Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Drop ALT V1 Mechanical Keyboard
01 / 21
Drop ALT V1 Mechanical Keyboard
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
1.4K requests
·
21.9k Sold
·
Free Returns in USA
Product Description
The Drop ALT mechanical keyboard is just like the CTRL, but with 67 keys instead of 87. Absent of function keys, it wastes no space—but it still has a full set of arrows and numerals Read More
Review Highlights:
expand_less
You Might Also Like
search
close
Sort by: Top Conversations
keyboard_arrow_downYanboWu
8490
Collaborations
Apr 26, 2018
Hey Friends,
Very excited for the launch of the ALT to followup the CTRL launch. 65% keyboards have always been one of my favorite form factors. It allows me to take advantage of the smaller footprint on a compact keyboard and still give me to easily access the arrow cluster and navigation cluster which I use daily - from spreadsheets to video games.
The ALT will ship with the same features that made the CTRL awesome - the firmware will be based on QMK and we will be adding it to our keyboard configurator for easy reprogramming. The same RGB lighting and customization. The keyboard also has dual USB C connections that functions as an USB hub and the PCB will ship with Kaihua hotswap sockets to allow for easy switch swapping.
This keyboard is another step in our eventual goal to make custom keyboard design more accessible to the community. We will continue to work on this line and add more offerings in the future - for example a matching numpad - since there were a lot of request for those in the CTRL drop.
For community members, this simplifies the experience of owning a custom keyboard, for community designers, this solves the hardest parts of your technical back end. This solution for designers means more projects will make the leap from concept to production, increasing the diversity of designs available to the community at large.
Thanks for your interest and support, none of this would be possible without you and the continued support of the mech keys community at large.
Last, a few administrative notes on this drop: The drop is set to end on May 24th. However, we will be doing a payment capture on April 30 so we can initiate tooling for some of the components in the ALT.
Very excited for the launch of the ALT to followup the CTRL launch. 65% keyboards have always been one of my favorite form factors. It allows me to take advantage of the smaller footprint on a compact keyboard and still give me to easily access the arrow cluster and navigation cluster which I use daily - from spreadsheets to video games.
The ALT will ship with the same features that made the CTRL awesome - the firmware will be based on QMK and we will be adding it to our keyboard configurator for easy reprogramming. The same RGB lighting and customization. The keyboard also has dual USB C connections that functions as an USB hub and the PCB will ship with Kaihua hotswap sockets to allow for easy switch swapping.
This keyboard is another step in our eventual goal to make custom keyboard design more accessible to the community. We will continue to work on this line and add more offerings in the future - for example a matching numpad - since there were a lot of request for those in the CTRL drop.
For community members, this simplifies the experience of owning a custom keyboard, for community designers, this solves the hardest parts of your technical back end. This solution for designers means more projects will make the leap from concept to production, increasing the diversity of designs available to the community at large.
Thanks for your interest and support, none of this would be possible without you and the continued support of the mech keys community at large.
Last, a few administrative notes on this drop: The drop is set to end on May 24th. However, we will be doing a payment capture on April 30 so we can initiate tooling for some of the components in the ALT.
Sloblo
409
Apr 27, 2018
Eh, price is a bit lofty for this in my mind.
You'd probably be able to find a ducky mini for around this price or less and be happier in the long run.
Just my 2cents.
Just my 2cents.
YJ93
117
Apr 28, 2018
Prices have more than doubled? As far as I know, most proper built mechanical keyboards made of good quality parts usually cost over €150. The ALT is hot-swappable, is programmable, has an aluminium frame with built-in RGB underlighting, has a wide variety of available switches with RGB backlightning, dual USB-C connectors and shine-through PBT keycaps. It's also quite lightweight for an aluminium case. With all of that combined, $179.99 seems relatively cheap compared to other mechanical keyboards! I would've actually bought it if I could, but I can't due to my financial situation.
Do you really find it amazing that people 'jump' to defend a product that nobody has even held? I think it's quite humorous that you criticized a keyboard that you haven't even held yet, let alone typed on and/or properly used. The idea of the ALT seems great. The price is high, but justified when you compare it to other mechanical keyboards.
Apparently you're easily offended that people disagreed with your poor arguments and that they wanted to prove you wrong. This is a community in which people are allowed to discuss, so don't be surpised when people disagree with you. As I've said before, just because people argue with you, doesn't mean they aren't down to earth. That's a ridiculous statement. If I visit the audiophile community, I'll most likely find people arguing too.
Do you really find it amazing that people 'jump' to defend a product that nobody has even held? I think it's quite humorous that you criticized a keyboard that you haven't even held yet, let alone typed on and/or properly used. The idea of the ALT seems great. The price is high, but justified when you compare it to other mechanical keyboards.
Apparently you're easily offended that people disagreed with your poor arguments and that they wanted to prove you wrong. This is a community in which people are allowed to discuss, so don't be surpised when people disagree with you. As I've said before, just because people argue with you, doesn't mean they aren't down to earth. That's a ridiculous statement. If I visit the audiophile community, I'll most likely find people arguing too.
Varholiaglimp
939
May 1, 2018
Do the Ducky keybs you've mentioned have hot-swappable switches? That feature -- esp. if solidly implemented -- factors into the price as well. Halo Clears and Trues are also fairly uncommon right now. I'm not quite sure why MX Browns with transparent housings are $20 more, though, since Vortex hasn't charged more for them in offering RGB iterations of the Pok3r.
If I were vous, Slobo, I'd have a look at mechanicalkeyboards.com and compare the features of the ALT to those of various keybs on said site.
Personally, I'm always talking myself out of buying iterations of K-Type descendants on MD. But that's only because I'm attempting to hoard money so that I can press it to my chest while cackling. If I were flush, I'd have ordered an ALT already.
If I were vous, Slobo, I'd have a look at mechanicalkeyboards.com and compare the features of the ALT to those of various keybs on said site.
Personally, I'm always talking myself out of buying iterations of K-Type descendants on MD. But that's only because I'm attempting to hoard money so that I can press it to my chest while cackling. If I were flush, I'd have ordered an ALT already.
Areyouseriousrightnow
11
Apr 30, 2018
$180 for a keyboard with less functionality, less keys, and no numpad...$180 is even a retarded price for a full size, fully functioning keyboard with a numpad. I can not imagine what kind of botched up logic you would have to have to actually think this is even remotely close to a reasonable price for ANY keyboard. My god...
steveowashere
335
Apr 27, 2018
I will say that Massdrop is pretty much the only place you can get International/Norde kits for keysets, so huge props for that.
On the other hand they've yet to figure out a European Proxy when pretty much like every smaller group buy i've been a part of has figured it out. Especially with the amount of GMK sets that are produced, it makes almost no sense that they are manufactured in the EU, send to the US and send back to Europe.
If anyone from massdrop is reading this, i'd be happy to help get a European proxy going for things, I'm located in Denmark.
On the other hand they've yet to figure out a European Proxy when pretty much like every smaller group buy i've been a part of has figured it out. Especially with the amount of GMK sets that are produced, it makes almost no sense that they are manufactured in the EU, send to the US and send back to Europe.
If anyone from massdrop is reading this, i'd be happy to help get a European proxy going for things, I'm located in Denmark.
HotRoderX
753
Apr 27, 2018
steveowashereits most likely a lot more complicated for a company like massdrop. Also I would assume if they did have a proxy in the EU they be under EU and American laws which might not be something they want to have to handle. I mean it look easy enough on paper when we write it out.. but the legal complications I would assume.. are very daunting.
dirgeofthedawn
38
Apr 27, 2018
Are there any images of the board with the lights off? Or with different keycaps?
Johnny831
285
May 23, 2018
DUDE, TY. I've been really iffy about the "silver" color as it tends to look super generic, but this looks darker (like I wanted). Sweet, I was considering Lazer ALT, but I think purple kind of sticks you with having only certain keycaps match, this would give me more options I feel. PS nice mix up of colors here.. cheers.
mimsyborogove923
20
May 24, 2018
Johnny831I know right? The color looks so much different in the super fancy photos on the main page. Not sure why they didn't specify the color was darker than it appears in those photos.
mechanica
32
Apr 27, 2018
This is literally a Space Gray WhiteFox. With RGB because GAAAAMMMMIIINNNNNGGGG performance.
LevelSteam
May 3, 2018
Actually yeah I can do this later today. I have a couple row 4 (shift row/bottom row) height "novelties" laying around. I'll cut one and test with the various switches I have in different orientations. I have some 2x3x4 LEDs an 3mm flange-less that I can test with too. I'll post the findings in a separate talk post and link it here when it's done.
LevelSteam
May 4, 2018
kbfish
2
Nov 2, 2018
I can't seem to make the alt work with a USB-C to USB-C cable.. any help would be greatly appreciated. Everything else is awesome (but with a usb c laptop and monitor it's a major pain!)
I tried 3 different usb c - usb c cable (apple / anker / the one that came with a 1.5k monitor)
Cheers!
davenelson
17
Jul 25, 2020
I believe the difference is the Drop USB-C to USB-C cable is a USB 2.0 protocol cable and only supports 2.4 amps. The fact that it is USB 2.0 is what makes it special as most other USB-C to USB-C cables are Thunderbolt or USB 3.x protocol and support as much as 20 Volts at 5 Amps. So they are very useful for the Drop ALT and CTRL keyboard when used with a computer that only has USB-C ports.
Imatron
6
Sep 24, 2020
kbfishI can confirm that the USB C to C cable that came with my Razer Phone 2 (The razer gaming company's phone, not to be confused with the folding Motorola Razr) allows me to connect this keyboard directly to my phone and type on my phone with it.
I should note I just received the Drop Alt today, so I imagine mine reflects any hardware or firmware updates since you got yours over a year ago. Hopefully you can track down the specs on the Razer's cable and grab either the cable itself or one with the same specs to do what you need.
(Edited)
ChuckDee
1906
Apr 26, 2018
RainbowraptorThe Whitefox used QMK? Who knew. I thought the whitefox used a different processor, a different configurator, and that you couldn't copyright layouts, as there have been a lot of 60%s that have the same layout. Who knew?
Cyphre
2708
Apr 26, 2018
Rainbowraptor"Literally a 65% keyboard." Well yeah, obviously. Although no relation after that point.
JaleesaG
1550
Marketing Team
Aug 20, 2018
Hi everyone,
Production is well underway for the Massdrop ALT Mechanical Keyboard and we’re super excited to share the latest production images of the testing rig our vendor created to ensure all PCBs will function exactly as we intended. We're also excited to share a special video, linked here: http://dro.ps/alt-production-update.
YanboWu
8490
Collaborations
Sep 18, 2018
JoshZSThe gap exists to allow people to quickly find the arrow cluster through touch typing. It's meant to be there!
Showing 206 of 1473
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop