Maybe lubing switches would be a good idea, also not to mention to put some foam in the case. My board literally has Amazon packing foam and it sounds a lot better than stock.
With the lube, although I haven’t tried some yet, getting some Krytox would be well worth it other than some generic grease. My keyboard right now doesn’t sound the best it could if it were with proper Krytox 205g0. (Dang it, G-Lube… You fooled me)
(any recommendation for an off the amazon shelf lubing kit ? Like the crab like thingy to open those tiny plastic housings withhout shattering them ?)
I don’t believe Amazon really has any lubing kits, if you want tools and lube, you probably have to purchase them from keyboard related vendors. I linked a post in this forum that includes a large number of vendors all over the world, you can see which vendor is closest and most convenient for you!
Many thanks for the links ! I’ll have a go at the list
Don’t be sorry, I have many a hobby that have a disassembly/assembly phase !
I think conveying sound with words is going to be challenging, and I probably do not have a precise enough grasp on wording.
I’ll try to attach sound clips of the 75 € sharkoon red choc and the 200€ qmmk gateron clear
(Many many thanks for your enlightening comments !)
Definitely; it’s very context-driven, and everyone’s is a little different. Some recordings and maybe a link or two to examples of sound you like from keeb videos will help narrow things down.
So first the recordings (with a smartphone, so a bit brighter than what it sounds)
The 75 euros sharkoon - kailh red choc : https://www.mboxdrive.com/sharkoon.mp3
The 200 euros gmmk with gateron clears (linear) : : https://www.mboxdrive.com/gmmk.mp3
I’m not too concerned about the stab rattle, that can be cured.
I’m hitting keys with a bit of wrath but not that much than usual use. The choc bottoms with a thud, and the gateron clear, well, if they are the only culprit in this, they bottom like something thin / flimsy.
This is a better recorded sound of the sharkoon (with someone that doesn’t hit keys with all the hate) Best budget keyboard? - Sharkoon PureWriter RGB Review - YouTube
I find this tone very satisfying (again, the sharkoon purewriter was “let’s find if I like it after a decade of A1048” and I enjoyed it, but I knew it was built to cost, and lacked a bit of rigidity when pushed, that’s why I went for something that more substantial)
Now for the reference videos
This I like a lot : enjoying my silent mechanical keyboard - YouTube
And this : How to build a whisper quiet mechanical keyboard (modded GMMK + Aqua Zilents + Matrix Keycaps) - YouTube would be pretty good.
Funnily enough the video is probably the recipe for what I aim for, It’s a shame I didn’t find it previously (I used the wrong keywords…)
The operator has also a significant part in the sound output, maybe lightly springed switches were a bad idea for my ham fisted ways.
Would o rings (that I understand as after-the-fact soft bump stops) be a suitable solution ? Or more a band aid on a broken leg ?
Super helpful examples! This definitely narrows-down some categories and materials.
The Gateron Clears: Short answer, yes they are the culprit. It sounds to me like these are polycarb-housing versions, which are nice and rattly from the factory. The “outboard” design of the GMMK isn’t a bad thing on its own, but also does nothing to mask noisy switches. All that said, it’s totally possible to tune-out all that clinky chattery rattle with lube and films on those same switches. I’m not sure if they’ll ever sound like what you’re going for, though - lube will help deepen the sound but only so much.
The Chocs: I’m not sure what exactly gives them the sound they have as I’ve never actually seen or used them, but I get what you mean now, especially in context of the other recordings.
Reference recordings: These really help me narrow it down. For the most part, I think you’ll want to look at dampened / silent switches - and if you don’t mind putting in the effort, I think you’ll want to lube them, and where needed, film them.
O-rings: Maybe? I really didn’t like them myself, but they might be a good option if you do like reduced travel, as they will give more of that softened thud - only on the way down, though. I’d generally put these in the band aid realm.
To see if switches need films, I pop a handful into a hotswap and put some thin caps on them. Especially with silent switches and with switches that have otherwise been lubed, rattle will indicate a loose housing, with which films and gaskets help tremendously.
The recording you liked a lot is of a JWK silent linear, and while that particular edition is hard to find, very similar switches are readily available. I think the general family of switches you’ll want to orbit are MX-compatible silent linears with the possible inclusion of Topre - I think you were using the “classical” definition of “thock” all along.
If you’re open to tactiles (which Topre are by nature), they tend to have a more loud, layered thock compared to linears of the same weight. The Zilents in IO Sam’s video are an example of a silent tactile - expensive but generally loved. Lately it’s been nudged out of the silent tactile spotlight by the Boba U4, which has a stronger, wider bump - it’s really tactile so it may or may not be enjoyable. They are a fairly decent facsimile of Topre, inasmuch as is possible with a completely different mechanism.
I’d also gather from these preferences that long-pole switches probably aren’t the best with some very contextual exceptions involving other parts and specific housings.
So - a few specific recommendations:
Boba U4s: These might be a good option if you have that kind of sound as a priority, don’t mind a pretty strong tactility, and don’t want to fiddle with tuning your switches - they do have a nice thocky/thud sound from the get-go. That tactility might take some getting used-to, but can be great for fast typing once you do.
Gateron Silent Blacks: Relatively inexpensive and also having a great, if grainy sound right from the bag. A little tuning with lube will bring the sound a little closer to the Serikos from that recording. I really do love the sound of these; here is a recording of some stock ones mounted in a GMMK fullsize.
Durock Dolphins & Daybreaks: A relative of the Seriko switches in the recording you liked, these have a different colored housing and stem and use a different spring, but the shaping of the plastic components is the same and they use the same type of dampener for the sound signature. The two names just refer to two different spring weights.
Gateron Silent Inks & Ink frankens: While I think these feel more smooth than the “vanilla” silent blacks, I also don’t think they sound as great, especially before tuning. – That said, Ink housings are among the few I think you might like with long-pole stems because of the deep sound they make, especially when paired with something like a polycarb plate. It is louder and sharper than the recorded examples but it does have a deep if sharp “thocky” quality.
Niz Electrocapacitive: These aren’t MX-derived switches at all aside from having the same keycap mount, these have more in common with Topre switches, being electrocapacitive rubber domes. They don’t sound, feel, or work the same, but they do have more in common with each-other than with most other things available. These are tactile and “thocky” - they fit MX keycaps but otherwise don’t share any parts or conventions with the MX-compatible universe. They have their own tuning methods and are pretty much their own thing; you can’t swap them into any old keeb, for example - so these aren’t a recommendation for your GMMK so much as a potential, less expensive consideration down the road alongside Topre.
There are quite a few other switches that might give you the kind of sound and feel you’re looking for, but I think these are great places to start your search. Let me know if you have any questions about these or anything else!
PS; this is a really old post, but you might get something out of the other recordings posted there: Informal Silent Switch Comparison
Not necessarily.
I hate the process of lubing my switches (the stabs not so much as you have tens or hundreds of switches per build and only a handful of stabs), but I love having a finished board done to my liking, knowing that I built it myself.
Hating the process doesn’t stop me from making new builds. I want to go through the process as I know it’s necessary (necessary in terms of getting it the way you want it) and I love the end result.
I love the soldering part though, but I enjoy soldering in general.
I’ll delve into these a smidge later. Many, many thanks @Deadeye !
(Thing is, I’ll be left with a hundred of switches, that sounds like an invitation to build a 75%ish thingy with a leftover arduino a a bit of filament…)
Pretty much my standpoint, you get bored on the fourth conrod, let alone the hundredth switch !
Just popping in to say that TTC Bluish Whites are a ‘half-silenced’ tactile, and the closest an MX switch has come to feeling like topre for me. Definitely worth checking them out for science. My only real grip is they’re 3-pin.
Description: TTC Bluish Whites are a unique tactile switch featuring a double coil long spring, mute bottom, and dust proof stem. The double coil spring allows for a very satisfying, snappy typing experience. While the silicone dampener located in the stem pole cavity helps reduce the bottom-out noise. The dust proof stem assures performance won’t be hindered with extended use and dust accumulation.
I generally find typing tests to be useless, but I know that’s not consistent with the hobby, so here’s a typing test with them.
I love TTC Bluish Whites! Great suggestion.
They introduced me to those two-stage long springs, too.
I think sound tests have the most utility when used in comparing things in like-for-like conditions, which is exactly what’s going on in that video. Very cool idea to compare across many profiles - and I love the info graphics!
Fair point - I may be a little hard on sound tests. My distaste originates from hearing people say they’re chasing a sound from a sound test they heard online. By the time you record, tune, compress, and playback, it’s kind of the equivalent of keyboard ASMR, and will never sound just like that in real life.
Given the context of this sound test, I think there is value added, and I agree, I really enjoyed that videos format.
Pretty much spoiled for choice.
It’ll probably come down to availability (I’ll probably go for something that I can get without too much fuss), ideally 3 pins, and aesthetics.
Like something with a darker shade of case will blend better with the (black) gmmk, whereas the (current) clear housing is very visible under bottom row keycaps.
Inks look to blend in a tad better
An innocent and naive question: cherry mx silent have a black housing (bonus point for being the right color and 3 pins), would there be a reason to prefer gaterons black ink over these ?
(I don’t mind that much cutting 200+ little legs with flush cutters)
At least for me, YES. Ink Blacks are quite a bit more smooth than Cherry silents. The stock Cherry ones feel like poking a stick into wet sand for me. That said, the Cherry stems work well in other housings that are less grainy.
It’s possible to swap the Ink tops with solid black ones from other switches, but you might sacrifice a little smoothness depending on the donor.
So at the time being, based mainly on availability (that is challenging in this day and age), it’s a duel between the durock daybreak and the gaterons silent inks.
Both are pins and will need clipping, I hope that won’t interefere too much with the rgb smd leds on the pcb
I’ve seen a thing or two regarding scratchy silent ink v2, but would put me off is inconsistency (non capable production process)
I’ll get a switch opener and krytox gpl (turbo zsmax RR special edition) in the same shop hopefully.
(I’ll print a switch opener instead)
[edit : this one works quite well : Cherry MX Switch Opener by Avatar7 - Thingiverse
(not my picture) ]
If you are already spending so much money on premium switches (ink, silent inks, etc), I would consider selling the GMMK full size and get a keyboard that supports 5 pins rather than clipping those legs. 5 pins switches are generally more welcomed because the two extra legs give more stability.
Wooohooo, I’m premium !
Well well.
I don’t want to sell the gmmk because I’m stubborn. But there’s more to it.
I genuinely thought that was the best full size ISO layout available on the market. I’m probably wrong (I’m very good at being wrong). I’d love to fit 3 pins switches, but they make em’ five legged.
I searched quite a bit for a ‘quality’ keyboard that would allow adaptation to some extent, and iso layout. Or even the bits, but maybe I searched wrong, the world is littered with group buy 63.5% keyboards / pcb / plates / cases / whatever with as rich an offer regarding keycaps, but ANSI.
I also sort of desperately try to make a rather expensive kit (as in total cost) as satisfying (for me) as the cheap sharkoon. Double or quits ?
It’s probably an ill fated quest, but these make the best movies.
I’m getting the sense that you’re not entirely sure what you want for your keyboard. There’s nothing wrong with that and it’s very common for people new to the hobby, but it makes it very difficult to decide which direction to proceed.
My recommendation would be to move slow because the more you learn about keyboards, the more you’ll get a true sense of what is and isn’t available, and you’ll get a better sense of what exactly is important to you.
For example, my board priorities in order of importance are:
Going this route, I can easily swap out switches, improve the case sound, replace/mod the stabs, etc. I also realized that while I appreciate a great keyboard, I have a lot more fun upgrading mediocre boards and experimenting with different switches than buying full boards (it’s also a lot cheaper this way).
Obviously, your needs are different, but I would recommend writing out your list of needs versus wants for your next board and then keeping an eye on r/mechanicalkeyboards, join a bunch of keyboard discords, and of course check in on this site often to see boards that may meet your list of priorities.
Actually I do. But I don’t have the knowledge or the wording to make it understandable. Basically I wanted a better A1048.
100% BUT compact, low profile, with the volume up/down/ mute keys over the numpad.
It’s called a sharkoon purewriter. And to the hobby’s standard it’s a entry / low end thingy.
I bought one and loved it.
Now I want a better purewriter (because I can feel / see the design to cost of this keyboard)
I PROBABLY rushed for my firts order, no doubt on the switches, but, well, I chose a pack that was available an different from the red, so I opted for something lighter. And this proved to be a mistake.
I do genuinly believe that it’s like a guitar or a mottorcycle. You know what you want with experience.
I’ve done quite a bit of research.
And I’ve found people that got quite close to something that I would probably call adequate.
Things akin to Simply96, a personal keyboard project
Won’t be able to put that amount of time into it. And the offer in full size ISO layout components (case, board, plate) is, well, scarce. And don’t get me started on keycaps.
I couldn’t agree more. Hence the gmmk.
I pre date computers, I wasn’t born with the filtering skills to wade into reddit. (joking a bit, but not that much)
That GMMK has really a cheap build quality, the plastic bottom is flimsy, and you’ll never get rid of its hollow sound.
If you want an ISO hotswap that’s better in every aspect, try and get a Keychron Q1 (EU vendors carry the ISO version). This one can be tuned to sound quite alright.
Oh, I’m not yet complaining about hollow sounds yet, it’s still rattling stabs and switches bright racket. My fault, really. It’s already a step up from the sharkoon (structural build wise), mostly because weights and bigger/thicker frame.
I’ve investigated keychron stuff in my quest, and alas, I have not been able to find a 100% model on iso layout : I’ve found only ANSI C2 and K10.
Like the looks, though.
