Oct 25, 2017
20,274
Since switching to work from home I'm using headphones a whole lot less and am now looking for something quieter in my keys. I have Hako Clears now but am looking at some of these Topre options or even the Niz keyboards. Anyone have experience?
 

Aurongel

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
7,065
Since switching to work from home I'm using headphones a whole lot less and am now looking for something quieter in my keys. I have Hako Clears now but am looking at some of these Topre options or even the Niz keyboards. Anyone have experience?
I have a cheaper hot swap board with recycled keycaps and Zealio Zilent switches. They are literally more silent than my MacBook Pro keyboard and are a massive improvement in both tactility and silence from the MX Clears and Hako Clears I used before.
 
Oct 25, 2017
20,274
Are there other websites that offer customized keyboards?

All you're doing is customizing the key caps and honestly the quality of those caps kind of suck compared to some sets I've bought. You're better off buying a solid board and then hunting for keycaps

I have a cheaper hot swap board with recycled keycaps and Zealio Zilent switches. They are literally more silent than my MacBook Pro keyboard and are a massive improvement in both tactility and silence from the MX Clears and Hako Clears I used before.

I was looking at the Niz which uses electrostatic switches. I'll check out the Zealios but I don't really wanna futz with switch swapping.
 

Keywork

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,190
1. That method of lubing is suspect at best.
2. You'd almost certainly lose the tactility.

First, thank you. The board I got says it is coming from the factory pre-lubed. It is a Durgod Hades 68, FWIW. Also, I know it is suspect. After seeing a number of people talk about that method I mentioned or "spray-lubing" and it not hurting their boards I thought it might actually work. I wanted to pass it by some real enthusiasts first as this is only my second MK and while I would love to invest more into the hobby I just don't have the funds to do so at this time. Maybe I will pick up some stuff to solder at a later date and begin to toy around with it, or just save up some more money so I can afford a hot-swap set-up.
 

Zissou

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,917
First, thank you. The board I got says it is coming from the factory pre-lubed. It is a Durgod Hades 68, FWIW. Also, I know it is suspect. After seeing a number of people talk about that method I mentioned or "spray-lubing" and it not hurting their boards I thought it might actually work. I wanted to pass it by some real enthusiasts first as this is only my second MK and while I would love to invest more into the hobby I just don't have the funds to do so at this time. Maybe I will pick up some stuff to solder at a later date and begin to toy around with it, or just save up some more money so I can afford a hot-swap set-up.

I think you'd probably be best off not risking that lubing method. I think a negative outcome is more likely than a positive one, and if you're constrained by funds at the moment, it seems like a potentially expensive gamble to risk damaging the keyboard you're currently using. The best lubing methods usually involve applying lube to very specific parts of the switch, using lube very sparingly, and using different lube for the springs vs the stem/housing. You could always test it too: you could buy some loose Gateron browns and try lubing them with that method and see what happens— that'd a be low risk/low cost way to find out for sure.
 

Taco_Human

Member
Jan 6, 2018
4,254
MA
I fixed the springs in my Model M keyboard, it's been a few months but damn I missed this thing. It's older than me!
 
May 25, 2019
6,072
London
Been thinking about getting a legit mechanical keyboard. Pretty much settled on either a 65% or TKL, but would like something quiet to the point where I don't always have to mute my phone when typing on conference calls.

I see that Ducky One 2's come with Silent Red's - does anyone have experience with those? Or would I be able to get by with something like the Drop Alt or Drop Ctrl with Brown's?
 

Keywork

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,190
Been thinking about getting a legit mechanical keyboard. Pretty much settled on either a 65% or TKL, but would like something quiet to the point where I don't always have to mute my phone when typing on conference calls.

I see that Ducky One 2's come with Silent Red's - does anyone have experience with those? Or would I be able to get by with something like the Drop Alt or Drop Ctrl with Brown's?

The Drop boards are hot swappable so you can play around with a variety of switches to find your preference. Plus you get a nice aluminum body with the Drop boards over the plastic (though high quality) that house the Ducky. Browns will always have a bit of a clickiness to them whereas the reds are pretty much silent.
 

madpeon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
52
Been thinking about getting a legit mechanical keyboard. Pretty much settled on either a 65% or TKL, but would like something quiet to the point where I don't always have to mute my phone when typing on conference calls.

I see that Ducky One 2's come with Silent Red's - does anyone have experience with those? Or would I be able to get by with something like the Drop Alt or Drop Ctrl with Brown's?

I just received a Leopold FC750R PD with Silent Reds and I'd definitely recommend checking one out if you're looking for an another alternative. The build quality is incredible and the noise level is minimal.
 

the_bromo_tachi

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
1,381
Japan
Are the holy pandas any good? 🤔 Thinking about using drop credit to get them. I was waiting for some good key caps but haven't seen anything I like on drop yet.
 

Aurongel

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
7,065
I use a Drop Alt with hot swappable Zealio Zilent switches.

It is both more tactile than any Cherry switch and also quieter than any chiclet laptop keyboard or Cherry switch - including Silent Reds/Blacks.

The Zealios are pricey but they are such a substantial cut above the rest in every way that it effectively killed any urge I had to upgrade my board once I installed them. You can't beat perfection (if you can swing it).
 
May 25, 2019
6,072
London
I just received a Leopold FC750R PD with Silent Reds and I'd definitely recommend checking one out if you're looking for an another alternative. The build quality is incredible and the noise level is minimal.

Where did you order it from? Did it come with Silent Reds already, or did you have to swap them in?

I use a Drop Alt with hot swappable Zealio Zilent switches.

It is both more tactile than any Cherry switch and also quieter than any chiclet laptop keyboard or Cherry switch - including Silent Reds/Blacks.

The Zealios are pricey but they are such a substantial cut above the rest in every way that it effectively killed any urge I had to upgrade my board once I installed them. You can't beat perfection (if you can swing it).

This sounds like something right up my alley. Where did you get the Zealio Zilent's from?
 

RedMercury

Blue Venus
Member
Dec 24, 2017
17,805
It's funny because I work from home and I actually want the keyboard to be loud so people know I'm typing and that's why I'm not talking haha, or if I need a minute to figure something out just pretend like I'm typing so I don't have to talk
 

Aurongel

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
7,065
Where did you order it from? Did it come with Silent Reds already, or did you have to swap them in?



This sounds like something right up my alley. Where did you get the Zealio Zilent's from?
zealpc.net

Zilent™ V2 Switches (Silent Tactile)

One order = 10x switches. All Zilent V2s have reduced wobble that's less than Holy Pandas, while managing to be even more tactile with a bigger, smoother bump as well. Bump starts at the very top of the keypress. Voted Best modern keyboard or company - Deskthority Awards 2016 "I can assure you...

I ordered the 78g ("heaviest") variant I believe, they require a level of force to actuate that's between Cherry Brown and Clear in my opinion. I use them for everything from work productivity to gaming. If you were leaning towards linear switches then you should probably go for one of the two lighter flavors.
 

Leandras

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
1,462
Anyone else experiencing bad rgb with the corsair k series keyboards?

I had a K70mk2 before but had to return it due to a lot of keys not displaying random colors.

Then I took the k95 as a replacement and its better but after a few months the right control button is always dim and some other keys started doing it too until I gave it a light tap from the back.

Dont think Ill rush for rgb next time.
 

madpeon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
52
Where did you order it from? Did it come with Silent Reds already, or did you have to swap them in?



This sounds like something right up my alley. Where did you get the Zealio Zilent's from?

MechanicalKeyboards.com had them in stock a few weeks ago. Availability varies based on colors (I just got the all black).

Switches come preinstalled as they are soldered to the board and not hot swappable. Generally Leopold's are considered one of the best prebuilt keyboards if you want a basic high quality board (no RGB). The PD version has Cherry Profile double shot PBT keycaps.
 
May 25, 2019
6,072
London
zealpc.net

Zilent™ V2 Switches (Silent Tactile)

One order = 10x switches. All Zilent V2s have reduced wobble that's less than Holy Pandas, while managing to be even more tactile with a bigger, smoother bump as well. Bump starts at the very top of the keypress. Voted Best modern keyboard or company - Deskthority Awards 2016 "I can assure you...

I ordered the 78g ("heaviest") variant I believe, they require a level of force to actuate that's between Cherry Brown and Clear in my opinion. I use them for everything from work productivity to gaming. If you were leaning towards linear switches then you should probably go for one of the two lighter flavors.

Thanks, think I'm going to recreate this. Now I just need to get one of those fancy cables...
 

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,945
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Ducky Shine 7 Blackout(Cherry Brown) pushed back again to September 10... Think I'm just going to cancel and buy another keyboard. Getting tired of waiting. lol What keyboard do you guys recommend that's available?
 

Kainazzo

Member
Dec 13, 2017
672
Still using my old Das Keyboard Model S from 2009. I feel like I can go quieter than Cherry brown switches in 2020, but it's a full size board and works perfectly after 11 years of heavy use, can't bring myself to get rid of it!

The laser etching on some keys is finally starting to fade, double shot keys are a must if I ever upgrade.

Those Zilents look pretty good for a brown replacement, are there any other "brown, but better" options out there?
 

nullref

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,091
Those Zilents look pretty good for a brown replacement, are there any other "brown, but better" options out there?

I haven't tried any of these yet myself, but in addition to Zealios/Zilents, T1s and Holy Pandas are popular premium tactiles. Neither are silenced, though, if that's what you're looking for. Holy Pandas are a frankenswitch that have generally been expensive/hard to build, though Drop has done a couple runs of them, and it looks as though Glorious plans to sell some knock-off of it soon.

In terms of switches more directly similar to MX Browns, Gateron Browns are designed to emulate them, but are reportedly a bit smoother, and then have a silent variant.
 

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,945
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Deciding now between
mechanicalkeyboards.com

Mechanical Keyboards

The Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Catalog. Shop from thousands of Keyboards, Switches, Keycaps, DIY parts, Accessories, Mice, and more.
and
mechanicalkeyboards.com

Mechanical Keyboards

The Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Catalog. Shop from thousands of Keyboards, Switches, Keycaps, DIY parts, Accessories, Mice, and more.
Both look pretty dope and high quality.
 

pillowtalk

Member
Oct 10, 2018
2,599
My candybar round 2 came in. I'm still trying out different layouts. It feels very weird so far.

HFgrdqp.jpg
 
May 25, 2019
6,072
London
zealpc.net

Zilent™ V2 Switches (Silent Tactile)

One order = 10x switches. All Zilent V2s have reduced wobble that's less than Holy Pandas, while managing to be even more tactile with a bigger, smoother bump as well. Bump starts at the very top of the keypress. Voted Best modern keyboard or company - Deskthority Awards 2016 "I can assure you...

I ordered the 78g ("heaviest") variant I believe, they require a level of force to actuate that's between Cherry Brown and Clear in my opinion. I use them for everything from work productivity to gaming. If you were leaning towards linear switches then you should probably go for one of the two lighter flavors.

So as an update, all my stuff arrived this weekend and I built the board. The Zilents came with these two little plastic standoffs on the bottom that prevented them from going into the Drop Alt - I had to clip them off of each switch to get them to insert in. Then when testing the keys, I noticed a couple that weren't registering, so I had to yank them out and fix the actual parts that connect with the PCB. Once that was done though, it's been working great
 

Arebours

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,656
can someone recommend me a couple of split ergonomic keyboards? diy is also fine. I need to do something about my rsi.

I like the look of corne keyboards
01296d53-2b01-4eaf-b999-e686f117295d.jpg


anyone has experience with these?

There are so many variant. Lily58, Minidox and so on. I don't even know how to choose.
 
Last edited:

Xils

Member
Feb 4, 2020
3,522
can someone recommend me a couple of split ergonomic keyboards? diy is also fine. I need to do something about my rsi.

I like the look of corne keyboards
01296d53-2b01-4eaf-b999-e686f117295d.jpg


anyone has experience with these?

There are so many variant. Lily58, Minidox and so on. I don't even know how to choose.
I'm using Iris from keeb.io
image_40c373f0-683d-40dd-ae0e-15ede60aaaa1_1024x1024@2x.jpg

I still need num row so I can't go smaller than this.
You have a choice of using 2x1u or 1x2u for the thumb button. The only complaint I have is the thumb clusters can be a bit cramp but overall I'm happy with it. I also recommend tent up your split keyboard, it's better for your wrist.

You can also check out ergodox.
 

spool

Member
Oct 27, 2017
774
I'm still dreaming of that customized Dactyl Manuform that I will never be able to build.
 

Arebours

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,656
I'm using Iris from keeb.io
image_40c373f0-683d-40dd-ae0e-15ede60aaaa1_1024x1024@2x.jpg

I still need num row so I can't go smaller than this.
You have a choice of using 2x1u or 1x2u for the thumb button. The only complaint I have is the thumb clusters can be a bit cramp but overall I'm happy with it. I also recommend tent up your split keyboard, it's better for your wrist.

You can also check out ergodox.
thanks. this looks pretty good.
 

Just Great

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,051
can someone recommend me a couple of split ergonomic keyboards? diy is also fine. I need to do something about my rsi.

I like the look of corne keyboards
01296d53-2b01-4eaf-b999-e686f117295d.jpg


anyone has experience with these?

There are so many variant. Lily58, Minidox and so on. I don't even know how to choose.

I currently use a Redox, which you can get the parts/premade at Falba.tech

Redox_tilt_2.jpg


but these days I would probably look into an Iris, Lily58, or Helix, if only because I like the Kailh low profile switches AND, they only use 1u keycaps, which makes it easier to buy new keycap sets.

68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f5842416d796e4e2e6a7067


One thing I will say is don't underestimate tenting. For me personally, default tenting angles provided by the tiny legs on some of these boards is not enough. I had to create my own tenting solution using some aluminum project boxes, beams, and a shit ton of tiny weights to get secure my keyboard at the angle I wanted (like 60-70 degrees). It was worth it, though, any discomfort in my wrists is totally gone, no matter how long I'm typing.

Also, think very carefully about what you really need with regards to keys. 40% boards with no number keys were appealing to me, but I found a Let's Split a little too limiting since I play a lot of games on my PC, using layers was more of a hindrance than a help which is why I made a Redox afterwards. As much as I like the Kyria and Corne aesthetically, I know that the lack of a number row makes them non-starters for me.
 
Last edited:

Arebours

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,656
I currently use a Redox, which you can get the parts/premade at Falba.tech

Redox_tilt_2.jpg


but these days I would probably look into an Iris, Lily58, or Helix, if only because I like the Kailh low profile switches AND, they only use 1u keycaps, which makes it easier to buy new keycap sets.

68747470733a2f2f692e696d6775722e636f6d2f5842416d796e4e2e6a7067


One thing I will say is don't underestimate tenting. For me personally, default tenting angles provided by the tiny legs on some of these boards is not enough. I had to create my own tenting solution using some aluminum project boxes, beams, and a shit ton of tiny weights to get secure my keyboard at the angle I wanted (like 60-70 degrees). It was worth it, though, any discomfort in my wrists is totally gone, no matter how long I'm typing.

Also, think very carefully about what you really need with regards to keys. 40% boards with no number keys were appealing to me, but I found a Let's Split a little too limiting since I play a lot of games on my PC, using layers was more of a hindrance than a help which is why I made a Redox afterwards. As much as I like the Kyria and Corne aesthetically, I know that the lack of a number row makes them non-starters for me.
Thank you, this is great. I too like the sleek look of 40% but whenever I look at the actual layout/layers I get a bit anxious. But I still want a slim width since the point of this for me is to avoid ulnar deviation[1](pinky to Return/Enter when touch typing on regular keyboard) which is causing me strain. Currently I'm thinking lily58 pro might be the one, doubly so because I would like to use a rotary encoder in the build.

About tents, how do I go about installing them? I guess I need some kind of special case but they seem difficult to source.

Anyway my Hakko soldering station arrived today with a bunch of cheap diy kits for practice. I'm pumped to start working on this project probably next month.

[1] http://www.ergovancouver.net/images/wrist_movements/ulnarflexion.jpg
 

Just Great

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,051
Thank you, this is great. I too like the sleek look of 40% but whenever I look at the actual layout/layers I get a bit anxious. But I still want a slim width since the point of this for me is to avoid ulnar deviation[1](pinky to Return/Enter when touch typing on regular keyboard) which is causing me strain. Currently I'm thinking lily58 pro might be the one, doubly so because I would like to use a rotary encoder in the build.

About tents, how do I go about installing them? I guess I need some kind of special case but they seem difficult to source.

Anyway my Hakko soldering station arrived today with a bunch of cheap diy kits for practice. I'm pumped to start working on this project probably next month.

[1] http://www.ergovancouver.net/images/wrist_movements/ulnarflexion.jpg


Unfortunately, most of the time getting a case with the ability to tent requires 3d printing one or getting an acrylic case laser cut. I know keeb.io sells middle pieces for the Iris that will let you tent. For the Lily58, you're going to be looking for maybe some 3d printed solutions on thingiverse or finagling something together yourself. Alternatively, doing something like buying some extra long stand-offs for keyboards that are sandwich style and using those instead of the bottom screws.
 

Arebours

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,656
Unfortunately, most of the time getting a case with the ability to tent requires 3d printing one or getting an acrylic case laser cut. I know keeb.io sells middle pieces for the Iris that will let you tent. For the Lily58, you're going to be looking for maybe some 3d printed solutions on thingiverse or finagling something together yourself. Alternatively, doing something like buying some extra long stand-offs for keyboards that are sandwich style and using those instead of the bottom screws.
Do you think it's worth all the trouble to get tents? Do they make a big difference?
 

Just Great

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,051
Do you think it's worth all the trouble to get tents? Do they make a big difference?

Personally, yes. Even with split boards, I still get discomfort over long periods of time from using my pinky (Apparently, I use shift a bit too much/too hard) with the boards flat. I have a fairly extreme tenting angle, but there wasn't a ready-made solution for it. I had to create it myself and it's not especially attractive but I could never go back to untented.
 

Deleted member 34881

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 30, 2017
1,149
So I have a question about the white Anne Pro 2. Didnt know where to ask. I bought one off ebay for a good price and was wondering if there was any way to buy replacement keys for this board? Type A key to be exact. Couldn't find any anywhere, I know people buy better caps anyway. I like the board but one of the keys got damaged during shipping thankfully only the one guess it was loose.
 

Nappuccino

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
13,280
So I have a question about the white Anne Pro 2. Didnt know where to ask. I bought one off ebay for a good price and was wondering if there was any way to buy replacement keys for this board? Type A key to be exact. Couldn't find any anywhere, I know people buy better caps anyway. I like the board but one of the keys got damaged during shipping thankfully only the one guess it was loose.
I've seen some people make offers to buy old keys in the mechanical keyboard subreddit, so maybe ask there when you see someone post an Anne Pro 2 (or in the weekly question thread).

I'll be surprised if anyone wants to sell just a single key though.