My ultimate desk setup for starting my new job
Now that I’m going to be training people over Zoom I think I’m going to need a slightly better setup!
I recently got a promotion at work which means I’m going to be training people new to the company via zoom, teams or some other online video group chat platform. But when I looked at my current setup for taking calls I found it a bit lack and hastily put together. So I thought I’d take you along with me on my journey to figure out what I think would be the ultimate desk setup that allows me to train people whilst working from home.
First things first, The two things I can’t change. The first is the laptop that has been provided by work. As Much as I’d love to have an all-singing all-dancing beast it’s really not needed. The 2nd thing is the desk. Mrs Jim found the desk somewhere a few months back and would be highly annoyed if I got rid of it. Other than those though it’s a complete overhaul. I know for a fact that I’m not going to be able to afford most of what I find but this is an Ultimate Desk Setup that I may be able to justify parts of at some point in the future.
Monitors
First things first I’m going to need a pair of half-decent monitors. I’m currently using a 32″ HD TV that wasn’t being used in our bedroom that I’m using as a second screen. It’s a bit jarring going from the tiny screen that is crystal clear to the massive screen that looks a bit pixelated.
I ended up going with 2 of these 24″ Iiyama curved monitors that can be found on Amazon for just under £150 each. They are a decent size and I can fit two of them on my desk not too expensive, to be honest, any extra features are really just a bonus at this point as I don’t game that often and when I do it’s usually on the PlayStation. As much as I would love to have these mounted on a single Vesa mount my desk is glass topped and I’ve been forbidden from making more holes in the wall
Keyboard, Mouse and Headset
Next up on my list is the wireless peripherals. They don’t need to be top of the line but I’m fed up with getting tangled in all the cables every time I got to get a drink of juice. For the Keyboard and mouse, I went with the Logitech MK850 wireless combo. They are nothing special but have a battery life of around 3 years and a nice big wrist rest and a few function keys too.
For the headset, I’ve gone with the Corsaire Virtuoso RGB Wireless gaming headset. Again their price isn’t too bad and the reviews I’ve read say the sound quality isn’t terrible either. Though these headphones have RGB it’s a bit wasted on me so will probably be left as is, especially as I have to have a good reason for installing software on my work laptop.
Camera & Control
Now we come to one of my favourite bits of this setup, mainly because I’m a bit of a nerd but also because it’s time to pick a camera and decided how I’m going to control what is seen by my students. As I mentioned earlier I can’t go around installing software on my laptop without a very good reason so I can’t pick a webcam that needs any special software, which unfortunately rules out the Elgato Facecam that I’ve been wanting to get my hands on for some time now. So here’s what I have come up with.
First, let’s look at the control segment. I’ve decided to go with a Blackmagic ATEM mini Extreme ISO, It’s a bit over the top for work but will come in handy for any extra work I might pick up doing events. One of the reasons I’ve gone with the ATEM mini Extreme ISO is that the ATEM has a USB-C output that acts as a webcam so I won’t need to install any special software on the laptop to get up and running. Another is that If I’m asked to record one of my sessions so it can be shared on our internal E-Learning Platform. I can put the session into Davinci Resolve with just a few clicks and as every source is recorded separately and the ATEM keeps track of everything I’ve done all I need to do is make any tweaks that are needed and export it.
Now as the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO accepts only HDMI as a video input I’m going to need something with an HDMI output and what’s better than a product the ATEM Mini Extreme ISOwas made to work with. You’ve probably guessed but I’ve gone with Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, not cheap especially as I’ll need to get a lens for the beast but having the ability to control the camera from the switcher, provide tally and start recording on the camera remotely are just great features that are difficult to pass up.
Lighting, Backdrops & Mounting
Lastly, to complete the setup I’m going to need some form of lighting, a backdrop that doesn’t look like a badly painted wall and something to hold all my gear in the right place and for all of that there’s really only one company to go to… Elgato.
As I mentioned earlier I’d love to get my hands on Elgato’s Stream Deck XL and Wave Mic but unfortunately, they don’t fit this project but some of their other projcts do such as the Ring Light, green Screen and Multi-Mount. From what I have read and heard these products, just like Elgato’s others, are absolutely amazing and would be perfect for my purposes. That green screen paired with the ATEM Switchers Chroma keying will be brilliant. I might have to add a key light or two to make sure I’m lit properly, it would be bad form for an ex-lampie to have bad lighting.
Well, I think that’s everything, What do you think? Too over the top? Well, it’s not like I’m going to be able to afford any of this soon but it’s always nice to dream right. For now, I’m going to have to stick with the too big TV rubbish camera and lighting. Would you make any changes to my picks? Let me know in the comments below.
