uh? just tested the link. it worked fine for me.

it's not that deep in terms of sound imo. i will tune a full set for use with dz60 flex-cut pcb later.

sorry but there will be no sound samples from me for now. i have tried to record switch sound many times. they all have significant differences from the actual ones. to avoid confusions later, it's better not to post them.

i have also tried to build something similar and compared to those from youtube before. they really sound differently from what're posted. hence, i don't believe in sound profiles at youtube also.

this is also why i don't bother about sound profiles in general. as long as i like the typing feels, it's really good enough for me. for instance, this board that i'm typing on now is an old kbd75v1. it's a tray-mount. i made it plateless, fully case foamed with poron, with tuned cherry mx black (62g linear rated springs), and epbt cool kids. i like the typing feels of this combo. i think it sounds nice also haha (syok sendiri )

i think it's better to learn basics, collect own typing experience, and then make own builds. they might not be good in others' eyes, but as long as they meet your expectations, it's really good enough.

edit: although there is a diference in usb port type, pcbs for kbd75v1 and kbd75v3.0/1 use the same firmware (kbd75 rev2).



This post has been edited by horns: Apr 15 2022, 10:55 AM

hahaha of course i use 75%; my preferred sizes are 60/65/75%.

i use 64-key 60% as my main layout because as of now, parts are still readily available (e.g., cx60 pcb which supports single 64-key layout; different plate types and thickness; pre-cut foams), and i can use up all the keys as frequently as possible

exactly. that's actually where the fun is imo, and one of the main reasons why i still make reference builds continuously.

basics are important for custom builds. the more you know, the better you understand underlying issues, and you will be more creative in solving issues. (within physical limits of parts used, of course)

i'm revisiting my basics now, from parts to mods. all keyboard constructions have their own strengths and weaknesses, and some of them still have significant rooms for improvement. i still pick up new stuff/little details along the way. it's really up to you to find out.

tbh, expensive kits don't mean they will give good typing experience out-of-box, and cheap kits don't mean they will be eternally bad. we have seen many failed attempts by users that were clueless about what they did, and i'm convicned that those who know better can make good builds out of cheap parts. the main reason that the same kit doesn't achieve desired outcomes is just the gap of experience/level of know-hows of the owners.

it really depends on your habits, and your needs for keys that are missing when you use 60%. then, you just need to get used to ithem.

in terms of layouts, a way to find out is to check out https://config.qmk.fm/ and load the supported layouts of 60% pcbs, e.g. standard-ansi, hhkb, and others. with chording, a lot of things are actually achievable with 60 or below.

i was a long-term gk-64 user previously, so i'm used to gk-64-style layout. i don't use right shift, so i make that 1u-right-shift as mo(2), for board settings. i can also set up the del key as mo(3) if i want to, because i can use shift + backspace as del.

yes, just learn, practice tuning/building at your own pace, and get more first-hand experience progressively.

for beginners, pick up soldering and desoldering, and then learn good practices for mkb building also. these are simple and straight forward. you just need practices to get better. although hot-swap boards have improved over time, and are convenient, soldered boards are always relatively better (it provides solid structural support in general).

eventually, you will realize that most of the time spent on building a custom board are the wait time for parts to arrive, and then the time you spend for repeated tuning and testing hehe

.. you are better than me in this chording thing i believe lol

haha

mkb tuning is a huge topic, from switches and other parts of a board, to techniques and ingredients used in mods. typing feels and sound are always the results of parts in a board working together, hence it's better for users to learn how to formulate builds appropriately with the right combos, to achieve what they actually want.

the learning process does take time, efforts, and patience though. but then, it's a hobby. there is no need to rush for anything. just pick things up at your own pace.

also, there is no right or wrong in many cases, because in the end, the thing that matters the most is whether you like the typing experience or not.

in short,

- aqua king v3 has the least stem wobbles (and sliders, switch top, bottom housing are transparent pc);
- zeal tealio has switch top wobbles (so it's better to get some switch films), and there are cheaper alternatives;
- durock dolphin has a relatively mushy feel (all silent linear switches have that in general)

in reality, it's better to get some for each to try out first. they feel and sound differently, but such qualities are subjective to preferences.

for zeal tealios v2, you can get it from the official gateron shop at taobao, https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=595375154187 (branded as gateron tealios v2) again, it's better to check out alternatives

yeah eventually we will have our own selections of stock and custom switches, skipping many that feel similar hehe

right, different setups will present different feel and sound with the same switch.

i guess the spring weight of cherry mx speed silver is too light for you (60g bottom-out; the same as cherry mx red). you should do spring swapping to 63.5g to 67g. (for linear rated spring options)

edit: besides aqua king v3, there is also one from kailh, under their box series, https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=672137808938 (2 variants, linear and tactile; noted the spring weights, it's 60g for linear)

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 21 2022, 04:35 PM

if you used brand new switches, or rare parts, for the sole purpose of combining them into what you want, then yes, they will be expensive. however, there are ways to achieve similar if not the same outcomes. for instance, one of the simplest ways is to pick a base switch that covers almost everything that you prefer. they are usually good to go with minimal tuning. these days, it's not hard to find these base switches, because, unlike years ago, the market is now saturated with readily-available options that are very likely meeting your expectations.

as for frankenswitches, it's a really the results of a progressive learning process that involves understanding characteristics, qualities, and compatibilities of switches, including their internals, starting with stock switches from different brands. they are relatively cheap to begin with. with the accumulated experience, you can formulate combinations of different parts into something that you want. eventually, you will realize that most of the times alternatives with similar outcomes can be made from much cheaper options, compared to those custom/boutique switches. (not 100%, but close enough)

to me, frankenswitches are just a way to make left-over parts from previous projects useful again haha

it's fine, just pick things up at your own pace. cherry mx speed silver is a linear key switch with shorter key travels, compared to cherry mx red. nowadays, there are many with such shorter key travels.

imo keys should not register if i rested my fingers on them, but yeah it's one of my preferences.

my hands were itchy just now, so i bricked a yd60mq with cx60 firmware due to carelessness, again. this is one of my common 'issues' when using different pcbs for builds with identical layouts. (i.e., dz60, yd60mq, and cx60) i can identify them easily (using via/vial), but still get mixed up sometimes.

luckily, this can be fixed easily: reset the pcb using tweezers, and reflash it with the correct firmware.

for local users, there is a mechmarket, https://www.facebook.com/groups/MYMECHMARKET/ there is one at mymkb's discord also, https://discord.com/invite/FEUMXhT

.. and then there are other well-known places that you can sell stuff internationally.

i don't see you should sell those unused ones. usually, it's better to keep them, in case you change to other layouts that are supported by your set. also, they might have better values in case you wanted to sell the set later.

it's really up to you. yes, some prefer untouched sets, but there are many that are ok with used ones also, as long as the conditions of the sets are acceptable to them.

if you're just interested in getting a full-size commercial prebuilt with relatively good build qualities, you can look for options by brands such as ikbc, ducky, durgod, filco, varmilo, and leopold.

a mechanical keyboard is still a keyboard. it's just that for mechanical keyboards, there are rich options for users to tune it according to own preferences. if you intended to do this, there are better options for you to get started, instead of prebuilts.

about cherry mx brown are good for typing, it's just marketing. it's like them telling us that cherry mx speed silver is good for gaming.

there are users who use ortho at mymkb, https://www.facebook.com/groups/MalaysiaMechanicalKeyboard

edit:

MelGeek MCR Horseman is at the shipping stage now. they are the first of the MCR profile.

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 25 2022, 11:37 AM

i will not recommend trying out with demonstration units to prevent possible covid-19 infections also.

cherry mx was used as reference because previously they were the original and predominant mx style mechanical key switches in the market. since few years ago, after cherry mx's patent expired, their clones were introduced also. for the base switch types, there is mainly 3: linear (red, black, silver), tactile (brown, clear), clicky (blue). for relatively quieter typing, usually linear and tactile switches are used; for even quieter environments, silent linear or tactile.

videos are only about sound, not feel. they are solely for reference, because sound and feel are the results of keyboard parts and mods working together, not just switches alone. reading is similar. yes, i do notice that you have done quite a lot of research, but without trying out even once. it's not a good sign, because this hobby needs first-hand experience, so that you know what're comfortable to you. mkbs last long. they are maintainable/repairable. hence, we make them to provide the most comfortable typing experience to us, so that we can enjoy using them, not get tortured by them.

for beginner, i will suggest you get a hot-swap prebuilt that supports switch swapping instead, from tecware, akko, keychron, or gmmk. since you like tactile, then start with tactile (cherry mx brown; gateron brown). you can get enough gateron yellow if you wanna try out linear, populating alpha area (cherry mx red might be too light for you)

to me, romer-g is just like cherry mx style key switches. there is no reason for users to throw away massive and fully compatible options for cherry mx style key switches, especially key caps, replacement parts, and the levels of switch customization that they can possibly achieve.

edit: note that the above are just my opinions. there is nothing wrong if you get logitech boards because you might like other features on them. it's really fine.




This post has been edited by horns: Apr 26 2022, 11:11 AM

we all started somewhere. mine was a full-size corsair k70 rgb. it's still kicking nicely after i belanja'ed it with kopi peng/coke/milo peng, etc. in different occasions.

i do make a lot of mistakes, like giving wrong comments, with then puny and limited experience. e.g., shiny ABS key caps are bad. now, i ended up getting more ABS key caps; and i think shiny key caps are ok haha

eventually, we all will come to a point and realize that there is no right or wrong in this hobby. as long as the owner is happy with their work, it's really good enough.

it's just a keyboard after all.

haha!

that's why i said mkbs are long lasting; proven by my own experience. in my case, i did clean it up with alcohol, and only used it after a week or two. now it's with corsair's thick pbt key caps.

well, technically it's not dead yet i think. lifted pads are still fixable, but yeah it will take more efforts to do so.

yeah things that we do for the betterment sometimes involve weird actions lol

xda profile, like dsa, are flat for me. however, they look nice haha

one of my favorites is this reference build with generic 60% plastic tray-mount case.



the case is warped, but fixed 'accidentally' with gasket-friction mounting hehe

it's not pretty, but its typing feel is nice (to me)

it's something like this.

it's a partial gasket friction mounting, because there are no cutout on pcb to prevent it from direct contact to the supporting extructions that are found around the internal of the case.

for now, dz60 flex-cut pcb has this kind of pre-cuts.

tried that. it does create relatively softened typing feel, compared to stock tray-mount. however i prefer gasket friction mounting, because no screw is used, which help to reduce hard spot effects a little bit more imo. also, i leave a gap filled with thin foam between pcb and standoffs.

as a refresh about these tray-mount mods:

- a tray-mount board usually produces firm/hard typing feel, with additional hard spots at the areas of supporting extrusions and standoffs of the case.
- gummy o-ring mod makes a tray-mount build to have gasket-mount-like softened typing feel, and eliminates hard spots. physical work needs to be done on pcb, and case.
- o-ring and this gasket friction mounting give relatively softened typing feel compared to stock tray-mount, with reduced hard spot effects.

edit: note that the firm/hard typing feel of the tray-mount is still there. it's just relatively 'softened' by o-ring and gasket friction mounting mods.

This post has been edited by horns: Apr 27 2022, 11:40 AM

recently i bought some generic 60% tray-mount plastic cases from ymdk, in order for me to revisit ways of improving typing feel for builds with such cases. in general, plastic cases are nice, because they have no pings.

tbh, this type of generic plastic cases do requires things to be taken care of. also, warped cases are common. however, these are fixable to certain extents to have acceptable outcomes. they have their own short comings and physical limits. if you expected characteristics that are absent in plastic cases, just find others that come with such characteristics.

here's a list of basic things that i think worth the efforts to be implemented with such combos. these suggestions are based on my preferences. (e.g., clean singular key sound; minimal vibrations during typing; my builds don't need to be rgb-friendly) you should make your own adjustments:

1. case. imo, it's better to fill the space up with relatively soft vibration-absorbing/sound-dampening materials between pcb and case. in some builds, i use cotton + paper towel. (i.e., fill the case cavities up with cotton; then few layers of paper towel on top of standoffs) material wise, it's up to you, e.g. you can use silicon to fill up the case.

2. bottom of case. you can try eva foam strips, instead of stock rubber feets.

3. screws. use m2 x 6 hex screws if possible, so that you can add rubber o-rings below pcb. DO NOT overtighten the screws. secure the screws just enough to hold the pcb, and only at both sides of the case.

usually, the typing feel will improve, compared to the ones without them.