WASD CODE Keyboard : First Impressions

[Thagarr]

WASD CODE Keyboard : First Impressions

 I have been looking for a good full size backlit mechanical keyboard for a very long time. I have been a geek and a gamer for over 35 years and I have tried many different keyboards over that time, my all time favorite being the IBM Model M. Unfortunately, there are no backlit buckling spring boards. Most of the backlit boards I have tried over the years have been very disappointing. I bought a Ducky Shine a couple of years ago, and while I did really like the MX Blues, they just never felt quite right. Back in August, I saw a post about WASD's new CODE keyboard being open for pre-orders, so I jumped at the chance to try MX Clears, one of the few switches I have never tried. I ordered the full size 104 key keyboard, and it finally arrived yesterday! I thought I would type up a quick review of my first impressions of the board.

The board arrived in simple, plain packaging, just enough to get it safely to my front door. Here are a few pics taken with my Sony DSC-WX50.





A bit of a comparrison with my dirty old Ducky Shine



The board it's self is clean and devoid of all the gaudy graphics and flashy extra lights and lighting effects that some boards come with. The font is classic Helvetica and easy to read even with the backlighting off. There are 7 levels of brightness to the backlighting, plus an “On/Off” function. The characters are evenly lit, but the multimedia functions printed on the front of the keys do not show up well at all, even on the highest backlight setting. The built in memory does keep your backlight setting, so you don't have to reset it every time you boot, or from a cold start. When plugged in to a USB port, everything works normally, When plugged in to my PS2 port however, I have noticed some weirdness, more on that later.









Here you can see the painted white steel plate that the switches are mounted to.





There are a couple of things about this board that I did find a bit annoying, and they may potentially be deal breakers for some people. The “Users Guide” is a bit lacking and consists of a 4.5 inch square piece of paper with the DIP switch settings and function key combos on it. For the function key to work, and therefore the backlighting and multimedia keys, you need to flip SW6 switch to the “ON” position. With SW6 in the off position, the Menu key functions only as a Menu Key.



You have to power off the board any time you change the DIP switches for the new settings to take effect. There is no “On/Off” switch on the board, so you have to unplug the mini USB plug from the bottom of the board, or the USB/PS2 plug from your computer to power it down. There was also a  problem for me shutting the computer down while plugged in to a PS2 port. Actually it shuts down just fine, the problem comes on restarting. When I turned my computer back on, the keyboard was recognized by the BIOS as being connected, but keystrokes did not register. To fix the issue I had to unplug the keyboard from the computer, plug it back in and then reboot, it worked fine then. Plugging in to a USB port really seems to be the only option. It may be the way my mothered is polling the PS2 port as there is a lot of light flickering during the bootup process when connected to the PS2 port. Unfortunately I don't have another motherboard with a PS2 port to try this on at the moment.


Overall, I absolutely love the feel of this board, it feels fantastic to type on and gives me a solid feel on every keystroke. This board really feels solid and is great to type on! It is the closest I have come to the feel of buckling springs with Cherry MX switches. The feet are solid and stable, and the rubber pads on the back insure this board will not move unless you move it! I haven't tried any gaming on it yet, but I will the first chance I get. From what I understand, the boards with MX Clear switches are all sold out and the next version of the board will have different MX switches, but I am not %100 percent sure on that. If you are fine with 6-key rollover on a USB port, then I highly recommend this board! If you absolutely have to have N-key rollover on a PS2 connection, then based on my experiences, you should look elsewhere.

[CPTBadAss]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I was eyeing the TKL version of this but it sold out before I could buy one. And I wasn't too sure about the case.

I think it's odd that you think MX Clears feel like Buckling Spring switches because I feel that Greens are the closest in feeling and Clears don't feel anything like them. But that's ok! Just a thought I had.

Also, that dipswitch situation seems very annoying so it's great to see you sharing your thoughts on it.

[goobus]

Good review! I really want one too, but unfortunately has been sold out to sate my lust I have ordered clear switches from 7bit to install on my filco

How do the key caps feel? That's really my biggest issue with backlit keyboards - keycaps are invariably ABS which shine so quickly (hehe shine) and get ugly, and it's so hard to find replacements!

[Thagarr]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the mini review!

CPTBadAss, Greens are another key I haven't had the opportunity to try yet.  I bottom out on every keystroke, always have, always will. So maybe it is the solid feel of the steel plate behind them, more than the spring in the switch it's self.

goobus, the keys are ABS, I know what you mean about shine, I have seen it many times. The case of the board does have a bit of a texture to it, so shine and fingerprints shouldn't be an issue there. The keys have no texture, so only time will tell for sure about them.

[CPTBadAss]

CPTBadAss, Greens are another key I haven't had the opportunity to try yet.  I bottom out on every keystroke, always have, always will. So maybe it is the solid feel of the steel plate behind them, more than the spring in the switch it's self.

You should definitely try them if you can. If you can't find them, get Black Springs and Blue stems and make Ghetto Greens.

I also bottom out when I type so I know what you mean.

[DamienG]

Just got mine this morning and not a lot to add to CPT's review. A few points though:

The switches as I expected are really nice. Not only are they quieter they are also a lot easier to avoid bottom-out on than blue's.

Whether that is because of the springs or the stem I'm not sure. I would like a lighter feel - my hands are certainly getting a workout - but don't want the extra noise.

The keycaps themselves aren't bad but they do have a slick/shine feel to them. They also fit incredibly snugly on which gives them a nice feel. I couldn't however go back to DCS after DSA.



[)amien

[rowdy]

Sounds like a reasonably solid keyboard.  A shame there are not more of them available.

[Belfong]

Damien, did you change the keys in the Code? I don't get your photo, unless you uploaded the wrong one.

[rowdy]

Damien, did you change the keys in the Code? I don't get your photo, unless you uploaded the wrong one.

Yes, he put the retro DSA set on there.

[bianco]

thanks Thagarr for the review.
looking forward to getting my hands on one.

[Hyde]

Awesome review.  By the way can you take pictures of the stabilizer bars?

Apparently Costar have re-invented it for this keyboard to fit with backlit setup.  I'm curious as to what they did, and hopefully the typing feel is the same.

[DamienG]

Awesome review.  By the way can you take pictures of the stabilizer bars?

[)amien

[Hyde]

LOL so basically they angle it outward by 45 degrees as oppose to 90 degrees normally.

Took them this long to invent this?  (Since they've been using Cherry Stabilizers on their backlit boards for so long)  =____=

But that's good to know, thanks the pic dude !

[Belfong]

Does the CTRL , ALT and Win key use stabilizer? I intend to swap Win with Alt for use in Mac but I don't think I want to do that if there is a stabilizer. I'm still noob to this.
(Referring to the Code keyboard)

[bianco]

Does the CTRL , ALT and Win key use stabilizer? I intend to swap Win with Alt for use in Mac but I don't think I want to do that if there is a stabilizer. I'm still noob to this.
(Referring to the Code keyboard)

no, they don't have stabilizers.
only shifts, spacebar, backspace keys have stabilizers (also the plus and enter key in the numpad).

[Yorkshire]

Good lord that poor ducky... But otherwise solid review

[Thagarr]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the review. This is really the first review I have written one here, I am glad you found some of the information useful. I wanted to get more info in there, but really didn't have the time to go as in depth as I wanted.

CPTBadAss, thanks for the recommendation on the MX Greens, I might try them some day, but for the moment this board really has won me over big time.

DamienG, thanks for posting the stabilizer pics! That was something I wanted to get in to my review, but simply didn't have the time. I did finally get around to taking a pic of the stabilizer on the keypad enter key:



I have tried a couple of BIOS settings to see if I could work out what was going on with the PS2 port, but no luck, it is still flaky. I also tried a different USB/PS2 adapter, but that made no difference. My computer is always on 24/7 anyway, so it really isn't an issue for me. I am curious though if anyone else out there is experiencing the same PS2 issues.

[gh_pp]

Yep, I have the same problem when my computer comes back on from sleep mode when using ps/2 port (model M, Dell at101).

I either have to use a USB keyboard or shutdown/reboot.

Was looking for a review of this keyboard for the past week. It had already been 3 weeks after Jeff's first posted his propaganda when I read that. It was too late to buy it at that time (sold out), but I'm wary of the build quality of the initial batch anyway. Well it seems like the 2nd batch won't be availabe for another 12 months

[Thagarr]

Thanks for the info gh_pp, it's beginning to sound like it's just a limitation with the PS2 port. The port design is 26 years old after all. So far, I have no complaints about the build quality of this board, it feels rock solid!

One of the reasons I put up my little review is because no one else had posted anything yet, and I was a bit surprised by that, especially for these forums. Nothing on Youtube or Deskthority either that I have seen.

Yeah, a year between versions of this board is a bit dramatic, but might not be worth the wait. According to a post over on the CODE webpage, they will be offering Cherry MX Greens with the next batch in 4-6 months!

[Belfong]

I am as surprise as you. Considering that it sold out so fast, I'd think people are excited to review. And I bet these are bought by techies and writers, both of whom would be more than happy to review. What happened?

[C5Allroad]

Nice review! But those crumbs or sand is a bit unsightly... lol

[gh_pp]

Yeah, a year between versions of this board is a bit dramatic, but might not be worth the wait. According to a post over on the CODE webpage, they will be offering Cherry MX Greens with the next batch in 4-6 months!

For me personally the only draw of the keyboard is mx clear in a TKL.

Speaking of targeting the tech crowd, they should at the very least have programmable mode like kinesis or poker.

Most of the features Jeff touted aren't revolutionary nor important (better fn shortcut cluster, backlit, dip switch for dvorak, etc). I'd take a USB hub + programmable mode over any of those.

If they offer the same base with mx clear but allow keycap customization (without backlit) like the v1 or v2 for $150, or straight up with dye sub PBT, that would be more intriguing

Too bad ducky already said they will not be producing any more PBT dyesub keycap, I was hoping for the TKL version of that blue/grey theme...

[Belfong]

Ok, so my CODE Keyboard arrived, one week after I ordered it - I manage to catch it when there were cancellations. TKL was my choice and I didn't regret it one bit. This board is super heavy. I have a Razer Black Widow, the Matias Quiet Pro, the Noppoo Choc Mini and this Code TKL feels heaviest, second only to the Matias. But I could have just imagined it.

The first thing I do is to flip the second DIP switch to On, making it a Mac mode. Then I used the key puller and swap the Alt and the blank OS key. And I plugged int o the MacBook Air and is typing it with the Code now.

I don't know why there was not backlight - any ideas? Do I have to flip the DIP switch or something?

The switch... yummy! That's the word I will use to describe. I am just starting to type and honestly, I should not make a conclusion but wow, the tactility is nice. Almost like the Blues, slightly lighter than the Matias but I really, really like that it is quiet. I dare say even quieter than the Matias.. Space bar was pretty solid. No 'twang, twang' sound from the stabiliser - since I have the habit of pressing just the edge of the space bar, most of the keyboards I have (except Matias) made the twang twang sound. Code and Matias are very quiet.

But the keycaps.. hmm.. I don't know. It's a bit smooth.. almost matte feel. Reminds me of the matte in the case of the Razer Blackwidow. Just the case. The Razer keycaps has a rubbery feel. The Code doesn't have that rubbery feel but it is smooth - almost as if there is a coating - and I wonder if this coating will wear off over time. It doesn't attract finger grease, thank goodness, but if you ask me I'd much prefered a textured keycaps. I understand this is the only way because of the backlight.

Case - ABSOLUTELY love the textured case. Very minimalistic design and nice texture.

While the space bar is solid, I can't say the same of the SHIFT, Enter and Backspace, You can definitely hear the stabilizer metal when I pressed them and they are not quiet. And if you tried to wobble these modifier keys, it just shakes!! (as compared to Matias, which has very stable and non wobbly modifiers)

Nonetheless, this will replace the Blackwidow as the main driver at home; while I am still enjoying the Matias at work.

[rowdy]

I don't know why there was not backlight - any ideas? Do I have to flip the DIP switch or something?

With most backlit keyboards there is a function key setting to turn the backlights on and off (and/or to adjust brightness).

[Belfong]

I have to enable the FN key by flipping the DIP switch to on. Only then I can turn on the backlight. I wonder why the DIP switch is off by default. Many will not RTFM and would have thought it broken.

[rowdy]

I have to enable the FN key by flipping the DIP switch to on. Only then I can turn on the backlight. I wonder why the DIP switch is off by default. Many will not RTFM and would have thought it broken.

Is the Fn key also the Win key?

I think a lot of people were complaining that the Win key did not work.  Maybe WASD changed the default so it does.

[Belfong]

No, the FN key is the Menu key, the one equivalent to right click in Windows.

Maybe that is the reason for the default off DIP switch but I'd imagine a new buyer would be more excited by the backlight and volume control than the Menu.

[Thagarr]

I have to enable the FN key by flipping the DIP switch to on. Only then I can turn on the backlight. I wonder why the DIP switch is off by default. Many will not RTFM and would have thought it broken.

Is the Fn key also the Win key?

I think a lot of people were complaining that the Win key did not work.  Maybe WASD changed the default so it does.

That is exactly why I decided to write up my review after seeing no one else had reviewed this board yet. By default, the Menu key only acts as a Menu key until you flip SW6 to "On". The included "Manual" is not very clear on this and it takes more than a quick glance to realize what you need to do.

I do agree that programmable keys would really set this board apart. Other than gimmicky keys on certain other "gamer boards", most manufacturers just don't seem to get the fact that individually programmable keys would be a game changer.

[Belfong]

Thagarr, I read through your impression but somehow that FN brightness description that you made didn't stick but instead I remember the PS/2 rebooting part. So, my apologies for restating this again.

And you know what is so great about the CODE that many may not considered - it is that it is the same case/design as the WASD V2 board but with Clear and Backlighting. That means, we can buy any other key caps in those group buy and fit into the board. Just flipped the FN key back to menu so or just off the backlighting completely. It is a V2 board. Excellent design, really!

How do you like the full board? I am having the TKL version and loving it.

[Thagarr]

No problem Belfong, the part of the review about the FN key was small and sandwiched between a couple of pics, besides, the more this issue gets mentioned the more likely it is to be addressed in future versions of the board.

This is the first WASD board I have owned, although I have went through and played a bit with their old Custom Keyboard Designer and almost bought me a set of yellow keys at one point. After playing with the board for a while now, I must say that I really love the feel of this board even more, this board feels awesome to type on! I also agree with you about the textured feel of the case. I would have been nice to have PBT, but so far the ABS is OK.

I used a Model M for many years and I am used to bottoming out the keys on every stroke, there is just no substitute for the feel of keys mounted onto a solid steel plate. My Ducky Shine had Blues and I did get used to the feel, but they never did feel quite right. I can definitely feel the difference between those and the Clears. I do like the stiffer feel of the Clears, and the no clicky sound isn't an issue for me. I really think that steel back plate adds to the solid feel of every stroke, and really makes this board a joy to type on.

I thought about getting the 84 key version, but I am also very accustomed to having a number pad, in my opinion it is so much easier to key in numbers from the pad then the number row. I used to enter machine code by hand back when I was trying to learn how to program, and that pretty much made a number pad entry mandatory. I never did become much good at it, but old habits die hard.

[Belfong]

Ah, I do bottom up too as I am not a touch typist so I am really enjoying the feel of the Clear. I also do think that the Clear is equivalent to the alps switches in Matias Quiet Pro. Both are equally joyful to type - which is why I am using both as the main board at work and at home. Both are tactile and stiffer than the Blues but minus the sound. I do miss the sound at times but I need to be conscious of the people around me.

The Code has the advantage of the backlight, which some may think gimmicky, but I do like them a lot. Makes the already attractive keyboard even more lovely.

I went with 84 keys (I thought they are 87) because I already have a full size Matias.

[Thagarr]

It is 87, maybe that's why I never made it as a programer!

It's been several years since I used Alps, I remember them being ok, but I was just too spoiled by my Model M. I spend most of my computer time in a dark room, so a backlit keyboard is a must for me, I am not a touch typist either.

[Heezy]

Wow, I have a feeling that you're gonna have fun taking off DSA keycaps off a MX clear board, is it MX clear?

Anyway, I have a question, I don't think I read it in the first post (fast eye scanning didn't work probably, or it wasn't there  ) but is this board using costar stabs? I'm going to get one from massdrop, the ones with MX greens. And I was wondering if I can mod the stabs to cherry stabs? and mod the LEDs as well.

Sorry for waking up a 6 months old topic, but can't really find any info about the Code keyboard in GH. 

Just got mine this morning and not a lot to add to CPT's review. A few points though:

The switches as I expected are really nice. Not only are they quieter they are also a lot easier to avoid bottom-out on than blue's.

Whether that is because of the springs or the stem I'm not sure. I would like a lighter feel - my hands are certainly getting a workout - but don't want the extra noise.

The keycaps themselves aren't bad but they do have a slick/shine feel to them. They also fit incredibly snugly on which gives them a nice feel. I couldn't however go back to DCS after DSA.

Show Image

[)amien

[DamienG]

They are Costar yeah. I don't think you'd be able to easily modify them to Cherry as the plate isn't cut that way.

[)amien

[Heezy]

They are Costar yeah. I don't think you'd be able to easily modify them to Cherry as the plate isn't cut that way.

[)amien

Ah damn.. but I guess costar isn't that bad. What about changing LEDs? Would it be possible?

[iLLucionist]

Can you compare the feel and weight of the clears to the browns? I am wondering whether I should order a code with clears too. On the one hand, I really like my 45g browns, on the other hand the 55/65g (?) of the clears might indeed help me preventie bottoming out. I am a touch typist but on the browns I have to be conscious to prvent bottoming out.

[Belfong]

Can you compare the feel and weight of the clears to the browns? I am wondering whether I should order a code with clears too. On the one hand, I really like my 45g browns, on the other hand the 55/65g (?) of the clears might indeed help me preventie bottoming out. I am a touch typist but on the browns I have to be conscious to prvent bottoming out.

Do you think it was an issue to you to bottom out? Does it slows you down or anything? While the Clears might prevent you to bottom out, it is a hard switch and some may complain of fingers tiring. I like Clears simply because I am not a touch typist. I poke and peck at the keyboard so I like my keys harder.

[iLLucionist]

Can you compare the feel and weight of the clears to the browns? I am wondering whether I should order a code with clears too. On the one hand, I really like my 45g browns, on the other hand the 55/65g (?) of the clears might indeed help me preventie bottoming out. I am a touch typist but on the browns I have to be conscious to prvent bottoming out.

Do you think it was an issue to you to bottom out? Does it slows you down or anything? While the Clears might prevent you to bottom out, it is a hard switch and some may complain of fingers tiring. I like Clears simply because I am not a touch typist. I poke and peck at the keyboard so I like my keys harder.

Yeah I have the feeling I type faster when I do not bottom out. Also, I think it puts less strain on my fingers.

[Belfong]

Clear requires more force to actuate and will strain your fingers more. Maybe you should stay with Browns in this case.

[iLLucionist]

Clear requires more force to actuate and will strain your fingers more. Maybe you should stay with Browns in this case.

Thanks! Of course switch preference is very personal, but I am wondering: what then is the appeal to many for the Clears over the Browns?

[Heezy]

Clear requires more force to actuate and will strain your fingers more. Maybe you should stay with Browns in this case.

Thanks! Of course switch preference is very personal, but I am wondering: what then is the appeal to many for the Clears over the Browns?

Clears are like in between browns and blues, there's a pronounce tactile, but not loud enough to make the tacking sound of blues, stock clears are bullsha.. but if you have the chance to mod them to 59g/62g.. they are perfect. I used to own a mx brown and wanted more, then found clears.

I just bought the code from massdrop and is currently looking for someone to mod it to 55g, and change led for me.

[iLLucionist]

Clear requires more force to actuate and will strain your fingers more. Maybe you should stay with Browns in this case.

Thanks! Of course switch preference is very personal, but I am wondering: what then is the appeal to many for the Clears over the Browns?

Clears are like in between browns and blues, there's a pronounce tactile, but not loud enough to make the tacking sound of blues, stock clears are bullsha.. but if you have the chance to mod them to 59g/62g.. they are perfect. I used to own a mx brown and wanted more, then found clears.

I just bought the code from massdrop and is currently looking for someone to mod it to 55g, and change led for me.

So the 65g (I believe it is in the code website) is a tad to heavy for you? Modding it to 55g would mean desoldering, opening the springs, and replacing the springs right? I read somewhere on the forum that 55g might be a little bit too light because the tactility of the switch is so heavy that when you release they key the spring is not strong enough to push the switch back in its original state (sorry for the bad wording).

[Heezy]

Hmm, that makes sense. I'll have to wait until it arrives to see if it is too heavy for me. Never had mx greens before.

Clear requires more force to actuate and will strain your fingers more. Maybe you should stay with Browns in this case.

Thanks! Of course switch preference is very personal, but I am wondering: what then is the appeal to many for the Clears over the Browns?

Clears are like in between browns and blues, there's a pronounce tactile, but not loud enough to make the tacking sound of blues, stock clears are bullsha.. but if you have the chance to mod them to 59g/62g.. they are perfect. I used to own a mx brown and wanted more, then found clears.

I just bought the code from massdrop and is currently looking for someone to mod it to 55g, and change led for me.

So the 65g (I believe it is in the code website) is a tad to heavy for you? Modding it to 55g would mean desoldering, opening the springs, and replacing the springs right? I read somewhere on the forum that 55g might be a little bit too light because the tactility of the switch is so heavy that when you release they key the spring is not strong enough to push the switch back in its original state (sorry for the bad wording).

[Thagarr]

Sorry I am so slow in replying, I have been a bit busy lately and hadn't had a chance to check back here till recently. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I meant to do the stabilizer review, but simply ran out of time before I posted the review. There were some pics later in the thread that showed them.

After typing on this board for a while, I am quite happy with it, the board is still rock solid and feels better to me than any other board I have ever typed on except my trusty Model M. There are a couple a couple of little annoyances I wanted to mention though. The font is perfect, but it is just a bit to small, I would have preferred it just a little bigger. The recessed mini USB connector is also a real pain to get at, especially in the dark, which I am most of the time.

I thought long and hard about ordering a CODE with greens from the latest run, but decided against it as the PS/2 connection problem is still there. At the very least, I would think it would be possible to cut the power to the mini USB connector, thus resetting the connection without having to unplug the cable during every cold boot. At the very least, an on/off switch would solve this problem.

[Thagarr]

I am back again less than a month after my last post to report some bad news, 10 months in and my board dead. The mini USB plug pulled out of the circuit board after having to pull the plug out to reset the PS2 connection again. This has been the biggest design flaw of this board since day one. Needless to say, I expect much better build quality for $170. At first I had thought I may have forced it in backwards, but that was not the case, it was seated in the plug properly and simply pulled loose from the board.





There are many things they could have done to prevent this from happening, the least of which would be to attach the mini USB connector to the case it self to take the pressure off the solder or the circuit board. The rest of the board seemed well designed, but this certainly a killer for me. At some point, I may try to re-solder the connector back on to the board, but it's obvious my next board will not come from WASD. I am typing this on my old Ducky Shine, I reckon it's time for a new Ducky!

[rowdy]

Ouch!

Must have been one of those sockets that is held in by the pins only.

10 months old - still covered by warranty?

[Thagarr]

There is a 2 year limited warranty, but of course I have to pack it up and pay for shipping to them, it would be a lot less hassle to just re-solder it myself. I am shocked that at the very least there was no glue holding it in place!

[Belfong]

OMG, seriously? I have been plugging and unplugging the CODE for storage and to use once a while. I would be devastated if this happens to me. And I don't even know how to solder it back. Shipping it for warranty especially international warranty will not be worth it. Looks like I had better NOT unplug it again!

[feizor]

Unplug the computer side instead.

[rowdy]

Unplug the computer side instead.

This what I do, and try to keep the cable with its respective keyboard.  Although really HHKB and model M are the only two that are easy to unplug.  The rest I have to fiddle around underneath and angle the plug into the socket in the recess under the keyboard.

[bianco]

Unplug the computer side instead.

This what I do, and try to keep the cable with its respective keyboard.  Although really HHKB and model M are the only two that are easy to unplug.  The rest I have to fiddle around underneath and angle the plug into the socket in the recess under the keyboard.

similar to what i do.
although, i use the usb hub from my monitors.
so which ever system is connected to the monitor, i can use the keyboard and mouse with it.
and if i have to change the i/o device, the usb plug is just on the monitors.

[RedAntz]

I just received my CODE 87 key Clear. Initial impression is that most of the keys feel solid, except the bigger keys, especially 'Enter' key and 'Delete' key. With a light touch/tap without pressing the key, they wobble and make some springy sound.

Is this a norm for mechanical keyboard ?

[Thagarr]

RedAntz, not all mechanical keyboards wobble. It has been my experience that every Cherry MX board I have tried has at least some wobble in the keys. Some boards are worse than others of course, and the big keys are where it is most noticeable. It's been decades since I used an Alps board, so I can't really comment on them.

If you want a mechanical keyboard that doesn't wobble, get yourself a trusty old IBM Model M! The newer Unicomp buckling spring boards are good to type on, but they do have a bit of wobble in some keys.

[ajx]

I just received my CODE 87 key Clear. Initial impression is that most of the keys feel solid, except the bigger keys, especially 'Enter' key and 'Delete' key. With a light touch/tap without pressing the key, they wobble and make some springy sound.

Is this a norm for mechanical keyboard ?

Yes it sounds quite normal
I have this issue with my Poker II, Pure, Poker I...

[rowdy]

I just received my CODE 87 key Clear. Initial impression is that most of the keys feel solid, except the bigger keys, especially 'Enter' key and 'Delete' key. With a light touch/tap without pressing the key, they wobble and make some springy sound.

Is this a norm for mechanical keyboard ?

Welcome to Geekhack!

The bigger keys tend to have the switch connected to the middle of the keycap.

Then there is a stabiliser which connects to either side of the keycap so that if you press one end of the key, the whole key goes doen instead of just tilting to one side.

Depending on the type of stabiliser (Cherry or Costar) you can get some odd effects.

Code has Costar, right?  I've found that they tend to wobble a bit more.  This is normal.  You only have to worry if a key gets stuck down, or sits at a really weird angle.

[RedAntz]

Thanks guys !

I was expecting those keys to 'feel' to be a bit more solid (don't get me wrong, CODE 87 build quality is excellent) given that it is an expensive keyboard.

I was initially tossing between IBM Model M and Cherry MX Clear, but the lack of TKL option and noise swayed me towards CODE 87.

And now, the rabbit hole to keycap customizations ...

[rowdy]

If you try a few different keyboard types, like Model M, MX with Costar stabilisers, MX with Cherry stabilisers, Alps, Matias you will discover that they all feel different.

Even different keyboards from different manufacturers with the same stabilisers and switches can feel different!

[saturnotaku]

Big thanks to Thagarr for the review. I was on the fence among four different keyboards and ultimately went with the CODE, but the 87-key version with MX Clears. I'll be using it with my dual-boot MacBook Pro, so OS X friendliness was a major consideration. I ordered the keyboard, foam wrist rest, and an extra USB cable (that I'll actually be using for something else) from WASD a couple hours ago and have already received a shipment notification. Looks like I'll be taking an afternoon off of work next week so I can be home for delivery.

I'm going to try my hand at a YouTube video since there isn't a whole lot out there about this specific keyboard. It will dispense with unboxing nonsense and focus on the features and how it works with OS X. Depending on how the stabilizers are, I may end up lubing them at some point after the return policy expires.

[megalomartx]

Been on the hunt for a new keyboard and grabbed this one on Amazon today with MX greens!  I was thinking about getting it on the Massdrop deal last week, but these come with free shipping at $170(no tax was added) which was only about $8 more than the Massdrop deal.

[caseyandgina]

I have an 87-key CODE with greens.  I actually ordered the Clears, then last minute changed my mind, cancelled the order, and ordered the greens instead.  Glad I did, as I really do enjoy it.  Although they are very loud when I first tried out the keyboard at home in a mostly-empty room with hardwood floors (lots of echo), in the office environment the noise is really not a concern at all.  I tried taking off the red rubber rings when I was at home, but the noise became so loud (I generally bottom out the keys, maybe that will change in time, maybe not) that I put them all back on.  I will probably try taking them off again at some point as I did prefer the feel of the keyboard with the rings removed, and the noise is not as much of a problem at work.  I need to do this before I replace this keyboard.

Yes, replace.  Didn't I say I love this keyboard?  Yes, but there is one problem.  Though it has hardware support for Dvorak (which I type on; don't really need hardware remapping support though), it only comes in QWERTY.  I didn't think that was going to be a problem, until I tried to remap the keycaps.  Then I came to the sad realization that the keyboard (and all WASD keyboards) have a flat backplane and a different angle on each row of keycaps to simulate a curve.  Sadly I don't think curved-plane keyboards are really made anymore, so this is just a newb mistake on my part.

So my plan is to order a WASD V2 Custom keyboard with the keycaps I want, which will give me some additional flexibility with key design and colors as well.  I also want the Fn key to just say "fn" rather than having a menu icon.  I inquired to WASD as to whether the case (which is awesome!) was identical to the code, and they confirmed:

The CODE keyboard only comes in the standard QWERTY layout. You can order a Dvorak keycap set, but as I said before it won’t be “backlit compatible”, but it will fit your keyboard and you will be able to use it in Dvorak mode with the correct keys with the correct profiles in the correct spots. The only thing is that the legends will not be illuminated like on the standard CODE keycaps.

Yes, completely identical, the keyboards are virtually the same with some minor differences. CODE keyboards features LED’s, a different controller board (for LED functions), and has a dual-layer PCB. They weigh the same, yes.

I would say if you really want a Dvorak layout, go with the V2. To make a “Dvorak” CODE, you’ll need to purchase the CODE keyboards first, then an additional keycap set, so the cost will be higher. The new keycaps will essentially obstruct the backlighting.

As others have said on this thread, it's a bit unfortunate they decided to use a micro USB connector.  In reality, this probably won't ever matter to me as the keyboard is going to sit on my desk in a fixed position most of the time, but I would have preferred a full-size USB-B.  This is not an ultra-thin keyboard so I don't see the need of an ultra-thin connector.  I haven't taken the keyboard apart but it feels from tapping like there is some empty space inside above the spot where the cable plugs in, implying that a USB-B could fit with minor design change.  I have heard of some people gluing the cable into place as it will sometimes fall out of the channel otherwise anyways - it is secured into the channels using only pressure, unlike some older keyboards that had a narrower bit at the bottom of the channel that you'd have to force the cable through, but then it would stay inside the channel unless forcibly removed.  If I pick up my keyboard to have a look at the bottom without being cautious, sometimes the cable pulls downward and out of the channel in the process, putting pressure on the micro USB plug.  If I were to change anything about this keyboard design, it would be the connector and channel, though as I said I consider these to be very minor issues.  These are not defects of the CODE, they are true of all WASD keyboards, and I will be replacing this with another WASD keyboard, because overall it is fantastic!  If you really want to be able to disconnect the device at the keyboard end, you could get a short micro USB extension cable, plug it in and glue it into place, then use the longer cable to connect that to your computer.

Before I ship the CODE keyboard back, might anyone here be interested in purchasing it at a slightly discounted price?  Send me an offer if so.  BTW before I order another set of WASD keycaps, since I can order the base keyboard without them, does anybody know if it is possible to find ABS or PBT keycap sets that have a Dvorak layout printed on them?  There's always the option of getting all blank keys too I guess, I just hate the keys having QWERTY printed on them when I never use that.

[Thagarr]

I finally got some free time, and got motivated to finally have a crack at fixing my Code. I have been using my old Ducky Shine for the past several months, and while it is a good board, the feel of the Blues on it was just starting to get to me. I much prefer the feel of the Clears on the Code.

Ok, so lets take this think apart!


One screw under the QC label. Oops, I voided the warranty!



Two more screws, one under each of the feet. Extend them and then just pull straight up, and they snap right out.





Time to pry up the little tabs, my trusty Leatherman was perfect for this! However, be careful, the plastic the case is made out of is very soft and won't take much punishment. Rather disappointing considering how much this thing cost! I used a small straight screw driver to pry up the edge enough to get my Leatherman in there. Then just slid around and twisted slowly popping up each tab. The back on mine was the toughest for me, but your mileage may vary.



This thing was not designed to be worked on, that is for sure. That is one of the things I like about the old Deck keyboards, they were designed to be modified! Unfortunately I cant stand the font!



The brains.



The connector going to the main PCB. Just slide out the connector.



Pull off that little annoying piece of plastic and unscrew the 3 screws holding the PCB down.



Here is the back of the PCB. As you can see, there are no solder points here to hold it to the PCB.



On the front, you can see the damage where the mini USB connector pulled off. It is tough to tell in this picture, but part of one of the traces actually came off with the mini connector. That would turn out to be a significant issue.



I tried soldering it back on a couple of times, but I couldn't get a good connection. I got a couple of flashes of power, but the connection was badly intermittent. I didn't have any spare mini connectors or USB PCB's lying around, so I went old school!



I had to widen the mini USB whole a bit to get the cable, trusty Leatherman to the rescue again! 



It may not be the prettiest fix, but it is effective! Everything works perfectly and I am back to typing on Clears and loving it!