No, not this exact sound as far as I can tell. They just sound a bit dry which is not an issue for me tbh
As for the Silent Cream Yellows, my attempts at lubing the springs in various amounts have had no positive results. It is some stem-leaf interaction making it, and I think I know for sure because once I was putting it together and absentmindedly turned the top housing the wrong way, the leaf got cramped in to the LED light slit. It still worked, though barely tactile after it, and that sound was gone completely.
This sound is also present in Boba U4 as well as the Anthracites which I am using a lot, it’s just more consistent and accompanied by other sounds as well. The Silent Cream Yellow really takes the prize in the competition for quietness, just wish my batch was more consistent.
The next switch I’d like to try is TTC Silent Brown V2 after hearing @Deadeye 's recording of it. I have Silent Bluish White but the tactility is a bit too aggressive for me.
Looking for a [boxed] heavy (60-70g) silent tactile
I summon the resident switch doctors for help!
For an upcoming ham radio field project, I (wisely) refrained from small footprint switches and decided to build a 40% ortholinear Planck-style JJ40 in this piece of stainless metal junk:
I chose this particular case because…
it is sturdy,
relatively cheap, and
it can be expanded to hold additional circuitry.
However, I do realise that the sound will be bad; hence the need for silent tactiles. I love the 68g weight and tactile bump of the factory lubed/filmed Gazzew U4Tx, and almost considered buying the silent U4 version. This is when I realised that the latter are not boxed. Being boxed is important for this project as the keyboard will be taken in the open field and see a lot of dirt.
What would be a commercial equivalent of a boxed Gazzew U4 heavy silent tactile?
Or do I need to jump into the rabbit hole of frankenswitches?
I’m not sure there’s anything that completely fits the bill exactly, but there are definitely some candidates.
Stock switches:
TTC Silent Bluish White - has a bump not too different from a U4, if maybe a little easier to crest. Less leaf sound but overall not as quiet as U4s thanks to the more firm dampening. Won’t be harsh but will make plenty of audible sound in that case.
Kailh Midnight Pro Silent Tactile - has a decent medium-strong bump, maybe a little more mild than the U4 and SWB. Similar dampening characteristics to the TTCs - might be worth trying a sample to see if you prefer it.
Kailh Silent Box Brown - so, depending on which batch these are from, these are either really mild or pretty punchy tactiles, and I’m not really sure where the inconsistency comes from - but I mention these because they have better dust resistance than other switches that just have boxed stems. Kailh’s Box switches in particular have a semi-sealed compartment for their contacts and have an IP56 dust resistance rating. These have a similar volume to the last two, but with some added noise thanks to the extra parts. This is the pick if dust resistance is the most important thing.
Franken suggestions:
Nip the tip: One fairly simple if tedious option would be to get U4Tx switches and use some flush cutters to cut off the bottom section of the pole. Not the most elegant solution, but as long as you can avoid deforming the pole shape and shorten it enough so that the pads fully compress before the pole hits bottom, it should work and be consistent.
Box franken: Kailh Silent Box Brown top on a Box Royal bottom; what you get is a Silent Box Brown with a punchier tactile event. The only downside is the tendency of Kailh Box switches to increasingly make light clicking noises as the lube wears off of the contact pusher. It is a sharp sound, but it isn’t loud. If consistency is more important than quietude, you can use a thin / light lubricant on that part to encourage the clicking. I’ve had less consistent results trying to discourage it - if I find a good way to do that I’ll share. If that modest noise level is acceptable, this might be the overall closest option to the use-case.
@Deadeye quoting you in the “Random Questions Thread”, which I only found now— that’s why I hate that mashup of a thread; can’t find a thing—
So, what about replacing the spring of Outemu Silent Cream Yellows for a heavier one? After all, if I am not mistaken, GAZZEW switches come from the Outemu factory and the tops and stem dampening look similar.
Where would I find such heavier springs? What specification would these need to resemble 68g GAZZEW U4Tx?
EDIT: I think, I found them.
I am still very interested in your expert opinion about feasibility and expected results, though.
Taking in account that I’m in the mech keeb field only from some months, as for sure not knowledgeable as @Deadeye and other great members, if you want to stay on cheap side with Outemu I think the TOM silent tactile could be another good choice too. Here’s the specs (taken from an Ali seller):
I’ve bought some of them recently and I’m just waiting for a poron sheet and upper case for my new GMK67 to swap them from my actual Outem SIlent Ocean, which are linear, but even from a quick “hand test” and one mounted on my Feker IK75 I already appreaciated them a little.
Will let you know once mounted on the whole board, as until now I was just a linear guy
@Deadeye The IP56 dust rating and seeing the switch interior in below video got me convinced that this is indeed the best boxed silent tactile switch for this particular application. Even more so, as the switches will be soldered to the board. To make them heavy, I will swap the springs out with 71.5g Box Kailh springs.
Thanks for the video, didn’t saw it with others I saw in the past months, but from it seems like Creamy Yellow could be definitely more silent.
Anyway, since I’ve already bought a 90 pack of TOM will try then anyway and see the outcome
Is strange that from a test pack of Outemus I took on Ali, trying a Cream Yellow stock on my IK75 didn’t gave that silent feel that Ocean and TOM gave me (already stock too, with the former not factory or hand lubed while the latter is factory lubed).
I suspect the top-out ticking on the Toms comes from a little play in the top housing; lubing and filming the Toms should give you a plenty quiet final product.
Mmm, don’t think I wanna wait for other films from Ali, as at the moment I don’t have enough, plus while checking top and bottom housing on the one from the test set I didn’t noticed so much wobble: will recheck a sample of TOMs while mounting them when the poron sheets I’m expecting wil be delivered.
Do you lube them? I have a full set as well but haven’t used them much yet. They’re certainly very good for the price. The linear version called heartbeat is amazing.
Got a tester pack in the mail today with some silent tactile switches that I have not tested yet. The list of untested silent tactiles is getting very short now.
Durock Silent T1: This has a sort of rubber band dampener instead of a solid piece on the stem like Outemu uses. You can find this on the Silent Alpacas as well. It’s a different feel but I like it. They seem solid to me except one out of three had some metal pinging.
I see these switches less often recommended than Boba U4 but form my short test I think I would be just as happy with these.
Keebwerk Tacit V2: Pretty sure these are a just recolor of Silent T1.
Gateron Silent Brown: Holy scratch man, wow. I can’t use this.
TTC Silent Brown V2: Discovered that these exist on this forum and they’re exactly what I hoped to be. I’ll be ordering a full set for my work keyboard.
I got the Outemu Silent Greys in the mail about a week ago. I installed them into a budget board, and I generally like the way they sound and feel. They are nice and quiet (any tips for silencing the stabilizers?), and feel okay, but not as crisp as the (much louder) TTC Browns that I’m using in another board.
Well, I’ve gone ahead and ordered some tester packs with a bunch of other silent tactile switches. I’ll share my comparative thoughts when those come in.
@Deadeye I got both the Outemu Silent Cream Yellows and the Kailh Silent Browns. Since, I have a legacy with Cherry MX Clears, I replaced the 45g spring in both switches with the heavier 68g Gazzew spring made from Korean KOS stainless steel.
The Outemu Silent Cream Yellow really feels and behaves as a box stem version of the Gazzew Silent U4, tactile bump included. This is unsurprising, as all components came from the same factory. It is also truly silent and less scratchy, compared to the Kaihl Silent Brown. However, it remains less dust and water proof than the Kailh Silent Brown, as the switch contact remains exposed, instead of being enclosed in a IP56 rated box. The latter Kailh contact box feature should not be confounded with a boxed stem design.
Out of the box, the Kailh Silent Browns have only a light to medium tactile bump, which is inconsistent from switch to switch. The switch also has a faint click which is inherent to the IP56 rated contact box design. However, replacing the 45g spring with the slightly wider, but snugly fitting 68g Gazzew spring, turns this switch in a truly enjoyable tactile switch with a consistent and more pronounced tactile bump. The faint click remains of course. The stem fits correctly to my DSA keycaps, without causing any keycap deformities or stress.
Both tests were performed on only a small number of switches without lubing the replacement spring. So, it only can get better from there with spring lubing.
Conclusion: The modded Kailh Silent Brown will end up both in my outdoor device as my kitchen MagicForce 68, whereas the modded Outemu Silent Cream Yellow will be used in an upcoming build to replace the keyboard under my microphone in my ham shack / web conference corner. Thank y’all for your constructive input. I never thought I would end up resorting to switch modding…
