Uses
An artists is only as good as the tools they use. This is a somewhat (hopefully) comprehensive list of the things I put to use in my work life as a web developer, inspired by awesome-uses from Wes Bos.
For an even more comprehensive list of the tools and software I use in my electronic music practice you can visit my studio page (coming soon).
Most of the links here are Amazon affiliate links which afford me pennies on the dollar if you click them and buy something.
Home office
In the corner of our small guest bedroom lies my office. This is where the majority of my work gets done. The space is designed for efficiency and utility, sometimes productivity occurs.
Hardware
- Laptop: Apple Macbook Pro M1
- Display: 27” Acer Nitro VG270U
- Mouse: Logitech G520 X Lightspeed
- Keyboard: Logitech K360
- Speakers: IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors
- Desk: Flexispot E7 Pro 48”x24”
- Chair: Steelcase Leap V2
- Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-M50x
- Earbuds: Sennheiser Momentum 2
- Webcam: Razer Kiyo
- Desk light: Quntis ScreenLinear
I used to swear by the laptop lifestyle but in 2023 I decided to build a compact desktop machine for process-intensive tasks like livestreaming, photo/video editing, and of course playing a fun game or two. It sits on a small shelf and acts as the conduit between my personal environment, my work environment, and my home lab:
- Case: MIDORI 5L-V2.2 Gray Mini ITX
- Processor: Intel Core i7-11700K 3.6 GHz
- Motherboard: MSI MEG Z590I UNIFY
- Video card: MSI RTX 3060 Aero 12GB GDRR6
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB
- Storage: Kingston KC3000 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe & Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB M.2 PCIE 3.0 NVMe
- CPU cooler: Thermalright AXP90-X36
- Case fans: 2x Noctua NF-A9x14 4-pin case fan 92x14mm
- Power supply: Enhance ENP-7660 600W 80+ Platinum Cert Flex ATX
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
Software
Tools used in your work will many time stray from your personal preferences but I see this as an advantage as it allows for distinct environments for distinct kinds of work. It also keeps things fresh and makes switching gears easier (at least for my brain).
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Work environment
- IDE: JetBrains PhpStorm
- Browser: Mozilla Firefox
- Terminal: iTerm 2 (Oh My Zsh)
- Server management: MAMP Pro
- Database management: Sequel Ace
- Wireframing/UX: Figma
- Design system management: Pattern Lab
-
Personal environment
- IDE: Microsoft VSCode
- Browser: Google Chrome
- Terminal: WSL2 Arch (bash)
- Environment management: Docker
- KVM: input-leap
Accessories
- IKEA SKÅDIS pegboard - great for organizing items you don’t want on the desk
- Topo Designs accessory bags - for storing cables (hangs off the SKÅDIS)
- Zoom LiveTrak L6max - audio interface and mixer, easy routing for external audio sources
- Anker 10-port 60W USB 3.0 hub - main powered USB hub
- Sabrent 10-port 60W USB 3.0 hub - has switches for powering external audio hardware
- Monoprice 36”x12” desk pad - better than a mousepad as it stays put!
Home Lab
File Server
- Synology 1019+ 5-bay network attached storage
- 5x Western Digital Red 14TB 5400RPM hard drives - 50TB!
Self-hosted software
- Plex - Netflix for TV and movies I actually want to watch
- Audiobookshelf - Ingests all my audiobooks, podcasts, and lectures for handy streaming
- Linkwarden - A decent replacement for Pocket (which I still dearly miss)
- Miniflux - RSS for the masses, more feeds than I know what to do with
- Immich - Powerful tools for photo galleries that I don’t trust third-parties with
Every day carry
- Phone: Google Pixel 8
- Watch: Garmin Forerunner 255S Music 41mm
- Wallet: Andar Apollo money clip bifold
- Briefcase: Manhattan Portage Commuter shoulder bag