Our work lives, along with everything else, have been turned upside down in the past few months and many of us find ourselves working from home offices for the first time. Some people are loving the newfound freedom and productivity, while others just want things to go back to normal. Whichever side you’re on, you will benefit from some simple office upgrades. And Ted Brown Music can help!
Speakers
Let’s be frank - the built-in speakers in our laptops just don’t get the job done. There isn’t much space inside your typical laptop to produce a great sound. Plus, laptops are made with the average user in mind - not the music lover or audiophile.
But lousy laptop sound has serious drawbacks. Zoom meetings feel awkward enough without having to ask your coworkers to repeat themselves. And how are you supposed to get a good groove going if you can’t feel the beat through those tiny laptop speakers? You just can’t. You need real speakers.
Multimedia Speakers: CR3-X Series Studio Monitors from Mackie are designed for premium sound that won't break the bank, and are ideal for home studios, multimedia creation, AV post-production and broadcast, not to mention just bumping your tunes.
The Worthwhile Upgrade: Popular with audio engineers who need to hear every detail of their recordings, the Eris E4.5 studio monitors from PreSonus are perfect for music lovers, content creators, and gamers. The elegant and compact figure is ideal for home use, and bluetooth functionality will keep the clutter off your desk.
Headphones
For those of us who share our space with a house-bound spouse or children, a more discrete audio option might be in order. We’ve got you covered there too, so you can enjoy premium sound without disturbing your familial coworkers.
Studio Quality Headphones: ATH-M50XBT2 from Audio Technica are the monitors to beat, with studio quality sound at a great price. These headphones give an even frequency response, ensuring accurate sound quality with just a bit more oomph on the lower end. This new version of the classic ATH-m50x offers bluetooth!
The Noise-Cancelling Option: Working from home can be distracting, so if you need the added isolation of noise cancelling headphones, reach for the HD10BT from PreSonus. This set also has bluetooth, so you won’t be bugged by pesky cords.
The Worthwhile Upgrade: Audio Technica’s BPS1 Headset offers a broadcast-quality microphone and a microphone jack, so you can plug it into a computer and get crystal clear sound in your Zoom meetings. This is also a premium option for the online gamers in the audience.
Microphones
Headsets aren’t for everybody, but great sound is. If you want great sound in your teleconference without the headgear, you need a good microphone. And no, that hunk of junk built into your laptop doesn’t cut it.
The Plug & Play USB Mic: Microphones don’t have to be complicated. With the AT2005USB from Audio Technica, all you have to do is plug it into your computer’s USB port and you’ll be the envy of your Zoom meetings.
The Worthwhile Upgrade: We’re a music store, so we assume you’re reading our blog because you like music as much as we do. If you’re looking for a microphone that can pull double-duty in your home office and home recording studio, look no further than the AT2020USB+ from Audio Technica, which offers improved sensitivity while maintaining the plug-and-go ease of USB.
Bonus Round
Alright, you’re hearing well and sounding great. Why not go a step further? Consider getting yourself a boom arm and pop filter.
A boom arm like the MBS5000 from ProFormance will make your life easier by allowing quiet, easy, and repeatable positioning, even while on-air.
Pop filters will cut back on the excess sound that high-quality mics can sometimes pick up, like the popping sound your mouth makes when pronouncing P’s and B’s. A simple pop-filter like the ProFormance PS60 puts a light filtering layer between you and your mic, smoothing out your sound for a more polished effect.
Did we miss anything?
What are you doing to take your home office to the next level? We’d love to hear how you’ve been adjusting. Let us know in the comment section below!