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[Mechanical Keyboards] Clickity Clack! We build them ourselves now!

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Posts

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Right. Basically green is the heavier version of blue, black is the heavier version of red, and clear is the heavier version of brown.

    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
    Donovan Puppyfucker
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    I <3 my reds.

    LD50InfidelNaphtali
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    I love the blacks on my 6gv2.

    minor incidentGaslight
  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    Has anyone here gotten a custom print from WASD keyboards?
    I know they do the weird UV printing of you give them an image, but in some of the pics it looks like they're just laser etching if it's single-color.

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • StormwatcherStormwatcher Blegh BlughRegistered User regular
    I'm a bluesman.

    Steam: Stormwatcher | PSN: Stormwatcher33 | Switch: 5961-4777-3491
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  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Do we know when corsair is going to release the multicolored vengeance keyboards?

  • SoggybiscuitSoggybiscuit Tandem Electrostatic Accelerator Registered User regular
    Looks like the CODE keyboard with MX Clears is out of stock (again).

    Steam - Synthetic Violence | XBOX Live - Cannonfuse | PSN - CastleBravo | Twitch - SoggybiscuitPA
  • frenetic_ferretfrenetic_ferret wildest weasel East Coast is Best CoastRegistered User regular
    I don't know why people insist on clears or even greens. I know they are rare and all, but they were never intended for actual typing. They were supposed to be used for specific stuff like your spacebar, and various point of sale type functions. They take a LOT more force than any of their other switches, clears being by far the best way to get crippling hand cramps. They are supposed to be used on keys to prevent accidental activation or on systems where you are hunting and pecking for specific function bound buttons, they were never intended to be used as the switch for an entire typists or gamers keyboard, you're hands are going to hurt like hell. Which is why they aren't produced at the same rate as the switches intended for actual typing.

    That rarity has lead to some smart asses selling keyboards with all green/clear and marketing them as "ultra rare" and charging an arm and a leg, but they aren't pleasant at all to use. If you want to spend $$$$ to get something rare as hell might as well go with say topre switches and a happy hacker keyboard instead of paying to set yourself up for hand injuries and vicodin.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Meh. I don't really type on my gaming PC. It's pretty much just there to game on. And I find that blacks and clears are ideal for gaming, for me. Makes it easier to rest my fingers on the keyboard without accidental presses, and I appreciate the strong, quick spring back after pressing, which is something that helps a lot in gaming.

    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
  • frenetic_ferretfrenetic_ferret wildest weasel East Coast is Best CoastRegistered User regular
    Meh. I don't really type on my gaming PC. It's pretty much just there to game on. And I find that blacks and clears are ideal for gaming, for me. Makes it easier to rest my fingers on the keyboard without accidental presses, and I appreciate the strong, quick spring back after pressing, which is something that helps a lot in gaming.

    Blacks I can see, but greens, and especially clears, are made to take a ton of force and be stuck on just a few select keys. They're known to cause physical pain and damage if you build an entire keyboard out of them. They don't bounce back any faster than the other tactile options either, they just take an epic amount of force to press down. Using them for an entire keyboard is asking for stress injuries to go with your carpal tunnel.

    I mean, if you like em more power to ya, but this isn't a product that's a wise idea for most of the population to use.

  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited May 2014
    the difference between clears or blacks and the common blue/brown switches is not really large at all (clears actually take less force to actuate than blacks, although probably not by an amount that 90% of users would detect.)

    an entire keyboard of greens has always seemed a little weird to me since they are pretty stiff, but not to the extent that repetitive stress would become a concern. People who are not expert typists are almost certainly using way more force than is necessary already, so it's ultimately just a matter of feel

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
    minor incident
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    edited May 2014
    I wouldn't call an increase in pressure from 50cN (blues) to 60cN (blacks) or 65cN (clears) an "epic increase" by any reasonable definition.

    minor incident on
    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
    cardboard delusions
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    I wouldn't call an increase in pressure from 50cN (blues) to 60cN (blacks) or 65cN (clears) an "epic increase" by any reasonable definition.

    30% more pressure!!!

    minor incident
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    And for the record, standard rubber dome keyboards can require anywhere from 65cN to 90cN to actuate, so any claim of the heavier mechanical keys being "known to cause pain and damage" is probably BS. Even the biggest, fattest, heaviest cherry switch (the Green) tops out at about 80cN.

    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    And yes, I agree that the lighter ones are generally better for typing, of course, but the heavier ones have a place in gaming, if that's what you primarily use your keyboard for.

    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
  • frenetic_ferretfrenetic_ferret wildest weasel East Coast is Best CoastRegistered User regular
    The clears actually take 100cn to bottom out.

    Again, not saying "don't buy it" but greens and clears aren't rare because cherry is hiding the good stuff. They are rare because they are only supposed to make up a small amount of the keys or be on specific devices. But of course "marketing genius" kicks and that rarity was used to charge people an arm and a leg for an entire keyboard of them to people who don't know any better or wanted it just because. If you like it that's fine though, keyboards are all about what feels good for you. I oddly like reds for typing and blues for gaming and I know full well that's bass ackwards ;)

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Yes, but only 55cN to actuate. The higher force after the actuation point is to cushion it out and prevent you from bottoming out. You do have to adjust your typing method to accommodate them. Personally, my favorites are blacks for gaming. I'm pretty happy typing on blacks as well, but I also really like reds for typing, but those are just too light to be comfortable for gaming, for me.

    Really, the best thing anyone can do is to get a sampler pack and just try out all the key types, and think about how you plan to use them.

    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
  • SeGaTaiSeGaTai Registered User regular
    http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=114&cp_id=11401&cs_id=1140102&p_id=9433&seq=1&format=2

    So there is a sale going on today at monoprice for a pretty straight forward mechanical keyboard with blue switches. I've pretty much always had just a laptop and finally putting together a desktop. Anyone have any input if it's better to just start with something like this or just bite the bullet on one of the fancier corsair or razer mechanical keyboards?

    PSN SeGaTai
  • XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    edited May 2014
    First thing you should do is get a key sampler, preferably one that's mounted on PCB (maxkeyboard.com sells them at least) and see which switch you like or track some mechanical keyboards down somewhere. You may love the blues or hate the click and then the rest of the keyboard doesn't matter. After that, though, it's just quality, what you want in extra features and what you're willing to pay.

    Xeddicus on
    "For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men. Not women. Not beasts...this you can trust."
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Blues are excessively noisy for my tastes.

    minor incident
  • BullioBullio Registered User regular
    edited May 2014
    Those of you with DS3s: how did this happen and how do I undo it? (apologies for the shit quality)

    VYXYq54.jpg

    For some reason every other key in the home row is staying on, as are the keys below them (and a select few others) but at a dimmer brightness.

    EDIT: Seems to have fixed itself. So, yeah, dunno!

    Bullio on
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  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Just unplug it, let it sit for a minute, then plug it back in. Seems like the firmware might have crashed!

  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    I, uh, have been messing around with my keyboard and I've created a monster
    10258062_736013229755230_7569287175614648599_o.jpg

    I am not done, I want to replace the very top row of keys, shift, alt, ctrl, and probably the numpad too.

    JtgVX0H.png
    minor incidentexismightyjongyoStormwatcherInfidelmsmyaschussSpoitcardboard delusions
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    That is the best fucking keyboard I've ever seen.

    Everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
    tsmvengyDonovan PuppyfuckerDhalphirInfidelschussSpoit
  • exisexis Registered User regular
    I never noticed that those boards had abbreviated the Windows key text to "WIN". Something about that combined with the font and all-caps makes me think that keyboard would make be a better person in general.

  • frenetic_ferretfrenetic_ferret wildest weasel East Coast is Best CoastRegistered User regular
    SeGaTai wrote: »
    http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=114&cp_id=11401&cs_id=1140102&p_id=9433&seq=1&format=2

    So there is a sale going on today at monoprice for a pretty straight forward mechanical keyboard with blue switches. I've pretty much always had just a laptop and finally putting together a desktop. Anyone have any input if it's better to just start with something like this or just bite the bullet on one of the fancier corsair or razer mechanical keyboards?

    The thing to keep in mind is that a cherry switch is a cherry switch. There's no special sauce in anything Corsair or whomever does that changes this. Once you have decided what switch you want the rest is about visuals, construction, extras, and warranty/support down the line. Just be aware that in the case of Razer, not all their products use cherry, they fabricate their own switches. Though the company they are using has made the Asian equivalent of cherry switches for a while now. They aren't really knock offs, but it's like comparing a Rolex to a Grand Seiko. The price and quality are similar but most people would prefer the more known brand because reasons.

    I bought Razer Blackwiddow ultimate 2013's because I wanted back lighting and cherry blues. Since I already put Deathadder 2013 mice on all my computers it just made logical sense to keep the keyboard and mouse under the same driver suite. I've had no issues with them at all.

  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    I said a while ago I thought the entire "Greens, much rare, so price" thing was completely ridiculous, as the reason greens are rare is because they aren't meant for general usage.

    Clears I can sort of kind of understand, but greens?

    But hey, the CODE guys are smart cookies. They've made their keyboards "must have" (despite having really no features that are different from Das, Ducky, Corsair, et al) by playing up the rareness of the switches. Good on them I guess.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
  • frenetic_ferretfrenetic_ferret wildest weasel East Coast is Best CoastRegistered User regular
    GnomeTank wrote: »
    I said a while ago I thought the entire "Greens, much rare, so price" thing was completely ridiculous, as the reason greens are rare is because they aren't meant for general usage.

    Clears I can sort of kind of understand, but greens?

    But hey, the CODE guys are smart cookies. They've made their keyboards "must have" (despite having really no features that are different from Das, Ducky, Corsair, et al) by playing up the rareness of the switches. Good on them I guess.

    The CODE keyboards are actually priced pretty fairly, and the driverless dip switch functionality for qwerty vs dvorak and the ability to change operating systems is nice. But yeah, the crap about greens and clears has been snake oil from the start and will remain so. Heck my friend ripped the clears out and threw in reds, much better for the change. Though I personally did the same thing with their 10 keyless and blues for my travel/LAN machine.

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    I think the same is true of 10 keyless boards.

  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    Just pulled my Das with browns apart to give it a full cleaning. It's absolutely disgusting what the inside of a keyboard looks like when you have a dog and you eat at your computer desk. It was like Cthulhu's furry anus in there.

    Once I figure out a couple of tricks, it wasn't hard to remove/put on the stabilized keys. Just requires a bit of TLC.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    That's one of the reasons that I really like the way the corsair keyboards are built.

  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    the corsair boards seem to me like they'd make it really easy for stuff to get under the keys, although I guess they'd be easier to clean as well.

    I have just gotten out of the habit of eating at my desk; keeps things much tidier in general

    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    I just take a can of compressed air to it regularly to keep it clean. Keeps it looking nice and no nasty buildup.

  • frenetic_ferretfrenetic_ferret wildest weasel East Coast is Best CoastRegistered User regular
    LD50 wrote: »
    I just take a can of compressed air to it regularly to keep it clean. Keeps it looking nice and no nasty buildup.

    Take it completely apart and then say that ;)

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Stuff can get in between the bottom plate and the tops of the key switches? It doesn't look like there's enough space for that.

  • BullioBullio Registered User regular
    Never underestimate dirt's ability to get into the most inconvenient of places.

    steam_sig.png
    minor incidentLD50DarmakInfidel
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    Say, what's the best way to take the long keys off without breaking these things? I already broke them on my spacebar but I seemed to remove the ones on my backspace key without much incident, but I'd like to have a reliable method for the other keys I'll be replacing.

    JtgVX0H.png
  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    edited May 2014
    Stabilized keys!

    So, the easiest way I found was to very very gently apply upward pressure to the key until it comes off the switch, but not so much you break anything or pop out the stabilizer posts. Then take a small screwdriver (the size you use for glasses) and very gently push the metal on one side outward until it slides out of the white plastic post. Then the key will come right off. Putting it back on is basically the reverse process. Get one side of the metal bar in to the stabilizer post on the key, then use a screwdriver to gently bend the metal bar out and get it slid through the other post. Once the key is back on the bar, seat it on the switch.

    It took a bit of ginger practice, but once I had done the first couple it become pretty easy.

    GnomeTank on
    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
    Darmak
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    Thanks, as soon as my new keys arrive I'll try that!

    JtgVX0H.png
  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    I would do the space bar first, as it's the biggest bar and the easiest to work with. Remove all the keys around the space bar, and then practice getting it on and off. Once you're pretty good with the space bar, the other stabalized keys become a bit easier. The only other ones I Had issues with were the vertical stabalized keys on the 10-key pad, but if you have a 10-keyless dhtat doesn't matter.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
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