I remember my Matias board. Its quality was ****. I read a few reviews online now that you've mentioned them, and a lot seem to mention issues such as ghosting. Not sure if that's due to switches.

ok let's look at my own reviews lol

i hate everything connected to matias mini quiet pro.

fyi, matias quiet pro mini isn't any good.

quiet pro feels exactly like a crisprier rubber dome with spring underneath. and the board's quality is rubbish. switches are inconsistent. they feel very different when center pressed, off-center pressed, pressed in different sides, etc. and the switches themselves feel different. and the keycaps aren't even.

I've got the Niz delivered. I wouldn't call it remarkably high quality (some keys are inconsistent), but it's interesting and feels similar to Topre, but I don't have the problems that I had with Topre when typing on the Niz. Also, the 35 weight is quite unusual =)

By pure coincidence, on the same day I received two replacement PCB's for my broken AEK =)

AEK? what switches do you have there?
What is best AEK, switches wise? I guess its hard to find one nowadays, for reasonable price?

Quote from: phinix on Tue, 21 January 2025, 13:25:40

Quote from: iri on Mon, 20 January 2025, 17:57:17

I've got the Niz delivered. I wouldn't call it remarkably high quality (some keys are inconsistent), but it's interesting and feels similar to Topre, but I don't have the problems that I had with Topre when typing on the Niz. Also, the 35 weight is quite unusual =)

By pure coincidence, on the same day I received two replacement PCB's for my broken AEK =)

AEK? what switches do you have there?
What is best AEK, switches wise? I guess its hard to find one nowadays, for reasonable price?

You didn't ask me, but I love the AEK/Alps SKCM/SKCL switches. There are 2 main versions, the AEK1 and the AEK 2. The AEK 1 uses a different "eject" button shape, but the core layout and PCB seem interchangeable. The AEK 1 had SKCM Orange, and SKCM Salmon switches. Both are tactile switches with the salmons being a bit lighter than the oranges. The AEK 2 used SKCM Salmons (rarely) and are mostly found as Damped Creams and Damped Whites. Both damped switches appear to feel the exact same to me, just a slider color difference.

Best place to get an AEK or AEK 2 is Ebay. You can find them from $60 on a good day to $120 for someone who "knows what they have". I would say the Salmon switches are my outright favorite of the switches that you can find in that keyboard.

I own 7-8 AEK keyboards and daily drive a AEK2 with Damped Creams at work. I have spent the last few years only looking at Alps switches and have a fair few in my collection ready for restoration. I was actually working on some Damped White switches over the weekend.

I'm guessing white ones are clicky?
I prefer tactile or linear, but for alps I heard its best to take tactile, like orange or salmon? I like heavy switches so would prefer heaviest version, so salmons then?

The Damped Whites are tactile like the Damped Creams. Alps did make white switches that were clicky (which I really enjoy), but they are not found on the AEK or AEK2. I have 2 different linear switches and I have nothing nice to say about them, because it's a linear switch.

If you are into smaller boards that still use ADB, check out the Apple Keyboard M0116. It has both salmon and orange options. I am playing with an orange and a salmon M0116 and I would say its less "heavier" and more "more tactile". I would have to crack some switches open to check, but it feels like the hump to get over on the orange is smaller than the salmon. So it's isn't as much the weight of the spring vs the heft of the hump.

My pick would be and AEK 1 or M0116 with SKCM Salmon switches.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Sounds like AEK1 and salmon is for me. Time to do some searching on ebay
Is it expensive to get some cable with converter to modern pc?

Oh, one more thing - are there any other keyboards like Lunar AEK 65%? This would be ideal for me.

Quote

Oh, one more thing - are there any other keyboards like Lunar AEK 65%? This would be ideal for me.

The only one I can think of off the top of my head would be an AEK60, which I don't think you can find anymore, but the ADK64 could be what you are looking for.

oh, I hate 60%.
I think I remember Frog TKL had alps pcb, I need to look into that.
EDIT: just found it, also Tiger Lite is possible to build with alps!

Anyone selling salmon alps switches?

Quote from: phinix on Tue, 21 January 2025, 15:30:28

Quote from: TomahawkLabs on Tue, 21 January 2025, 15:23:17

Quote

Oh, one more thing - are there any other keyboards like Lunar AEK 65%? This would be ideal for me.

The only one I can think of off the top of my head would be an AEK60, which I don't think you can find anymore, but the ADK64 could be what you are looking for.

oh, I hate 60%.
I think I remember Frog TKL had alps pcb, I need to look into that.
EDIT: just found it, also Tiger Lite is possible to build with alps!

Anyone selling salmon alps switches?

Be aware, the switches top row of AEK keyboards are rotated 90 degrees. The keycaps also have their own unique profile so cases may look a bit wonkey.

I see. So if I want to use AEK, then use that keyboard only. If I want to use its keycaps on other keyboard, then not F row. Got it.

Quote from: iri on Mon, 20 January 2025, 17:57:17

I've got the Niz delivered. I wouldn't call it remarkably high quality (some keys are inconsistent), but it's interesting and feels similar to Topre, but I don't have the problems that I had with Topre when typing on the Niz. Also, the 35 weight is quite unusual =)

By pure coincidence, on the same day I received two replacement PCB's for my broken AEK =)

AEK? what switches do you have there?
What is best AEK, switches wise? I guess its hard to find one nowadays, for reasonable price?

Linearised Orange Alps. They are my favourite switch.

My AEK cost me 250 quid on ebay, but it was in a pristine condition.

It is hard to put into words, but it doesn't feel like a 67g linear switch vs a 72g linear switch. It feels like the hump to get over salmons is bigger, and requires more force, than the orange, which has a much less pronounced bump.

I think the damped switches are great. I just got done lubing and assembling some damped whites tonight. To my fingers the damped cream and damped white switches feel identical. I think the color difference was production/marketing and not a new design. The tactility of the damped switches is closer to the tactility of the salmons.

Out of the switches I have in my collection

1. SKCM Blue - Feels good, could be even better after cleaning/lubing, I can see why people love these switches
2. SKCM White - also feel good, not as good as blue, but still good
3. SKCM Salmon - My favorite tactile switch
4. SKCM "Taxi Cab" Amber - My favorite clicky switch. The best balance of sound and feel
5. SKCM Orange - light tactility, good overall feel
6. SKCL Yellow - its linear, nothing to comment about. it goes up and it goes down without binding
7. SKCL Green - again...
8. SKCM Black - currently disassembled in prep for round 1 of the cleaning process but offered nice tactility, nothing ultra special as I remember
9. Damped White - My office pick if you work with other people, great feel with a rubber dampener on the slider
10. Damped Cream - same as Damped White
11. Bonus non-standard switch - Heavy Blue. It's a customer spec blue. Hand marked with a blue line down the center and a heavy spring. I cannot understate how much force it takes to press down that switch.
12. Alps Locking - fun to see and play with, but wouldn't make a good keyboard