| Cult of Mac

Stunning Mac mini streaming rig took 2 years to perfect [Setups]

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Setups RetroGameCollector-Reddit
Check the links list below to explore all the gear here.
Photo: RetroGameCollector@Reddit.com

It might seem unlikely that a computer setup could take 2 years to build and idealize — until you see just how loaded and beautiful it is. Today’s M2 Pro Mac mini went through many iterations in the past couple of years, its user said, and now they’re finally happy with it.

And they should be. The setup rips through gaming and streaming tasks using an awesome lineup of gear. Read more below and check out that gear list.

Mac Studio makes most of new super-ultra-wide display [Setups]

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Lights, camera, action! This Mac Studio rig is ready for videoconferencing and more.
Lights, camera, action! This Mac Studio rig is ready for videoconferencing and more.
Photo: Busy-Telephone-6360@Reddit.com

Some computer setups are bare-bones but functional, others are swanky as all-get-out. Leaning toward the latter, today’s setup rocks a powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio desktop computer driving a new, 49-inch Samsung G9 super-ultra-wide display.

But that’s not all the finery the solid standing desk supports. Festooned with key lights, it’s also a great videoconferencing station, with a premium webcam, a mounted USB microphone and killer speakers.

Take studio sound on the go with Røde Wireless Pro

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Røde Wireless Pro microphones, recorder, cases and cables.
It’s not just a microphone — it’s a whole set of recording gear.
Photo: RØDE

Røde, maker of high-quality audio products from Australia, has unveiled what it calls “the most powerful wireless mic ever”. The Røde Wireless Pro is a system of elegant and compact microphones with an audio recorder that “delivers crystal-clear, incredibly stable audio with a range of up to 260m.”

The kit comes with all the accessories needed to connect to any modern smartphone, computer and camera rig. Røde’s GainAssist makes sure you have balanced sound in any circumstance and the Røde Central software for Mac and PC easily syncs it with your video.

The Røde Wireless Pro kit retails for $399 and will be available later this month.

iPhone 15 rumors + iOS 17 beta horror stories [The CultCast]

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iPhone 15 rumors - The CultCast episode 603
The iPhone 15 rumors are becoming clearer ...
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest iPhone 15 rumors paint a somewhat troubling picture. This year’s models might look a lot like last year’s models, which already seemed pretty darn familiar. Plus, is that camera hump really going to get even bigger? And will we once again revert to non-parity between Pro models, so you have to go ridiculously large to get the best features? Oh dear …

Also on The CultCast:

  • The iOS 17 public betas arrive, but should you really install them on your daily driver? Our lousy experiences with the buggy software make that a pretty hard no unless you’ve got extreme tolerance for iPhone malfunctions.
  • Craving that bigger iMac we heard about recently? Better put on your waiting pants.
  • Jony Ive returns to hardware design with a very pricey product. Meanwhile, his precious $300 book Designed by Apple in California would have made a very smart investment.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Powerhouse MacBook Pro drives 2 Studio Displays with 1 cable [Setups]

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A powerful new MacBook Pro and two Studio Displays make the most of this attractive setup.
A powerful new MacBook Pro and two Studio Displays make the most of this attractive setup.
Photo: jfrenaye@Reddit.com

A top question folks have when they put together a computers setup is, “how simply can I connect everything?” How little hardware and how few cables can I get away with?

Today’s featured M2 Max MacBook Pro setup makes things easy by driving two beautiful Studio Displays with one cable via one of the best docks on the market. And don’t miss the great-yet-affordable speakers and cool podcasting gear, either.

Mac Studio pairs well with LG ultra-wide 5K display [Setups]

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This Mac Studio user couldn't be much happier with his LG 5K2K curved ultra-wide display.
This Mac Studio user couldn't be much happier with his LG 5K2K curved ultra-wide display.
Photo: steffengious@Reddit.com

In the battle over who offers the best 5K display, Apple doesn’t always win, even with Mac users. And it’s usually because of price.

Today’s featured Mac Studio setup relies on a 40-inch LG 5K2K curved ultra-wide monitor — picked over a pair of Studio Displays that would cost twice as much — and the user more-or-less said they they couldn’t be happier.

MacBook Pro rig depends on Studio Display stand-in [Setups]

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A MacBook Pro and a Lenovo PC laptop rely on a 27-inch Alogic Clarity 4K external monitor.
A MacBook Pro and a Lenovo PC laptop rely on a 27-inch Alogic Clarity 4K external monitor.
Photo: migueltomas@Reddit.com

Apple’s 5K Studio Display in on the pricey side for many folks, so many less-expensive 4K monitors like the one in today’s featured MacBook Pro and Lenovo laptop setup tend to stand in for it.

But not every big-selling 4K display is designed to look like it belongs in an Apple setup. This one is.

Rode unveils all-in-one Streamer X and RodeCaster Duo for content creators

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The compact, portable RødeCaster Duo can do everything the RødeCaster Pro II can do.
The compact, portable RødeCaster Duo can do everything the RødeCaster Pro II can do.
Photo: Røde

Australian audio powerhouse Røde introduced five new products and two major software updates Monday — its “biggest product announcement ever,” it said — at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas.

Two new products headlined — the Streamer X audio interface/video capture card and the compact RødeCaster Duo AV production tool. The new PodMic USB, important firmware updates to the Wireless Go II mic system and the RødeCaster Pro II production tool, and handy new accessories rounded out the mix.

Røde’s tiny new mic system goes for ultimate ease-of-use

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The compact system is great for use with small cameras and smartphones.
The compact system is great for use with small cameras and smartphone cameras.
Photo: Rode

The new Røde Wireless ME Compact Wireless Microphone System, with clip-on transmitter and receiver, tries to make pro-level audio recording effortless — not to mention inexpensive.

With the new release, content creators who want to hit the ground running with quality audio have another option.

Major workstation makeover covers all bases [Setups]

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The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame.
The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame.
Photo: nicknotes@Reddit.com

We often see big upgrades to setups we’ve covered here in the past. But they’re not usually comprehensive, where everything from the daily-driver Mac to the input devices to the audio gear gets made over (and in some cases greatly expanded).

Let’s just say today’s featured MacBook Pro setup looked a lot different 2 years ago. It’s more evidence that a setup is never, ever “done.”