New Matias Quiet Pro Keyboard with sound-dampened ALPS switches

[Matias]

Just want to let everyone know that we released our new Quiet Pro Keyboard today.  Link and press release are below.

      http://matias.ca/quietpro

It uses dampened ALPS switches that we developed ourselves.  It's tactile, yet quiet.

Feel free to post questions here or in our vendor forum.

Thanks,

Edgar





         Matias releases World's Quietest Mechanical Keyboard


TORONTO, September 20, 2012 — For users who crave the feel and speed of mechanical keyboards, but are put off by the noise, Matias has the solution...


   Today, they released the Quiet Pro Keyboard, an ultra-quiet version of their award-winning Tactile Pro.


   "Users love the Tactile Pro, but it's too loud for some work environments. Other mechanical keyboards have the same problem — too loud to use in a shared office, too loud to use near other people. Now, we finally have a solution. A mechanical keyboard that's tactile, feels amazing, and is no louder than a regular keyboard," said Edgar Matias, CEO of Matias.


   With ultra-thin, flat keyboards now the norm, many users find them uncomfortable and awkward to type on. This has led to a resurgence in the popularity of higher-quality mechanical keyboards, which were commonplace in the early days of the computer industry. The only drawback is that they've always been louder to operate — until now.


   "We've been working on this for over 2 years. We had to develop a whole new keyswitch to do it. It was an enormous undertaking. We weren't even sure if it was possible — but we managed to pull it off. It feels just as good as the Tactile Pro, but it's quiet," said Matias.


   Matias also plans to sell its new switches to other companies, who wish to produce their own quiet mechanical keyboards. More details will be released soon.


   "After doing all this work to develop these amazing new switches, we didn't feel it was fair that they only got used in our products. So, we're planning to start selling them as stand-alone components. Other keyboard companies can buy the switches, and incorporate them into their products. We even plan to sell them in smaller quantities (on our website) for hobbyists who want to build their own custom keyboards," said Matias.


Price & Availability

   The Quiet Pro is $149.95 (US) with separate PC and Mac specific versions. The US models are available now from www.matias.ca and authorized resellers.

         http://matias.ca/quietpro


   UK, German, and Nordic (Sweden, Finland, Norway) models will be released in January and are available for pre-order from The Keyboard Company.

         http://matias.ca/keyboardco


   In Japan, the Quiet Pro for Mac will be available from Diatec (Filco).

         http://www.diatec.co.jp

[tp4tissue]

Would you mind posting some pictures and diagrams of the switch? And explain how it works?

[tp4tissue]

Can you provide a comparison video that is better than this one.  This one isn't really doing the product any favors:

I noticed that Diatec will be distributing this keyboard in Japan.  If they decided to use your switches to create their own keyboard would you allow that?

wow, that guy has horrible technique... space bar using index finger. no wonder he's making all those mistakes.

[BucklingSpring]

Just clicked purchased for the PC version. Had to have some sort of ALPS in my lineup :-)

Paypal + Opera failed
Paypal + IE Exploder worked (didn't seam to double invoice)

Stay tuned for the comments.

Man I hate my compulsive self!!!

[daerid]

I would also like to see a better video with sound. This apple aluminum keyboard just isn't cutting it for my Mac.

[tp4tissue]

I would also like to see a better video with sound. This apple aluminum keyboard just isn't cutting it for my Mac.

Yea, i hear ya. I got one when I was a bit younger, and thought, this is the ****  , then the tactility waned and I was like all 


And from the video, it looks like Matias dampened the switch, HOWEVER, they did not dampen the "bottom out" noise.

Because in the video the space bar is very loud. and he's bottoming it out for sure.

[Matias]

And from the video, it looks like Matias dampened the switch, HOWEVER, they did not dampen the "bottom out" noise.

Because in the video the space bar is very loud. and he's bottoming it out for sure.

I'll be posting a better video soon.

The keyboard in the video sounds loud because it wasn't mic'd properly.  The actual keyboard doesn't sound anything like that.

[alaricljs]

A whole lot of noise/reverb from the desk.  Sounds like the mic was hard mounted to the desk surface.

[Reason]

is there a white version for this too?

[Matias]

is there a white version for this too?

The white version is Mac only with the Clicky switch...

http://tactilepro.com

[BucklingSpring]

Wow that was quick. I just got the Quiet Pro today. Since I ordered it this weekend, this is technically a delivery within 48 hours. Imressive.

I'm writing this message with it. It is indeed very quiet. The dampening works best on the backspace, ENTER and spacebar.
Fun facts:

It yet another shiny black "Darth Vader Approved" dust friendly finish.
Its weight is exactly the same as the Filco Majestouch 2 AI I received last week. (~1.2 Kg)

Check the light on the num lock and scroll lock leds... Not sure I like seeing all that light comming from under. The CapLock uses the same method but do not expose the led on the board.


How does it compares with Topre?
Backspace, Enter and spacebare are quieter than the Topre for sure. The Topre keys sounds the same no matter from what angle you press them.  The keys on the Matias Quiet Pro are very quiet if you press them the "right" way. But the smaller/regular keys are louder depending where you hit them. It is especially bad when quick light tapping them on the top toward the front of the keys. When doing so they make a high pitch plastick tick.

Don't get me wrong. When they say it is quiet, this is no false advertising. Maybe the quietest mechanical keyboard in the world ... Under most conditions.
The feel of those ALPS is amazing. This is a fine addition to my collection. I'm going to switch the Topre I'm using at the office with this Matias.

I'll wait few days to get used to it before the full review.

Stay tuned.

Bottom line... Highly recommended. Well built, quiet and feels right.

[Elrick]

I'm going to give it a few days trial before the full review.

Fun facts:

It yet another shiny black "Darth Vader Approved" dust friendly finish.
Its weight is exactly the same as the Filco Majestouch 2 AI I received last week. (1.181 Kg)

Fantastic, please go into detail here when reviewing it.  I'm also glad she is heavy, always loved heavy keyboards.  Also please mention quality info compared to it's competitors like Filco, Leopold and Cherry.

[Chrontius]

Is the cable permanently attached to the Quiet Pro?

In the future, will there be a version with a USB 3 hub instead of USB 2?

In my fantasies, you'll be shipping a backlit version instead of the advertised version, but this is already the most perfect keyboard (for my needs, anyway) I can buy today.

[BucklingSpring]

Fantastic, please go into detail here when reviewing it.  I'm also glad she is heavy, always loved heavy keyboards.  Also please mention quality info compared to it's competitors like Filco, Leopold and Cherry.

I don't own a Leo or a Cherry so I can't compare. But first impressions are very good.
This keyboard looks and feels well built.

Matias do not advertise the amount of cycles their ALPS switches are good for. If I remember right, ALPS are typically running between 10M-20M cycles. Which is significantly less than the Cherry MX and a bit less than the Topre switches.

Did I mentionned the tactile feel was awsome? It is.

[BucklingSpring]

Is the cable permanently attached to the Quiet Pro?

(...) but this is already the most perfect keyboard (for my needs, anyway) I can buy today.

Yep cable is permanently attached, sticking up front, right in the middle. It does not have any cable management features.

Go with your purchase, I can't imagine why you would regret it.

[tp4tissue]

Fantastic, please go into detail here when reviewing it.  I'm also glad she is heavy, always loved heavy keyboards.  Also please mention quality info compared to it's competitors like Filco, Leopold and Cherry.

I don't own a Leo or a Cherry so I can't compare. But first impressions are very good.
This keyboard looks and feels well built.

Matias do not advertise the amount of cycles their ALPS switches are good for. If I remember right, ALPS are typically running between 10M-20M cycles. Which is significantly less than the Cherry MX and a bit less than the Topre switches.

Did I mentionned the tactile feel was awsome? It is.

Why do I get the feeling you're trying to convince yourself that you like the keyboard more so than you are trying to convince us.

Sorry, I'm just naturally suspicious, congrats on the new addition.

[BucklingSpring]

Why do I get the feeling you're trying to convince yourself that you like the keyboard more so than you are trying to convince us.

This thing is different from my other keyboards in a good way. I don't need to convince myself.

I honestly think someone looking for a highend quiet mechanical keyboard should put that Matias on his short list.

If you look for utlimate quiet then you can go with a POS like this

But it aint no mecanical keyboard. I personally wouldn't use one of those even as a welcome rug.

[Elrick]

Why do I get the feeling you're trying to convince yourself that you like the keyboard more so than you are trying to convince us.

Sorry, I'm just naturally suspicious, congrats on the new addition.

Yes, that's what it's like trying to 'word' something here at Geekhack, a single word mis-typed or included suddenly gets noticed and questioned.

I only asked him about Filco's, Leopold's and Cherry's because I own them but obviously he doesn't, hence he can not tell anyone about quality standards. Every manufacturer has a quality standard but I wasn't suspicious of Matias, I just wanted to get a general 'feeling' about it's overall construction and usage through another person's eye's.

The Matias Alps switch longevity is about that same as all other alps switches, so nothing new there.  This would be my second Alps purchase thus far, I can't wait to receive it.

Got too many Cherry MX boards already and I'm tired of the Topre's already.

[Matias]

Matias do not advertise the amount of cycles their ALPS switches are good for. If I remember right, ALPS are typically running between 10M-20M cycles. Which is significantly less than the Cherry MX and a bit less than the Topre switches.

We're still running tests on this -- they take months to do.  We're up to 40 million cycles so far.  We use better quality materials than the original ALPS, which were rated for 10 million cycles.

In the future, will there be a version with a USB 3 hub instead of USB 2?

We plan to make the jump to USB 3 eventually, but it's a long way off (years).  It's too expensive to incorporate into a keyboard right now.

[limmy]

Can you share which material is used? If that is not possible, can you tell us which material was not used?

I know ALPS switch housing uses ABS plastic, which is not suitable for applications where friction is of concern. Topre's switch housing is also ABS by the way. Cherry uses more durable material.

We're still running tests on this -- they take months to do.  We're up to 40 million cycles so far.  We use better quality materials than the original ALPS, which were rated for 10 million cycles.

[BucklingSpring]

We're still running tests on this -- they take months to do.  We're up to 40 million cycles so far.  We use better quality materials than the original ALPS, which were rated for 10 million cycles.

> 40M Awsome!

Can't wait for your official numbers.

I knew you guys had quality products and a good reputation to back it.
The Tactile Pro 2 had some issues but were fixed for good with the Tactile Pro 3.

[BucklingSpring]

I only asked him about Filco's, Leopold's and Cherry's because I own them but obviously he doesn't, hence he can not tell anyone about quality standards.

As for quality standards, I think I can tell. I may not own a Leo or a Cherry but I have seen a lot of good and bad keyboards.

This Matias Quiet Pro looks and feels like a good one.

But I'm a bit surprised about the NKRO Matias is claiming. I do 10KRO which more than enough anyway

Doing the test with my Filco AI 2. It still records the n+1 key no matter how man keys I pressed (flat hands and all the keys under)

[Matias]

Can you share which material is used? If that is not possible, can you tell us which material was not used?

It's not quite that simple...

There are different grades of steel and different thickness, and various suppliers have different processes for making them.  You have to find the right combination for the switch to feel right.  That's partly why it took 2 years to develop them.

The old Fuhua switches used thinner cheaper metals.  They still felt good, because they'd found the right combination, but they were lower quality, so they didn't last as long.  This is also why they made that residual ringing sound that many users found annoying.  Our switches don't make that sound.

I know ALPS switch housing uses ABS plastic, which is not suitable for applications where friction is of concern. Topre's switch housing is also ABS by the way. Cherry uses more durable material.

ABS is okay, but we chose polycarbonate for the switch housing, so that it could be made transparent.  This allows you to use the same switch for keys that have an LED lens.  With the old Fuhua switches, we had to use LED-embedded XM switches for keys like Caps Lock, Num Lock, etc.  That XM switch was linear, so those keys felt different from the others.  We actually had customers returning keyboards because they thought they were defective.

The new switches solve a lot of problems.

[BucklingSpring]

@Matias - How do you measure NKRO?

My QP stops registering after 10 keys pressed at once.

[Matias]

@Matias - How do you measure NKRO?

My QP stops registering after 5 keys pressed at once.

Okay, I'm looking into this.  Will get back to you soon.

What hardware and OS are you using it with?

We actually designed it to support 10 simultaneous keys over USB.  The normal limitation is 6.  I just tried it now and I got 10 keys.  The internal circuitry is NKRO but USB has limitations.

[Binge]

In any of your tests did you come across any keyboards that would sporadically register a key infinitely until another key was pressed?  In my case I have a tab key that registers in just that way and when I press the tab key a bunch of times it stops for a time, but eventually the key registers again without being pressed.

[Matias]

In any of your tests did you come across any keyboards that would sporadically register a key infinitely until another key was pressed?  In my case I have a tab key that registers in just that way and when I press the tab key a bunch of times it stops for a time, but eventually the key registers again without being pressed.

That's a defective switch.  You should contact help@matias.ca to get a replacement keyboard.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

We actually designed it to support 10 simultaneous keys over USB.

You mean as in creating additional USB endpoints, or switching to large reports on supported OSes?

[tp4tissue]

@Matias - How do you measure NKRO?

My QP stops registering after 5 keys pressed at once.

Okay, I'm looking into this.  Will get back to you soon.

What hardware and OS are you using it with?

We actually designed it to support 10 simultaneous keys over USB.  The normal limitation is 6.  I just tried it now and I got 10 keys.  The internal circuitry is NKRO but USB has limitations.

Tests were made on XP Pro SP3, 6 Cores AMD, Asus motherboard, same as with the Filco (which gave me nkro). I'm at the office now without the Matias or the hardware. I will try it again on my Win7 running on state of the art hardware (Intel based, less than 3 months old) as soon as I get home. I will also PM you when I get home with the precise hardware I'm using, Keybord serial number, etc...

Regards.

Thanks for the reply.

I knew buying early runs was a bit risky but it is also a mean to experience your great customer service and support :-)

Well dere's your problem right dere'  AMD CPU..

[BucklingSpring]

Well dere's your problem right dere'  AMD CPU..

Troll ;-)