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
Topre keyswitches are mechanical keyswitches that nevertheless incorporate a rubber dome, so they are softer in feeling. They are hard to find on keyboards. Topre is a Japanese company, Tokyo Press, whose main gig is sheet metal pressing for automobiles They have other businesses (including bath tub covers, one of which I own) none of which relates to keyboards. I have no clue how the key switch business started inside such a company.
Hacking Hacking Keyboards was established to make a keyboard designed by a legenday computer science professor at Tokyo University. It has the control key to the left of the A, which makes it easy for geeks to use commands in terminal mode, for instance emacs and vi. The original version had no arrow keys, since geeks use control key combinations to move the cursor, but my version had small arrow keys crammed in. HHK's maker is now owned by Fujitsu.
60 percent keyboards are the size of the Apple wireless keyboard, Standard keyboards have 19 mm key pitch, i.e. the keys center to center (or left edge to left edge) are 19 mm apart. You don't want to make that smaller, so to make a smaller keyboard you just remove keys. A 60 percent keyboard is missing a dedicated function key row at the top, as well as the navigation pad and num pad.
A 40 percent keyboard also is missing a dedicated number row, and has fewer keys left to right also. It's 4 rows tall by 13 keys wide. To enter numbers you need to put the keyboard into another mode or use a function key (function-tab will produce a 1, function-A a 2). Additionally, some of the punctuation requires use of a function key. 40 percent keyboards are four keys high times 13 keys wide. They remain mostly hobby projects that people build from parts, but mine is a commercial keyboard from a company in Taiwan, the Vortex Core. It has no tray extending outside the keys. So it's even smaller than most 40 percenters. It looks normal to me, but other people just laugh.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/vortex-core-47
My first work keyboard (that wasn't issued) was a little wireless Logitech thing. It was nice for what it was, but then the internet introduced me to the world of mechanical keyboards.
One day, I was browsing Woot, saw the daskeyboard heavily discounted, and bought two. At this point I was clueless about keyboards. I didn't even know what switches were in the keyboards I'd bought (silenced red). When they arrived, I did a bit more research and was disappointed to learn that red switches appeared to be the most boring switches you could get. No tactile bumps or clicks or anything. They just went down and up. What was the big deal with mechanical switches then?
Still, I paid good money for those daskeyboards, and I was determined to use them. Over time, I got used to the switches, and they just faded into the background as part of my typing/gaming routine. A while later, I realised how much I'd fallen in love with those keyboards when I had to type something out on someone else's rubber dome keyboard. Everything felt wrong and gross, like trying to write on soggy paper.
Years later, I found out about the HHKB Pro 2. I was intrigued. When a suitable deal came by, I pulled the trigger. At first, I wasn't that impressed with the feel of the Topre keys. They reminded me of rubber domes, just crisper. It was also a real bitch trying to learn the HHKB's function layer.
Eventually, I got used to it. I found out that Topre keys start to really shine when you get into the flow of typing. The actions of pressing and releasing Topre each have a distinct feel and sound, and when you string them together in typing, the result has been described as being like the steady fall of rain. The satisfaction derived from Topre keys is not unlike that of chaining combos in Street Fighter. I still love the feel of red switches, but the Topre keys are on a different plane.
Also, I got used to the HHKB layout, and came to love the placement of the Ctrl and Del/Bksp keys. The size of the HHKB gave me much more desk space, and I could easily chuck it out of the way when I wanted to lay paper documents across my whole desk. Plus, I never realised how much time and effort I'd wasted reaching for my mouse across the arrow keys and numpad.
Recently, I got another keyboard for working from home. I settled on a Ducky One TKL with brown switches. This has been OK so far, but I think I've been spoilt by my Topre switches. The really nice thing about this keyboard though, is that it's programmable without the need for any software, so you can swap keys around or even program macros (though there are probably better ways to do macros). I basically used this to get my Ctrl and Bksp keys to where they are on the HHKB.
OK. Enough rambling. What does this all mean for you?
First, I'd borrow as many different mechanical keyboards as possible before buying. It takes a while before you can tell whether you like a particular keyboard for a particular purpose, and tastes can vary wildly. I ended up liking red switches, whereas my wife loves blues (and I dislike them).
Next, since you're interested in compact layouts, I'd strongly recommend trying the HHKB Pro 2. Note I say try, not buy. The HHKB Pro 2 is not a cheap keyboard, and definitely seems to be an acquired taste. There are plenty of other keyboards with compact layouts that may suit you better.
If budget is an issue, I'd recommend Ducky keyboards. Having used them, I'd say they represent a good price to value ratio.
Finally, coming away from a wireless system, you may feel like you're giving up something. Trust me, you're not. Once you've got your wires squared away, it is exactly the same thing. When I first got my wireless keyboard I thought I'd be typing on my lap all day. Never happened. These days, my office actually bans wireless keyboards because their signals can be intercepted. Something to think about as well.
Best of luck, let us know how it goes!