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
Tex is a keyboard manufacturer famous for replicating Lenovo’s “mouseball in keyboard” design. Taekeyboard, a well known creator, reviews a new keyboard from Tex called the Shinobi. Actually what drew me to this video is because I used a Lenovo laptop for a few years and fell in love with using the keyboard in mouse design. While I think the keyboard is a bit big for portability, if you’re looking to have an even more minimal setup, this might be an interesting choice to consider. Mech Merlin
Mech Merlin takes us through a day in the life of a vintage keyboard hunter. Visiting several Goodwills and electronic recycling shops, it seems like a true treasure hunt. I thought it was funny that he saw evidence that one of the shops was already picked over by another vintage hunter. Next time you see a vintage keyboard collection at a meetup you’ll have some idea of the effort required to build that inventory up! The 8-Bit Guy
So let’s say that you went through and scavenged from vintage keyboards. But what if you pick up some absolutely horrid, covered in gunk, but historical keyboard? 8-bit guy shows us the process of restoring what he calls the “worst machine” he’s ever seen. While I don’t think most of us are hardcore into major restoration gigs, it’s still fun to see the work of a professional. The video has two parts and runs for roughly 1 hour. The keycaps on the Vic-2 look fairly similar to the MT3 profile designed by Matt3o and sold on our site. That’s it for this week’s curation. If you liked this thread, please give these creators a follow and a like on their video. If you have any recommendations on who we should curate for next week’s content please let me know in the comments section below.