geekhack
geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: Wazrach on Sat, 30 June 2018, 13:10:15
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I know this is super, super trivial, but I'm interested in finding out why the sound differs so much between the same model of keyboard. This new out-of-box Model F XT sounds completely different to the other one I had, which I sold to a friend. This one is higher-pitched and the ping is more twangy, like an instrument. It also sounds more bassy and thocky than the other one, which had a lower pitch and a more resonant, ringing sound. My customised Model F AT sounds nothing like the ones on YouTube, sounding like I floss-modded half of the keys, which is a shame because I wanted the full-on musical ping. :(
If anyone knows the reason for these differences, I'd love to know!
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The simple and unsatisfying answer is: every buckling spring keyboard is different and has a personality of its own.
I have owned dozens, and no 2 are alike.
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Some call it inconsistency.
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Ah well, it's still cool. Sound is really important to me, so I think that justifies collecting them... :P
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Minor differences in manufacturing will affect these things. Model F, like the Model M, was produced over a fair period of time. Brand new ones will sound different from older ones because the older ones are more broken in, and dust and dirt can still affect any switch even if you otherwise can't see or feel it. And because it's a relatively old keyboard, we can assume that fabrication for old models just wasn't as refined as it is today, so there will be differences in how they feel or sound even when compared to a completely accurate reproduction.
It still happens today on more common and "refined" switches (refined being a relative term here). As far as I'm concerned, it gives each keyboard its own character, so I don't see it as a bad thing. It only becomes a problem to me when one switch on the same board has a wildly different feel from the others.
As for why they sound different on Youtube than yours does, that's easily explained by a mix of your speakers and their mics. I don't think even the best microphones and speakers on the market today can 100% faithfully reproduce any real world sound, and most Youtube reviewers don't have access to the extremely expensive/highest quality stuff anyway.
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Wait until Eclipse discovers this. He'll wait four more years to deliver.
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Wait until Eclipse discovers this. He'll wait four more years to deliver.
Was thinking the same.
What if the same sound F he hears is not the same sound F we hear...?