Current Project Standing- Initial IC
- Prototype #1
- Prototype #2: Prototype has completed production, currently waiting for shipment.
- ...
- Limited Run (Discord)
- Finalize Group Buy Details (Unit Ct, Pricing, Date)
- Group Buy Start
UPDATE: October 10th, 2020 - Prototype 1 received, onto revision 2!I had a few changes already lined up, but Prototype 1 has given me the opportunity to make a few more tweaks that I think will improve the board. Prototype 1 was mostly a success. I very much enjoy the shape and feel of the board's edges on my desk, but was not satisfied with the quality of finish from factory 1. Assembly was a smooth process, and typing feels good for aluminum. I don't have the opportunity to use the PC plate as I intended because the factory messed it up so badly it won't fit.
Changes:- Lowered overall board height by 1mm
- Increased the thickness of the bottom interior of the case by 2.4mm, the interior surface is now almost completely aluminum (versus the previous 50% alu 50% steel). I suspect this will bring changes to sound..
- Upgraded screws from M2 x 0.4mm to M2.5 x 0.45mm for peace of mind - I don't want to push into M3 territory as that will make the bezels wider than I envisioned.
- Increased the mass of the board from ~1198g to ~1400g (2.6lbs to 3.2lbs)
- Sandblasted steel weight instead of polished. The polished weight was nice, for the first 15 minutes..
- Flex / auditory cuts for spacebar uniformity
- Will be giving the following plates a shot - POLYCARBONATE, POLYPROPYLENE, ALUMINUM
- Increased seam chamfer size. I want the emphasized seam to pop even more.
- Cuts made on interior to accommodate for JST connector position of both H60 and WT-60
UPDATE: November 28th, 2020 - Project renamed to 'Moment'Hello all,
Many may be aware that there is currently another project being run on Geekhack sharing the name 'Phase':
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=109807.0 I reached out to LZ to discuss the names - it turns out that LZ had shared this project to his personal blog on August 28th, about a week before I posted my project on Geekhack. Unfortunately, I was not aware of his personal blog and wasn't able to find another board named Phase - so that is why I went through with it. LZ mentioned that his project was already undergoing production so it was too late to make any changes. HOWEVER, he also mentioned that it should be fine if the boards share a name due to the fact that the two boards are very different in layout, design, etc.
I did have a particular attachment to the name 'Phase' for my project, due to the theming. It's very true that often times, my hobbies and obsessions turn out to be temporary (see: headphones, knives, pens, certain games, etc.) - by naming my keyboard 'Phase', it seemed consistent to include keyboards into the broad overarching theme of being 'just a phase'. Also the middle letter of PHASE is an A and it lets me throw in my logo
That being said, I have the "O.K." to keep the name Phase. But for reasons, I will be renaming the project:
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Courtesy; LZ first posted for his project before mine, so naturally it would be polite to move.
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Identity; I would like for the project to have its own identity. I want future owners (myself included as a creator) to feel a sense of pride in ownership of something unique and 'itself'.
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The two go hand in hand!Renaming the project is a very difficult decision for me to make, especially since many hours have been put into it as it is. Unfortunately, the 'moonphase' engravings will no longer be present under the USB port ... this one especially pains me as I received a few DMs about how the moon theme is quite possibly the most attractive point of the board!
I understand that some of you may not be happy with the name and branding change for the board.
I'm going to be renaming the project to Moment. I've been planning to make a board with this name for a while - I guess the 'moment' came a bit earlier than expected. The word 'Moment' still fits my initial theme for the board, one that revolves around time and how things change over it. The word has such a suave, liquid feel to me - something that is there one second and then gone the next, something that can shift from 'one moment to another'. It feels smooth, it feels fluid, it feels suiting for the side profile.
Hopefully it sits well
have a good weekend!
Typing tests will come from Prototype 2, I'd like for it to more represent the production run product (in case things sound different).
thank
UPDATE: December 16th, 2020 - Prototype 2Link to full update:
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=108593.msg2993464#msg2993464A few typing tests: https://soundcloud.com/user-453131246/sets/moment-prototype-2/s-JlHqcZmErHT- Aluminum plate, RT Blacks (205g0)
- PC Plate, RT Blacks (205g0)
- PC Plate, Gateron Inks (205g0)
- PP Plate, CK Lavenders (JWK) (205g0)
Flex (PP Plate)
Some thoughts:- Finish is superb. Anodization is spotless (externally), the dark-gray is exactly what I wanted.
- Sandblasted steel weight is interesting - feels very smooth, smoother than aluminum. It can shine quite brightly under direct light, but otherwise appears as dull warm gray. I really like the feel of it.
- Forgot to add some relief cuts to the aluminum plate - we'll get 'em next time.
- A lot of flex with the plastic plates... PP can get a super soft typing feel.
TODO:
Next prototype will be more or less the same structurally, but will have the updated engravings and will be a chance to test another production anodization. Might look to tighten up some tolerances / discuss with the manufacturer to make the top and bottom fit near-perfectly. May look back into mirror-polished SS (would cost more), or coated brass weight for e-white (gold + white is a great combination in my eyes). Also want to pick up an aluminum half plate ... keep forgetting that!
TL;DR. Prototype 2 arrived, very happy and very close to what I envisioned the final keyboard to be. Prototype 3 should hopefully be the final revision, then we can proceed to GB.
UPDATE: March 10th, 2021 - Timeline UpdateHello,
Just wanted to post an update for those following this project! Over the past few months I've leaned closer towards the idea of having reputable vendors run this project rather than a self-run groupbuy for the following reasons:
1. More peace of mind for buyers
2. Can handle higher quantities, and get lower prices
3. Saves time
While the ideal scenario would be to run this prior to my other project, finding a vendor willing to run this project for the US was a little bit more difficult than anticipated. The primary issue I find is regarding risk and being able to price the board according to demand, making sure that said amount of boards would even sell. In the end, it seems that the most likely scenario is for Cloudline to run first, build some reputation, then have Moment run as a follow up. This board is still on the timeline though - it is by no means being abandoned or scrapped.
TL;DR.. currently holding for vendors on Moment for higher unit counts, ideally lower prices - downside is we must wait.Some supporters have pitched the idea of running it in a smaller self-run group buy (basically, the original plan) while waiting for vendors to open up for a public vendor-run group buy. I'm not opposed to this idea, but things to be noted are that prices will without a doubt be more expensive in a small buy (which is kind of a bummer when group buy prices later on will be cheaper). To compensate, it figures that the small buy would have to be 'special' in some way - something I am still brainstorming with.
On another note, still waiting for the (hopefully) final prototype for this board. Factories have recently resumed progress through Lunar New Year which, as expected, increases wait time. Also revisiting the mirror-finish, trying an alternative method to working with engravings on mirror polished steel.
Typing Test - Hyperglide MX Blacks, PC plateUPDATE: Prototype 3Third prototype is great. As of now I'm aiming to launch the Cloudline project and then see if vendors would be interested in running Moment. The board sounds and feels fantastic - usually I would not feel confident tooting my own horn, but I think the latest prototype is getting better than the previous. Also pretty set on including this color when it happens; it's a dull and slightly faded shade of lavender that I think looks amazing. Will get an updated typing test out soon, but I'm very happy with it. I think if / when vendors are ready for Moment, this could move to group buy fairly quickly as I've been making changes in the background.
UPDATE: May 2nd, 2021 - More Waiting ... Unless?Same as before - happy with the prototypes, ready to go into full scale group buy when my vendors are willing. However, in the mean time, I'd highly recommend joining Discord / following on Instagram for updates. There are possibilities of small Discord sales, small updates / media sharing, etc.
Discord:
https://discord.gg/XPEFcn8Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ascend.kb/This is still slated to proceed for a full group buy when opportunity arises. The reason it's not going now (even if I have the bandwith to do a small self-fulfilled run) is because I'd love to get better pricing (higher order qty) for a later buy.
