Well, Keychron got what they wanted: visibility. And that's fine, because they also wanted an honest review by someone they trusted to actually use the Q1, customize it and put it through it's paces. You did more of a product test and opinion on what _you_ liked and disliked, pointing those out along the way. That's basically what Techmoan does in his videos, and I appreciate both of you for doing it that way.
Love it when you get a new keyboard and make a video about it. It's such a simple thing and probably doesn't get many people excited but I've tried a LOT of keyboards over the years and you always talk about things I like to hear about.
I always like your look at Keyboards, you (and also Chyrosan, shout outs to him) have such an Old way at looking at these boards and it really shows the quirks of a keyboard for people who arent as into keyboards as the rest of the community. Also youre one of the few enlightened people who use Clicky switches and therefore the only right opinion 😎
I don't understand people who use linears, I absolutely hate the lack of feedback. Like, they're supposed to be good for gaming because they're easy to press, but then just get something light like Kailh box whites (what I use).
@@rainydaygirlz I have never been into the whole thock thing that modern keyboard guys are into nowadays. When I type, I want my keyboard to sound like I am getting work done, not putting me to sleep. That is why my Matias keyboard is my daily driver. Best feeling and sounding clicky switches I have ever used. Now if custom keyboard guys can make alps mount pcbs and keycaps, then I will be a happy man!
I absolutely loved the feel of my Poker 3 keyboard, but I just could not live without my numpad or F keys, so ended up selling it. My old-school typing habits are too hard to break.
Still use my Poker 3, sometimes I wish I had home and end keys but I’m not willing to give up the extra desk space I get from having a compact keyboard!
@@SeanDuffyProductions I keep an F107 on my desk at work and I don't even use half of the keys. It really is nice having more work space though when using a Matias mini or something.
Blerb. Your first keyboard is always the one you remember most, and for me the Commodore 64C keyboard was the first I did any extensive...keyboarding on. It's solid as a tank.
It was the VIC-20 for me was my first when I was about 2 years old, but the C64 Breadbin was the one I really learned to type on proper as I got older, however all the 8-bit Commodore systems had solid keyboards, except the more rare C64 Breadbins with rubber domes.
Heh, using the software to remap the home row to FARTSBALLS. When I was in high school, a... certain student... would pop the keycaps off the Model Ms in the lab, and change the home row to SHITABRYCK.
we had dells and the screens, keyboards and mice were scorched, cracked, keys pulled out, now i know the value of crts i probably would have taken care of them haha
I just got my K8 with browns the other day and have been digging it. !!!Don't forget to lube your switches!!! Keychron comes unlubed and it will CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE EXPERIENCE
I like the option to have the 'shift' characters above the main, not side-by-side. Quite a few keyboards have the side-by-side thing and I don't like it. It would also be nice to have a UK layout option, too.
The side-by-side things comes from keycap molds designed for a backlit keyboard with light-up (translucent) key labels. On older (non-clear) switches, the LED for the lighting only shines on a small part of the top of the keycap, so they had to put all the labels along the top.
Recently bought a Keychron K4J2 and customized it with Kailh box pinks, love it! Super well built, modular, etc. I'm impressed with Keychron. Good value in my opinion.
Jades and navies are my favorites of the box family. Pinks come in a close third though. If you haven't tried jades, you should. Only 3 modern switches (besides Topre and clones) I have found that I can accept as alternatives to Alps/Matias, buckling spring, NEC blue ovals and other random ye olde designs. I'm in total agreement about those stupid coiled cables. You said the exact same thing I always have in comparing them to vintage coiled cables, being a fixed length and not removable. I'm quite entertained by pingy boards though, I have navies in a Corsair K65 and that thing pings like crazy. Cherry MX sand is a slang name for MX browns, which makes me think your use of it wasn't just off-the-cuff. I agree.
To calm the noise, add any kind of foam in the back there. I often use the grip mat used for shelves, car dashboards or under rugs. Also it'd probably do with a lube job, but that's quite a bit of work to do.
Meanwhile I'm still using the same Dell AT102W in black, with Alps blacks, I got for a criminally low price as new old stock way back in 2014. The printing on the keys is QWERTZ as it is a German model but the key layout is physically the same as we use in the UK (ISO 105-key) so there are no problems at all daily driving it.
@@BeefiusGravius Black Alps actually get a bad rap. I think they're not bad, in good shape. They're still a tactile switch though. I prefer the Kailh box family's clickies, and those are cheaply available for any modern board. Matias' clickies aren't that much worse than blue Alps either.
using hot glue in stripes on the underside of the bezel and on the inside bottom. There may be better dampening materials like maybe silicone or like Ben said, more foam.
All my mechanical keyboards have pinged.. except a Das from 2012 I can't even remember using anymore. But everything I've used has been from big company like Logitech, Razer, Corsair, etc. Quality of keyboards from major brands are overlooked; they're all just terribly built. Don't have the budget or enthusiasm to go the route of some boutique keyboard company..
I used a K2 for a couple years before switching to an Akko. The K2 had blues, which I love the sound of in theory... In practice it annoyed everyone during video calls. I have Browns now, which I truly don't understand the hate for. Much easier on my fingers for long gaming sessions as well, my pinky would get legit tired sometimes with the shift key.
Oh, I also switched because I wasn't a huge fan of the Linux support haha. I even have a GitHub repo set up with a systemd script to make the function keys work as intended and not be media keys. Old man mode: media keys are garbage.
hey Clint, i'm sure it's been mentioned here before. but an easy trick to get rid of the ping on this board is to put little masking tape pieces on the edge of the bottom shell, somewhere around the region of the screw holes. that will stop a lot of the case reverb that you mention!
I must say, on a sturdy metal board Red linear can feel very nice, even when you bottom out, no ping on my board. Gaming is amazing, typing is finicky sometimes, but I learned to love them for what they are and my typing errors has reduced since I got this board a year ago. Im on #tenkeyless which is prefer but always liked the look of 75%. Also remember its just a fun hobby and its very much subjective, the keyboard community can be just a touch fanatic sometimes hehe
I don't really like browns due to the very shallow tactile bump. When I'm typing fast enough, I don't feel the tactility and feels very linear. Some brown switches are better than others, but just doesn't feel right. I would prefer the tactility from a Cream Blueberry, Holy Panda, or an Ergo Clear. Though, it doesn't really help that my main keyboard is still a Model M from 1990. So much tactility, so nice.
I bought a Keychron C2 (104 key) with the Gateron Blues early this year. First impression was the same light plastic with yours but then once I started typing I forgot all about it. This keyboard is a worthy competitor to my Model M. I was thinking about trying Gateron green switches but I'm not sure I really like those blues.
I had the opposite experience in a way, ironically. I typed away happily for years on MX blue boards and decided membrane buckling spring didn't offer me anything over MX blue. Fast forward a few years and I can't stand MX blue at all and would rather use almost anything else that's clicky. The box pinks and navies mentioned in this video are much better, if you must get a modern MX-compatible board. I like jades more myself. I think Matias clickies are the best mass market switches in production though.
Nice keyboard LGR! I like Cherry MX Blacks myself with my Filco Majestouch 2 ISO full size, which when combined with Filco's own tall spherical double shots, feels rather like the keyboard on a BBC Micro Model B from my youth. Some would find them a bit too heavy, but for me, who started off with a pre-electric Imperial mechanical typewriter, it can take a lot of hammering, while being firm enough to minimise mistakes. Really like the somewhat metallic sound it makes too, along with the depth of the clacks.
@@nepnep6894 There's a big difference in price between the two. Is there any substantive difference in quality? Always thought Keychron offered a good value, but I have never been interested enough in any of their offerings to pull the trigger.
Ooooooooooo using different switches for different keys??? Love it! I love reds but the spacebar clack is always too loud, easy solution, just install a blue switch under it!
If you like reds, wouldn't you want something that doesn't click? Even OEMs have done this for decades. In some MX black boards there would be an even heavier MX gray switch for the space bar. You might want something like a Gateron Yellow or Cherry (or clone) black switch. I have box jades in this board and a lone box navy in the spacebar. Did that mostly because it was the first box jade board I cobbled together and the most common concern people had was with them being able to return properly. That turned out to be nonsense, but so things go. Box navies are extremely tactile and loud, if you were considering switches mentioned in this video.
I guess some people strike the keys pretty hard when they type? I've used my keyboard with cherry red switches for years. The keys send input with just a slight press and don't need the full length of travel. Come to think of it, when I really get typing really fast I'm not even pushing the keys all the way down.
Same here. I type a lot and for long periods and I've come to prefer linears. I have a couple of boards with clicky switches but find them more fatiguing after long periods of writing with the typing style I adopt on them. With linears I type differently, more of a rolling motion than jabbing the keys, and my hands seem to appreciate it. My favourites have become Topre style switches though, nice and light with just a bit of tactility which helps with accuracy. Also being able to change the actuation point is nice.
@@iantellam9970 It is all relative. If you type on something like membrane buckling spring or box navies a lot, anything lighter is uncomfortable, and vice versa. It is easier going down in weighting than up. When I first felt Cherry blacks, which are linear, I found them to be extremely fatiguing ... even though I always used lighter clickies. My only Topre board is supposedly 55g, they are considered to be much stiffer than that. I know they would be fatiguing to me if I weren't already used to stiff clickies.
I was gonna buy one of these but it was too much for me in the UK, I ordered the Keychron K4 V2 ISO-UK instead and hopefully it arrives in less than a month! :)
All he's doing is swapping switches and caps, not assembling anything from scratch. The board looks to have Kailh hot swap sockets, which will work with most popular Cherry and clone switches. There's no soldering involved here, and VIA is as simple as it can be in terms of remapping keys. It is seriously easier than the OEM software that comes with most "gaming" boards. All you would need to do is pull the switches you don't want and pop in the ones that you do. Swapping caps is even easier, they're a friction fit. Look up cap puller on Amazon. Some of the first results will be the same as the generic one he used before he found the Keychron ones. They're cheap and they work. One side (which look sort of like wire whisks) for caps and the other for switches. For caps you just snap over the cap and twist around the corners of the cap so the wires are beneath it, then pull up. For switches, you snap the hooks of the tool beneath the ledge of the switch housing in front and back and pull like hell.
Nice keyboard, thanks for showing it. I bought a thermaltake Meka a long time ago, before this stuff was really expensive. It uses cherry switches, the linear kind, I enjoy them because they are more quiet than any of the clicky ones, so I don't bother the lady when she is on her beauty sleep and I'm typing scripts away.
You mentioned it has no rotary encoder but in the video you can see there are three vias designed to accept one. Just under the switch socket. I remember Keychron said it will include the capability of accepting it should you want to install it. It needs soldering but still. Cheers!
Go to Target or some other store and get yourself some of that rubbery drawer liner you see in silverware drawers or as grip under floor mats... You can line underneath the PCB with it and eliminate a lot of the reverb. You maybe be able to get custom foam inserts if someone makes them for that board but if not... some thin foam from a box something came in, cut to shape, or some of that shelf liner can do wonders for the tone.
I like KeyChron. I have a couple of their older (pre-hotswap version) K4's, one for me and one for the lady. (I bought one metal and one plastic body to see which one I preferred, she got the reject 😁)They aren't the _best_ at that price, at least not their older boards, but definitely serviceable and nice to use. My only real complaint with the K4 was the software. Or... Lack of it. It didn't exist. Yeah, most browns out there really aren't all that great. If you want tactile (non-clicky) you have to look into some of the fancier switches. I made some myself out of Halo Trues by swapping the springs for a lighter one (lubed the switches other than the bump), that made them mega tactile, to the point that I can't even type on them for long because it fatigues my hands, what I call "lawnmower hands". I'm a linear guy these days. Once I tried them, I didn't look back.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that think the "aviator cables" are a bit silly. At this point it became the staple for mechanical keyboard community, fancy coiled cables became almost as important as the keyboards.
I bought one and it was a complete piece of garbage. A wire snapped in the connector, the connector would get stuck and I couldn't swap out the end connector, and the coil ended up being 100% aesthetic because if you uncoil it, then it doesn't snap back into place LOL. These things are 1000% for aesthetics, which is, of course, something that can be attributed to to most products in the mechanical keyboard hobby.
I always feel like those smaller USB connectors are flimsy. I think in this situation I would be tempted to find a right-angle connector, just to have less risk of accidentally bending something.
They are. I have seen many destroyed type c jacks on Chromebooks already working in a school district. This is coming from beefy old barrel connectors though for the DC jacks. There are magnetic cables though. Netdot makes some good ones.
Yeah, people talk about PBT like it's automatically better, but I prefer the feel of ABS too. I have enough keyboards in my rotation that they don't tend to wear out, lol. Too many tbh...
yeah, I tried (I think) cherry and gateron blues, and... yeah, I didn't like the feel of those clicky switches. not to mention the notion that there were times I had the pc in the bedroom and I can just imagine that noise keeping me or the wife up. I jsut found I like linear switches more, and the speed silvers on my Corsair K70 SE are just so nice and solid.
Cherry (and clone) blues are some of the worst clicky switches you're likely to ever encounter. You could find any random old clicky keyboard from the days of old and it is likely to feel and sound better than MX blues. I think MX red is already too easy to actuate accidentally. They should have moved the actuation point lower not higher (speed silver), or increased the spring weighting (Gateron yellow). I do still use reds for gaming. Clicky keyboards are for typing, in environments where people don't mind it. I have never had anybody complain about the sound of a clicky switch other than MX blue (and clones) though, working amongst many people in schools.
@@ZeroHourProductions407 I already accidentally actuate MX reds too much myself just resting my fingers on the keys. Adjustable actuation opticals or hall effect is what I would move to if I used linears enough to not just use reds. To each their own. MX blues are objectively pretty bad though, so you should try some good clickies if you ever get the chance.
That is a SMART looking keycap set. Interesting board. I really wish brands would do customizable/kit builds 100% or 96% boards. The one thing i miss going from my (now broken) logitech G710+ with MX blues to my Tada68 i built with NovelKeys Burnt Orange is my numpad. I didn't realize how much i used the numpad for music production until i forced myself into needing an MMO mouse for a number pad. Having macro keys was nice too, but the only one i used was a macro to hit Ctrl+Shift+Esc
There are a couple of 96% Percent Hotswap Boards out there, most of em do come with Caps and Switches already though, not many barebones but honestly I do hope that the bigger Brands also pick up the slack on those, if maybe that I just want all the extra Keys for Macros.
Hey man, I got the same keyboard a week or two ago and custom rolled my own firmware to add more RGB effects and to make the Caps Lock light up red when in use. Let me know if you want to try it.
P.S. to my previous comment - this is unrelated, but BLERBS - I loved Clint's no-nonsense responses at the panel at VCFMW which David linked from one of his videos. Much laughter was had. Edit: I then went to go watch the Print Shop Deluxe video.
I’d be super interested in seeing your opinion on the system76 launch keyboard. I just got one and have been amazed at its build quality and quite happy with the layout!
Seeing that a $160 keyboard still has the issue with the ringing sound for blue switches is making me feel like it's definitely not worth upgrading my £45 Allrelli mechanical keyboard as it seems I'm not missing much...
If it had a num pad and was possible to get a British layout for(the latter might be possible? I dunno, my keyboard has more keys than an American one, for instance there's 3 keys between L and the return key, as well as key between left shift and Z(after a quick look, that key is above the return key on this particular keyboard, whereas mine has a double height return, as does every other keyboard I've used)), I might consider this. Red function keys would also be a must.
That ping noise, you can (If you want) mod it a bit. Add more foam strips that were given extra or PE foam, or even slap on masking tape under the pcb the mute it slightly.
This looks pretty damn good. I recently switched to a proper mechanical keyboard - first I've ever had. And it's magnificent! Have you considered adding some tape-foam to the inside of the metal chassis? That could alleviate that horrible "ding!" sound.
I'm wondering if I made a mistake? I got a K3 low profile and loved it so much that I just got a K2. Both are 75%. However the K3, with the shallow keycaps, seems to have full size keys. But the K2 seems to have more of a "child" size key cap size! Is this just my imagination? I noticed I sometimes clip the edges of my K3 keycaps, so I was assuming the K2 with more "solid" larger profile keycaps would alleviate this. But the keys seem so small!! Maybe they both are? (I have the K3 at work so can't actually compare). I thought 75% meant the number of keys compared to a full size keyboard with. But it seems like the entire keyboard is only 75%! Like the actual size of the keys are scaled down! I felt no need for this Q1 as I don't mind a tight layout, as long as the keys were full size! But maybe I should have gotten the Q1 instead? Are the keys full size on the Q1? Seriously I have yet to even try this K2. I just pulled out of the box and it's very nice. But, wow, it looks like child size keys! These are the only mechanical keyboards I've ever seen in person so I'm really not sure, but the key caps definitely appear smaller than standard keyboards. Appreciate your thoughts!
@@LGRBlerbs I'm such an idiot! Yeah I just unboxed it and thought, "no way this is the same size". But it is! I think the face of the keys is smaller than what I'm used to, but the actual size and spacing is 100%. I started actually using it and it's amazing! I normally make so many mistakes that I'm the king of the backspace key! But this keyboard seems to have cut my errors by 50+% instantly! And it's just so nice to type on! Now I want to order yet another with red keys. The blues are fab and the extra click feedback is probably best for me. But I want the quieter option for after hours!
Im tempted on a akko mod003/004. Having num pad while being maybe 1" longer than the average TKL seems like a very good comprise for professional setups like creators and accountants..... but i just built my 60% 64 keyboard like a week ago
I wanted a 10 key-less and ended up getting the Keychron K4. I've loved every second of it. It's clean, durable, functionally rich, and supports 3 Bluetooth devices (one of the main reasons I got it.) If you're looking at mechanical keyboards Keychron is actually worth the money imho.
I had that same ping sound on the Unicomp Model M I had, drove me crazy. Seemed like the materials they used weren't exact to the OG Model M and it noticeably affected the feel and sound of it, it just made it feel cheap. Switched to a proper IBM Model M and yeah, it actually is my daily driver, all 8 lbs. of it.
I don't have anything Mechanical. Currently I am using a Generation One Logitech G15 and I will be very sad when this dies because all the new Keyboards like it from Logitech are only SIX macro Keys on the left side and I make use of ALL EIGHTTEEN MACRO KEYS on this board in my work, and may even start making use of Marcoset 2 and 3 Do you know of any other keyboards that might support/have this many Macro keys for when this boy meets the same end my old G11 did?
I might get one of these, I have an Everest for my main PC, But i do want something else that is for simple things. I Like my keys to be rude, Pingy, Scratchy with a thiccc thock, and absolute minimal lube so it doesn't hurt on entry but no one can complain cos they think im being productive.
I tried gateron switches myself recently and found them wildly inconsistent and did not like them at all. (PS. I love linear switches, but I've been using the same set of Cherry MX Black switches for over a decade)
I've heard this, but on the Keychron K4 board I bought with Gateron Reds they've all been fine, in fact I have them on another board as well and they're good too, probably my favourite of the Cherry style linears. On the other hand I have a cheap board with Gateron Blacks and some of the switches are too sensitive to be usable. It really seems to depend on the QC that the board has been through and the manufacturer.
Most other linears are going to feel inconsistent compared to the same set you've worn in for a decade. Gaterons have always seemed much better than MX to me, not that either is that great. If I particularly liked linears, I would get something optical.
I'd really benefit from a smaller keyboard as my desk space is very limited but I'm left handed so the cursor keys are my WASD. Left handers will know what I'm on about. You need all those keys surrounding cursor keys to act as what would be the Q, E, Z and so on keys for games. You know this shrunken keyboard trend is niche. How about a left handed keyboard where the cursor keys have keys all the way around them and you can just click a button and cursor and surrounding keys all start acting like the WASD keys so I don't have to spend 10 minutes in every single game mapping out new keys where many games even refuse to map DEL, END, PG down etc. pretending they don't exist, maddening! Anyway there's a niche keyboard I'd pay extra for.
I'm a lefty and I use WASD in games. I actually love that setup because my hands can be fairly close together. And it means I don't have to care about keyboard size, as it extends out to the right and my mouse is to the left. Might just be a matter of being used to it, but just the idea of using the arrow keys is weird to me.
There are lefty keyboards, usually custom designs. Most keyboards with decent mapping software have layers you can toggle on the fly if you couldn't get ahold of one of the totally lefty-designed boards though too. Some of the lefty boards may be opensource. I imagine most were limited runs in groupbuys though.
Clint are you becoming a keyboard TH-camr now? 😁 In all seriousness though, your GMMK Pro video is the reason why I decided to get into the custom keyboard scene myself. I'm currently waiting on my Q1 barebones to get delivered!
@@LGRBlerbs I got to the point in the video where you mentioned that linear switches feel scratchy or sandy. Have you ever looked into lubing switches? I mainly started using tactile switches but have slowly gravitated to solely using linears this way. A lubed and filmed linear switch feels really nice to type on. They also have some heavy linears you might like with a heavier actuation point compared to reds.
Gah, I wish more companies would make 'exposed' modular keyboards as that's my preference. They're just so much easier to keep clean and naturally more compact.
@@xb0xisbetter That sounds like a good idea, it would be an interesting soldering project too. A CoolerMaster MK730 might also be a good base as I really like the construction of my MK750. Thanks.
@@MattTester I don't know anything about the MK730, but I have an old Quickfire Rapid I quite like. Do the MK730 and MK750 have Costar stabilizers like the Quickfire Rapid? I love the OG K65 and K70 and stock up on them to mod. I have swapped box navies into a K65 and got a set of zinc caps to go with it. The only thing I don't like about them is the Cherry stabilizers. No lifted pads at all on the K65, PCB seemed to be pretty high quality. The Quickfire Rapid's PCB always seemed pretty good too (though I think Filco made those boards). I have also been soldering a long time though too and have a fancy Hakko desoldering pump. Whatever frankeboard project you end up taking on, good luck.
Some people, like myself, just use the regular alphanumeric cluster. I have long fingers though. If you were doing a lot of calculations, the number pad would make sense.
LGR Blerbs is the only thing that can get me by until the next LGR video For some reason this keyboard gives me similar vibes to the Zboard (despite being very different, maybe its the colour scheme?), do you all remember that? Always wanted it at the time. To eBay to buy one!
Easily, depending on what you want. I could use one of a dozen random vintage boards and be happy the rest of my life. Model F and done (I have tried a beamspring).
Well, Keychron got what they wanted: visibility. And that's fine, because they also wanted an honest review by someone they trusted to actually use the Q1, customize it and put it through it's paces. You did more of a product test and opinion on what _you_ liked and disliked, pointing those out along the way. That's basically what Techmoan does in his videos, and I appreciate both of you for doing it that way.
So should I get a Keychron Q1? Is it better than my Logitech mechanical keyboard? But no RGB tho.
Me: "I am bored."
LGR: "Allow me to introduce you into the marvellous world of keyboard customization."
No! This is a world your wallet doesn't want to explore, leave while you still can!!!
Love it when you get a new keyboard and make a video about it. It's such a simple thing and probably doesn't get many people excited but I've tried a LOT of keyboards over the years and you always talk about things I like to hear about.
I always like your look at Keyboards, you (and also Chyrosan, shout outs to him) have such an Old way at looking at these boards and it really shows the quirks of a keyboard for people who arent as into keyboards as the rest of the community.
Also youre one of the few enlightened people who use Clicky switches and therefore the only right opinion 😎
Clicky keyboards forever.
I don't understand people who use linears, I absolutely hate the lack of feedback. Like, they're supposed to be good for gaming because they're easy to press, but then just get something light like Kailh box whites (what I use).
@@rainydaygirlz I have never been into the whole thock thing that modern keyboard guys are into nowadays. When I type, I want my keyboard to sound like I am getting work done, not putting me to sleep. That is why my Matias keyboard is my daily driver. Best feeling and sounding clicky switches I have ever used. Now if custom keyboard guys can make alps mount pcbs and keycaps, then I will be a happy man!
man, ive heard what these sound like when people take the time to mod these and man does it sound super good.
I absolutely loved the feel of my Poker 3 keyboard, but I just could not live without my numpad or F keys, so ended up selling it. My old-school typing habits are too hard to break.
Still use my Poker 3, sometimes I wish I had home and end keys but I’m not willing to give up the extra desk space I get from having a compact keyboard!
@@SeanDuffyProductions I keep an F107 on my desk at work and I don't even use half of the keys. It really is nice having more work space though when using a Matias mini or something.
Blerb.
Your first keyboard is always the one you remember most, and for me the Commodore 64C keyboard was the first I did any extensive...keyboarding on. It's solid as a tank.
It was the VIC-20 for me was my first when I was about 2 years old, but the C64 Breadbin was the one I really learned to type on proper as I got older, however all the 8-bit Commodore systems had solid keyboards, except the more rare C64 Breadbins with rubber domes.
BBC Micro Model B at primary school for me. Followed by an Amstrad CPC 464 (original tall double shot key version) at home.
I bought a K10 because of this video. Thanks for the recommendation Clint!
Heh, using the software to remap the home row to FARTSBALLS. When I was in high school, a... certain student... would pop the keycaps off the Model Ms in the lab, and change the home row to SHITABRYCK.
we had dells and the screens, keyboards and mice were scorched, cracked, keys pulled out, now i know the value of crts i probably would have taken care of them haha
I just got my K8 with browns the other day and have been digging it.
!!!Don't forget to lube your switches!!! Keychron comes unlubed and it will CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE EXPERIENCE
I like the option to have the 'shift' characters above the main, not side-by-side. Quite a few keyboards have the side-by-side thing and I don't like it. It would also be nice to have a UK layout option, too.
I miss the Google 'blob' emojis
Right. That's why it's called ⬆️SHIFT and not ➡️SHIFT or ⬇️SHIFT! 😄
@@Mike_Hartman Still prefer them over the boring circle faces. Had a lot more charm to them!
How does the UK layout differ from the US layout?
The side-by-side things comes from keycap molds designed for a backlit keyboard with light-up (translucent) key labels. On older (non-clear) switches, the LED for the lighting only shines on a small part of the top of the keycap, so they had to put all the labels along the top.
Recently bought a Keychron K4J2 and customized it with Kailh box pinks, love it! Super well built, modular, etc. I'm impressed with Keychron. Good value in my opinion.
Damn! It's pretty dope how companies just send you free gear and with personalized logos to boot!
Jades and navies are my favorites of the box family. Pinks come in a close third though. If you haven't tried jades, you should. Only 3 modern switches (besides Topre and clones) I have found that I can accept as alternatives to Alps/Matias, buckling spring, NEC blue ovals and other random ye olde designs.
I'm in total agreement about those stupid coiled cables. You said the exact same thing I always have in comparing them to vintage coiled cables, being a fixed length and not removable.
I'm quite entertained by pingy boards though, I have navies in a Corsair K65 and that thing pings like crazy.
Cherry MX sand is a slang name for MX browns, which makes me think your use of it wasn't just off-the-cuff. I agree.
To calm the noise, add any kind of foam in the back there. I often use the grip mat used for shelves, car dashboards or under rugs. Also it'd probably do with a lube job, but that's quite a bit of work to do.
Meanwhile I'm still using the same Dell AT102W in black, with Alps blacks, I got for a criminally low price as new old stock way back in 2014. The printing on the keys is QWERTZ as it is a German model but the key layout is physically the same as we use in the UK (ISO 105-key) so there are no problems at all daily driving it.
You're already better than most people just cus you have ALPS.
@@BeefiusGravius Black Alps actually get a bad rap. I think they're not bad, in good shape. They're still a tactile switch though.
I prefer the Kailh box family's clickies, and those are cheaply available for any modern board. Matias' clickies aren't that much worse than blue Alps either.
It’s like a snare drum that needs dampening. That ping would annoy the heck out of me.
using hot glue in stripes on the underside of the bezel and on the inside bottom. There may be better dampening materials like maybe silicone or like Ben said, more foam.
I've got one with Browns and the foam pad installed, and it doesn't ping at all. Also, it sounds more pingy in video compared to IRL, I've noticed.
I like a bit of metallic ping myself. For me, it's the sound of a solidly built BBC Micro Model B from back in the day.
@@outtheredude that's what she said😎
All my mechanical keyboards have pinged.. except a Das from 2012 I can't even remember using anymore. But everything I've used has been from big company like Logitech, Razer, Corsair, etc.
Quality of keyboards from major brands are overlooked; they're all just terribly built. Don't have the budget or enthusiasm to go the route of some boutique keyboard company..
Thanks Clint, you made me go down the rabbit hole
3:42 For an unsolicited piece, that's a nice detail.
I used a K2 for a couple years before switching to an Akko. The K2 had blues, which I love the sound of in theory... In practice it annoyed everyone during video calls.
I have Browns now, which I truly don't understand the hate for. Much easier on my fingers for long gaming sessions as well, my pinky would get legit tired sometimes with the shift key.
Oh, I also switched because I wasn't a huge fan of the Linux support haha. I even have a GitHub repo set up with a systemd script to make the function keys work as intended and not be media keys.
Old man mode: media keys are garbage.
Welcome to the endgame rabbit-hole; looking for the bottom is like trying to find the last digit of pi but there's lots of good keebs along the way.
hey Clint, i'm sure it's been mentioned here before. but an easy trick to get rid of the ping on this board is to put little masking tape pieces on the edge of the bottom shell, somewhere around the region of the screw holes. that will stop a lot of the case reverb that you mention!
lgr's setup is cool as fuck
lol that LGR icon in the upper corner is so dope
I have a Keychron and lights under the key's are going out, 5 so far, also the paint or whatever is used to darken the key caps is wearing off.
Man can't wait til he discovers the variety of wooden keyboards, LGR would love em.
Great review, love old school keyboards and the look and feel of this reminds me the terminals we used to use. Definitely considering picking one up!
I must say, on a sturdy metal board Red linear can feel very nice, even when you bottom out, no ping on my board. Gaming is amazing, typing is finicky sometimes, but I learned to love them for what they are and my typing errors has reduced since I got this board a year ago. Im on #tenkeyless which is prefer but always liked the look of 75%. Also remember its just a fun hobby and its very much subjective, the keyboard community can be just a touch fanatic sometimes hehe
I've got brown switches on my board, they're nice. A lot of the community shits on them but I'm a very light-handed typer.
Definitely switches that are well suited to lighter typing! I wish these in particular weren't as "sandy" feeling though.
I don't really like browns due to the very shallow tactile bump. When I'm typing fast enough, I don't feel the tactility and feels very linear. Some brown switches are better than others, but just doesn't feel right. I would prefer the tactility from a Cream Blueberry, Holy Panda, or an Ergo Clear.
Though, it doesn't really help that my main keyboard is still a Model M from 1990. So much tactility, so nice.
@@LGRBlerbs Have you tried Kailh Box Royal Purples? Very Very tactile without a clickbar.
@@Kris451 I haven't, might have to order some to try out!
@@Kris451 MX Greys are my preferred tactile switch, been great for a heavy typer like me
I bought a Keychron C2 (104 key) with the Gateron Blues early this year. First impression was the same light plastic with yours but then once I started typing I forgot all about it. This keyboard is a worthy competitor to my Model M. I was thinking about trying Gateron green switches but I'm not sure I really like those blues.
I had the opposite experience in a way, ironically. I typed away happily for years on MX blue boards and decided membrane buckling spring didn't offer me anything over MX blue.
Fast forward a few years and I can't stand MX blue at all and would rather use almost anything else that's clicky.
The box pinks and navies mentioned in this video are much better, if you must get a modern MX-compatible board. I like jades more myself. I think Matias clickies are the best mass market switches in production though.
7:45 Not sure what it says about me, but my brain identified the penguin on the Linux key as Grimace from McDonaldland for a second 😅
Nice keyboard LGR! I like Cherry MX Blacks myself with my Filco Majestouch 2 ISO full size, which when combined with Filco's own tall spherical double shots, feels rather like the keyboard on a BBC Micro Model B from my youth. Some would find them a bit too heavy, but for me, who started off with a pre-electric Imperial mechanical typewriter, it can take a lot of hammering, while being firm enough to minimise mistakes. Really like the somewhat metallic sound it makes too, along with the depth of the clacks.
I love my Keychron K8 with an aluminum body. It's a joy to use.
I actually used a k8 aluminum as well before upgrading to a q1. Mainly so I could just leave my k8 at my desk at work.
@@nepnep6894 There's a big difference in price between the two. Is there any substantive difference in quality? Always thought Keychron offered a good value, but I have never been interested enough in any of their offerings to pull the trigger.
Ooooooooooo using different switches for different keys??? Love it!
I love reds but the spacebar clack is always too loud, easy solution, just install a blue switch under it!
If you like reds, wouldn't you want something that doesn't click? Even OEMs have done this for decades. In some MX black boards there would be an even heavier MX gray switch for the space bar. You might want something like a Gateron Yellow or Cherry (or clone) black switch.
I have box jades in this board and a lone box navy in the spacebar. Did that mostly because it was the first box jade board I cobbled together and the most common concern people had was with them being able to return properly. That turned out to be nonsense, but so things go.
Box navies are extremely tactile and loud, if you were considering switches mentioned in this video.
I guess some people strike the keys pretty hard when they type? I've used my keyboard with cherry red switches for years. The keys send input with just a slight press and don't need the full length of travel. Come to think of it, when I really get typing really fast I'm not even pushing the keys all the way down.
Yep, I'm used to heavy switches that bottom out when inputting characters. Lighter keys throw me off!
Same here. I type a lot and for long periods and I've come to prefer linears. I have a couple of boards with clicky switches but find them more fatiguing after long periods of writing with the typing style I adopt on them. With linears I type differently, more of a rolling motion than jabbing the keys, and my hands seem to appreciate it. My favourites have become Topre style switches though, nice and light with just a bit of tactility which helps with accuracy. Also being able to change the actuation point is nice.
@@iantellam9970 It is all relative. If you type on something like membrane buckling spring or box navies a lot, anything lighter is uncomfortable, and vice versa. It is easier going down in weighting than up. When I first felt Cherry blacks, which are linear, I found them to be extremely fatiguing ... even though I always used lighter clickies.
My only Topre board is supposedly 55g, they are considered to be much stiffer than that. I know they would be fatiguing to me if I weren't already used to stiff clickies.
Oh shit my keychron just arrived yesterday, and an LGR video comes out about it. What a coincidence!
I was gonna buy one of these but it was too much for me in the UK, I ordered the Keychron K4 V2 ISO-UK instead and hopefully it arrives in less than a month! :)
I've always bought ready-made keyboards because putting my own together seemed a wee bit complicated. Any chance you'd do a quick how to?
All he's doing is swapping switches and caps, not assembling anything from scratch. The board looks to have Kailh hot swap sockets, which will work with most popular Cherry and clone switches.
There's no soldering involved here, and VIA is as simple as it can be in terms of remapping keys. It is seriously easier than the OEM software that comes with most "gaming" boards.
All you would need to do is pull the switches you don't want and pop in the ones that you do. Swapping caps is even easier, they're a friction fit. Look up cap puller on Amazon. Some of the first results will be the same as the generic one he used before he found the Keychron ones. They're cheap and they work. One side (which look sort of like wire whisks) for caps and the other for switches. For caps you just snap over the cap and twist around the corners of the cap so the wires are beneath it, then pull up. For switches, you snap the hooks of the tool beneath the ledge of the switch housing in front and back and pull like hell.
Big fan of Keychron keyboards. Waiting for their Q2 and M1 mouse to restock.
Nice keyboard, thanks for showing it. I bought a thermaltake Meka a long time ago, before this stuff was really expensive. It uses cherry switches, the linear kind, I enjoy them because they are more quiet than any of the clicky ones, so I don't bother the lady when she is on her beauty sleep and I'm typing scripts away.
For the ping you can use polyfill inside the case, makes a huge difference.
You mentioned it has no rotary encoder but in the video you can see there are three vias designed to accept one. Just under the switch socket. I remember Keychron said it will include the capability of accepting it should you want to install it. It needs soldering but still. Cheers!
7:49 that will fit nice on the nordic kde theme for gnome or kde
Go to Target or some other store and get yourself some of that rubbery drawer liner you see in silverware drawers or as grip under floor mats... You can line underneath the PCB with it and eliminate a lot of the reverb. You maybe be able to get custom foam inserts if someone makes them for that board but if not... some thin foam from a box something came in, cut to shape, or some of that shelf liner can do wonders for the tone.
I like KeyChron. I have a couple of their older (pre-hotswap version) K4's, one for me and one for the lady. (I bought one metal and one plastic body to see which one I preferred, she got the reject 😁)They aren't the _best_ at that price, at least not their older boards, but definitely serviceable and nice to use. My only real complaint with the K4 was the software. Or... Lack of it. It didn't exist.
Yeah, most browns out there really aren't all that great. If you want tactile (non-clicky) you have to look into some of the fancier switches. I made some myself out of Halo Trues by swapping the springs for a lighter one (lubed the switches other than the bump), that made them mega tactile, to the point that I can't even type on them for long because it fatigues my hands, what I call "lawnmower hands". I'm a linear guy these days. Once I tried them, I didn't look back.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that think the "aviator cables" are a bit silly. At this point it became the staple for mechanical keyboard community, fancy coiled cables became almost as important as the keyboards.
I bought one and it was a complete piece of garbage. A wire snapped in the connector, the connector would get stuck and I couldn't swap out the end connector, and the coil ended up being 100% aesthetic because if you uncoil it, then it doesn't snap back into place LOL. These things are 1000% for aesthetics, which is, of course, something that can be attributed to to most products in the mechanical keyboard hobby.
for the gmmk pro you can customize the knob if you use QMK
FOR THE LOVE OF GOOOD WHAT DOES THE KNOB DOOO??? Seriously, I need to know.
Volume. About it unfortunately!
@@LGRBlerbs Pheew, sorry for yelling at ya there Clint... Really, top notch. Its just such a lovely knob...
I always feel like those smaller USB connectors are flimsy. I think in this situation I would be tempted to find a right-angle connector, just to have less risk of accidentally bending something.
They are. I have seen many destroyed type c jacks on Chromebooks already working in a school district. This is coming from beefy old barrel connectors though for the DC jacks. There are magnetic cables though. Netdot makes some good ones.
My first keyboard that I could call mine was a Corsair K55 I bought preowned, it was a good membrane one, did the job
It took me a while to get used to the grittiness of PBT keycaps, but I tend to break the cavities of ABS caps so I learned to love em.
Yeah I love the feel of ABS, but I tend to go with PBT for longevity when I'm picking out my own
Yeah, people talk about PBT like it's automatically better, but I prefer the feel of ABS too. I have enough keyboards in my rotation that they don't tend to wear out, lol. Too many tbh...
I only have ABS, what do pbt feel like?
@@sgist7824 Like a really fine sandpaper, or sandblasted finish. People complain about ABS shining. I'm not sure why they care. I like it.
yeah, I tried (I think) cherry and gateron blues, and... yeah, I didn't like the feel of those clicky switches. not to mention the notion that there were times I had the pc in the bedroom and I can just imagine that noise keeping me or the wife up.
I jsut found I like linear switches more, and the speed silvers on my Corsair K70 SE are just so nice and solid.
Cherry (and clone) blues are some of the worst clicky switches you're likely to ever encounter. You could find any random old clicky keyboard from the days of old and it is likely to feel and sound better than MX blues.
I think MX red is already too easy to actuate accidentally. They should have moved the actuation point lower not higher (speed silver), or increased the spring weighting (Gateron yellow).
I do still use reds for gaming. Clicky keyboards are for typing, in environments where people don't mind it. I have never had anybody complain about the sound of a clicky switch other than MX blue (and clones) though, working amongst many people in schools.
@@xb0xisbetter I actually like the speed silvers even more. They seem to suit me with my main PC.
@@ZeroHourProductions407 I already accidentally actuate MX reds too much myself just resting my fingers on the keys. Adjustable actuation opticals or hall effect is what I would move to if I used linears enough to not just use reds.
To each their own. MX blues are objectively pretty bad though, so you should try some good clickies if you ever get the chance.
That ping is a dealbreaker. Can't stand pingy keyboards. Once you hear it, you'll never unhear it.
New subbie. Love the green mint color. Great video 👍
That is a SMART looking keycap set. Interesting board.
I really wish brands would do customizable/kit builds 100% or 96% boards. The one thing i miss going from my (now broken) logitech G710+ with MX blues to my Tada68 i built with NovelKeys Burnt Orange is my numpad. I didn't realize how much i used the numpad for music production until i forced myself into needing an MMO mouse for a number pad. Having macro keys was nice too, but the only one i used was a macro to hit Ctrl+Shift+Esc
There are a couple of 96% Percent Hotswap Boards out there, most of em do come with Caps and Switches already though, not many barebones but honestly I do hope that the bigger Brands also pick up the slack on those, if maybe that I just want all the extra Keys for Macros.
The GMMK is a 100% hotswap board that's available as a barebone model without switches or caps
Hey man, I got the same keyboard a week or two ago and custom rolled my own firmware to add more RGB effects and to make the Caps Lock light up red when in use. Let me know if you want to try it.
Where's the "any" key?!
I'd like to see you try tangerine keys and let us know what you think of those. I've heard a lot of people like them but nobody I trust for sure.
P.S. to my previous comment - this is unrelated, but BLERBS - I loved Clint's no-nonsense responses at the panel at VCFMW which David linked from one of his videos. Much laughter was had.
Edit: I then went to go watch the Print Shop Deluxe video.
Link for the curious :)
th-cam.com/video/uaS5qnP8tkY/w-d-xo.html
This is a thing of beauty, in presentation and - I'm sure - functionality. Please send me one.
The Q1 looks like a Commodore Plus 4 to me.
Not a bad thing at all but I are moar into blues than reds.
There is a QMK port for other Keychron boards. I'm running a customized build on my K8 right now :)
I’d be super interested in seeing your opinion on the system76 launch keyboard. I just got one and have been amazed at its build quality and quite happy with the layout!
I love there Tux key for Linux - how it looks. Quite a hefty price but I guess it's worth it seeing/hearing the quality of the product.
Seeing that a $160 keyboard still has the issue with the ringing sound for blue switches is making me feel like it's definitely not worth upgrading my £45 Allrelli mechanical keyboard as it seems I'm not missing much...
If it had a num pad and was possible to get a British layout for(the latter might be possible? I dunno, my keyboard has more keys than an American one, for instance there's 3 keys between L and the return key, as well as key between left shift and Z(after a quick look, that key is above the return key on this particular keyboard, whereas mine has a double height return, as does every other keyboard I've used)), I might consider this.
Red function keys would also be a must.
Keychron offers a UK Version of the Q1. As well as other Layouts
That ping noise, you can (If you want) mod it a bit. Add more foam strips that were given extra or PE foam, or even slap on masking tape under the pcb the mute it slightly.
What keycaps are those on the keychron with the knob ? Nice silver n grey look
This looks pretty damn good. I recently switched to a proper mechanical keyboard - first I've ever had. And it's magnificent!
Have you considered adding some tape-foam to the inside of the metal chassis? That could alleviate that horrible "ding!" sound.
A nice keyboard, Clint. Although, the lack of a numpad area is an instant turn off for me.
They have the K4 that is a 95% keyboard.
Is this a prerelease youtuber version or a final retail unit? A bunch of other people on TH-cam got early versions with a custom badge
Far as I know it's the final retail
@@LGRBlerbs ok cool :D
I'm wondering if I made a mistake? I got a K3 low profile and loved it so much that I just got a K2. Both are 75%. However the K3, with the shallow keycaps, seems to have full size keys. But the K2 seems to have more of a "child" size key cap size! Is this just my imagination?
I noticed I sometimes clip the edges of my K3 keycaps, so I was assuming the K2 with more "solid" larger profile keycaps would alleviate this. But the keys seem so small!! Maybe they both are? (I have the K3 at work so can't actually compare).
I thought 75% meant the number of keys compared to a full size keyboard with. But it seems like the entire keyboard is only 75%! Like the actual size of the keys are scaled down!
I felt no need for this Q1 as I don't mind a tight layout, as long as the keys were full size! But maybe I should have gotten the Q1 instead? Are the keys full size on the Q1?
Seriously I have yet to even try this K2. I just pulled out of the box and it's very nice. But, wow, it looks like child size keys! These are the only mechanical keyboards I've ever seen in person so I'm really not sure, but the key caps definitely appear smaller than standard keyboards.
Appreciate your thoughts!
I've never heard of smaller keys like that! All my Keychron boards came with full sized keycaps
@@LGRBlerbs I'm such an idiot! Yeah I just unboxed it and thought, "no way this is the same size". But it is! I think the face of the keys is smaller than what I'm used to, but the actual size and spacing is 100%.
I started actually using it and it's amazing! I normally make so many mistakes that I'm the king of the backspace key! But this keyboard seems to have cut my errors by 50+% instantly! And it's just so nice to type on!
Now I want to order yet another with red keys. The blues are fab and the extra click feedback is probably best for me. But I want the quieter option for after hours!
Im tempted on a akko mod003/004. Having num pad while being maybe 1" longer than the average TKL seems like a very good comprise for professional setups like creators and accountants..... but i just built my 60% 64 keyboard like a week ago
I wanted a 10 key-less and ended up getting the Keychron K4. I've loved every second of it. It's clean, durable, functionally rich, and supports 3 Bluetooth devices (one of the main reasons I got it.) If you're looking at mechanical keyboards Keychron is actually worth the money imho.
Hey, did your keycaps shine over time?
I have one of these sitting about in my house, but it's not the one I ordered. Trying to get it exchanged for the right one
LGR getting into custom mechanical keyboards ??
I had that same ping sound on the Unicomp Model M I had, drove me crazy. Seemed like the materials they used weren't exact to the OG Model M and it noticeably affected the feel and sound of it, it just made it feel cheap. Switched to a proper IBM Model M and yeah, it actually is my daily driver, all 8 lbs. of it.
Do you use the Insert Key much? I know that I don't.
I don't have anything Mechanical. Currently I am using a Generation One Logitech G15 and I will be very sad when this dies because all the new Keyboards like it from Logitech are only SIX macro Keys on the left side and I make use of ALL EIGHTTEEN MACRO KEYS on this board in my work, and may even start making use of Marcoset 2 and 3
Do you know of any other keyboards that might support/have this many Macro keys for when this boy meets the same end my old G11 did?
you should check out the Wooting 2 He keyboard at some point, with those new hall effect lekker switches
But GMMK says the overlubing issue only "affects a small number of boards"
100% is a small number
3:46 Nothing shows weight of a keyboard like *>thunk
I might get one of these, I have an Everest for my main PC, But i do want something else that is for simple things.
I Like my keys to be rude, Pingy, Scratchy with a thiccc thock, and absolute minimal lube so it doesn't hurt on entry but no one can complain cos they think im being productive.
Look into keybored’s mod video for this keyboard. Turns it from a prebuilt level sound to end game material.
I tried gateron switches myself recently and found them wildly inconsistent and did not like them at all. (PS. I love linear switches, but I've been using the same set of Cherry MX Black switches for over a decade)
I've heard this, but on the Keychron K4 board I bought with Gateron Reds they've all been fine, in fact I have them on another board as well and they're good too, probably my favourite of the Cherry style linears. On the other hand I have a cheap board with Gateron Blacks and some of the switches are too sensitive to be usable. It really seems to depend on the QC that the board has been through and the manufacturer.
Most other linears are going to feel inconsistent compared to the same set you've worn in for a decade. Gaterons have always seemed much better than MX to me, not that either is that great.
If I particularly liked linears, I would get something optical.
I'd really benefit from a smaller keyboard as my desk space is very limited but I'm left handed so the cursor keys are my WASD. Left handers will know what I'm on about. You need all those keys surrounding cursor keys to act as what would be the Q, E, Z and so on keys for games. You know this shrunken keyboard trend is niche. How about a left handed keyboard where the cursor keys have keys all the way around them and you can just click a button and cursor and surrounding keys all start acting like the WASD keys so I don't have to spend 10 minutes in every single game mapping out new keys where many games even refuse to map DEL, END, PG down etc. pretending they don't exist, maddening! Anyway there's a niche keyboard I'd pay extra for.
I'm a lefty and I use WASD in games. I actually love that setup because my hands can be fairly close together. And it means I don't have to care about keyboard size, as it extends out to the right and my mouse is to the left. Might just be a matter of being used to it, but just the idea of using the arrow keys is weird to me.
There are lefty keyboards, usually custom designs. Most keyboards with decent mapping software have layers you can toggle on the fly if you couldn't get ahold of one of the totally lefty-designed boards though too.
Some of the lefty boards may be opensource. I imagine most were limited runs in groupbuys though.
has a aditional keys for a "Ñ" keyboard?
*THUNK* Now that's an intro. LOL
Clint are you becoming a keyboard TH-camr now? 😁 In all seriousness though, your GMMK Pro video is the reason why I decided to get into the custom keyboard scene myself. I'm currently waiting on my Q1 barebones to get delivered!
Heh, not intentionally. I've just always loved keyboards and the current scene of customizable boards excites me 😃
@@LGRBlerbs I got to the point in the video where you mentioned that linear switches feel scratchy or sandy. Have you ever looked into lubing switches? I mainly started using tactile switches but have slowly gravitated to solely using linears this way. A lubed and filmed linear switch feels really nice to type on. They also have some heavy linears you might like with a heavier actuation point compared to reds.
Heavier would definitely be the way to go for me, but even then I just always prefer a click
Gah, I wish more companies would make 'exposed' modular keyboards as that's my preference. They're just so much easier to keep clean and naturally more compact.
Get a cheap used Corsair K65 and solder some mill-max sockets into it?
@@xb0xisbetter That sounds like a good idea, it would be an interesting soldering project too. A CoolerMaster MK730 might also be a good base as I really like the construction of my MK750. Thanks.
@@MattTester I don't know anything about the MK730, but I have an old Quickfire Rapid I quite like. Do the MK730 and MK750 have Costar stabilizers like the Quickfire Rapid?
I love the OG K65 and K70 and stock up on them to mod. I have swapped box navies into a K65 and got a set of zinc caps to go with it. The only thing I don't like about them is the Cherry stabilizers.
No lifted pads at all on the K65, PCB seemed to be pretty high quality. The Quickfire Rapid's PCB always seemed pretty good too (though I think Filco made those boards). I have also been soldering a long time though too and have a fancy Hakko desoldering pump.
Whatever frankeboard project you end up taking on, good luck.
Wait, how did you get the end key on the right?
lol nvm it’s a completely different keyboard 🤦♂️
Next Clint will be doing tape mod and search for the Thoc
Why don't you use a numpad LGR? Seems inefficient and I assume you have to type a fair amount of numbers...
Some people, like myself, just use the regular alphanumeric cluster. I have long fingers though. If you were doing a lot of calculations, the number pad would make sense.
Try doing the tempest tape mod and PE foam mod on that board!!
why is the sound different?
LGR Blerbs is the only thing that can get me by until the next LGR video
For some reason this keyboard gives me similar vibes to the Zboard (despite being very different, maybe its the colour scheme?), do you all remember that? Always wanted it at the time. To eBay to buy one!
My favorite model M cable is the very long, not coiled model M2 cable....
Keyboard endgame? Is it obtainable?
Easily, depending on what you want. I could use one of a dozen random vintage boards and be happy the rest of my life.
Model F and done (I have tried a beamspring).
I personally like linear keys, as I am a gamer. But if i have things to type out I have found that my fingers like Halo Clears.