Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
- Find a very flat surface. I used an unused glass shelf from an old fridge.
- Fold a sheet of paper so it's about 1.5" wide and four layers thick.
- Run a hot hair drier over the spacebar for about 5 minutes. It will want to fly around so just surround it with a few books to keep it in place.
- Quickly, place the spacebar over the paper so it's centered and about 1.5" of each end are now hovering over the surface.
- Stack many heavy books onto the spacebar.
- Wait 15 minutes.
So the idea is that the paper in the middle will cause the ends to bend down more under weight. On my first attempt, I had tried it without the paper and it didn't help. I also put on rubber o-rings just on the spacebar to keep it from being inserted too deep into the stems. At first it would still stick if I press it down all the way but after pressing on it a few more times, something equalized and it's ok now.