Hi everyone,
I see people are interested in the magic that is Alps! Always a good idea - Alps switches are great ^^ . The majority of my 30+ boards are Alps or Alps-like and I like most or all of them.
Here's my thoughts on various Alps switches in a nutshell. All of them have their pros and cons. Here's some stuff on the things you mentioned so far:
SKCM Black: By far the most forthcoming. The tactility is rather drawn out which gives it a vaguely linear feel, making it rather versatile. Although underrated IMO, these are my least favourite Alps.
SKCM Salmon: These are some of the best Alps switches around, probably my favourites after blues. Very smooth, nice tactility, great sound. EARLY black Alps have a very close feel to these and can sometimes be gotten at a really nice price.
SKCM Orange: I don't have these myself, but they've been reported to be either almost exactly the same as salmon, or noticeably different. Either way they should be great, but because they're older, they're hard to get in good condition (which would explain the discrepancy between user experiences).
SKCM Blue: The best, in my opinion at least. So smooth, such a fantastic sound, and a lovely balance of tactility. Problem is, these are rare and expensive, and old too, so not easy to get in great condition. Even when ****ty these are better than most Alps, though.
SKCM White: Very common, and still very good. Not as good as blues, yes. They're a bit scratchier, and don't sound quite as good. Still, I'd happily use these every day - and they're so much easier and cheaper to get.
SKCM Ivory (cream damped): deserves a mention as they're the ONLY Alps switches that aren't super loud. These things are met with mixed reviews - the soft bottoming out is liked by some, including me, but is likened by some to a rubber dome feeling, and I can see where they're coming from.
SMK Alps-mount "Monterey": These use a unique pinout and aren't compatible with Alps switches, so that might cause a serious problem. They're very nice though; light, smooth and extremely delicate. Among my favourite switches.
Type OA2 clones: Very close to genuine Alps construction, and they feel pretty nice. Very much like white Alps, but lighter. The sound isn't as great, and they're a little less consistent, but some people actually prefer these to genuine Alps.
Acer switch: Membrane-based and plate-mounted, shouldn't be applicable for your purposes at all.
Matias: These are the most forthcoming of all of course, and you can get them in new condition! A big advantage considering Alps are reasonably heavily affected by dust. I only have 5 of each in a switch testers, so my own experiences are limited - but I did use the same tester and other loose switches to compare. The clicky ones are nice, but IMO they're less consistent and don't feel or sound quite as elegant as genuine Alps. The quiet click ones are very comparable to SKCM Ivory switches.
Considering these are CUSTOM builds, you'll probably want the best ones, though. Sure, it might be easier to get certain switches, but for such a labour of love, I would recommend only the best.
Therefore, I'd say get blues, salmons or oranges. All of them are great and should please anyone. Montereys are great too, but you'd have to totally remake the PCB design... and you can already get SIIG MiniTouches with them in.
Let me know if you guys want any more info
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