Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us. From the colors to the music choice, I remained with you through the whole build. I felt connected with your joy in the process and felt honored that it was like you invited me to come with you. The reveal music was first rate and communicated the emotion, the joy, and the reverance of such a build. Well done, thank you.
This was a beautiful video! Loved the music choice, the angles you chose, and the different lighting… I’ve watched this video a couple of times bc I find it pretty relaxing :> Great work and keep it up man!!
This video is different from my usual format, but I’ll continue to post typing sound tests alongside these longer build videos. I’m a big fan of how topre boards feel, but less so how they sound so I kept the sound tests short in this video. If you’d like a longer sound test video please let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching, and hope to see you in my next video ✌️🫰
New to the channel - this is really good content and well produced. Keep it up - I hope you get the attention you deserve. I've always wanted a HG. Maybe one day I'll be able to justify the purchase to myself.
I was about to ask what switches were used but then looked at the description. Thank you for including that! I love the stock sound of the HHKB! Also holy shit I thought you were much bigger than you are! Only about three hundred subs! Really good production value! EDIT: I'm dropping $1k+ on this setup it sounds amazing
This is a fantastic video. I have had my Heavy Grail for a while but have been hesitant to build it because the donor it would be coming from is such a reliable and loved board. Time to start looking for another donor board…
Thanks for this video--very succinct! I have a few Heavy Grails incoming (VHS/Sunset Blvd) and I want to do a Bluetooth solder mod to keep my workspace wire free. This helps me with the HG aspect :)
Oh man, the VHS finish looks absolutely stunning. Sunset Blvd as well - congrats on getting those two! Would love to hear how the bluetooth mod goes - I haven't looked into BLE controllers for the pro 3 but it seems like some folks have tried bluetooth with the heavy grail and report that it works well!
the soft salmon plate + switch housing looks so good peaking through the deck. same subtle design sensibility as like a red-bottom louboutin. i think the overall look is perfectly "retro" without being tacky or over-designed
My man you did a great job with this video I'm looking to make a heavy grail too! But damn man the quality and info in this video is amazing. On a side note the hhkb is now available in snow white and I mean its no longer a limited edition!
Oh that's awesome news on the HHKB Snow! Hopefully they'll sell the keycaps too. Seems like it's available in the states now: fujitsuscannerstore.com/cg01000-307201/
Now this is endgame. I'm trying my best to replicate the Heavy Grail Topre in a mechanical keyboard, hopefully this project goes well so I could make a video regarding it too haha
nice presentation! though you might want to turn your mic gain down on your sound tests or increase the noise gate's threshold by a bit, the sound of the noise gate fading in and out gets a bit distracting. congrats on the board though, heavy grail is definitely one of my grails lol.
Thanks! I made a small indentation in the plate with a Philips screwdriver and then used a power drill at low speed to drill the hole but it was hard to be precise. Deskeys sells a tool set for this that just came back in stock: deskeys.io/products/des-hand-drill-for-mx-housing You can also search for a “hand reamer tool” on aliexpress for a cheaper version of the deskeys tool: www.aliexpress.com/i/4000042460837.html
I did the same built as you with my heavy grail. However, the spacbar gets jammed when I mount it the normal way. What am I missing? Did I install the des-sliders for the spacebar wrongly? Any ideas on that?
In my experience jamming usually happens because there's not enough space under the spacebar (keycap interference), or there's too much lube or another obstruction that's preventing the stabilizer wire from moving freely. Check to make sure that the stabilizers are clipped in all the way to the plate, and that the PCB is tightly screwed against the plate. Also make sure that the stabilizer legs move up and down without any resistance when there's no keycap on them (use a set of tweezers to move them up and down and feel for any resistance). Note that DES sliders aren't compatible with all cherry profile keycaps, but popular ones (GMK, ePBT, PBTfans, etc) should work without interference issues.
little late but I ended up throwing in the MX sliders from deskeys, and my enter/shift key slant horribly...I can kind of see it in your video but wondering if you found a fix for that
Ah yeah, I added a bit of UHMWPE tape on one side of the stem cross to balance out the key (I think any thin tape should work). It's hard to explain, but here are some images that hopefully describe it better: imgur.com/a/I2mzZa8.
No change to the feel that I’ve noticed. They sound slightly more muted than stock, but that could be because of the HG case and the silicone slider pads I used. I was worried because some folks do seem to notice a difference in feel but they feel just fine to me.
Really gorgeous keyboard but maybe one day I'll like topre...maybe one day. It just sounds so hollow and membrane-like ("it's ok when topre does it!"), like everything a non-topre user would be against lol. But then topre users also hate on cheap mass produced hollow sounding mech keyboards from Razer, Logitech, Corsair...etc. I don't really see the difference lol
Having a few Topre keyboards, it also really depends on the type you get I think. I thought the Type-S would be the one I wanted. But, found that I much prefered a regular one that I then silenced. After being silenced, it has more of a linear feel. The upstroke clack becomes more of a subdued thock and for some reason, the silenced non-type-s feels a lot smoother and more like a Linear than the Type-S, which is much more clearly a tactile feel. I started out with the self-silenced non-type-s, and thought I would upgrade to a Type-S. But, it left me with more appreciation for the self-silenced non-type-s. It does also help to lube. If I had started instead with the Type-S, I may not have liked Topre at all.
It's a 6u spacebar! The spacebars kits on most MX sets (GMK, ePBT, etc) will include a 6u spacebar. I think KBDFans may occasionally also have some topre sets with a 6u spacebar as well.
The pads he used on the bottom of the sliders are specifically meant for using the sliders without rings. They’re supposed to be the same thickness as the rings….so instead of pushing the slider down X mm, you’re extending the length of the slider X mm.
I use mine with a mac, so the two modifiers adjacent to the spacebar map to Command. There’s also DIP switches on the bottom to change keymaps. If you’re curious about the layout, there’s some good info here: hhkb.io/layout/
For next time, keep the PCB module and domes together, so when disassembling, sandwich the top-plate and PCB together and carefully remove the top-plate with sliders and keep everything on the PCB [domes/springs included] aligned and together. And when assembling, do the reverse. Float the top plate/case over the PCB-dome set and almost float the PCB upwards in, and then sandwich it together so you can access the bottom and screw it all in. Can check out my build for how I did it. Was stressful to perform, but very clean, zero mess.
Was considering that as well, but I wanted to take the oppty to lube the PCB while I had everything disassembled so I didn't do that this time. I don't think lubing the rails or PCB made a huge difference though, so in the unlikely event that I do ever build another HG I'll definitely give that a try!
using a power screwdriver to start a screw is a universal no-no. By far, the easiest way to strip threads, especially when dealing with non-metal housing. Also, krytox-2xx is made with silicone, which is noncapacitive. You're effectively insulating your PCB from the signal it needs. As the board heats, the compound will slowly degrade the capacitive functionality of the pcb.
my 1st row is completely mushy. i removed the sticker to open it up and fix the domes but the screws are stuck and wont budge. really disappointed. $200 brand new defective board with a void warranty
Hate to sound like a hater, but the amount of gain that you have your mic setup to is also _very high. It amplifies high frequencies and makes the switches sound shrill as it attunates to the sound of the keypress, then ducks below. The same can be said about any scene involving your auto screwdriver. You might want to mute/lower the gain on the screwdriver scenes as it's shrill and set the gain low for your keypress scenes while applying an EQ to subdue the high HZ tones.
Yeah! 7 months in and I'm still figuring this stuff out. I'm not a full time youtuber by any means so I appreciate the feedback. Will try to improve on new vids. Thanks!
I think its pretty sad that the cost of this keyboard at a whole $680.00 has such bad quality control, the discoloration you get on that plate piece and not only that but you also need a tool to sand down the plate too is kind of a rip off and makes me think they really dont care
Man I just can't bring myself to watch people type with their hands posing like they are the Alien face huggers. Learn how to type, man. You got 10 fingers there, why are you using 2.
Great production value. This channel deserves 100X the subs!
This is such a stunning build and video mate! Vibes are immaculate, lovely choice of keycaps too. Can't wait to get my hands on one of these!
Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us. From the colors to the music choice, I remained with you through the whole build. I felt connected with your joy in the process and felt honored that it was like you invited me to come with you. The reveal music was first rate and communicated the emotion, the joy, and the reverance of such a build. Well done, thank you.
Lovely visuals and music. Thank you so much for the kind words!
This was a beautiful video! Loved the music choice, the angles you chose, and the different lighting… I’ve watched this video a couple of times bc I find it pretty relaxing :> Great work and keep it up man!!
This video is different from my usual format, but I’ll continue to post typing sound tests alongside these longer build videos.
I’m a big fan of how topre boards feel, but less so how they sound so I kept the sound tests short in this video. If you’d like a longer sound test video please let me know in the comments.
Thanks for watching, and hope to see you in my next video ✌️🫰
Absolute perfection! Astonishing quality video & Superb build!
this is amazing production quality!!! was very fun to watch :D
Loved this video! Great format and production
New to the channel - this is really good content and well produced. Keep it up - I hope you get the attention you deserve.
I've always wanted a HG. Maybe one day I'll be able to justify the purchase to myself.
Love the keycaps!
Video was also great, so much detail was put in.
looks absolutely amazing!
Such a nicely produced video. Earned a sub.
awesome video production and sick build :D
Very relaxing and well-produced video. Keyboard's not bad either.
Loved every bit of this video
Amazing videography. Superb!
I was about to ask what switches were used but then looked at the description. Thank you for including that! I love the stock sound of the HHKB!
Also holy shit I thought you were much bigger than you are! Only about three hundred subs!
Really good production value!
EDIT: I'm dropping $1k+ on this setup it sounds amazing
This build was good, the video was better! Loved watching every minute of it 😄 the colors, the pacing, all of it.
outstanding guide. thanks!
Your channel is the DEFINITION of underrated. This video gave me shivers.
This built is just incredibly well produced.
This is a fantastic video. I have had my Heavy Grail for a while but have been hesitant to build it because the donor it would be coming from is such a reliable and loved board. Time to start looking for another donor board…
Thanks for this video--very succinct! I have a few Heavy Grails incoming (VHS/Sunset Blvd) and I want to do a Bluetooth solder mod to keep my workspace wire free. This helps me with the HG aspect :)
Oh man, the VHS finish looks absolutely stunning. Sunset Blvd as well - congrats on getting those two! Would love to hear how the bluetooth mod goes - I haven't looked into BLE controllers for the pro 3 but it seems like some folks have tried bluetooth with the heavy grail and report that it works well!
the soft salmon plate + switch housing looks so good peaking through the deck. same subtle design sensibility as like a red-bottom louboutin. i think the overall look is perfectly "retro" without being tacky or over-designed
That was awesome
Damn this video was nice, and holy grail is the board sweet. Never typed on a topre, maybe one day I will 😅
Super quality too 👌🏻
B shots made me tear up, they get me everytime
vibes are very comfy :)
My man you did a great job with this video I'm looking to make a heavy grail too! But damn man the quality and info in this video is amazing. On a side note the hhkb is now available in snow white and I mean its no longer a limited edition!
Oh that's awesome news on the HHKB Snow! Hopefully they'll sell the keycaps too. Seems like it's available in the states now: fujitsuscannerstore.com/cg01000-307201/
Great budget build.
The best keyboard building channels
Now this is endgame. I'm trying my best to replicate the Heavy Grail Topre in a mechanical keyboard, hopefully this project goes well so I could make a video regarding it too haha
Looks great! Sounded a bit more plasticky and shallow than I expected?
INCREDIBLE video homie! you've got me STUMPED with the look of this video! great work and keep it up
The cameras I use are a bit old and not that great, but I capture video with OBS in ProRes 444 and then color grade/edit in Final Cut Pro.
@@sagwatypes cool! Thank you :)
damn feels like I just watched a movie, great vid
thoroughly enjoyed this. real good stuff. do you have a creative background?
Happy that you enjoyed it! I never studied it professionally, but I guess graphic design is my passion 🙃
Love the build. What is the song at the beginning of the video?
How did you get the mx-cut-outs into the norbauer plate (shift and enter keys)? What tool did you use?
using the same keycaps and esc key on my Matrix Meta!! heavy grail is an endgame for me>
amazing video, really love it, saw Norbauer started selling it again, but it is Aerospace version instead of this K2 version. 😞
nice presentation! though you might want to turn your mic gain down on your sound tests or increase the noise gate's threshold by a bit, the sound of the noise gate fading in and out gets a bit distracting. congrats on the board though, heavy grail is definitely one of my grails lol.
Thanks for that feedback! Will definitely improve the audio balance going forward.
amazing build but what is that desk mat tho ???
May I ask where you bought the green screw tray from?
what is the track at the beginning? The one with the organ
Hi, great video! What did you use to drill the stabilizer housings?
Thanks! I made a small indentation in the plate with a Philips screwdriver and then used a power drill at low speed to drill the hole but it was hard to be precise.
Deskeys sells a tool set for this that just came back in stock: deskeys.io/products/des-hand-drill-for-mx-housing
You can also search for a “hand reamer tool” on aliexpress for a cheaper version of the deskeys tool: www.aliexpress.com/i/4000042460837.html
This video made me buy a Heavy Grail
Holy video😇
what's your camera/lens/editing specs?
I did the same built as you with my heavy grail. However, the spacbar gets jammed when I mount it the normal way. What am I missing? Did I install the des-sliders for the spacebar wrongly? Any ideas on that?
In my experience jamming usually happens because there's not enough space under the spacebar (keycap interference), or there's too much lube or another obstruction that's preventing the stabilizer wire from moving freely.
Check to make sure that the stabilizers are clipped in all the way to the plate, and that the PCB is tightly screwed against the plate. Also make sure that the stabilizer legs move up and down without any resistance when there's no keycap on them (use a set of tweezers to move them up and down and feel for any resistance).
Note that DES sliders aren't compatible with all cherry profile keycaps, but popular ones (GMK, ePBT, PBTfans, etc) should work without interference issues.
what profile are the keycaps?
If you want grail you get Norbauer
Why does it have Mac wings to either side of alt option that get rid of the diamond keys
i love how the keyboard looks but im not so obsessed with how it sounds ;; still cute regardless !
little late but I ended up throwing in the MX sliders from deskeys, and my enter/shift key slant horribly...I can kind of see it in your video but wondering if you found a fix for that
Ah yeah, I added a bit of UHMWPE tape on one side of the stem cross to balance out the key (I think any thin tape should work). It's hard to explain, but here are some images that hopefully describe it better: imgur.com/a/I2mzZa8.
@@sagwatypes ahhh makes sense! I’ll give it a shot :)
Is the current generation of HHKB for sale (with USB-C) connector compatible with the Heavy Grail ?
Yes, the boards with USB-C are compatible with the Pro 3 heavy grails. There are separate cases for the Pro-2 mini-usb boards.
Do you feel that the MX stem converters had a huge impact on sound/feel?
No change to the feel that I’ve noticed. They sound slightly more muted than stock, but that could be because of the HG case and the silicone slider pads I used. I was worried because some folks do seem to notice a difference in feel but they feel just fine to me.
That echo!
Really gorgeous keyboard but maybe one day I'll like topre...maybe one day. It just sounds so hollow and membrane-like ("it's ok when topre does it!"), like everything a non-topre user would be against lol. But then topre users also hate on cheap mass produced hollow sounding mech keyboards from Razer, Logitech, Corsair...etc. I don't really see the difference lol
Having a few Topre keyboards, it also really depends on the type you get I think. I thought the Type-S would be the one I wanted. But, found that I much prefered a regular one that I then silenced. After being silenced, it has more of a linear feel.
The upstroke clack becomes more of a subdued thock and for some reason, the silenced non-type-s feels a lot smoother and more like a Linear than the Type-S, which is much more clearly a tactile feel.
I started out with the self-silenced non-type-s, and thought I would upgrade to a Type-S. But, it left me with more appreciation for the self-silenced non-type-s. It does also help to lube.
If I had started instead with the Type-S, I may not have liked Topre at all.
I'm having trouble with find a fit spacebar, what's the size of the spacebar? thank in advance :3
It's a 6u spacebar! The spacebars kits on most MX sets (GMK, ePBT, etc) will include a 6u spacebar. I think KBDFans may occasionally also have some topre sets with a 6u spacebar as well.
whats ur deskmat its fantasitc
wow....
the deskey slider need to be use with the silencing rings ,if you dont you can change to the novatouch's sliders
The pads he used on the bottom of the sliders are specifically meant for using the sliders without rings. They’re supposed to be the same thickness as the rings….so instead of pushing the slider down X mm, you’re extending the length of the slider X mm.
What button does the Windows key default to?
I use mine with a mac, so the two modifiers adjacent to the spacebar map to Command. There’s also DIP switches on the bottom to change keymaps. If you’re curious about the layout, there’s some good info here: hhkb.io/layout/
Where can I get that desk mat bro?
Good vid btw
It’s this one in peach: mekibo.com/products/bixby-and-n-malee-deskmats
I am relatively new to mechanical keyboards and genuinely hate the sound of this keyboard. Can not comprehend the hype.
i'm no expert, but apparently the topre ppl like them bc of the feeling more than the sound. Hey, that's what makes the world go around..
This is the equivalent of gucci flip flops.
what exact keycap set and where to buy?
ePBT less, but better: kbdfans.com/products/icepbt-x-openkey-less-but-better-keycaps-set
For next time, keep the PCB module and domes together, so when disassembling, sandwich the top-plate and PCB together and carefully remove the top-plate with sliders and keep everything on the PCB [domes/springs included] aligned and together. And when assembling, do the reverse. Float the top plate/case over the PCB-dome set and almost float the PCB upwards in, and then sandwich it together so you can access the bottom and screw it all in.
Can check out my build for how I did it. Was stressful to perform, but very clean, zero mess.
Was considering that as well, but I wanted to take the oppty to lube the PCB while I had everything disassembled so I didn't do that this time. I don't think lubing the rails or PCB made a huge difference though, so in the unlikely event that I do ever build another HG I'll definitely give that a try!
@@sagwatypes never say never
He successfully removed the PCB with all domes still attached, so I’m assuming when he later removed the domes from the PCB it’s because he wanted to.
Where did you get the mat from?
It’s this one in peach: mekibo.com/products/bixby-and-n-malee-deskmats
Nice vid, you should try your hand at some reviews/more review like vids
So are people not going to 3d image a heavy grail and give us an STL file to Resin Print it? Instead of paying $1000 for $80 worth of material.
What’s the deskmat you use?
It’s this one in peach: mekibo.com/products/bixby-and-n-malee-deskmats
@@sagwatypes Thanks man I appreciate it
Looks nice, but sounds scratchy
using a power screwdriver to start a screw is a universal no-no. By far, the easiest way to strip threads, especially when dealing with non-metal housing. Also, krytox-2xx is made with silicone, which is noncapacitive. You're effectively insulating your PCB from the signal it needs. As the board heats, the compound will slowly degrade the capacitive functionality of the pcb.
the board itself looks stunning! not a big fan of the sounds, but that is to be expected since i am only familiar with mech switches
These are mechanical switches
@@greenhat7618 oh i meant the standard cherry switches
@@greenhat7618 they arent
@@mohawk4759 why
my 1st row is completely mushy. i removed the sticker to open it up and fix the domes but the screws are stuck and wont budge. really disappointed. $200 brand new defective board with a void warranty
Hate to sound like a hater, but the amount of gain that you have your mic setup to is also _very high. It amplifies high frequencies and makes the switches sound shrill as it attunates to the sound of the keypress, then ducks below. The same can be said about any scene involving your auto screwdriver. You might want to mute/lower the gain on the screwdriver scenes as it's shrill and set the gain low for your keypress scenes while applying an EQ to subdue the high HZ tones.
Yeah! 7 months in and I'm still figuring this stuff out. I'm not a full time youtuber by any means so I appreciate the feedback. Will try to improve on new vids. Thanks!
all this to sound like a 20usd ms keyboard. amazing job !
🤡
To clacky for me. Nice vid though :)
sounnds like noise gate issues
Yep, still trying to figure out the audio. I’m learning and will fix it in the next one. Thanks!
blegh, anything topre with mx sliders just cheapens the experience...
**Calls heavy grail ultimate hhkb housing**
Press X for doubt
what else
@@mohawk4759 think evijia.
@@animeshmeshram5997 why would evija be better? i mean its subjective but i wanna hear ur opinion on it
@@mohawk4759 heavy grail hand CNC. Noxary good CNC.
I think its pretty sad that the cost of this keyboard at a whole $680.00 has such bad quality control, the discoloration you get on that plate piece and not only that but you also need a tool to sand down the plate too is kind of a rip off and makes me think they really dont care
The keyboard sound is terrible.
hollow
Production is good. Keyboard exprensive but sucks. Geeks...
Lmao. What's the point it's just a keyboard 😅
The reverse space bar is disgusting!!!!
All that for a bad sounding keyboard LOL!!!
Man I just can't bring myself to watch people type with their hands posing like they are the Alien face huggers. Learn how to type, man. You got 10 fingers there, why are you using 2.
It's just the way I type. Sorry it bothers you!
Looks great, but 700$ is crazy for a case.