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Rinkles posted:Who has the best software? Ideally, I'd like to be able to remap almost any key. If you're on Windows the PowerToys keyboard manager can most likely do almost everything you'd want: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager There are a few caveats and it doesn't work in all games, but if it does work for your use cases it's almost certainly better than any keyboard vendor software.
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Mar 18, 2021 20:39
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afaik, it can't handle rebinding a key to sleep, but that's probably an edge case (that I wanted)
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Mar 18, 2021 20:41
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Rinkles posted:Who has the best software? Ideally, I'd like to be able to remap almost any key. Are you asking in general? Anything running qmk can remap the entire keyboard in the firmware
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Mar 18, 2021 20:46
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mewse posted:Are you asking in general? Anything running qmk can remap the entire keyboard in the firmware Yeah, but I was thinking by of the bigger companies. I've never heard of qmk. The boutique stuff is probably outside my budget.
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Mar 18, 2021 20:50
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Gearman posted:Yep, if you have a friend in China, or use a service like Wegobuy, or use something like Taobao Direct, you can order one right now and it'll ship some time in May. The Taobao link is here for it: Great, thanks again!
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Mar 18, 2021 21:34
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Rinkles posted:Yeah, but I was thinking by of the bigger companies. I've never heard of qmk. The boutique stuff is probably outside my budget. You can use something called the hasu usb to usb converter to remap any keyboard using TMK firmware
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Mar 18, 2021 21:47
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mewse posted:You can use something called the hasu usb to usb converter to remap any keyboard using TMK firmware interesting, but looks like it costs more than I was planning on spending on the entire keyboard
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Mar 18, 2021 22:33
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Rinkles posted:afaik, it can't handle rebinding a key to sleep, but that's probably an edge case (that I wanted) Create a shortcut to the command code:(idea stolen from https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-shutdown-or-sleep-windows-10-with-a-keyboard-shortcut/ )
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Mar 18, 2021 22:35
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TheFluff posted:Create a shortcut to the command thanks. i was thinking of finally just getting to grips with AHK.
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Mar 18, 2021 22:49
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I rebuilt my Drop CTRL in to the high profile version of the case, along with adding some foam, well lubed stabilizers, and stabilizer bumpers. It's really hitting all the right spots for me now, very happy with how this turned out: Putting these on is far less fussy when the PCB is totally uninstalled  I got the foam inserts from Stupidfish, and they're perfect:   All screwed in to place  Finished  I'm using silent alpacas in it and it's absurdly solid feeling. No rattles or vibrations to speak of.
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Mar 19, 2021 01:08
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Oh drat, MT3 Camillo looking a lot nicer than the actual Drop product photos. Now I'm wondering if I should've gotten those instead of Dasher
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Mar 19, 2021 03:13
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Nice! That is looking awesome! That Stupid Fish foam is really great stuff, it's practically magic. Glad to hear you're really liking your board!
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Mar 19, 2021 04:30
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When you hit auto-route and call it a day on your traces.
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Mar 19, 2021 04:47
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TheFluff posted:All of the clicky box switches are pretty loud but I wouldn't say they're extreme in that regard. However both jades and navies are extremely tactile, in the sense that they have a very sharp break in the force curve. You press them, they go down maybe a millimeter and then they just stop and absolutely nothing happens until you press hard enough and then suddenly all resistance gives way. Some people really love this, others don't. If you're used to Cherry switches and their very mushy tactility I imagine it can be quite a jarring transition. Jades and navies have the same click bar so in theory the tactile break should be the same in both of them, but navies have a heavier weighting (stiffer return spring) so they're heavier to type on, but for some reason the tactile break feels a little bit mushier on them than on the jades. YMMV. May I add to consideration box pinks with box white springs. It makes light switches that are also very tactile. Vanilla box pinks aren't bad, either - they're close to box whites but have just a bit more tactility with a slightly higher actuation force.
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Mar 19, 2021 05:44
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HappyCapybaraFamily posted:Oh drat, MT3 Camillo looking a lot nicer than the actual Drop product photos. Now I'm wondering if I should've gotten those instead of Dasher I really like Dasher, and most blue themed sets, too. I would have gotten them but I'm trying not to just buy random rear end keycaps that I don't use lol. Here's a maybe better pic on my desk with less blown out lighting: 
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Mar 19, 2021 13:44
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those do look sick, how's the MT3 profile overall?
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Mar 19, 2021 14:35
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I love it. I have a few MT3 sets, and it fits the perfect balance for me between the good sculpted shape, texturing on the plastic, deep sound, but not quite as giga-tall as full sized SA caps are. The texture on the SA sets is more totally smooth/shiny, to the point where it attracts fingerprints and such much more readily, while the MT3 sets are all very slightly matte/textured with a slightly roughened pebbled surface. Also, they're not 160$+ like GMK sets or some of the ones from signature plastics.
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Mar 19, 2021 14:47
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:those do look sick, how's the MT3 profile overall? Agreed. I have Laser SA which I really disliked but my MT3 is incredibly comfortable to type on. Much better sound too (although my SA are on a 3D printed case which is likely the cause of its terrible high pitched pingy noise)
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Mar 19, 2021 15:18
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Sound wise, I found SA caps on my original case ctrl with box whites to be incredibly good, fwiw. I do think the case makes a massive difference though.
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Mar 19, 2021 15:43
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Opioid posted:terrible high pitched pingy noise Hey that's my band's name
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Mar 19, 2021 16:47
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Gwaihir posted:I really like Dasher, and most blue themed sets, too. I would have gotten them but I'm trying not to just buy random rear end keycaps that I don't use lol. That looks absolutely amazing. I passed on it after thinking about getting it for quite some time, but I still have 2 sets that need a keyboard so I figured I'd let this one go.
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Mar 19, 2021 16:55
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Is the Redragon K552 with red switches worth considering? I'd like to try a keypad less keyboard. But I don't want to spend much, and I don't even know if I want a mechanical keyboard (I would like to try them out, though). As an aside, I do not like their font choice at all.
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Mar 20, 2021 03:34
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Rinkles posted:Is the Redragon K552 with red switches worth considering? I'd like to try a keypad less keyboard. But I don't want to spend much, and I don't even know if I want a mechanical keyboard (I would like to try them out, though). In my experience with it (I have the non-RGB version), they are solid boards. I hated the font just as you do, but since they are using Cherry switches, just about any keycap set under the sun will work. Which you may want to consider since the keycaps aren't the greatest feeling. They felt very thin to me. Reason I'm not still using it is I found out I do actually use the numpad a lot more than I thought. My kid uses it and likes it a lot, preffering to use it over a Razer Blackwidow and Logitech 512.
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Mar 20, 2021 05:14
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Koskun posted:In my experience with it (I have the non-RGB version), they are solid boards. I hated the font just as you do, but since they are using Cherry switches, just about any keycap set under the sun will work. Which you may want to consider since the keycaps aren't the greatest feeling. They felt very thin to me. Just looking for ways to minimize pc work related pain. This would allow my mouse hand to be closer.
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Mar 20, 2021 05:23
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The Electronaut posted:When you hit auto-route and call it a day on your traces. Lol how did this pass anything. This is an incredibly poorly designed pcb. Yikes
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Mar 20, 2021 05:38
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Starting to dip my toes into this hobby after using my Corsair mechanical keyboard with Cherry Blue switches for the past 5 years and wanting to try something different. I decided I want to give linear switches a try after hearing this and realizing that this is the kind of sound profile I wanted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZwmdU-cgY4 I wasn't really expecting everything to be so... limited though-- like, none of the parts used in that video are easy to find at all. And I feel like looking around the Mechanical Keyboard subreddit was a bad idea and I should have come here first to ask goons instead of dealing with their poo poo. So I've been trying to find something fairly close-- I've been listening to a lot of sound test videos on youtube and it seems like Gateron Yellows, lubed and filmed seem to be fairly close to that sound-- so I found a fairly cheap hotswappable board (Womier/GamaKay K87; the absurd RGB kinda won me over even though I will probably rarely use it) that came with them and now I'm just waiting for it all to get here. I don't really intend for it to be my "endgame" board, but I did want something I could feel okay with experimenting with before really breaking the bank. One thing I really hesitate on are keycaps. Are the GMKs really that good? Is there a brand that's not so ridiculously expensive with similar quality, if so? Once I find a sweet spot on switches, I think I'll look deeper into going deeper into a custom build. It's just hard to know where to start.
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Mar 20, 2021 07:31
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Rinkles posted:Is the Redragon K552 with red switches worth considering? I'd like to try a keypad less keyboard. But I don't want to spend much, and I don't even know if I want a mechanical keyboard (I would like to try them out, though). I used one of these as a base for little bit of modding and I think it's fine for what it's is - only thing to note is that if you're thinking of swapping switches then it only takes outemu ones, cherry pins don't fit.
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Mar 20, 2021 07:50
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Framboise posted:Starting to dip my toes into this hobby after using my Corsair mechanical keyboard with Cherry Blue switches for the past 5 years and wanting to try something different. Sound is really dependent on a number of factors. Material and construction of the case. Material and construction of the plate the switches are on (hell, maybe plateless even) Dampening if any on the case, keyboard placed on a desk mat, etc. Then you go on to switch types, and whether they're lubed (spring, leaf or stem), filmed etc. The Womier looks to be all poly, so it'll sound different from the all metal case linked in that video. As for GMK keycaps, the answer is yes. It's really high quality thick ABS plastic with excellent legends and colour options. It'll eventually shine though since it's just how it is for ABS keycaps. (PBT keycaps should eventually shine as well, just takes a whole lot more use) But they're not your only options. If you don't mind OEM profile, then TaiHao keycap sets are of good quality and available for cheaper. Vortex/iKBC as well, but much more limited colour options. Cherry profile PBT keycaps from the likes of EnjoyPBT can be slightly cheaper as well. There's also "knockoff" GMK called JTK which are fairly similar quality, but slightly worse legends (might be a lot better these days). Though I think their prices are creeping up to "might as well get GMK" these days. There's also other options from AliExpress and Chinese vendors, but you really have to check out which individual sets are good as there's a lot of garbage out there. EDIT: Also look out for group buys for keycaps to see if any of the cheaper ones catch your attention. There's so many new manufacturers and vendor collabs out there that it's hard to keep track. But if there's reasonable demand and hype around it, should at least be decent quality. Again though, these typically aren't cheap keycaps but there's definitely reasonably priced ones. mechgroupbuys.com is a good site to use. Constellation I fucked around with this message at 09:14 on Mar 20, 2021 |
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Mar 20, 2021 09:02
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Opioid posted:Lol how did this pass anything. This is an incredibly poorly designed pcb. Yikes Given that I know nothing about pcb design, what are the practical impacts of this choice? E: what I mean is like, the board works and every switch functions, so why should I care about pcb routing choices?
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Mar 20, 2021 16:16
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Gwaihir posted:Given that I know nothing about pcb design, what are the practical impacts of this choice? Auto routing software can produce bad traces and cause issues, and the traces don't look clean and directed like most manual traces. That said, modern routing software is pretty good. It doesn't have A E S T H E T I C but it works just fine. I've never heard of anyone having issues with the Drop PCBs. Given how popular the Drop boards are, I think it would be pretty well known if there were issues with them.
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Mar 20, 2021 16:31
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Gearman posted:Auto routing software can produce bad traces and cause issues, and the traces don't look clean and directed like most manual traces. That said, modern routing software is pretty good. It doesn't have A E S T H E T I C but it works just fine. I've never heard of anyone having issues with the Drop PCBs. Given how popular the Drop boards are, I think it would be pretty well known if there were issues with them. Yea. Their PCB designer did the bare minimum for a functional PCB. I have an OG K Type and the traces are just as terrible.
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Mar 20, 2021 16:58
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whoo boy okay... Constellation I pretty much covered everything. There are a lot of factors that go into making a keyboard 'sound good'. Think of a keyboard as though it were an instrument. Like a guitar. You can change the strings; nylon, steel, brass... and it will change the sound. But you can also use those same strings on a variety of guitars and they will all sound different; steel guitar, acoustic, solid body electric, hollowbody. And don't forget that the sound you're hearing is being recorded by someone else's microphone and being processed through their recording software before being reproduced by your device playing it back through your speakers or headphones or whatever you're listening on and in fact it's really not at all how it's going to sound in real life. 99% of this hobby is just a rabbit hole of preference. But that's actually kind of the point. There is no endgame ultimate keyboard. The fun of keyboards as a hobby is actually going down that rabbit hole; trying different things and finding what you like. It's just a bunch of people experimenting with different things to achieve different results and determining if they like it or not. Much like people trying different combinations of pickups or electronics or effects on guitars to achive their "perfect tone." There's no right answer, just the answer that is right for you. That being said, there are definitely a lot of wrong answers and misinformation. Very little of it actually has to do with actual functionality so bear that in mind and take every bit of "advice" or "review" you hear with a grain of salt. I'd recommend starting on the cheaper end of switches: get some Gateron KS3's from Kinetic labs. Maybe some different weights of springs while you're there. Pick up a variety of switch films and some lube and just have fun modding switches. See how each of the little tweaks changes the feel/sound and assess if each change is sending you down a path that looks like it will lead to something you will ultimately enjoy, or if it might not be your preference. Maybe spend some time hanging out in keyboard related discords (we have one too). Ask questions, see what people are talking about, get to know them and their preferences and objectives and understand not just what it is they are doing but why they are doing it. When you do decide to buy another board the one most important piece of advice I can offer is, don't buy the hype. Try to understand what it is about that keyboard's design that makes it good and ultimately how you think it will perform based on the knowledge that you've gained. Lots of boards are just people making some sweet looking renders in CAD, making a board that is gasket mount because gasket mount is popular, not taking the time to develop a decent plate, throwing PC plates out there as an option for their hotswap board, and not actually doing any prototyping, or just prototyping to determine their chosen manufacturer's level of quality/finish rather than assess how their design works. Gwaihir posted:Given that I know nothing about pcb design, what are the practical impacts of this choice? FFS give me decent looking equal length traces if I'm spending real dollars. Not some lazy, half-assed, "click button, get gerber" bullshit. There's a lot of reasons to route traces on a pcb manually, but without going too much into PCB design and electrical engineering I'm not sure that I can articulate them. Besides the fact that it just looks bad and disorganized (which is actually important for troubleshooting traces) you wind up with things next to each other that shouldn't be close to each other (like DC and signal), and even potentially touching depending on the tolerances of design and production. There is a lot more to it than "works or doesn't." It may produce a letter when you click a switch, yes, but also it might not do that for as long as a properly designed PCB. It also might emit more RF than a properly designed PCB would. And it will definitely be more difficult to repair or diagnose should you need to.
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Mar 20, 2021 18:55
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:If you want a board that "just works" why are you spending $200+ on a keyboard that is objectively worse than a $5 OEM from the thrift store. Well, I mean that's why I'm asking because it's so far from the realm of something that it even occurred to me to care about. I've had probably 10-12 boards total since the very first ancient logitech G15 back in the day, and pcb design just wasn't something that registered as something I should investigate or care about. They all, from the early 90s alps up to the CTRL and Shift or GMMK or Kira or w/e just worked and that was that. Troubleshooting never really went past a loose connector or a balky switch. This particular hobby has a ton of minutia available that is of, perhaps, dubious, utility paired with changes that can make pretty vast difference in your experience (like rattletrap to lubricated stabilizers) and it seems that unless you're building a caseless or transparently cased board designed to show off the pcb itself, that nitpicking two sets of trace routings that function is.. ????
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Mar 20, 2021 19:15
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The tracing doesn't matter. It can in more picky situations with thousands of traces and really fine tolerances, but that is the exact opposite of a keyboard. It's a small number of large, stable traces on a massively oversized PCB that are far apart enough you don't need to worry about interference. EE's who work with PCB's will get triggered by this because they're trained not to do it because there are cases where careful routing matters a lot. This just isn't one of them, and the only reason to care about routing in this case is aesthetics.
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Mar 20, 2021 20:01
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Bliss TKL didn't immediately sell out. https://moeso.de/collections/bliss-gb/products/gb-bliss-tkl not really my thing but I figured I'd pass it along since inquiries were recently made.
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Mar 21, 2021 00:07
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Ffff I just got that blue case CTRL but I like that color so much better lmao
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Mar 21, 2021 00:11
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I've already gone from $50 keyboard to $100 keyboard to $200 keyboard, so a $450 keyboard could be the logical next step...
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Mar 21, 2021 00:19
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Stroop There It Is posted:I've already gone from $50 keyboard to $100 keyboard to $200 keyboard, so a $450 keyboard could be the logical next step... This is how it starts.
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Mar 21, 2021 00:50
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Stroop There It Is posted:I've already gone from $50 keyboard to $100 keyboard to $200 keyboard, so a $450 keyboard could be the logical next step... To be honest you could just save your money and skip to the $800 keyboard
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Mar 21, 2021 01:05
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My MOlly came in. This is... heavier than I expected. I was kinda hoping to actually get some soldering practice before it arrived. How badly can I gently caress up a PCB with my first time soldering? I should probably do a practice run first, right?
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Mar 21, 2021 01:19
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