setup.
“The biggest challenge with this setup was hiding the huge amounts of cables that connect everything together.”
Would you care to share how you did that?
looks like it is made to enable the usage of imac in the enviroment ot remoting activities for the household good. Didn’t know it was possible with the use of heavy computering. Would like to see the addition of additional xbox form factor to facilitate the gaming side of funtions!
I haven’t a clue what this is all about.
I really enjoy the lighting glow