Author Topic: Noisy SA Spacebar  (Read 9526 times)

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Offline Kavik

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Noisy SA Spacebar
« on: Mon, 12 March 2018, 18:35:45 »
I have noticed that SA spacebars in particular are rather noisy. They make a loud hollow thocking sound that none of the other keys make, which I find rather annoying. Are there any methods of reducing or eliminating this? On one keyboard, I put facial tissue under the spacebar so that it wouldn't hit the plate, but that was not a very good solution in the long run.
Maybe they're waiting for gasmasks and latex to get sexy again.

The world has become a weird place.

Offline zslane

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  • Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 12 March 2018, 18:51:18 »
You could try some o-rings to basically lift the spacebar up away from the plate. But that will also reduce key travel, which you might not like.

I had a similar problem with SA spacebars on my Plum Nano 75 boards (actually, I had this problem with nearly all the stabilized keys, not just the spacebar). My solution was similar to yours. I stuck a small strip of felt alongside each stabilizer stem to soften the blow of downstroke impact. Worked like a charm.

Offline CaselxASD

  • Posts: 1
  • Location: Bay Area, CA
Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 14 March 2018, 13:06:36 »
I had the same issue when I got my first SA set. I was sad because I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy SA if all the bars sounded lke that. Then I went to a local craft store and picked up thin sheets of foam. I cut them to shape for the space bars and cut holes for the legs that sit on the stem. I got about 3 layers of the foam on the inside of the space bar and it really dropped the loud clack the spacebar makes. Now it's a more solid sounding thock and is on par with the rest of the keys.

Offline dblack

  • Formerly ZuXzu
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Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 15 March 2018, 10:08:44 »
I have noticed that SA spacebars in particular are rather noisy. They make a loud hollow thocking sound that none of the other keys make, which I find rather annoying. Are there any methods of reducing or eliminating this? On one keyboard, I put facial tissue under the spacebar so that it wouldn't hit the plate, but that was not a very good solution in the long run.

This was something I could never fix, SA spacebars have always sounded like cannons to me lol. Thankfully I really dislike typing on SA anyway so the sound is no longer bothering me.

Offline Kavik

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Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 16 March 2018, 00:21:43 »
The layer of foam or felt underneath the spacebar might be a good idea to try. IIRC, I tried o-rings at one point, and they weren't effective. I have thought of a more destructive approach grinding the edges of the cap down so that it doesn't contact the plate, but I'd rather have a spare to test that on if I went that route.

I didn't much care for typing on SA until I got the Moon keyboard. The angle of the case combined with clicky box switches actually makes SA feel  and sound extremely nice.
Maybe they're waiting for gasmasks and latex to get sexy again.

The world has become a weird place.

Offline TheInverseKey

  • Posts: 128
  • Location: The Great White North
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Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 16 March 2018, 09:03:01 »
You could try landing pads I know that they do get rid of a lot of the noise.(I use them daily)

Offline Kavik

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Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 25 March 2018, 23:36:53 »
After thinking about it a bit more, I theorized that the noise of the SA spacebar is caused by the larger cavity in the cap because it is taller. My initial thought had been that the edges hit the plate, which doesn't make sense because the edges don't extend past the stems any farther than other profiles AFAIK. My temporary solution is to roll up a paper towel and stuff it into the spacebar's cavity. It seems rather effective so far. A cleaner approach might be cutting a piece of foam to size to fill the space more evenly.
Maybe they're waiting for gasmasks and latex to get sexy again.

The world has become a weird place.

Offline gutiars4daze

  • Posts: 4
Re: Noisy SA Spacebar
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 04 February 2023, 18:26:51 »
After thinking about it a bit more, I theorized that the noise of the SA spacebar is caused by the larger cavity in the cap because it is taller. My initial thought had been that the edges hit the plate, which doesn't make sense because the edges don't extend past the stems any farther than other profiles AFAIK. My temporary solution is to roll up a paper towel and stuff it into the spacebar's cavity. It seems rather effective so far. A cleaner approach might be cutting a piece of foam to size to fill the space more evenly.

I know this is a zombie post, but I just picked up my first SA set (maxkey chocolate) and while my space bar sounded ok, my return and shifts sounded like empty rattly garbage. I'm going to have to do something long term if I keep them on, but stuffing them with some paper towel definitely helped. Not any thockier, but it took that rattling hollowness away, thankfully. I think you're right though, it has to do with how tall they are.