github soundcloud
Setup
Jan 29, 2017
4 minutes read

Peripherals

  • Monitor: Samsung C34F791 (CF791) (3440x1440 100Hz) (80 cm wide)
  • Monitor mount: AmazonBasics Premium Single Monitor Stand
  • Mouse: Logitech G403 (500 DPI)
  • Mouse pad: SteelSeries QCK XXL
  • Keyboard: Keyboardio Model 01
  • Sound card: RME UCX USB
  • Speakers: EVE Audio SC207
  • Speaker stands: Audioengine DS2
  • Headphones: AKG K701, Moni One
  • Instruments: Ableton Push, Kawai VPC1
  • USB hub: EXSYS EX-1188HMS (7 ports)

Desk

  • Table top: IKEA Gerton
  • Desk sit/stand underframe: LINAK DESKLINE
  • Desk sit/stand controller: LINAK CBD6S

MacBook Pro specs

  • Model: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
  • CPU: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7
  • RAM: 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

PC specs

  • OS: Fedora Linux
  • Case: Fractal Design Define XL
  • Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING PRO
  • CPU: 3.5GHz Intel Core i5-6600K Skylake (quad core)
  • CPU fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
  • RAM: 32GB Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 2400MHz
  • GPU: Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 4GB Gaming

Cabling

Cable organization has a lot of similarities with programming. Cables and programming are about signal flows and how to best take advantage of them. The backbone of the internet is made up of cables, you know?

We as humans like to use signals to be creative, and that is why I care too.

To make a modular highly versatile system requires some thought. You have to think about hubs, switches, splitters and so on.

Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are. – Alfred Austin

Show me your cable organization, and I’ll know how much uneccesary complexity and messiness you are capable of bringing into a system.

Most of my cables are white since they blend more into the surroundings. They are also as short as possible. If they are not short, cable ties are used. Audio cables are heaily shielded to avoid noise (I’m avoiding mysterious coil whine by using a balanced XLR cable, for instance).

From To Length (m) Format Purpose Brand
DisplayPort DisplayPort 3 DisplayPort 1.2 3440x1440 monitor Accell
Schuko C13 (female) 1.5 Power Active speakers Clas Ohlson
TOSLINK TOSLINK 2 S/PDIF Active speakers EMK
TRS (3.5 mm) TRS (6.35 mm) 2 Audio Korg MS-20 Mini designacable
TRS (6.35 mm) XLR 1 Audio Active speakers designacable
TRS (6.35 mm) RCA 10 Audio Amplifier designacable
USB B USB A 1.5 Data All USB A devices DJ TechTools
USB B USB B (female) 0.5 Data YubiKey UGREEN
USB B USB B (female) 0.5 Data Keyboardio Model 01 UGREEN
USB B USB C (magnetic) 0.5 Data Keyboardio Model 01 PZOZ
RJ45 RJ45 3 Data Switch to NAS YCYYBO
RJ45 RJ45 3 Data Router to switch

Hubs used for these cables are the RME UCX audio interface, EXSYS EX-1188HMS 7 port USB hub and Brennenstuhl Hugo 8 port Schuko hub.

The RME UCX can be connected by ADAT to something like a Behringer ADA8200 for 8 more XLR inputs. Pretty powerful stuff.

designacable is my go to for audio cables. They do an excellent job. It’s a relatiely small shop based in the UK. Looks like they can get almost anything done. Most of my audio cables are Van Damme with Neutrik connectors. I recently discovered that someone named Hb52 on Hifisentralen.no also makes custom Van Damme cables, I might try that next time, especially for hifi purposes. The thing I like about designacable is that they carry white cables.

Also check out Kabelprodusenter topic at Hifisentralen.no.

Another useful cable shop is fs.com.

Glossary

Too many terms.

Term Meaning Explanation
ADAT Alesis Digital Audio Tape Format used to connect audio interfaces together
C13 The female counterpart for C14 Plug for power
CAT6 Category 6 Cable specification for networking
RCA Radio Corporation of America Plug for analog audio
RJ45 Registered jack-45 Plug for networking
S/PDIF Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format Digital audio format
Schuko Schutzkontakt Plug for power
TOSLINK Toshiba Link Plug for digital audio (often S/PDIF, and also ADAT)
TRS Tip, ring, sleeve Plug for analog audio
USB Universal Serial Bus
XLR X Latch Rubber Plug for analog audio

You start to see some common themes. It’s interesting to know that the internet was made using cables that was meant for audio and telephones. You can send morse code through sound, right? That’s binary data.

Raspberry Pi specs

  • OS: Raspbian Lite with i3 window manager
  • Model: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
  • SD card: Samsung MicroSD Evo 32GB
  • Power supply: EU Micro USB Power Supply from The Pi Hut

Networking

  • Router and firewall: PCEngines APU2C2 with pfSense
  • Switch: TP-Link TL-SG108E
  • Access point: Ubiquity UAP-AC-LR

I also maxed out my WAN with my old RT-AC68U in AC mode (BCM4709 Wi-Fi chipset).

If I had to do it over I would probably get a PoE switch such as the Ubiquiti UniFi US-8-60W.

You might as well run Docker on a Raspberry Pi.

Notable software

  • Emacs
  • Ableton Live
  • Keyscape
  • Pianoteq Stage
  • Firefox

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