My quietest board (I have Topre, browns, clears, blues, and reds) is my 55g lubed and stickered red board. I'm not sure if its because it's PCB mounted, the stickers, or both, but it has the softest bottoming out sound I've ever heard on a mech. I didn't believe in the stickers, except that one of the switches isn't stickered and is noticeably louder and pingier when it bottoms out.
there's really nothing you can do except learn to not bottom out. especially if you're not willing to even take off your own keycaps.
you'll just have to get a different mic (this is a pretty futile endeavor so i'm told).
My quietest board (I have Topre, browns, clears, blues, and reds) is my 55g lubed and stickered red board. I'm not sure if its because it's PCB mounted, the stickers, or both, but it has the softest bottoming out sound I've ever heard on a mech. I didn't believe in the stickers, except that one of the switches isn't stickered and is noticeably louder and pingier when it bottoms out.
I'm curious what "stickers" refers to. I'm not familiar. (I'm not going to mod a board -- the most I'll do is have someone like Weyman at WASD install o-rings for me even if I buy, say, a Leopold from EK).
Reds has occurred to me to possibly consider from vague memories of all I've read here over the years, but I'm guessing 55g will be a bit much for me. The 45g of the Browns really seems to be the sweet spot for me. (I tried a buckling springs from Unicomp once and after a few days or a week I was unable to use it -- just way too firm for my liking.)
I want to see if there's a really similar-feeling alternative that is really quiet -- so I can type while on the phone and people don't feel insulted (some people tend to feel that way even if I'm diligently listening to and typing virtually every word they're saying; it's just human nature).
I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended.
What about Matias alps quiet switch? They are really quiet .. as quiet as a mechanical keyboard can get.That was my first thought too.
I'm guessing the problem is not the "bottoming out" sound, as you have o-rings installed. I think the noise which remains is the "topping out" sounds when the keys return to the unactuated position after release. There's not a whole lot that can be done about that, unfortunately. You can try things like:
- PCB mounted (non-plate-mounted) keyboard, such as a Cherry G80 series.
- Shelf liner or other dampening material under the PCB in the case to reduce keystroke volume
- Thicker keycaps, to further reduce vibrations which cause noise
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
This is all you ever needed to know. Trust the JD. :D
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
This is all you ever needed to know. Trust the JD. :D
Lies... all of it.......
I'm guessing the problem is not the "bottoming out" sound, as you have o-rings installed. I think the noise which remains is the "topping out" sounds when the keys return to the unactuated position after release. There's not a whole lot that can be done about that, unfortunately. You can try things like:
- PCB mounted (non-plate-mounted) keyboard, such as a Cherry G80 series.
- Shelf liner or other dampening material under the PCB in the case to reduce keystroke volume
- Thicker keycaps, to further reduce vibrations which cause noise
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
You guys after all this time still do not get that the problem with silencing Cherry MX is not the bottoming out noise.
O-rings, or even better, landing pads, take care of the bottoming out (as long as you are not hammering your keyboard).
The problem is that there is almost nothing we can do to silence the upstroke. Once you have silenced the bottoming out, the upstroke is louder than the downstroke. And it's a very annoying high-pitched sound (plastic against plastic).
The best method I know to silence the upstroke is to put non-conductive grease inside the switch. Not oil. The grease must have lower viscosity than oil. This limits the speed of the plunger on the upstroke and dampens the sounds rather well, but it also changes the feel of the switch. I find it acceptable to my taste, but I'm not sure you would like it.
Silencing the upstroke is possible on Topre switches, and the result is very good. Silenced Topre switches (on a Realforce) are so quiet that I can use it in a room where two people are sleeping (yes, I really do that). It works only with plate-mounted Topres (it's not as effective on the HHKB for example).
I'm guessing the problem is not the "bottoming out" sound, as you have o-rings installed. I think the noise which remains is the "topping out" sounds when the keys return to the unactuated position after release. There's not a whole lot that can be done about that, unfortunately. You can try things like:
- PCB mounted (non-plate-mounted) keyboard, such as a Cherry G80 series.
- Shelf liner or other dampening material under the PCB in the case to reduce keystroke volume
- Thicker keycaps, to further reduce vibrations which cause noise
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
You guys after all this time still do not get that the problem with silencing Cherry MX is not the bottoming out noise.
O-rings, or even better, landing pads, take care of the bottoming out (as long as you are not hammering your keyboard).
The problem is that there is almost nothing we can do to silence the upstroke. Once you have silenced the bottoming out, the upstroke is louder than the downstroke. And it's a very annoying high-pitched sound (plastic against plastic).
The best method I know to silence the upstroke is to put non-conductive grease inside the switch. Not oil. The grease must have lower viscosity than oil. This limits the speed of the plunger on the upstroke and dampens the sounds rather well, but it also changes the feel of the switch. I find it acceptable to my taste, but I'm not sure you would like it.
Silencing the upstroke is possible on Topre switches, and the result is very good. Silenced Topre switches (on a Realforce) are so quiet that I can use it in a room where two people are sleeping (yes, I really do that). It works only with plate-mounted Topres (it's not as effective on the HHKB for example).
My HHKB is very much silent when I type on it, its glorious actually, typing on clears makes too much noise for me now :(
I'm guessing the problem is not the "bottoming out" sound, as you have o-rings installed. I think the noise which remains is the "topping out" sounds when the keys return to the unactuated position after release. There's not a whole lot that can be done about that, unfortunately. You can try things like:
- PCB mounted (non-plate-mounted) keyboard, such as a Cherry G80 series.
- Shelf liner or other dampening material under the PCB in the case to reduce keystroke volume
- Thicker keycaps, to further reduce vibrations which cause noise
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
You guys after all this time still do not get that the problem with silencing Cherry MX is not the bottoming out noise.
O-rings, or even better, landing pads, take care of the bottoming out (as long as you are not hammering your keyboard).
The problem is that there is almost nothing we can do to silence the upstroke. Once you have silenced the bottoming out, the upstroke is louder than the downstroke. And it's a very annoying high-pitched sound (plastic against plastic).
The best method I know to silence the upstroke is to put non-conductive grease inside the switch. Not oil. The grease must have lower viscosity than oil. This limits the speed of the plunger on the upstroke and dampens the sounds rather well, but it also changes the feel of the switch. I find it acceptable to my taste, but I'm not sure you would like it.
Silencing the upstroke is possible on Topre switches, and the result is very good. Silenced Topre switches (on a Realforce) are so quiet that I can use it in a room where two people are sleeping (yes, I really do that). It works only with plate-mounted Topres (it's not as effective on the HHKB for example).
My HHKB is very much silent when I type on it, its glorious actually, typing on clears makes too much noise for me now :(
I have an HHKB Type-S that makes a hell of noise compared to the Realforce I have silenced myself.
I don't think it's something I can fix, even if I replace the silicone rings inside by landing pads, as I did for the Realforce.
The problem is that the HHKB is all plastic. The case makes a hollow noise when bottoming out and also on the upstroke. In the Realforce you have a metal plate, and it makes all the difference. I'm not saying I don't like the sound of the HHKB, but the modded Realforce is much more silent.
My silenced FC660C also has a metal plate, and is much more silent than the HHKB Type-S.
I think the OP should really consider a Topre. A silenced 45g full size Realforce could be extremely silent and not too alien compared to browns. Okay, yes, this is debatable, but if you don't want people to hear you typing over the phone, I really don't see what other mechanical keyboard would do the job.
I'm guessing the problem is not the "bottoming out" sound, as you have o-rings installed. I think the noise which remains is the "topping out" sounds when the keys return to the unactuated position after release. There's not a whole lot that can be done about that, unfortunately. You can try things like:
- PCB mounted (non-plate-mounted) keyboard, such as a Cherry G80 series.
- Shelf liner or other dampening material under the PCB in the case to reduce keystroke volume
- Thicker keycaps, to further reduce vibrations which cause noise
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
You guys after all this time still do not get that the problem with silencing Cherry MX is not the bottoming out noise.
O-rings, or even better, landing pads, take care of the bottoming out (as long as you are not hammering your keyboard).
The problem is that there is almost nothing we can do to silence the upstroke. Once you have silenced the bottoming out, the upstroke is louder than the downstroke. And it's a very annoying high-pitched sound (plastic against plastic).
The best method I know to silence the upstroke is to put non-conductive grease inside the switch. Not oil. The grease must have lower viscosity than oil. This limits the speed of the plunger on the upstroke and dampens the sounds rather well, but it also changes the feel of the switch. I find it acceptable to my taste, but I'm not sure you would like it.
Silencing the upstroke is possible on Topre switches, and the result is very good. Silenced Topre switches (on a Realforce) are so quiet that I can use it in a room where two people are sleeping (yes, I really do that). It works only with plate-mounted Topres (it's not as effective on the HHKB for example).
My HHKB is very much silent when I type on it, its glorious actually, typing on clears makes too much noise for me now :(
I have an HHKB Type-S that makes a hell of noise compared to the Realforce I have silenced myself.
I don't think it's something I can fix, even if I replace the silicone rings inside by landing pads, as I did for the Realforce.
The problem is that the HHKB is all plastic. The case makes a hollow noise when bottoming out and also on the upstroke. In the Realforce you have a metal plate, and it makes all the difference. I'm not saying I don't like the sound of the HHKB, but the modded Realforce is much more silent.
My silenced FC660C also has a metal plate, and is much more silent than the HHKB Type-S.
I think the OP should really consider a Topre. A silenced 45g full size Realforce could be extremely silent and not too alien compared to browns. Okay, yes, this is debatable, but if you don't want people to hear you typing over the phone, I really don't see what other mechanical keyboard would do the job.
Now your making me want to silence my realforce :D
Jdcarpe is absolutely right.
This is all you ever needed to know. Trust the JD. :D
Lies... all of it.......
Too late, it's in my signature now.
Jer. 5:21 (King James version): "Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not."Show Image(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=50632.0;attach=43438;image)
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50632.msg1113167#msg1113167
I have recently found that using an acrylic case minimizes the noise very well.
I'm currently typing on clears in an acrylic case, which has no empty space inside (thick acrylic plate, instead of steel, and a rubber pad between the PCB and the bottom layer). I think if you used lubed browns with that, it could be even more silent.