Question for Cherry MX Blue owners

[Xannot]

Okay, so I've bought a Cherry MX Tester and this is how it goes with Blues: If you press lightly, the first millimeter (1) of key travel is effortless but then you suddenly encounter a bump and need to apply a bit more force. So when you apply this force, you overcome a bump instantly and hear a click (2). Now, while pressed, if you reduce the force again, you return to the point where you originally encountered a tactile bump but the key is not actually reset yet (3) - it has to return to its full height by reducing force even more (4). But my tester doesn't have LED indicators so I'd like to know if you're at step number (3), is the key still activated (like holding down a mouse button) or does it register only once and then act as not pressed at all? I know it's a weird question, but I need to know how I can use my keys when gaming and if the key is actually still pressed-down at step (3), I can use that to circumvent hysteresis by reducing the force a bit instantly after a click so that I can press it again faster after while still holding the button for in-game action.

[tp4tissue]

when you're past the bump,  it's technically not activated,  but when you're past ~2mm  it's activated..

you don't really have to think about this,  you're ---Most likely---  activated after the 2mm..

but if you hold it right there where the bump is and wobble it,  it can come on and off..   but obviously that's not how you're suppose to use a keyboard.


If you're past 2mm,  it will stay active

Cherry is single pole push button switch

[Xannot]

So I guess is deactivates when it has less than 2mm travel, not when it reaches reset point. Okay, thanks

[tp4tissue]

So I guess is deactivates when it has less than 2mm travel, not when it reaches reset point. Okay, thanks

It's designed such that it's impossible to press past the (click) without actuating the switch.

Unless you're trying to do that on purpose,  it simply will not going to happen on its own.

[Xannot]

It's designed such that it's impossible to press past the (click) without actuating the switch.

Unless you're trying to do that on purpose,  it simply will not going to happen on its own.

Yes, I know about that. But I wanted to know if you let the key only slightly return after hearing the click/overcoming the tactile bump (only slightly so that it doesn't reset yet) will the switch be still activated in such position or not. This is quite important for FPS gaming because if it doesn't stay activated, then I'd rather choose MX Clears or Browns.

[chyros]

It's designed such that it's impossible to press past the (click) without actuating the switch.

Unless you're trying to do that on purpose,  it simply will not going to happen on its own.

Yes, I know about that. But I wanted to know if you let the key only slightly return after hearing the click/overcoming the tactile bump (only slightly so that it doesn't reset yet) will the switch be still activated in such position or not. This is quite important for FPS gaming because if it doesn't stay activated, then I'd rather choose MX Clears or Browns.

MX blue was designed to have hysteresis; they don't reset at the same point at which they actuate. This tends to be slightly unfavourable to gamers.

[Duckyreddy]

I have tried both Tactiles and Linears for gaming, I found my self-liking Linears a little bit more in this case as the presence of the bump on Blues really bothered my fingers' response, it restricted my ability to double-tap.

Don't get me wrong though, Blue's are great! I'm just too used to Linears haha 

[0100010]

OP, this may help visualize:

[bmmcwhirt]

OP, If I am reading correctly you are more concerned with how fast you can actuate the keys. It may not seem like it initially but mechanical keys do tend to be faster. You can further increase this by using things like the o-rings that dampen the clack and reduce the travel past the actuation point. If you look at the animation 0100010 posted you see that after actuation there is still quite a bit of travel and the o-rings reduce this theoretically increasing the speed at which you can actuate the same key multiple times. Of course USB/PS2 speed and polling speeds come into play as well.

[ander]

Okay, so I've bought a Cherry MX Tester and this is how it goes with Blues: If you press lightly, the first millimeter (1) of key travel is effortless but then you suddenly encounter a bump and need to apply a bit more force. So when you apply this force, you overcome a bump instantly and hear a click (2). Now, while pressed, if you reduce the force again, you return to the point where you originally encountered a tactile bump but the key is not actually reset yet (3) - it has to return to its full height by reducing force even more (4). But my tester doesn't have LED indicators so I'd like to know if you're at step number (3), is the key still activated (like holding down a mouse button) or does it register only once and then act as not pressed at all? I know it's a weird question, but I need to know how I can use my keys when gaming and if the key is actually still pressed-down at step (3), I can use that to circumvent hysteresis by reducing the force a bit instantly after a click so that I can press it again faster after while still holding the button for in-game action.

Sorry, dude, but you're wasting your time with those silly "testers", and theorizing about how switches will work for you based on their mechanical characteristics.

Typing is such an individual thing, you can identify people by their typing patterns (a science called keystroke dynamics).

The only way to tell how any switches respond to you is to use them in a real keyboard, connected to a real computer. Till then, you're just goofin' around.

[_haru]

OP, this may help visualize:

Show Image

Those GIFs are a godsend when explaining mech keyboards to rubber dome users.

[Leslieann]

Okay, so I've bought a Cherry MX Tester and this is how it goes with Blues: If you press lightly, the first millimeter (1) of key travel is effortless but then you suddenly encounter a bump and need to apply a bit more force. So when you apply this force, you overcome a bump instantly and hear a click (2). Now, while pressed, if you reduce the force again, you return to the point where you originally encountered a tactile bump but the key is not actually reset yet (3) - it has to return to its full height by reducing force even more (4). But my tester doesn't have LED indicators so I'd like to know if you're at step number (3), is the key still activated (like holding down a mouse button) or does it register only once and then act as not pressed at all? I know it's a weird question, but I need to know how I can use my keys when gaming and if the key is actually still pressed-down at step (3), I can use that to circumvent hysteresis by reducing the force a bit instantly after a click so that I can press it again faster after while still holding the button for in-game action.

As the animated gif shows...
Until the clicker returns, which if you are careful you can feel it, yes, the switch is still holding like a mouse button.

What you are trying to do, is pretty much impossible for blues, which is why Razer took so much heat when their first mechanical gaming keyboard used blue switches. While fine for MMO, they are terrible for FPS gaming.  This was the idea behind Jailhouse blues, retain that tactile click, reduce or remove the hysterysis. It's a painful process on most keyboards though as it involves not only desoldering the switches, but also opening them and modifying them and then putting them back in.

Bottom line, unless you replace or Jailhouse them, they will not do what you want, it's just not a good FPS switch. Great for typing, terrible for fps (unless Jailhoused).

[NamelessPFG]

I play FPSs on MX Blues and don't find them that terrible for gameplay, but I can see why the hysteresis could bother people, particularly if you're doing, say, a lot of double-tap-to-dodge in Unreal Tournament or something of that nature.

Thing is, I hate linear switches with digital actuation and long throws, so Black, Red and even Brown switches (because their tactile bump is practically nonexistent) are right out, barring some obscure cases like the Wooting One that actually give the switches analog functionality.

That leaves the Clear - the overall best switch that actually has tactility (compare the GIF to the Brown and you'll see that the tactile bump on the shaft is bigger), without the audible click or hysteresis inherent to the Blue's shaft slider design - but it's rarely used in production boards.

I'm thinking about ordering a big batch at some point and doing a full keyswap on my new Kinesis Freestyle Edge, making it even more unique (Kinesis only offered Blue, Brown and Red switch options). It's not like I'm afraid to use a soldering iron, after all, but the whole Jailhouse Blue mod sounds like a bag of hurt, or just plain tedium.