I have noticed an interesting thing you have done to the bottom row. Reverses keycaps I guess. I wonder what profile did you use and keycaps from which row have you repurposed for the bottom row?
One thing that I need people to understand about the custom mech world, whether it is DROP or an indie, is that there are long wait times for certain items and sometimes even they even get delayed again. DROP is a good service, but I see a lot of complaints from people who live in a world of instant fulfillment.
yeah one thing I'm trying to focus on in my next couple videos are products that are in stock. The OLKB preonic is an in stock product now on Drop and I'm hoping the Planck follows suit. Preonic review is in the works and another custom is in my hands too!
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 Planck out sells the Preonic 2 to 1 from my understanding, so it probably will remain backlogged for several more runs. I'd much rather have the acrylic preonic or atomic, but that is just my preference. I bought the DROP Carina with a copper plate and it turned out to be one of my best sounding projects in a while. Since it is another KBD clone, I was worried that it was just the same thing, however, the choice in plates, pass through, and the RGB feels a little more vibrant next to my KDB acrylic 60. It makes it worth 10 more dollars (probably saving 30 from shipping if you're in the US) compared to KDBFans. Drop seems to have also bought out Matt3o's rights to MT3 and it's hard to beat that WoB and BoW set for the in stock/short wait price.
@Kruell Gaming I actually didn't know that the planck was so much more popular than the preonic, since the planck is a bigger adjustment for most users. I love having both, i use the planck for editing, and the preonic for gaming, one tactile and the other linear respectively. I definitely steer gamers towards the preonic though. I'll have to check out the Carina sometime in the future, I've just been leaning towards solder pcbs since I've really enjoyed learning how to solder, and want to do more solder builds.
Where are you man? Please come back.Your reviews by far the best. My first and only mech keyboard is RK61.But i really want to get my hands on Planck.Unfortunately price range is extreme when you convert US Dollars to Turkish Liras.
Hello, I was wondering if drop plancks still have the issue of poorly manufactured usb-c ports? I saw reviews online that most people end up pulling out the usb-c ports and can't resolder them back (you need a hot air SMT resoldering station) or have to hot glue the usb c port when they receive the board just to prevent it from falling out. Could I know your experience so far? Also what are the differences between drop plancks and something like the olkb plancks EOTW?
My mouse has a 12 buttons on the side of it so the number row is a non issue for me. Even if it was an issue I'd be able to just move my thumb to the upper and use the top row as numbers.
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 I ordered the Planck minutes after writing my comment. I had been hesitating for a while and you convinced me. Now to find some switches... :)
great video man, really good review. I'm on the fence and not sure to order a preonic or a planck. I like how both look and since I use a separate numpad for my data entry work, I'm kinda leaning towards a planck. If only Drop had the acrylic case available for it
Thanks! I actually have gotten my hands on the preonic too, so I'll be putting out a preonic review where I compare the two side by side fairly soon, I got the aluminum cases for both though so I won't be able to weigh in on the acrylic case that's available for the preonic. From my initial impressions though the preonic is just a better gaming alternative to the planck, but for any other use case than gaming, the presence of the number row is redundant, especially if you have a standalone number pad. I don't own a number pad, but have configured my planck to have a number pad layer, and it's been really effective for me, though i don't have to do much data entry.
Cherry profile is slanted forward so if you turn them 180 degrees then they are slanted backward facing you like how it is on this keyboard. the bottom row keys are flipped around
I have the same keyboard and I was messing around with it and the LED ternd off and the little speaker doesn’t make a sound when I plug it in and idk what to do and I’m trying to connect it to my ps4 and it’s not letting me use it can someone plz help me
super late but I think the issue here that you have for the led is that you turned it off, which is normal. you should do lower + raise + fn/backlight press r or smth close to it, for the sound look at the manual
I recently soldered on a rotary encoder (knob) which required me to fully disassemble and reassemble the keyboard *again* and everything still works! (Probably my next video is a guide to installing the encoder on the Planck.) It would be remiss of me to mention that the stainless steel plate for my unit arrived with a slight bend in it, which doesn't impact the performance of the board, but makes pulling switches out of the board more difficult. I think I can alleviate this by clipping my switches to convert them to plate mounted switches (Zealios v2 switches are 5-pin PCB mount switches), but I don't really see the need to since I won't be disassembling the Planck anytime soon. I mentioned the bent plate on my written review on Drop's website, but forgot to mention it in this video: drop.com/buy/planck-mechanical-keyboard/reviews/2744799?referer=JJMHKC As an added note, I just opened up the OLKB Preonic kit and I'm happy to say that the stainless steel plate in that kit has no bend in it! So hopefully warped/bent plates are a rare occurrence.
Yes! Sort of. You'll need to compile the source code yourself, and while the speaker is limited in terms of type of sound, you can shift/transpose the pitches to different locations on the keyboard. Also, by default there are a handful of music modes that give you different layouts (diatonic, chromatic, guitar, and violin). You can also create your own chimes in the firmware, i made some to signal when i change to some custom layers. Check out this section in the docs for more info. beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/hardware-features/feature_audio#music-map
@@thegirlthatcodes9689 I would say that since the current difference in price between the planck and the niu mini is only about 5 dollars, the planck would be the better pick. You have the aforementioned speaker to toy with, as well as the ability to use different layouts for the spacebar (see the preonic review for another spacebar setup.) Another advantage that the planck provides are the hotswap sockets that let you change out key switches without having to solder or de-solder anything. (If you like to solder though the niu mini wouldn't be a bad place to start!)
For casual gaming I actually have a "game mode" layer for playing slower paced games on the planck, but i am very dependent on my muscle memory of the number row for faster paced competitive games, and my specific bindings for games like Valorant and CSGO span across 4 rows. I still love using the planck the most for editing/animating, plus it's a really good way for me to compartmentalize my computer time by having a keyboard dedicated to work and another for gaming.
What I meant to say is that when competitive gaming, I prefer to have a number row above WASD. I know some people will drop their movement keys down a row (to SZXC) to turn their qwerty row into a number row, but I also have bindings below WASD for certain actions. so it's not about the differences between ortho and staggered, as I can game on the preonic (an ortho board with a number row) without any issues. In summary, there are plenty of solutions that can be made on a 40 percent in order to bring back number row functionality, and for non-gaming purposes those solutions are elegant and ergonomic, but when gaming, those solutions become compromises. In Valorant, I switch weapons with numbers, move with WASD, and select abilities with the Q, Z, X, C, and F keys (these were also my grenade bindings in CSGO.) So having instant access to those keys without jumping into layers is how I feel most comfortable when playing. In the end its all preference, and the beautiful thing about collecting keyboards is the ability to explore variety! I currently have access to 40, 50, 60, and 75 percent-size keyboards, and it's great to be able to widen my keyboard pallette so I can provide better insight in future videos. next review is a 75 percent board btw ;)
I don't have a PS4 to test, but the PS4 should recognize any keyboard you plug in with a USB cable. This keyboard does NOT have bluetooth so you need to use it wired. Also keep in mind you need to build the keyboard yourself as it ships in pieces.
Taking a look at the documentation it seems that the qmk firmware does not have a dedicated function for individual mouse press and release events, BUT i think if you get creative with macros (or the "quantum" key commands) you should be able to turn a key into a toggle switch and assign that key to a mouse button. If you have a good grasp on the C programming language, qmk is open source for all of the tinkering you can come up with! Edit: beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/advanced-keycodes/feature_macros The "TAP, DOWN and UP" section might be your solution.
best part of the review: you just typing on it. no one else have done it, and made a hole difference on what I was expecting.
Just came across your channel and saw "138 subs". Thought I was misreading and that it should be 138k subs. Great content, keep it up!
Ha, me too - 154 - just about to be 155.
This video popped in my recommended today and I honestly didn't realize the size of the channel. Seriously excellent work!
Thanks! More videos will be coming out soon!
GREAT video and quality content! My fav parts were all the appearances from your cat :P
I have noticed an interesting thing you have done to the bottom row. Reverses keycaps I guess. I wonder what profile did you use and keycaps from which row have you repurposed for the bottom row?
One thing that I need people to understand about the custom mech world, whether it is DROP or an indie, is that there are long wait times for certain items and sometimes even they even get delayed again. DROP is a good service, but I see a lot of complaints from people who live in a world of instant fulfillment.
yeah one thing I'm trying to focus on in my next couple videos are products that are in stock. The OLKB preonic is an in stock product now on Drop and I'm hoping the Planck follows suit. Preonic review is in the works and another custom is in my hands too!
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 Planck out sells the Preonic 2 to 1 from my understanding, so it probably will remain backlogged for several more runs. I'd much rather have the acrylic preonic or atomic, but that is just my preference. I bought the DROP Carina with a copper plate and it turned out to be one of my best sounding projects in a while. Since it is another KBD clone, I was worried that it was just the same thing, however, the choice in plates, pass through, and the RGB feels a little more vibrant next to my KDB acrylic 60. It makes it worth 10 more dollars (probably saving 30 from shipping if you're in the US) compared to KDBFans.
Drop seems to have also bought out Matt3o's rights to MT3 and it's hard to beat that WoB and BoW set for the in stock/short wait price.
@Kruell Gaming I actually didn't know that the planck was so much more popular than the preonic, since the planck is a bigger adjustment for most users. I love having both, i use the planck for editing, and the preonic for gaming, one tactile and the other linear respectively. I definitely steer gamers towards the preonic though.
I'll have to check out the Carina sometime in the future, I've just been leaning towards solder pcbs since I've really enjoyed learning how to solder, and want to do more solder builds.
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 My preonic should get here today so I'm excited to see your review for it! I subbed and am eager to see more videos from you.
Where are you man? Please come back.Your reviews by far the best.
My first and only mech keyboard is RK61.But i really want to get my hands on Planck.Unfortunately price range is extreme when you convert US Dollars to Turkish Liras.
Suggestion for any gamers worried about not having a number row. Make a layer that has wasd one row lower, and have the qwerty row be the number row
Hello, I was wondering if drop plancks still have the issue of poorly manufactured usb-c ports?
I saw reviews online that most people end up pulling out the usb-c ports and can't resolder them back (you need a hot air SMT resoldering station) or have to hot glue the usb c port when they receive the board just to prevent it from falling out.
Could I know your experience so far? Also what are the differences between drop plancks and something like the olkb plancks EOTW?
My mouse has a 12 buttons on the side of it so the number row is a non issue for me. Even if it was an issue I'd be able to just move my thumb to the upper and use the top row as numbers.
nice gold dbc shirt!
Thanks for that very informative video. Good choice of music too! 🎷
Thanks! As it happens my next video is rendering as we speak! I hope I helped you make a more informed decision on whether to get the Planck or not.
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 I ordered the Planck minutes after writing my comment. I had been hesitating for a while and you convinced me. Now to find some switches... :)
great video man, really good review. I'm on the fence and not sure to order a preonic or a planck. I like how both look and since I use a separate numpad for my data entry work, I'm kinda leaning towards a planck. If only Drop had the acrylic case available for it
Thanks! I actually have gotten my hands on the preonic too, so I'll be putting out a preonic review where I compare the two side by side fairly soon, I got the aluminum cases for both though so I won't be able to weigh in on the acrylic case that's available for the preonic.
From my initial impressions though the preonic is just a better gaming alternative to the planck, but for any other use case than gaming, the presence of the number row is redundant, especially if you have a standalone number pad. I don't own a number pad, but have configured my planck to have a number pad layer, and it's been really effective for me, though i don't have to do much data entry.
what do you call the profile of your keycaps? I like the way it arcs with your hand and angles towards your thumbs.
Any sculpted profile (that fits ortho) should do, just mount them upside down for your bottom row
What I don't understand is why the keycaps are still so TALL. If this is supposed to be a compact keyboard, why does it need to be so thick?
Loved this!! Just ordered my own Planck! Did you add the LED's yourself?
Great review, thanks for this! Which switches did you have installed for the typing clips in this video?
Very good review! How did you add the LEDs?
Not sure if this is a dumb question but why do your key caps look like they’re pushing out and not completely all the way down?
Cherry profile is slanted forward so if you turn them 180 degrees then they are slanted backward facing you like how it is on this keyboard. the bottom row keys are flipped around
The Planck holds 48 or 47 switches, not 40. I made this mistake too when ordering switches for mine.
I have the same keyboard and I was messing around with it and the LED ternd off and the little speaker doesn’t make a sound when I plug it in and idk what to do and I’m trying to connect it to my ps4 and it’s not letting me use it can someone plz help me
super late but I think the issue here that you have for the led is that you turned it off, which is normal. you should do lower + raise + fn/backlight press r or smth close to it, for the sound look at the manual
@@yeglazer0000 wait idk where fn is I’m trying to turn it back on and it don’t do it
@@yeglazer0000also I don’t have the manual I lost is that y I have been trying to look all over TH-cam and I can’t find it
Heya, great video! Just ordered my planck two days ago. I hope you haven't had any hardware issues so far?
I recently soldered on a rotary encoder (knob) which required me to fully disassemble and reassemble the keyboard *again* and everything still works! (Probably my next video is a guide to installing the encoder on the Planck.)
It would be remiss of me to mention that the stainless steel plate for my unit arrived with a slight bend in it, which doesn't impact the performance of the board, but makes pulling switches out of the board more difficult. I think I can alleviate this by clipping my switches to convert them to plate mounted switches (Zealios v2 switches are 5-pin PCB mount switches), but I don't really see the need to since I won't be disassembling the Planck anytime soon. I mentioned the bent plate on my written review on Drop's website, but forgot to mention it in this video:
drop.com/buy/planck-mechanical-keyboard/reviews/2744799?referer=JJMHKC
As an added note, I just opened up the OLKB Preonic kit and I'm happy to say that the stainless steel plate in that kit has no bend in it! So hopefully warped/bent plates are a rare occurrence.
Is it possible to change the sound to lower pitch or add whatever sound you want for certain keys?
Yes! Sort of. You'll need to compile the source code yourself, and while the speaker is limited in terms of type of sound, you can shift/transpose the pitches to different locations on the keyboard. Also, by default there are a handful of music modes that give you different layouts (diatonic, chromatic, guitar, and violin). You can also create your own chimes in the firmware, i made some to signal when i change to some custom layers.
Check out this section in the docs for more info.
beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/hardware-features/feature_audio#music-map
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 wow thats awesome. Do you think going for the planck would be better vs the niu mini?
@@thegirlthatcodes9689 I would say that since the current difference in price between the planck and the niu mini is only about 5 dollars, the planck would be the better pick. You have the aforementioned speaker to toy with, as well as the ability to use different layouts for the spacebar (see the preonic review for another spacebar setup.)
Another advantage that the planck provides are the hotswap sockets that let you change out key switches without having to solder or de-solder anything. (If you like to solder though the niu mini wouldn't be a bad place to start!)
With QMK you can easily make a layer with numbers and stay there during your gaming sessions
For casual gaming I actually have a "game mode" layer for playing slower paced games on the planck, but i am very dependent on my muscle memory of the number row for faster paced competitive games, and my specific bindings for games like Valorant and CSGO span across 4 rows.
I still love using the planck the most for editing/animating, plus it's a really good way for me to compartmentalize my computer time by having a keyboard dedicated to work and another for gaming.
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 so it's not about missing keys but about the ortholinear nature of the keeb? do you have problems with wasd?
What I meant to say is that when competitive gaming, I prefer to have a number row above WASD. I know some people will drop their movement keys down a row (to SZXC) to turn their qwerty row into a number row, but I also have bindings below WASD for certain actions. so it's not about the differences between ortho and staggered, as I can game on the preonic (an ortho board with a number row) without any issues.
In summary, there are plenty of solutions that can be made on a 40 percent in order to bring back number row functionality, and for non-gaming purposes those solutions are elegant and ergonomic, but when gaming, those solutions become compromises.
In Valorant, I switch weapons with numbers, move with WASD, and select abilities with the Q, Z, X, C, and F keys (these were also my grenade bindings in CSGO.) So having instant access to those keys without jumping into layers is how I feel most comfortable when playing.
In the end its all preference, and the beautiful thing about collecting keyboards is the ability to explore variety! I currently have access to 40, 50, 60, and 75 percent-size keyboards, and it's great to be able to widen my keyboard pallette so I can provide better insight in future videos.
next review is a 75 percent board btw ;)
Will this keyboard work with ps4
I don't have a PS4 to test, but the PS4 should recognize any keyboard you plug in with a USB cable. This keyboard does NOT have bluetooth so you need to use it wired.
Also keep in mind you need to build the keyboard yourself as it ships in pieces.
Do you know if the firmware can send discrete "mouse button DOWN" and "mouse button RELEASE" events?
Taking a look at the documentation it seems that the qmk firmware does not have a dedicated function for individual mouse press and release events, BUT i think if you get creative with macros (or the "quantum" key commands) you should be able to turn a key into a toggle switch and assign that key to a mouse button.
If you have a good grasp on the C programming language, qmk is open source for all of the tinkering you can come up with!
Edit: beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/advanced-keycodes/feature_macros
The "TAP, DOWN and UP" section might be your solution.
@@thexxiskeyboards9361 Yup yup. Someone else told me that yes, it's there, but not in the "presets". I'll have to write some C myself, sigh.
One thing you can do is have a different keyboard for gaming.