Author Topic: EK's "Soft-Landing" Pads for Cherry MX (Read 22390 times)

Huntor0 · « **on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 15:50:43 »

Has anyone tried these pads from EK by chance?
http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,slpads

Tallon · « **Reply #1 on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 17:17:28 »

Several of us have ordered them, but I'm not sure if anyone has actually received them yet. I should receive mine next week - after which I'll post my reactions to them.

We recently discussed this, see this thread - http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?17373-Silence!!!

reaper · « **Reply #2 on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 17:44:35 »

Just got mine today but haven't tried them on yet.. too nice a day outside. lol

Progear · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 18:07:26 »

Looking at those, I have a sudden urge to play Connect Four.

Tallon · « **Reply #4 on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 19:29:40 »

Did you just get the soft pads? I went ahead and got both, since I have no idea which I'd like better.

Won't come in till next week though ;(

reaper · « **Reply #5 on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 19:32:11 »

Quote from: Tallon;336345

Did you just get the soft pads?

Yup, I got the soft ones, will try them on later.

Shazb0t · « **Reply #6 on:** Sat, 23 April 2011, 21:23:34 »

Let us know how they feel.

reaper · « **Reply #7 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 16:34:34 »

Sorry took me awhile. I put some on today on a PLU ML-87 with blue switches and it does reduce the noise somewhat. Please keep in mind that I got the soft pads and not the firm ones. The key travel felt the same but basically it got rid of that bottoming-out sound when you type.

With the soft pad on:

guilleguillaume · « **Reply #8 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 17:12:53 »

Would be nice to know if this helps MX Blue to redeuce the "hysteresis", I mean the gap where you can't activate the switch.

reaper · « **Reply #9 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 17:21:10 »

Hmm.. I don't know. To me, it felt like that gap was still there and this just helps soften the landing part.

BaconKnight · « **Reply #10 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 18:13:48 »

Think you might do audio clip samples? Just wondering.

reaper · « **Reply #11 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 18:18:38 »

^ I don't have anything to record the sound with. Maybe I can use my iPhone? It's a 3GS so the camera kinda sucks. lol

Cata1yst · « **Reply #12 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 18:31:36 »

Better than nothing

guilleguillaume · « **Reply #13 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 19:02:51 »

Quote from: ripster;336700

Won't change hysteresis. As impossible as getting rid of hysteresis on a buckling spring.

Okey!

Was curious about it.

It actually doesn't bother me.

reaper · « **Reply #14 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 20:20:02 »

Quote from: Cata1yst;336698

Better than nothing

Here you go. I recorded with that built-in voice recorder on iPhone. Don't know if you could hear the difference much and since it was recorded using iPhone, you might need Apple's QuickTime or iTunes for playback.

Might wanna turn up the volume a bit.

Before:

http://hotfile.com/dl/115700406/28bdcff/Memo1.m4a.html

After installed the pads:

http://hotfile.com/dl/115700593/eee5854/Memo2.m4a.html

Please excuse my typing. I'm not a touch typist. lol Also I didn't install the pad on the space bar so that loud thock you hear is me hitting the space bar.

godofdeath · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun, 24 April 2011, 23:37:26 »

does it remove the metal vibration sound from the metal place when you smack your keys too hard?

reaper · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 00:42:32 »

Quote from: godofdeath;336795

does it remove the metal vibration sound from the metal place when you smack your keys too hard?

Nope, ripster is right. It doesn't remove the sound completely but dampens it somewhat.

mjacob · « **Reply #17 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 01:31:33 »

Quote from: reaper~;336693

I don't have anything to record the sound with.

What you need is one of these. Expensive keyboards and expensive audio equipment go hand in hand. And the really scary thing is that $100 isn't even close to being expensive for a microphone.

BaconKnight · « **Reply #18 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 01:34:45 »

Nice sound samples. Does seem to help lessen the sound. I was possibly thinking about grabbing some for the mx black choc I'm getting soon, just to have the absolute quietest mechanical keyboard I can get. I see you got the soft pads, do they affect the "feel" of the keys at all and if so how?

Tallon · « **Reply #19 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 01:58:27 »

I didn't listen to the sound bites yet - but if you want "super quiet", supposedly the firm ones are far better for that (but will definitely lessen key travel)

elef · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 02:35:01 »

Quote from: reaper~;336657

With the soft pad on:

Show Image

I'm pretty sure the pad goes inside the keycap. It will basically fill the keycap around the round protrusion that mates with the keystem. If you just put the pad on the keyswitch like this and press on the keycap, it might not slide onto the round thingie like it should. Then it will get pinched between the keycap and the switch and it'll limit travel more than it should.

CephalicCarnage · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 02:45:37 »

Thanks for the sound samples. So what's the verdict? Do you like having these installed? Plan on keeping them installed or buying more for other keyboards?

reaper · « **Reply #22 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 08:53:41 »

Quote from: elef;336834

I'm pretty sure the pad goes inside the keycap. It will basically fill the keycap around the round protrusion that mates with the keystem. If you just put the pad on the keyswitch like this and press on the keycap, it might not slide onto the round thingie like it should. Then it will get pinched between the keycap and the switch and it'll limit travel more than it should.

I tried that too but it kept falling off when I flip the kepcap around to put on the stem. lol

Quote from: CephalicCarnage;336836

Thanks for the sound samples. So what's the verdict? Do you like having these installed? Plan on keeping them installed or buying more for other keyboards?

You're welcome and like someone else said in another thread, to silent a mech keyboard is like putting a silencer on a Harley and that's never a good thing. Personally, I prefer the sound without these pads.

elef · « **Reply #23 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 10:24:36 »

Quote from: reaper~;336898

I tried that too but it kept falling off when I flip the kepcap around to put on the stem. lol

Then the hole is too big. It's a shame, I might be interested in getting some of these myself.

The Solutor · « **Reply #24 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 10:32:42 »

Quote from: reaper~;336898

I tried that too but it kept falling off when I flip the kepcap around to put on the stem. lol

So the haven't even managed to size correctly the hole, as I did in my (ten seconds) tests ?

This is what I call a professional reseller

reaper · « **Reply #25 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 10:49:29 »

Well, on EliteKeyboards homepage they show the pad on the switch itself so maybe that's the way it's supposed to be? I don't know.

heedpantsnow · « **Reply #26 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 11:49:48 »

Hi, Reaper, nice keyboard :-) Thanks for taking the time to do the samples, etc.

Quick question: It was my understanding that these pads were adhesive, but then you said that they fall out of the keycaps. So they're not adhesive, or it's just too weak?

marvkip · « **Reply #27 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 12:26:40 »

wouldn't this be more ideal for Black switches to reduce the sound of them bottoming out?

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #28 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 12:59:02 »

Thanks for the sound samples...I thought there was a definite dampening, which I liked. My keyboards are Cherry browns, so I'm not too sure how the effect would be different, but I want to reduce the sound output as much as possible.

isp · « **Reply #29 on:** Mon, 25 April 2011, 13:40:20 »

do they actually do anything? how do they effect cherry reds?

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Author Topic: EK's "Soft-Landing" Pads for Cherry MX (Read 22390 times)