Mechanical Keyboard Club!

[Guest andyysplash]

Hey guys.

 

Im pretty new to mechanical keyboards. @home I use a Logitech G710+ with MX Brown switches and its awesome. But at work im forced to use a crappy rubberdome keyboard, cause my colleagues complain that mecha keyboards are too loud. So my question is, are there any almost silent mecanical keyboards out there? Or can you silence your own keyboard a bit?

 

Cheers

 

The two main causes of sound on a mech board are as follows:

• The click/clack from a tactile keyswitch (such as blue or brown, with brown being less of a noise)
• Bottoming out a key (where you press it all the way down) which causes the switch to hit the bottom, and causes the keycap to also his the base of the keyboard. This can be louder on boards that use metal (such as the Corsair ones)

 

The best way to quieten a mech board is to install some o-rings on the keycaps (wasdkeyboards offer special o-rings for mx keys) and to not bottom out (on tactile switches like browns the point you feel that clack/bump is where the key registers so you don't need to press any more than that)

 

A mech board cannot be truly silent, but then again neither can a rubber dome one. My old membrane Logitech K520 is really noisy and rattly after years of use, but started off almost silent, with 'almost' being the key word.

 

Here's a link to mx browns with and without o-rings: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D37Ix9Ng0to 

In this one the typist bottoms out her keys constantly which is the sound you hear after the o-rings are installed. That dull thunk when the spacebar is pressed is a good example of bottoming out

[Sk4f4c3]

The two main causes of sound on a mech board are as follows:

• The click/clack from a tactile keyswitch (such as blue or brown, with brown being less of a noise)
• Bottoming out a key (where you press it all the way down) which causes the switch to hit the bottom, and causes the keycap to also his the base of the keyboard. This can be louder on boards that use metal (such as the Corsair ones)

 

The best way to quieten a mech board is to install some o-rings on the keycaps (wasdkeyboards offer special o-rings for mx keys) and to not bottom out (on tactile switches like browns the point you feel that clack/bump is where the key registers so you don't need to press any more than that)

 

A mech board cannot be truly silent, but then again neither can a rubber dome one. My old membrane Logitech K520 is really noisy and rattly after years of use, but started off almost silent, with 'almost' being the key word.

 

Here's a link to mx browns with and without o-rings: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D37Ix9Ng0to 

In this one the typist bottoms out her keys constantly which is the sound you hear after the o-rings are installed. That dull thunk when the spacebar is pressed is a good example of bottoming out

Thanks for the great Answer.

Ill watch the Vid as soon as I get home.

 

Also as far as I know has the G710+ o-rings from factory.

[Guest andyysplash]

Thanks for the great Answer.

Ill watch the Vid as soon as I get home.

 

Also as far as I know has the G710+ o-rings from factory.

 

No worries and yeah the G710+ does have o-rings (though you can get different thicknesses of o-ring that affect the sound and feel)

 

If you want a quiet keyboard then look for one that's PCB mounted rather than plate-mounted (as the plate causes lots of the extra noise bottoming out). That combined with mx browns and o-rings should make for quiet typing and happy colleagues

[Sk4f4c3]

No worries and yeah the G710+ does have o-rings (though you can get different thicknesses of o-ring that affect the sound and feel)

 

If you want a quiet keyboard then look for one that's PCB mounted rather than plate-mounted (as the plate causes lots of the extra noise bottoming out). That combined with mx browns and o-rings should make for quiet typing and happy colleagues

 

Will do sir. Any recommendation on which KB would be good?

[Guest andyysplash]

Will do sir. Any recommendation on which KB would be good?

 

I don't know of many PCM mounted boards, but someone else on this thread (or over at geekhack.org or deskthority.net) might be able to help. The difference in PCB and plate mount is that PCB mount makes less of a 'ping' sound.

 

Sorry, I've never looked into a PCB mount keyboard before

[Sk4f4c3]

I don't know of many PCM mounted boards, but someone else on this thread (or over at geekhack.org or deskthority.net) might be able to help. The difference in PCB and plate mount is that PCB mount makes less of a 'ping' sound.

 

Sorry, I've never looked into a PCB mount keyboard before

 

Dont be sorry You helped me out alot.

[Jokrik]

Dont be sorry You helped me out alot.

 

Some cherry made keyboard still uses pcb mounted switch

however please not that pcb mounted switch is more unstable, it wobble around more than plate mounted since it relies on the solder joint itself

 

go for linear switch such as red/black or even topre

if your colleague at work still cant stand the noise from those switches, ask him to wear headphone

[gundershot]

I have a Corsair Vengeance K70 with Cherry MX Blue switches, really love the clicky feel, makes typing a joy 

[Sk4f4c3]

if your colleague at work still cant stand the noise from those switches, ask him to wear headphone

 

I just dont get my fellow colleagues. I work in an IT Firm and yet everyone doesnt like Mechanical Keyboards. Im the only one. And too bad we cant wear headphones at work cause of the telephone

[Jokrik]

I just dont get my fellow colleagues. I work in an IT Firm and yet everyone doesnt like Mechanical Keyboards. Im the only one. And too bad we cant wear headphones at work cause of the telephone

 

Lucky they don't get someone like me,

I'm a heavy blues/greens user, and my choice of keycaps (GMK cherry double shot) would make the click even louder and crispier

imagine

[Sk4f4c3]

Lucky they don't get someone like me,

I'm a heavy blues/greens user, and my choice of keycaps (GMK cherry double shot) would make the click even louder and crispier

imagine

 

Haha. I think they would kill me if i would use those

 

As paid intern I rather shut up and use that shitty rubberdome but as soon as i get my contract Im using a Mecha Keyboard.

Oh and Jokrik, I dont think you are worse then my one colleague. He writes like a Jackhammer, even a Rubberdome sounds like a fuckin mecha keyboard...

[Guest andyysplash]

Some cherry made keyboard still uses pcb mounted switch

however please not that pcb mounted switch is more unstable, it wobble around more than plate mounted since it relies on the solder joint itself

 

go for linear switch such as red/black or even topre

if your colleague at work still cant stand the noise from those switches, ask him to wear headphone

 

I was gonna suggest reds but they're not always quieter (since the brown's bump is barely audible and as the red is linear it's harder for some people to know when to stop before bottoming out, so bottom out more often on reds than browns).

 

Topre would be a lot quiet and sound like any reasonable membrane (that isn't scissor-switch) but I don't think the price justifies getting it because of colleagues who are annoyed by sound.

[TheProfosist]

I just dont get my fellow colleagues. I work in an IT Firm and yet everyone doesnt like Mechanical Keyboards. Im the only one. And too bad we cant wear headphones at work cause of the telephone

get a topre board, thell likely think its a rubber dome.

[calarahil]

Haha. I think they would kill me if i would use those

 

As paid intern I rather shut up and use that shitty rubberdome but as soon as i get my contract Im using a Mecha Keyboard.

Oh and Jokrik, I dont think you are worse then my one colleague. He writes like a Jackhammer, even a Rubberdome sounds like a fuckin mecha keyboard...

 

Just wanted to point out with the G710+ its probably the O-rings not being thick enough to absorb the bottom out sound. With the Blue O-Rings from WASD.com they help a little bit but probably not enough its really down to if you enjoy tactile feedback with mechanical keyboards at work you'll probably want to invest with heavier O-rings. I personally type loud anyway I don't bottom out but I type fairly fast 120-140 WPM so everyone hears me regardless.

 

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/products/keyboard-accessories/cherry-mx-rubber-o-ring-switch-dampeners-125pcs.html

 

I have the blue ones for my ducky premier with blue switches and it removes the bottom out sound entirely. You just hear the switch actuate which is a click.

[TheProfosist]

I can recommend a ton of ways in addition to the orings to quite down your keyboard. The only hurdle may be that all of them require disassembling the keyboard if not the switches.

[CommonCurt]

He could also try these http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,slpads

[TheProfosist]

He could also try these http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,slpads

dont they feel like poo. I do have a set im willing to sell though.

[Jokrik]

dont they feel like poo. I do have a set im willing to sell though.

 

lol poo....

 

 

He could also try these http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,slpads

 

bro, you know where else I can get that vortex alu case for filco?

man... waiting for mechanicalkeyboard.com to get it in stock really take ages

[TheProfosist]

lol poo....

 

 

 

bro, you know where else I can get that vortex alu case for filco?

man... waiting for mechanicalkeyboard.com to get it in stock really take ages

I wasnt kidding.

And no I dont know.

[CommonCurt]

dont they feel like poo. I do have a set im willing to sell though.

 

 

I have not personally used them, but I have heard other people say that they like them.  I don't use O-rings or anything that alters the feeling of the switch.

 

I tried O-rings in the past, but never really liked them.

[CommonCurt]

 

bro, you know where else I can get that vortex alu case for filco?

man... waiting for mechanicalkeyboard.com to get it in stock really take ages

 

 

Nope.  Not unless you get lucky and find one in good condition in the classifieds on GH.

 

I'm still waiting on them also, and to find out if they will be selling those new aluminum TEX TKL cases.

[rockking1379]

razer blackwidow 2013 ultimate. but this will switch to a corsair k95 rgb sometime around October. maybe later to let that first batch of them sell out

[TheProfosist]

I have not personally used them, but I have heard other people say that they like them.  I don't use O-rings or anything that alters the feeling of the switch.

 

I tried O-rings in the past, but never really liked them.

orings are much better the EK ones are on the grey firm. The black soft ones just feel like they make the switch heavier.

What didnt you like about orings?

[CommonCurt]

orings are much better the EK ones are on the grey firm. The black soft ones just feel like they make the switch heavier.

What didnt you like about orings?

 

I just didn't like how they shorten the travel distance of the key press.  Just not my cup of tea.

[SirReallySam]

Dude I was like 50 pages behind on this thread D: AARRG Got to read through!

 

Oh btw I totally haven't got my IBM model M with a terminal connector to work yet Sad times...