geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: jooks1184 on Sun, 08 September 2013, 03:17:18

Title: What surface do you type on?
Post by: jooks1184 on Sun, 08 September 2013, 03:17:18: So, this question came to me when I noticed how my cherry blue keyboard made a deeper sound when I put a double folded towel underneath it as opposed to the glass surface of my desk. I really like the sound but am trying to find an alternative surface. Does anyone here do something similar, use a keyboard mat, or something completely different? I'm really curious. I'm sorry if someone has posted this topic before.

The deeper sound was more noticeable when using the backspace and enter keys. You can get pretty much the same sound if you place your keyboard on your bed. I really want to duplicate this sound if possible.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: mauri on Sun, 08 September 2013, 03:25:17: I've got qck+ and a goliathus under mine. The bottoming out sound is not as sharp as it would be on wood but it's still not the same as typing on a bed or doublefolded towel
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: terran5992 on Sun, 08 September 2013, 05:54:26: My keyboard is on the bare desk, and a steel series qck mass for my mousepad .

Gives me a real statifying thud when I bottom out
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Grim Fandango on Sun, 08 September 2013, 06:09:30: To test this I actually put my Filco Majestouch 2 from my bare wooden desk on my Steelseries Qck heavy for a moment.

MIND=BLOWN

Not only does it feel different, but what stood out to me most is how much it matters for the sound of the keyboard rather than the feel of the keyboard.

Honestly, the reduction in overall sound that comes from the keyboard is more than when I put in o-rings. Interesting. This is actually reason for me to look into those larger, almost desk covering mousepads. If anyone has a thick mousepad, you should try it, it is really quite remarkable. Before now, it had never even crossed my mind. It actually makes more of a difference to the way typing feels than keycap material, height, or o-rings.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: ynrozturk on Sun, 08 September 2013, 06:17:57: Just bare desk over here.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: vun on Sun, 08 September 2013, 06:24:02: I've had my keyboards on a Goliathus extended pad for a while now, much better than just bare wood.

Also nice with an eDox, means the bolts won't scratch the desk. I have the nuts on the top of mine as the head of the bolt is less likely to damage the pad.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: CalmB4tehPwn on Sun, 08 September 2013, 06:36:33: I've determined that I'm almost entirely alone in this, but my office is my livingroom. I two-screen it, with a computer monitor next to me, and the big screen TV at the head of the room. That being said, my setup is a recliner. Keyboard on my lap, mouse on the right arm of the recliner, nostromo on the left for gaming. It's an oustanding setup, and is extremely comfortable. The only problem I face is when I play a game while I have a movie up on the big screen. End up getting a pain in my next from turning my head to the side for hours on end looking at my monitor.

That being said, keyboard on my lap, I find it gives me a very satisfying sound on my blues.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Moosecraft on Sun, 08 September 2013, 07:32:13: Wooden desks, I never really thought about different sounds form different surfaces.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: terran5992 on Sun, 08 September 2013, 08:04:43: I want to try on a glass desk.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Gunni on Sun, 08 September 2013, 08:22:22: Wooden desk with a glossy white coating, I might try my keyboard on a different surface tommorow :thumb:
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: kwago on Sun, 08 September 2013, 08:42:19: Quote from: vun on Sun, 08 September 2013, 06:24:02
Also nice with an eDox, means the bolts won't scratch the desk. I have the nuts on the top of mine as the head of the bolt is less likely to damage the pad.

a suggestion :)
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=22780.msg874644#msg874644
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: AKIMbO on Sun, 08 September 2013, 10:13:18: The sound signature is definitely changed. The difference is most dramatic with silenced topre switches. I have a glass desk and when typing on the glass surface my silenced topre boards (both an RF and a HHKB) are noticeably thockier. When I type on an extended mousemat (Xtrac Riper XXL) the thock is deadened. Same goes for clicky switches like mx blue, clicky alps, and buckling springs.

I prefer the sound of topres on a bare glass desk, but I can't use my boards like that (the desk gets all greasy and palm prints)....so I use my mouse mat instead.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: terrpn on Sun, 08 September 2013, 10:21:39: 3' generic desk pad......

my desk is a architectural drafting table- lots of room

like the pad not only to type on, but to write- a forgotten art
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: SeriouSSpotS on Sun, 08 September 2013, 11:26:26: Bare desk here
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Hyde on Sun, 08 September 2013, 11:39:05: I actually leave a double folded towel under my keyboard permanently. I like the sound this way also my Filco wasn't leveled before so it helps.

Now I'm using Type Heaven it only has rubber leg at the front and not the back, so it also helps to use the towel too lol. Just doesn't look as nice but I got used to it.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Dubsgalore on Sun, 08 September 2013, 11:39:50: wood desk
no wrist rest, but i'm thinking of trying one out
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 08 September 2013, 11:44:32: ideally you'd want some sort of rubber matting.

This is so that you reduce the impulse of the rebound force on your wrists and finger joins. (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_085_.gif)
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: AuRinBei on Sun, 08 September 2013, 12:00:23: Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 08 September 2013, 11:44:32
ideally you'd want some sort of rubber matting.

This is so that you reduce the impulse of the rebound force on your wrists and finger joins.
Show Image
(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_085_.gif)

I have a desk that is wrapped in some kind of soft matting. It doesn't really effect the feel of topres, but it does seem to do what you say with cherry mx's.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: meiosis on Sun, 08 September 2013, 12:03:23: put my keyboard in my lap and clickidyclack
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: sor on Sun, 08 September 2013, 12:40:10: i placed my board like this
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7421/9676175569_63f520c198_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetaffy/9676175569/)
Vortex PBT on Keycool 87 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetaffy/9676175569/) by Lolipopeer (http://www.flickr.com/people/sweetaffy/), on Flickr
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Grim Fandango on Sun, 08 September 2013, 16:39:33: I just ordered a cheap, thick, and wide mouse pad that I am going to cut to specification and put under my keyboard. I find the difference in sound really quite remarkable, and it amazes me I had not thought of this earlier, and have not seen it mentioned anywhere else. Even though it actually makes a lot of sense.

Edit: canceled the order. An old Sharkoon mousepad that I was not using any more but happened to find is the exact width of the keyboard and thick enough to have the dampening effect. Nice. This is the biggest upgrade in overall feel of the keyboard that I have made in a while.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Ninjerk on Sun, 08 September 2013, 16:41:02: I type on a cheap transparent desk pad I got from Ikea.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: quake4mhg on Sun, 08 September 2013, 19:56:59: Goliathus here. The reason I use the mouse pad is not the noise & feel.
Because I clean my desk everyday, lift up everything,
It is the easiest way to position my keyboard & mouse, align with my monitor & chair, which is my perfect position for hours gaming ;D
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: misterbobster on Sun, 08 September 2013, 23:17:52: I have a large cutting mat which I place everything on. Works well as a mouse pad too.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 08 September 2013, 23:32:28: Just a bare naked desk.

In the new house there are polished floorboards, and with not much else in the room the sound of the Model M echoes back and forth across the room :)
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: TrueOP on Mon, 09 September 2013, 03:08:24: I have an XTRAC XXL Mousepad.

Its covers most of my 36" metal desk and it also has some thickness to it, which seems to keep my kb in place and dampen sound.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Tony on Mon, 09 September 2013, 03:40:16: Just on my desk. I want to put the keyboard on my lap, but my desk has a better surface.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Emospence on Mon, 09 September 2013, 03:50:12: A white wooden 120 x 60 desk from Ikea.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: daerid on Mon, 09 September 2013, 19:32:02: I just realized that I don't like the feel of Cherry MX boards on hard surfaces. After putting my ErgoDox on top of my wrist rests (I know, I know), they instantly felt 100% better. Much softer and pleasant.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: mapple on Tue, 10 September 2013, 03:15:59: at home goliathus xl, at work bare wood. But in home i'm not really using it for better sound feel only because when playing sometimes keyboard moves a lot even with rubbers ... and this way it's almost cement feel:D
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Kouni on Tue, 10 September 2013, 04:30:19: I bought a fitness foam pad for 3 euros and cut it to my KB's dimensions. It's 4 mm thick so it does raise the board a little but it really helps with the sound.
Title: Re: What surface do you type on?
Post by: Thimplum on Wed, 18 September 2013, 16:12:18: bare desk