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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Phaseshift on Fri, 24 May 2013, 10:56:13

Title: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: Phaseshift on Fri, 24 May 2013, 10:56:13
So I recently got a mechanical keyboard, Ducky 9087 Shine II White LED / Cherry MX Blue. Being that me and my girlfriend live in a studio apartment, when I'm up she's asleep and the keyboard is too loud.

Which flavor of the cherrys are silent but will still feel like my Cherry MX Blue? I think the loudest part of this keyboard is the click not the bump.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: Binge on Fri, 24 May 2013, 10:57:31
the answer is there are no quiet cherry switches.  If you want a quiet and tactile switch buy a matias quiet keyboard.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: dadgh on Fri, 24 May 2013, 10:58:42
Blues are loud. Get o-rings if you bottom out, they help a lot. Get a new board if it's still a problem. I lived in a Loft with my GF and I couldn't even type on rubber domes because it was too loud.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 24 May 2013, 10:59:09
Whites are pretty quiet and still have some clickyness to them.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: Binge on Fri, 24 May 2013, 11:00:27
Blues are loud. Get o-rings if you bottom out, they help a lot. Get a new board if it's still a problem. I lived in a Loft with my GF and I couldn't even type on rubber domes because it was too loud.

^ this guy has no concept of reality.  MX switches make 2-3 clicks, clacks, thocks.  When the switch is pressed and it is a *click* switch you get a sound, when it bottoms out you get a clack, and when the position resets to ready the switch thocks.

Matias quiet switches are dampened and the only sound you hear is the wobble of the keycaps.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: daerid on Fri, 24 May 2013, 11:06:34
^ this guy has no concept of reality.

There's no need for that kind of comment.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: davkol on Fri, 24 May 2013, 11:20:02
Lubed non-clicky Cherry MX switches with thick/PBT/POM keycaps and dampeners should work, if you can type lightly. Put your keyboard on a soft surface (I use thicker SteelSeries QcK).

It won't be silent, but my experience is that this sort of sound is much more pleasant than noise produced by most rubber domes with cheap keycaps.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: Jocelyn on Fri, 24 May 2013, 11:26:49
Whites are pretty quiet and still have some clickyness to them.

Lies lol

Lubed non-clicky Cherry MX switches with thick/PBT/POM keycaps and dampeners should work, if you can type lightly. Put your keyboard on a soft surface (I use thicker SteelSeries QcK).

It won't be silent, but my experience is that this sort of sound is much more pleasant than noise produced by most rubber domes with cheap keycaps.

This^
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: Binge on Fri, 24 May 2013, 11:37:02
^ this guy has no concept of reality.

There's no need for that kind of comment.


You're right.  He knows a lot about his reality, but obviously didn't read the OP.
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 24 May 2013, 11:37:43
Whites are pretty quiet and still have some clickyness to them.

Lies lol

You're a liar!!! :P
Title: Re: Silent Mechanical Keyboard
Post by: Burz on Sat, 25 May 2013, 00:51:25
I don't think there's anything you can do (short of rebuilding the switch) to make an MX switch really quiet.

Your choices are Matias quiet keyboard, Topre (which are not loud but also have silent options, but big bucks), or one of the nicer rubber dome or scissor switch boards like a Thinkpad USB.

The sound comparison gadget on this page will give you an idea of how quiet a Matias board is vs MX switches.
http://www.matias.ca/quietpro/pc/