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YMDK Split 64 Hot-Swappable Mechanical Keyboard Kit
01 / 09
YMDK Split 64 Hot-Swappable Mechanical Keyboard Kit
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2.5K requests
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376 Sold
Product Description
While split keyboards may seem odd at first, they can make a world of difference for your fingers and wrists. From YMDK, this 64-key mechanical keyboard is split in half to promote a more comfortable position with both hands Read More
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bigred25929
350
May 17, 2022
RayFThis is hilarious!! Nicely done Ray!
I'm also sorry that the keyboard brahs got butthurt by whatever you said lol
(Edited)
eponymous
586
Oct 11, 2019
1. What are the non-standard key sizes? Looks like:
5. Are you ever going to go back to consistently getting us deals commensurate with the wait times? This is on AliExpress for $132 or Amazon for just under $130, without the three-month wait AND in more case colors. (The keycaps are at a discount if they're the full set; the switches are slightly cheaper here but for way fewer options.)
- 2u left shift (thanks haliphax)
- 1u right shift
- 2.25u left space
- 2.75u right space
- 1u system and fn
5. Are you ever going to go back to consistently getting us deals commensurate with the wait times? This is on AliExpress for $132 or Amazon for just under $130, without the three-month wait AND in more case colors. (The keycaps are at a discount if they're the full set; the switches are slightly cheaper here but for way fewer options.)
(Edited)
pxtang
124
Oct 14, 2019
Thanks! I do own one, but am looking for a split hot-swappable so I can control or play with different switches.
eponymous
586
Oct 14, 2019
They're at least ones that are getting covered more frequently. And everything is a length that matches something standard, so worst-case you could always kludge together something that's functional if not necessarily elegant. Plus there's always the option of checking the usual places for people willing to part with a few keys from a particular kit. (I mayyyyyy be trying to talk myself into this purchase with the same reservations.)
Timwillhack
41
Oct 11, 2019
I have this keyboard, its actually a 66 key keyboard (I thought it was 67 but I just counted twice). Been using it since they released it. I love it! I came from an Anne Pro (with gateron browns). I've always had some sort of wrist/finger pain and I'm pretty sure after switching to the Anne Pro from a Microsoft Natural Sculpt keyboard, my wrist was starting to hurt again. I wanted something in Mech world that was more ergonomic. The problem with all the crazy options out their (ergodox etc) is they are into remapping keys willy nilly. Like the right side needs a \| key above the enter key. I needed to keep the layout I'm used to... I'm a developer so doing code and having to pay attention to my keyboards layout is next to the worst thing to pull me out of my dev rabbit hole. Two things on the Anne Pro that I wanted to change: it doesn't have hot swap switches, which this keyboard has (how awesome is that). I wanted to have more programmability. On the Anne pro and a lot of other 'programmable' keyboards, you are stuck with some keys being setup as something specific like the 'anne' key which did NOTHING. It also didn't have dual use keys. I changed my caps lock to a dual use key on this split keyboard, if you tap it and don't touch any other key it toggles caps lock, but if you hit any other key its basically 'function->[key]' So you can have a full layer of keys like turning the number keys into Function/F Keys (which I've done). I also have stuff like function->enter to be basically highlight/select the line you're on (its home,shift+end). I have all kinds of stuff like that, including a function key that dumps my goto crappy password that I use for any site that I don't care about (which is still complex, its just that I don't want to remember what it is because its random chars). The only thing the programming interface doesn't have is mouse keys. And I wanted to do dual purpose keys for like tapping 4 + 5 to do f5, you can only make dual purpose keys caps lock and a couple other keys (like 4 in total, its not any keys on the keyboard). So it doesn't have leds installed but you can get hot swap posts and leds but then you have to take apart EVERY SWITCH by hand to install them. It will probably take 2 mins easy per key because you gotta be careful opening a switch, and you most likely will have to clip the legs on the led. I bought gateron white, brown, outemu red and blue. I really like the white switches (which I guess is weird) I also have a full set of silicone keycaps that feel very soft. I also put silicone rings on all the posts to soften the strokes further. Its like as close a mech can get to the feel of a laptop keyboards softness but still feels like a mech in size and still actuation to some degree. To answer a couple questions, as least with mine (which I bought off aliexpress like pretty much when they released it) it does not come with leds for the caps / num lock, scroll lock keys, but you can obviously install them. It did come with all the stabilizers though and 8 rubber feet, as well as the cable that connects the halves. One thing I wish was that they used something other than usb mini (blah). All the cables are usb mini. I wanted to use one of the magnetic cables so that it wouldn't pull it to the ground if like my cat ran through the cable like a bad kitty. Apparently no one has made a mini usb magnetic cable. The frame is very hefty and is really cnc'd aluminum. I'm pretty sure the silver color is just aluminum so you won't have to worry about scuffs to the surface showing the aluminum underneath (because its already the same color). The alternatives are painted according to the seller/creator (possibly anodized but they did not clarify for me and it doesn't look anodized to me from the pics.) One of the only issues I have with it is the pcbs are floating between the slices of case, the key switches become the glue that holds it in place - which is odd to me but it doesn't feel weird at all once all the switches are holding it in place and they are all sitting in a plate layer, so basically the pcb is floating but the switches are snapped into a plate, so I doubt you could tell. One last note: I wish it supported QMK firmware (it does supposedly) but they did not give me detailed info on how to transfer the firmware from bootmapper to QMK and I don't want to brick it trying, especially considering its a split board with two chips to flash (I think). If you don't know what QMK is google it, its amazing and does support mouse keys. For my purposes I wanted one key on the left to be left mouse and one on the right to be right mouse, I have a rollermouse in front of the keyboard and wanted to be able to just use my thumbs to move the mouse around and a key on the keyboard to control clicking - but can't. I can make it work with stuff like autohotkey. Oh one last positive: anything you program into it is permanent. It writes it to firmware. You can unplug it and plug it into another pc and it will act as though the same as the original that you programmed. Some keyboards the software to program it is sort of an intermediary to switch what is sent to what is programmed. If you don't have the software installed with those keyboards, it will just act like a regular keyboard. So with this one, once you have it programmed just how you like it, it stays that way until you reprogram it or reset it to defaults (assuming this). You can backup the layouts too, to a json file or some sort of hex file that is human unreadable. MUCH better than the Anne Pro, which the software was very very finicky. Other than missing leds per keys surface mount on the pcb (it has two holes each) reiterating - you have to open each switch without breaking them and put in two hot swap dip switch posts, and clip the leds legs that you slide into the post then re-cover each switch (what a pain). Then it only supports dual leg, so the closest you can get to rainbow colors is specific rainbow led that you choose at purchase whether to get slow switching colors or fast, its not controllable like you can't lock the rainbow led to purple or something. If you don't like the color of the leds you put in afterward, you have to reopen all the switches and start over again (oh my god). But I loved the led options of the anne pro, it looked like candy with my translucent silicone keycaps on. I'm going to attempt to install leds now though just got the slow fading rainbow leds and hot swap posts, I'm just leary of messing up the switch cover legs. End of story... my final note is that I LOVE THIS KEYBOARD.
One last thing (edit): I reprogrammed the left function key where the spacebar ends, I changed the spacebar to function and the function key to spacebar because hitting whats supposed to be the spacebar feels awkward and tight and I kept hitting the function key instead. But luckily its fully programmable so no worries!
(Edited)
Timwillhack
41
Oct 12, 2019
Haha, I actually have a red switch on return so it can hold the return keycap up, white is just too light. I actually wrote it as a review for aliexpress, which I think parses out enters. Sorry, I should have gone back through and added them.
RayF
22220
Oct 29, 2021
Timwillhack
They have this new thing now called "Paragraphs"--they're absolutely free and you can use as many as you like. They're especially helpful when switching from one point or sub-point to to another.
They create space in between those points to make them visually separate.
You create them by hitting the "Return" key (hopefully twice). Makes your too-long-didn't-read comments much easier to follow and maybe even to be read.
Give them a shot!
eponymous
586
Oct 12, 2019
It's not like you're wrong to type the 6 with your right index finger—there are split keyboards that go the other way, including every split ortholinear I'm aware of. It's just that no matter which side you stick the 6 on, for a non-ortho split keeb, you're gonna inconvenience somebody. :D
Aphoid
60
Oct 12, 2019
KenshinJennaI’ve had split ergo keyboards that have had it on both sides. My experience was that I adjusted when swapped in less than a day, but I’m not typing numbers all the time, and the ^ doesn’t come up that frequently.
Snickerz
17
Oct 11, 2019
Cheaper to go through AliExpress through the actual seller. Also even with the slowest shipping it won’t take 3 months + to get to you from drop.
EDIT: link is down below, someone added it. Also the seller is extremely helpful and offered above and beyond service. The stabilizers are pretty bad even lubed so I recommend getting genuine cherry ones. He also told me he could throw in genuine ones for $6. Can’t confirm if they are genuine since I got mine from novelkeys
(Edited)
Timwillhack
41
Oct 11, 2019
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000074426801.html I bought from them and got it relatively quickly (faster than 3 months!) You can have them add switches too from a sub product on that page just order 70 of them to cover the 66/67 keys (they told me it was 67 but I count 66)
Snickerz
17
Oct 12, 2019
This is definitely the way to go. The seller also has a lot more options like stabilizers if you contact him through AliExpress.
Napostrophe
57
Apr 29, 2021
why is this $180 preorder? You can order this straight from YMDK for $132 (https://ymdkey.com/products/ymdk-split-64-sp64-cnc-aluminum-case-plate-hot-socket-hot-swap-pcb-underglow-rgb-fully-programmable-diy-kit) or off Amazon for $135 (https://www.amazon.com/YMDK-Aluminum-Socket-Underglow-Programmable/dp/B07W7Z7451)
Duell
17
Oct 12, 2019
Can someone please explain to me why I would buy this keyboard here and have to wait months for it to arrive instead of just getting it for the same price on amazon and getting it in a few days?
Bengalkitty
29
Jan 18, 2020
Not even for whatever makes the underglow work? I have a Ctrl keyboard, and knew I could just swap out switches, but I thought other kit parts may still require it.
eponymous
586
Jan 18, 2020
BengalkittyFrom the AliExpress page:
"PCB is presoldered with diode and resistors and Kailh hot socket,you only need to prepare switches and keycaps to get it work. [...] PCB attch to upper case with screws which is very tight and easy to mount switches on. There is a acrylic frame in the middle which can see underglow shine through effects. There is 3 indicator led hole at the left top.Numlock,Caps,Scrl. You can install led onto PCB yourself. PCB is fully programmable. There is 12 underglow RGB leds under PCB which can change to many color as you want."
So, the hotswap sockets and underglow LEDs should all be soldered already. The only soldering required would be if you want LEDs for the num/caps/scroll lock LEDs, which I don't think Massdrop or whoever would do you for you during assembly, anyway, since it's not specified.
MastersinEnglish
12
Oct 30, 2020
I could only see a case on amazon. Are you in the US? Or is it just sold out?
MastersinEnglish
12
Oct 30, 2020
MastersinEnglishNevermind, it's the whole kit-- I'm just dumb and saw the case as the main image and assumed.
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