Not All Linears Are The Same!
Figure 1: Not even all of these (mostly) KTT-made linears are the same! After all of my years of collecting, reviewing, and obsessing over switches, I can say with certainty that linear switches are the most misunderstood of all of the switch types. No, I’m not talking about mechanically either, as all of the claims of them “just going straight up and down” are somewhat kind of true. (Not too much though, don’t get that excited.) The part that is often misunderstood, though, is usually in what is being implied when people say that these switches just go straight up and down – “All linears might as well be the same.” If the title of this article didn’t make that obvious enough to you, I find that sort of idea to be completely and utterly wrong. The people who make these implications wouldn’t say that a Cherry MX Black is the same as a Novelkeys Cream switch? They also certainly wouldn’t ever claim that every Gateron-made linear is the same as every fancy TTC one out there...
May 29, 2024
Mounting / Acoustics / Feedback: The CSTM is gasket mounted to optimize for typing feedback, acoustics and ease of customization. Gasket mounting has been all the rage for a while and we’ve all seen different implementations, though not all are equal. In many ways, the drive for customization and options led us to offer a product that can be built out in many ways in order to find an individual’s optimal preferences when they are using their keyboard. Bouncy / Flex Due to the decentralized nature of the keyboard community, as new tech developments come, their names and degree of preference can run the gamut. Naming sometimes doesn't stick or definitions remain somewhat nebulous. For example, bouncy and flexy are often used interchangeably in the community but they actually describe two different things that can be customized to your preference. For our purposes, we define bounce as the ability for the plate + PCB assembly to move up and down in the case. Flex is the interaction of the plate + PCB assembly and how much give that assembly has. Sound How good a keyboard sounds has become a key criterion when users are making their selection. However, while the consensus towards what a “good” sounding keyboard is less nebulous than something like bounce and flex, there is still subjectiveness to it. In addition, trade-offs can happen between the sound and typing feel of a keyboard. For example, if a keyboard is stuffed to the gills, it will generally sound better. However, since all the space inside the keyboard is filled, the ability for the keyboard to bounce will be limited. Customization With all of the above in mind, the CSTM allows a user to fully customize their overall typing experience. By default the keyboard ships with a full array of foam which sits between the plate, underneath the switches, and of course covering the bottom of the PCBA. The CSTM also uses a silicone gasket pad. This piece works in conjunction with the gasket mounting system in the CSTM keyboard while also dampening keyboard acoustics by filling in the space inside the keyboard case.