RGB hues bathe Beatles-themed retro Apple rig in otherworldly light [Setups]

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Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Photo: Real-Apartment-1130@Reddit.com

Sometimes you just can’t help taking a wholistic approach to a computer setup, taking in the whole room. That’s what happens when the user makes their home office a veritable museum like that which surrounds today’s featured MacBook Pro setup.

Three themes set it apart: The Beatles, the variety of RGB lighting and the concrete blocks holding up the Ikea countertop and the retro Thunderbolt Displays sitting on it.

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RGB lighting bathes retro Thunderbolt displays on cinderblocks in otherworldly hues

Redditor Real-Apartment-1130 (“Rapt”) showcased the cinderblock-y workstation in a post entitled, “Retro Mac Setup.” He runs a 2017 MacBook Pro with not one, not two but three 27-inch Thunderbolt displays from yesteryear.

The LED-backlit monitors can get up to 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution and feature a built-in MagSafe connector that charges a Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

Apple intended the display to be the “ultimate docking station” for a Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook. You could connect one cable and use the display’s built-in FaceTime HD camera, microphone, 2.1 speakers (49 watts), three USB 2.0 ports, Firewire “800” port, Gigabit Ethernet port and Thunderbolt port.

3 types of RGB lighting

The home office appears not to get any natural light, so various kinds of lighting come into play. There are six lamps in the wide-angle photograph below. But not just lamps.

In addition to Ikea lamps and a Wyze gooseneck LED floor lamp, the setup takes advantage of three kinds of RGB lighting. It sports Govee RGB bulbs, Govee light strips and one we hadn’t seen before, a Govee rope light with music syncing and more.

Cinder blocks? Really?

“Why cinderblocks?” asked a commenter, with others echoing the question. “Aren’t you worried about bumping your toe on that?”

“I’ve had it several months and haven’t bumped, nicked, or scratched any body part yet,” Rapt replied.

Another person said they’d used cinder blocks as stands for items like TVs and fish tanks. They noted they used to get the concrete blocks for 25 cents apiece at Home Depot.

“Now they cost $1.77 but I still thought it was a good deal!” Rapt enthused. (We found them for $2.49. See them and the setup’s gear and decor in the links list below.)

Yep, those are concrete blocks holding up the countertop.
Yep, those are concrete blocks holding up the countertop.
Photo: Real-Apartment-1130@Reddit.com

Meet the Beatles, all over the place

You can’t help but notice at a glance that the home office is an homage to the Beatles. Sure, that’s Kurt Cobain on the right-hand display and a still from Fight Club on the left, but the room belongs to the Fab Four.

If you look carefully, you’ll spot the Lego John Lennon portrait (and Lego mini figures lined up on the center monitor), a Lego Yellow Submarine building kit, a Lego Sgt. Peppers Austin Mini Van, and Sgt. Peppers and Yellow Submarine posters, among other items.

And Rapt is a musician, too. You can’t miss the electric guitars on the wall overlooking amplifiers. But there’s another item of note, too.

The first MIDI keyboard compatible with iOS, Mac and PC

On the tiered table to the right of the cinder-block desk sits a Line6 Mobile Keys MIDI Controller. The company called it the “first-ever MIDI keyboard compatible with iOS, Mac and PC.”

It features 25 full-size, velocity-sensitive keys and supports GarageBand and other music apps. It’s powered by iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC, with no batteries or adaptor needed.

If we tried to list all the doodads in this home office, this Setups article would be a mile long.
If we tried to list all the doodads in this home office, this Setups article would be a mile long.
Photo: Real-Apartment-1130@Reddit.com

Shop these items now:

Computer and displays:

Input devices:

Audio:

Furniture and lighting:

Decor:

If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.

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