Black Diamond 75

[DryStudio]

Hello, I'm a designer who's passionate about supercars and mechanical keyboards. I also enjoy playing games such as Forza Motorsport, Valorant and Rainbow Six.

I want to make something different, so I spent my free time designing a new keyboard together with FARSOUL. We call this keyboard Black Diamond 75, and it takes its inspiration from the modified all-carbon Lamborghini Aventador - the MANSORY Carbonado (also known as the "Black Diamond"). Our goal is to bring its sleek, angular-line design language into this keyboard.

Carbon fiber cannot be missing from true supercars. Therefore, I want to build Black Diamond 75 from carbon fiber to recreate some of that supercar flair. I went to a creator space and made several samples to see how we could integrate carbon fiber into our keyboard design.

Being a gamer myself, I want to implement 2.4G support, so that the latency is not compromised when I'm using the keyboard wirelessly. I found out that the latest 2.4G modules have a latency that can go as low as 1ms, so I want to give this dongle a try to see how well it works.

I'm stuck in a dilemma trying to figure out the appropriate typing experience. As a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, I want it to be thocky with enough flex, but that doesn't go too well with gaming. For gaming, I just need switches with a short actuation distance, such as Cherry MX Speed Silver or Kailh Speed Silver Gaming for quicker reaction speed. Flex won't help here at all. Seems like I have to make a choice between those two. I'm playing around with different mounting methods to see what I can do to make a balanced keyboard that has a good typing feel and typing profile, but can also perform well while gaming.

I will keep updating this thread as we make progress with this board. I also made a Discord server where I will post updates: https://discord.gg/qmjvMhyDKZ

[gamebynight]

I would absolutely suggest going with flex over fast switches. Users can always opt for their own faster switch. Flex and soft typing may not help gaming performance but it will help the keyboard feel better to use, which will make it better for gaming on inherently.

[DryStudio]

I've finished making the remainder of the case parts. These parts are crafted from aluminum with the help of CNC. For the bottom cover, I chose a thick piece of aluminum measuring 2 cm. This is the same process Apple uses for their bottom case of the MacBook Pro. This is the aluminum piece that will become the bottom cover:

The bottom cover takes 4 steps to finish:

The palm rest and the other decorative parts are milled from a 1.2 cm thick piece. Final result looks pretty neat I would say:

I'm going to assemble the whole thing and see how it looks.

[EdgeOfInfinity]

the individual parts look cool machined, now we need to see it assembled! cool project

[DryStudio]

I put everything together and snapped some pics using a camera. I add some LEDs and PBT keycaps and I must say I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Still working on the internals, but I feel I have a clearer vision now on how to achieve a good balance. I'll share it here when I have something new to update.

[SxM Designs]

This looks stunning!!

[DryStudio]

I replaced the the carbon fiber panels with aluminum to create a silver variant of the Black Diamond 75. The keycaps I swapped for ones that suit silver better. I call this variant "Mithril". This doesn't mean however that Carbon is off the table. I will offer both Carbon and Mithril if I'm able to release this keyboard.

[EdgeOfInfinity]

sheeesh that gradient set looks great on silver!

i would love to see matte black hardware on that version

[KeyRelic]

The aesthetic of the 'Mithril' one is great.
If this will happen then I'm in!

[DryStudio]

Sorry for taking so long to post an update. In the last few weeks I have been busy working on the internals and also preparing enough case parts to assemble more units. I've captured the carbon fiber and aluminum CNC machining process on video:

Carbon Fiber CNC Machining

Aluminum CNC Machining

As I want to focus on gaming as well with this keeb, I want to make sure latency is low enough. In the next few days I will do some tests on the internals and share the results here.

[DryStudio]

I borrowed one of those latency testing devices and managed to achieve a polling rate of 1000Hz and a scan rate of about 3000-4000Hz. End-to-end wireless latency is within 2ms, with an average of about 1.5ms. Quite happy with the results.

[DryStudio]

It's been a while since last update. Sorry for keeping you guys waiting. But I am happy to announce that the project is now ready to go on Indiegogo. Here's the link to the coming soon page (I will update it tomorrow when it goes live): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/black-diamond-75-gaming-keyboard-2-4g-2ms-latency--2/coming_soon

The starting date of the drop is September 26, 2023, 8:00 AM PDT and the ending date is October 30, 2023, 8:00 AM PDT. There will be a limited amount per perk. You will be likely to receive the package in November 2023 (after campaign ends and funds transfer has completed).

Here are the full pricing details (Bundle only):
Base Bundle - 204 USD early bird (will be restored to 240 USD after 48 hours)
Advance Bundle - 251 USD early bird (will be restored to 295 USD after 48 hours)
DR Rapid Ice Switch (90pcs) - 30 USD
DR Rapid Ice Switch (35pcs) - 12 USD
Don't miss out if you are interested!

What's more, I also recorded Mithril's typing test with the KTT Wine Red switches that will be included with this colorway. Feel free to check it out:

[DryStudio]

Black Diamond 75 will officially be available on Indiegogo on September 26, 2023 at 8:00 AM PDT. I have prepared 4 different versions of Black Diamond 75. All of them are Bundle (including double shot PBT keycaps, switches and stabilizers), I made a this table to show the differences between each version:

I also made a spec list with all the final specifications of Black Diamond 75. You can find all info about the board on Indiegogo as well!


Specifications

Mounting method: Leaf spring mount (non-adjustable)
Typing angle: 7°
Weight: Carbon 2.8kg (±0.1), Mithril 3.0kg (±0.1)
Material and craftmanship: Black carbon fiber (Carbon) or anodized silver aluminum (Mithril) components. Highly-transparent, PMMA acrylic with increased hardness exterior parts. An anodized black (Carbon) or silver (Mithril) aluminum alloy internal frame.
PCB: 1.6mm hot-swap PCB with 81 in-switch LEDs. 4 additional programmable RGB LEDs in each corner on the front for Advance.
Plate: FR4
Foam: IXPE switch pad, Poron foam and a thickened honeycomb silicone pad
Dimensions: 36cm (L) * 25cm (W) * 5cm (H)
Connectivity: 2.4G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wired (USB 2.0, Type-C)
Battery: Lithium polymer 5000mAh. 60 Days battery life under 2.4G. Wireless charging support for Advance.
Configuration: RGB and key layout configurable via AM Master. All keys support remapping and assigning multimedia keys (except the Fn+Esc Power On combo), supports up to 7 layers.
Layout:

[DryStudio]

Black Diamond 75 is now available on Indiegogo!
Indiegogo Link: https://igg.me/at/black-diamond-75

[EdgeOfInfinity]

spotted on AliX already lol. will keep an eye on the drop, good luck with GB!

[DryStudio]

Black Diamond 75 has reached 400 backers now!
Glad that so many people like our works!

[DryStudio]

A lots of people were asking, whether they can buy the leaf springs separately.
The answer is yes!
You can now change the leaf springs in the way you prefer~

Link: https://store.dry---studio.com/products/dry-studio-rapid-ice-switch

[DryStudio]

I took more pictures of Black Diamond 75. What does it reminds you of?
Share your thoughts!

[DryStudio]

There is more pictures of Mithril.

[DryStudio]

Some of you may be curious about how is this board looks like in the dark.
Here is some pics of its RGB affects. Hopes you like it 
(The front lights are only available on advance bundle)

[DryStudio]

For Mithril,we used KTT Wine Red switches to go along with it in order to achieve an ideal balance between gaming and daily use.

[DryStudio]

Some of our beta users send us some photos with different keycaps.
What do you think of it?

[DryStudio]

We recieved some pics from our beta users.
And we would like to share it with you guys

[Lamaboi]

Some of our beta users send us some photos with different keycaps.
What do you think of it?

I'll admit this keyboard does have its charm and feels unique. The seethrough parts showing off the leaf springs are a nice touch, but the side profile is bit too agressive sticking out like that... I do understand tho it's what keeps the acrylic top in place. Looking at this from the top it looks more like a typewriter than a lambo, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Also, what keycap set is that?

[DryStudio]

Some of our beta users send us some photos with different keycaps.
What do you think of it?

I'll admit this keyboard does have its charm and feels unique. The seethrough parts showing off the leaf springs are a nice touch, but the side profile is bit too agressive sticking out like that... I do understand tho it's what keeps the acrylic top in place. Looking at this from the top it looks more like a typewriter than a lambo, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Also, what keycap set is that?

Hi there~Apprecitaed your thoughts. I totally agree with you on the typewriter idea. It does look like it from the top, while looking more like a lambo from the side with the head RGB lights. As for the keycaps, they are all PBT keycaps and it's not in the market right now. We got it difrectly from the manufacturer.

[DryStudio]

Hi everyone! The Indiegogo campaign has officailly come to the end! Thank you all for your love and support!

The campaign has been more successful then we expected. It's so glad that so many people actually appreciate our works. It is a great encouragement and we will keep up the good work because we definitely have more to offer.

If you are interested in our future products or want to find someone who has the same preference to discuss with, please join our discord.

[Lamaboi]

As for the keycaps, they are all PBT keycaps and it's not in the market right now. We got it difrectly from the manufacturer.

Can you name the manufacturer/brand?

[DryStudio]

Premium quality and design Give you the best typing experience

[DryStudio]

Pics from our beta users.
Let's check it out together!

[DryStudio]

It's the details that make a difference. 

[DryStudio]

As for the keycaps, they are all PBT keycaps and it's not in the market right now. We got it difrectly from the manufacturer.

Can you name the manufacturer/brand?

Sorry man, we can't really give you the name of our manufacturer

[DryStudio]

The silver version looks sexy