Tools I break, gear I can't live without.
This is the unfiltered inventory of what's helping me build Prisma News, run a label on the side, and not completely lose my mind in the process.
Workstation
16” MacBook Pro, M3 Pro, 32GB RAM (2023)
Finally, a machine that never interrupts my creative flow. I can have my IDE, DAW, a dozen Docker microservices, a photo editor, and a music player all running simultaneously, without a single hiccup. It keeps up with everything I throw at it, and I absolutely love it.
43” 4K LED Samsung TV (as monitor)
I initially chose this monitor for music production, but it quickly became my go-to for everything else as well. While it’s not perfect, the experience improves because I sit a bit farther away, which makes any drawbacks less noticeable.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini for Mac
What can I say? I love the satisfying sound of mechanical keyboards. Plus, since I use two laptops, the Bluetooth switching feature lets me control both machines with a single keyboard. Super convenient!
Logitch MX Master 3S for Mac
The Apple Magic Mouse is a piece of art, a beautiful blend of trackpad and mouse. However, its ergonomics leave something to be desired, and I often experience discomfort after long sessions. In contrast, this Logitech mouse also supports gesture controls like the Magic Mouse, but adds extra buttons and a much more ergonomic design, making it far more comfortable for extended use.
Music production
Focusrite Scarllet 4i4
It may not be considered the best in the industry, but I have no complaints about its sound quality. If I ever find that this audio interface is limiting my productions, I’ll upgrade. Until then, I’m happy to keep using it.
RØDE Podcaster Micrphone
I often sing out the sounds I want as placeholders, a trick I picked up from Timbaland. Besides that, I use this microphone for video calls and recording voiceovers. It’s a solid mic for everyday tasks, but definitely not meant for recording professional vocals.
2x 5” KRK Rockit 5
I picked these up a while back because they seemed to be in almost every YouTube video and studio photo of music producers. You’ve probably seen them too: the speakers with the yellow cones. They’re decent, but I still rely on headphones to double-check the low end.
Senhnheiser HD 650
In my opinion, these are the best headphones for music production. I’ve had them since 2017, and after replacing the cushions a few weeks ago, they feel brand new all over again.
Komplete Kontrol A49 Midi Controller
No music producer can do without a MIDI controller. I do wish I made better use of the knobs, though—they could add a more natural feel to my automations.
Ableton Live 12 DAW
There are countless DAW options available today, but Ableton Live has become the industry standard for electronic music production. I love using it not only for its powerful features, but also because it lets me write code and create custom devices. It’s the perfect fit for software engineers who are also music producers.
Development tools
Intellij IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is, in my opinion, the best IDE available, even though it doesn’t support every language out there. Fortunately, it covers the main languages I use most often: Java, Scala, TypeScript, and Go.
iTerm2
I use it in fullscreen, arranging multiple instances into columns and rows on the same screen. It might look chaotic, but I enjoy having an overview of all my running processes, logs, and everything else at a glance.
Claude Code
I use Claude both as a standalone tool in the terminal and as a plugin for IntelliJ IDEA. So far, it’s outperformed every other AI coding agent I’ve tried, proving to be a much more robust coder.
Design
Pixemlmator Pro
I’ve used Pixelmator for years and have really appreciated how it’s consistently improved over time. Now that Apple has acquired them, I might have to look for another Photoshop alternative. I just can’t get behind paying subscriptions for offline software—what’s the point, Adobe?