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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Lunatique on Wed, 29 July 2026, 21:57:05
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I haven't been around that much in the last several years because I bought and sold a ton of keyboards to find the best ones for me, and I did (Topre). But in the last couple of years, I've been craving an extremely tactile keyboard that has the most ridiculous tactile bump (sharp or rounded, doesn't matter), because often as I type, I have this feral energy I need to let out (especially when I'm in the flow while writing a novel), and none of the keyboards/switches I have currently can satisfy that urge to pound the ever loving **** out of the keyboard (the fact I'm also a multi-instrumentalist musician, including drums, might have something to do with it).
So yeah. I want the most over-the-top and extreme tactile feedback, so I can feel that satisfaction of pounding the **** out of the keyboard as I type. Ideally, in TKL or no smaller than 75%, and if there are silent/quiet options, I'd prefer that, because what I want is more tactile response, not more noise. For example, I love how quiet the blush switches are on my Nuphy Node 75.
For context, I think out of all my boards right now, the most tactile ones are these, but they are still FAR from the level of tactile response I crave:
Unicomp Mini M (so damn loud though)
Cherry MX Clear
Topre 55g
Niz Plum X87 (modified with BKE Topre Dome Replacements V2 and silencing rings V2)
Even though the buckling spring of the Unicomp is the most tactile out of my boards, it's still not enough. I want to feel like I'm breaking the bones of some creature every time I hit a key. I want nuclear detonation and post-apocalyptic MAD MAX level of tactile response.
Let's see what the market has to offer these days. Thanks!
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Zeal Clickiez with tactile mod
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Id have to say your best bet would be BlindAssassins Astro domes, the 500g texas tea domes are over the top tactility, they feel like youre gonna send a finger through your pcb lol. They do make typing quite loud though, silencing rings dont really do much to stop them.
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Unicomp Mini M (so damn loud though)
the buckling spring of the Unicomp is the most tactile out of my boards, it's still not enough.
The Model F is significantly more tactile than the Model M, and a floss mod (much more effective on the F than the M) will tame the high overtones of the sound. There is a lot more metal in an F than in an M.
You are not likely to find a keyboard that is very tactile and very quiet at the same time.
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The most extreme tactile depends on how much noise you will tolerate.
You can get full Cherry blue tactile with dampened sound doing jailhouse blues, but jeez, it's a lot of work and there is some noise.
Another extreme one is Zeal 62g v2 switches,Zealencios or Zilents and then put in the lightest springs they can tolerate. If you want easy, go 45g springs. If you are really into punishment getting a switch to work, go 39g but be prepared for a fight. This will give you a 15-20g start with a 20g bump, by comparison, browns are a 5g bump, most are close to 10, maybe occasional 15. They're monsters in terms of tactility and dead silent with Zealios. Beware the 39grams, they can fail to reset, particularly on a slow finger lift. Some can be a real fight to get working properly at this spring rate. On a small board I had to rebuild quite a handfull and even build a 3d printer switch-breaker-inner to cycle the switches to wear in a bit. I use these in Zilents at home.
A switch I have found really nice lately though and very silent and simple (no effort at all) is Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pro which come with 30g springs. Cheap, pre-lubed, quite tactile and very, very quiet. They've become one of my favorites. Just slap them in and go. I use these at work.
None of these will come close to a Model M or F, but still very tactile and the silence is golden.
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Arduino board, and hook up box switches, keystrokes pipe to midi drums + subwoofer.