New Projects, New Setup

The past few months have been busy at MacStories. The release of new iPads was followed by our launch of new podcasts and then WWDC. Along the way, my gear setup has changed a little, too.

Portable Setup Changes

11” iPad Pro and Accessories

Leading up to Apple’s spring event and knowing that it would feature new iPads, I was on the fence about buying one. The Pencil Pro and the Tandem OLED display tipped the balance, though, and I ended up getting the 11” Wi-Fi-only model with a Magic Keyboard Case, a Smart Folio cover, and Apple Pencil Pro.

I was tempted by the nano-texture display but ultimately passed on it as well as cellular connectivity. I expect there’s a nano-texture device of some sort in my future, but even without it, the iPad Pro’s Tandem OLED display works better in sunlight than previous displays. I don’t use an Apple Pencil often, but with the new Pro model, I plan to play around with it more to see if I can find a place for it in my day-to-day computing. The lack of meaningful iPadOS 18 updates coming this fall is a letdown, but I’m still pleased with my purchase because the smaller form factor and fantastic display have led me to use my iPad Pro more.

Desk Setup Changes

Balolo’s tablet holder accessory.

With the change in iPad sizes, the articulating arm I used for the 12.9” iPad Pro no longer worked for me. Instead, I’ve transitioned to another Balolo accessory, the Tablet Holder. It sits neatly in the center of my Desk Cockpit shelf, where I can set my iPad for use with Sidecar or Universal Control. If you’re a Club member and interested in Balolo’s Desk Cockpit setup, which I covered in detail this past February, there’s a coupon code for 10% off on the Club Discounts page.

My new video gear from Elgato.

I have been experimenting more with video in recent weeks, too. That led to the addition of an Elgato Facecam Pro and Key Light to my desk, along with an Elgato Mini Mount stand for the camera.

Portable Podcasting

The Shure MV7+ in its protective case.

This year, I decided to update my portable podcasting setup with a new microphone that can record over USB-C and an XLR cable at the same time. The Shure MV7+ is a step up in sound quality from the Shure Beta 87A I used in the past, even though it doesn’t sound quite as good to my ear as the Earthworks ETHOS mic I use at my desk. The biggest advantage, though, is that I can record directly to my laptop over USB-C and to an SD card in the Sound Devices Mix-Pre 3 II that I pulled out of storage. This offers me the simplicity of direct recording to my laptop’s internal SSD and the security of having a backup on a separate device. Along with the Shure MV7+ mic, I bought a hard case to protect it when traveling.

Headphones

The Beats Fit Pro.

As I mentioned in this week’s AppStories+ pre-show, I’ve recently been testing out the Sennheiser Momentum Sport Earbuds. The jury’s still out on those for the reasons I explained on the podcast, but a set of headphones that I now use daily is the Beats Fit Pro. I had a pair of Powerbeats Pro for about five years, but I wanted something smaller with transparency mode so that I can be more aware of my surroundings. After a couple of months of use, I’m very happy with the Beats Fit Pro. They sound good, connect easily to my Apple Watch, and have most of the other features found in AirPods Pro.

Gaming

This is how you do Windows, right?

The biggest change in my gaming setup is the addition of the Lenovo Legion Go portable Windows gaming handheld to my setup. I don’t use it for every game I play, but I also purchased a ONEXGPU eGPU that gives me a nice graphics boost when playing the most demanding games. I pair the Legion Go with Logitech’s new Keys-To-Go 2 (which I reviewed in MacStories Weekly last month) and a yellow POP Mouse whenever I need to dive into Windows for more than launching a game.

The Anbernic RG35XXSP (left) and Miyoo Mini A30 (right).

Since I started NPC: Next Portable Console with Federico and Brendon Bigley, I have been exploring retro handhelds again, including two new devices:

Miyoo Mini A30, a Game Boy Micro-inspired handheld that’s perfect for travel

Anbernic RG35XXSP, a Game Boy Advance SP-inspired handheld that folds up to protect the screen and controls

Over time, I’m sure I’ll settle on one of these devices or my Miyoo Mini+ over the others, but so far, I’ve enjoyed rotating between all three.

Save the Hero Builders cartridge reader.

To copy ROMs from my collection of game cartridges I also added a Save the Hero Builders cartridge reader to my setup. It’s custom-built in Japan and based on an open source project. I love the look of the model I got with its yellow PCB and black thumbscrews. It looks intimidating but is actually pretty simple to use.

Of course, I have new controllers.

Finally, no gear update would be complete without a couple of new controllers. On Brendon’s recommendation, I picked up 8BitDo’s SN30 Pro in transparent green. It looks a lot like a classic SNES controller, but with thumbsticks. It’s nice and compact, which makes it a good companion for playing games on my 11” iPad Pro. For iPhone gaming I recently acquired the Razer Ultra controller, which is big but solidly-built and features high-quality components.

I also purchased a CRKD Nitro Deck+ wrap-around controller for my OLED Switch. The Nitro Deck+ transforms the Switch into something about the size of a Steam Deck, and compared to the original Nitro Deck model, this one features a quieter rumble feature and easier removal of the Switch. Plus, it’s transparent, which sealed the deal for me. My only reservation is that I’m not sure putting the ABXY buttons under the right thumbstick was a good idea, but I haven’t had the Nitro+ long enough to decide yet.

Okay, that’s all for now. For a complete overview of the tech I use every day, check out the Setups page. If you have any questions about the gear discussed above, feel free to get in touch with me in the Club MacStories Discord community, on Mastodon, or on Threads.