Hi, I am completely new to keyboard modding. Ive been doing a bunch of research on keyboard mods and I think imma try and mod my apex 9. I’m trying to get it to sound lower pitch/creamy, so I’m going to try using poly fill if there is even any room for it and blutack or monster clay for either inside the keyboard or under the larger keys (plastilina seems expensive, and i doubt walmart has monster clay cuz ive never seen it there)
I’ll do those when I go out to buy those materials, but right now I’ve hit a wall on key caps. I don’t know much about them, but I’m trying to find ones that make a lower pitch sound than the ones that come with the apex 9. Based off some google searches theyre pbt oem profiles, and apparently they’re pretty thin. I’ve looked at some other profiles like SA but those have mixed opinions so im not too sure about it. Is there any keycaps that is lower pitch than the default apex 9 caps? If they are partly transparent cuz rgb is cool, that would be a big plus
Deepest-sounding keycaps I know are the ABS version of MT3 profile. They aren’t currently made anymore but there are lots of sets in the wild and I think there are still some on the Amazon page for Drop / Corsair.
They are quite tall like SA but I personally find them more usable thanks to the deep scoop, though you might need a wrist rest for the height. I think the plastic blend is also a little softer than SA, making for a less harsh space bar sound, but likewise more quick to shine, especially with their prominent texture.
They never made a shine through set, but did come in many colors. Worth a try IMO, especially if you find a used set on the cheap. I’d say quality is in the B range with sometimes inconsistent legend thickness and occasional warped space bars, but when it comes to chasing a rich deep sound, they are still my absolute favorite.
Funny. I find them somewhat less usable than SA for precisely that same reason. Then, my typing technique is frankly very poor. I do agree they’re an excellent choice for a deep sound.
For OP, with a thin chassis like the Apex 9, keycaps are going to be one of the best areas to change sound profile. There won’t be a ton of room for polyfill or foam, but whatever you can add can only muffle and deepen the sound. Even a tape mod with high-quality painters tape could make a difference.
This is a bit of a blunt-force approach, keycaps-wise, but the rounded “MOA” discount caps are actually very thick PBT, which is a good recipe for an inoffensively deep sound that may (or may not… I’m really bad at the nuances of this) be describalle as “creamy.” There’s at least one shine-through set out there, and actually the legends are way more sedate and “classy” than I’m used to seeing on MOA dye-sub sets, so potential bonus if that’s up your alley.
I suppose changing out the switches or lubing them might be an option, possibly even spring swapping them once you know the right dimensions, but maybe better to try other things first, as the opticals are very nearly a legacy product at this point, and I’m not sure how messing with them would affect the sound anyway.