If you are going to stream your games you can mix out the high pitch sound that the blues make or something else. Just saying itīs fixable! Currently there is only one company that makes rgb Keyboards and that is as you mentioned Corsair. If you arenīt in a rush to get a keyboard I would wait until someone else releases their rgb or Corsair patches the software to control the lights since itīs really buggy atm.
I see! I guess you use an application such as OBS to stream and there you can mix incoming microfone sounds! If you would be fine with a Ducky keyboard I would strongly recommend it, due to its superb quality.If you are going to stream your games you can mix out the high pitch sound that the blues make or something else. Just saying itīs fixable! Currently there is only one company that makes rgb Keyboards and that is as you mentioned Corsair. If you arenīt in a rush to get a keyboard I would wait until someone else releases their rgb or Corsair patches the software to control the lights since itīs really buggy atm.
Can I edit out the sound in a live-stream? I'll most likely be streaming on an online application like Twitch.
The backlighting doesn't have to be RGB. Multi-color is fine, too. The Ducky Shine 4 has caught my eye, but it isn't out yet. Logitech and Razer have also responded to Corsair's RGB release, but I feel like they won't be up-to-par. As for Corsair's software, I don't mind sticking to the backlighting presets. And I have to say that the dedicated media keys on Corsair's K70 is a big plus. That volume rocker will definitely get its money's-worth.
I'm not in too much of a rush, but I'd prefer to get a dedicated keyboard within a month's time.
I see! I guess you use an application such as OBS to stream and there you can mix incoming microfone sounds! If you would be fine with a Ducky keyboard I would strongly recommend it, due to its superb quality.If you are going to stream your games you can mix out the high pitch sound that the blues make or something else. Just saying itīs fixable! Currently there is only one company that makes rgb Keyboards and that is as you mentioned Corsair. If you arenīt in a rush to get a keyboard I would wait until someone else releases their rgb or Corsair patches the software to control the lights since itīs really buggy atm.
Can I edit out the sound in a live-stream? I'll most likely be streaming on an online application like Twitch.
The backlighting doesn't have to be RGB. Multi-color is fine, too. The Ducky Shine 4 has caught my eye, but it isn't out yet. Logitech and Razer have also responded to Corsair's RGB release, but I feel like they won't be up-to-par. As for Corsair's software, I don't mind sticking to the backlighting presets. And I have to say that the dedicated media keys on Corsair's K70 is a big plus. That volume rocker will definitely get its money's-worth.
I'm not in too much of a rush, but I'd prefer to get a dedicated keyboard within a month's time.
Havenīt tried khali myself but I believe they are similar or a little worse quality than mx. I do however trust the companys that make cherry boards than I trust the khali ones! So yes I would recommend Cherrys for the convienience if your product is malfunctioning during your guarantee!I see! I guess you use an application such as OBS to stream and there you can mix incoming microfone sounds! If you would be fine with a Ducky keyboard I would strongly recommend it, due to its superb quality.If you are going to stream your games you can mix out the high pitch sound that the blues make or something else. Just saying itīs fixable! Currently there is only one company that makes rgb Keyboards and that is as you mentioned Corsair. If you arenīt in a rush to get a keyboard I would wait until someone else releases their rgb or Corsair patches the software to control the lights since itīs really buggy atm.
Can I edit out the sound in a live-stream? I'll most likely be streaming on an online application like Twitch.
The backlighting doesn't have to be RGB. Multi-color is fine, too. The Ducky Shine 4 has caught my eye, but it isn't out yet. Logitech and Razer have also responded to Corsair's RGB release, but I feel like they won't be up-to-par. As for Corsair's software, I don't mind sticking to the backlighting presets. And I have to say that the dedicated media keys on Corsair's K70 is a big plus. That volume rocker will definitely get its money's-worth.
I'm not in too much of a rush, but I'd prefer to get a dedicated keyboard within a month's time.
That's awesome. I've never streamed before, so I have a lot to learn. And I think I would be fine with a Ducky since it seems to be a very trusted brand here. Kind of bummed that the Shine 4 doesn't come with the knobs anymore, though. Just an aesthetic preference.
And just another question: is Cherry MX recommended as a starter mechanical keyboard switch? I know there are clones/copies out there. I've also been curious about the Tesoro Lobera since it has multi-color backlighting, but it uses Khali switches. I can't say I've ever tested this switch, but is it as good as Cherry MX?
Jury is still out on Kailh switches. A couple of bad experiences right out of the gate have gotten most of the attention. We'll see over time how they are received.
As I always say, a sampler only gives you a tiny bit of info from which to start from. You could love/hate a switch on it, but then get a keyboard and actually type and game and feel totally different. For example, the chattery click of blues becomes more pronounced as you speedily type on them (I am a fan of blues for both typing and gaming, but the sound bothers my wife when we're in the same room computing). Also with browns just lightly feeling out one switch is not going to give you the full experience; many people notice the bump more when just switch-testing, but when they go to game or type they get that "dirty" feeling (I go clears for this reason).
What particular games do you play?
Firstly, about all the MX switches, they will sound and feel at least a little different when mounted in a fulll sized board than they do in a tester.
I'll address the switches in your order of preference:
Blues. Personally I don't like the clicky switches, the click is quite high pitch and "plasticky" to my ears. Still, having some audible feedback is nice when typing, although not so much when gaming. Something the switch tester won't reveal is the "hysteresis" the clicky switches have. The actuation and release points are different so you need to lift your finger almost to the top of the slider movement to reset the switch. This can be an issue when gaming.
Browns. They're light, but the tactile bump is fairly small. They have no hysteresis, the actuation and release points are the same, so you can double tap and "hover" with them while gaming if you practice. IMHO, the bump isn't big enough so you don't get quite enough feedback to make them satisfying. Clears have a bigger tactile bump, but stronger springs, as you mentioned. With lighter springs in, Clears are awesome. Light actuation, no hysteresis, great tactile feedback, relatively quiet. Another benefit of the large tactile bump is it can act as a "backstop" and reference point for the point of actuation / release, so you can hover and double tap easily. I highly recommend 62g springs in them. The only downside is for most boards you have to desolder the switches to change the springs.
Reds. Great for gaming, only okay for typing, IMHO. It's fairly easy to accidentally press / mispress a key when typing. The lack of a bump makes it a less satisfying experience, IMO.
In terms of board size, I find a full size really awkward for gaming as it separates the mouse and keyboard hands too much unless you remap the game to use the numpad keys. I would recommend a TKL and an extra numpad. You can move the numpad out the way when gaming. In terms of overall build quality and bang for your buck I recomend a KUL ES-87. One reason I DON'T recommend the Corsair K70 is the non-standard bottom row. If you ever want to replace the keycaps it's a real PITA to find a set to fit (and the stock keycaps are not very good). A board with completely standard layout like the KUL can accept any aftermarket keycaps.
Did you put the black spring into the clear stem? You gotta put the black spring in the clear stem!
Did you put the black spring into the clear stem? You gotta put the black spring in the clear stem!
I have no idea how to mod, let alone mod a switch sampler x.x
now topre
Did you put the black spring into the clear stem? You gotta put the black spring in the clear stem!
I have no idea how to mod, let alone mod a switch sampler x.x
It's super easy. See those little latches on the side of the switch? Just pry them up, remove the switch cover, change the spring, and that's it! About as difficult as changing the battery in your remote :)
The ES-87 has slightly better build quality than the Rapid-i and there is an option for Clear switches.
If you switch the springs from the Black switch and the Clear switch you will have made a "Ghost Black" and a "Panda Clear" switch. They are both better than the stock switches IMHO. The Panda Clear will feel a bit like an ErgoClear, but with a slightly stronger spring (Black spring is 80g or so at bottom out, my favourite ErgoClear spring is 62g at bottom out). The Ghost Black feels just a hair harder than a stock Red right at the top of the movement, but it increases in force more quickly so that just below the actuation point it's like a Black spring and afterwards it's stronger, so you can judge the position more easily and it's easier to not bottom out, but they're still quite easy to press to actuation.
You can use a small screwdriver to pry open the tabs that hold the top part of the switch casing in place.
There are lots of modification and customisation options with Cherry MX switches which is one aspect of them I really like since I like to play around and tweak stuff. If that's not an option for you and you think stock Clears are too hard for you, then the Browns are probably the one I'd go for in a dual-purpose board, but they are a bit of a compromise. You may find a kind soul on GH (depending on your location) that would mod the switches for you if you bought a board with Clears for a modest fee (or even possibly for free).
Some other preferences of mine:
Plate mounted > PCB mounted switches: They're more firm and feel more "precise".
Metal case > plastic case: Again it's more firm and stable and you feel like it's only the switch mechanism that's moving, no flex anywhere else.
Thick, heavy keycaps in any material > thin, light keycaps in any material: They smooth out the action of the switch, minimise roughness in the mechanism and give a premium feeling to typing. The material is not as important as the weight and good fit of the keycaps. See GMK doubleshot ABS keycaps for an example of good thick ABS keycaps. Also Signature Plastics' SA profile keycaps.
POM > PBT > ABS: This is a rough generality, but it fits with my preference from above. POM is the densest keycap material, so it makes for the heaviest keycaps. I happen to also like the slick texture of POM (kind of "Teflon"-ish) and it wears very slowly, like PBT, so you don't get that ABS "sticky" smoothness. POM is also the most ductile and least brittle of the keycap plastics. It lends a nice deep tone to any switch noises (clicks or bottom out and release sounds). PBT is the most brittle (and has a dry, ceramic-like texture to it), ABS is somewhere in between.
In general another aspect of keycaps that I touched on in the description of POM is how they change the sound of the switches. Thin, light, brittle caps will emphasise the higher frequencies and thick, heavy, ductile caps will mask the higher frequencies and emphasise the lower frequencies. PBT is an interesting material in this regard in that it's denser than ABS, but more brittle, so it's a bit of a balance between the properties. For Blues, some people prefer thin light caps to emphasise the high pitched click (which I actually find annoying). Others prefer thicker caps which IMHO make them sound better and hide the upper frequency of the click. Some feel that this deadens the feedback too much, though.
My all-time favourite combination: Plate mounted trampoline and latex modded 62g lubed ErgoClears in an aluminium case with good thick Cherry profile keycaps (GMK Dolch ABS or OG Cherry POM for instance).
Ducky Shine TKL or full size are good boards with backlighting. I'd say similar quality to the KUL (possibly a hair less sturdy) and a little better than the Rapid-i. One thing I do like about the Rapid-i, though, is that the backlight is white. AFAIK, the Ducky Shine 3 doesn't have a white option, but they have a good selection of other colours. The WASD Code is also a good quality backlit board (with white LED's), but only comes with heavier switches (Clears or Greens).
There are only a few good sets of keycaps that are designed for backlighting, though. Most of the best quality keycaps don't allow the light to shine through the legends or even the keycaps themselves, but only the reflected background light around the caps something like this (these are Ducky thick PBT):Show Image(http://i49.tinypic.com/3478v0w.jpg)
Or if they are of a lighter coloured material or thinner they may let the light bleed through, but not just through the legends something like this:Show Image(http://31.media.tumblr.com/93c7e48f1ae25c873e7e4539364fb84c/tumblr_muhmaj84ef1sq8exdo2_1280.jpg)
There are some high quality keycaps designed for backlighting, but most of them are not quite up to the quality of the best non-backlit caps. These are PBT with POM legends and are OEM profile, made by Vortex and are about the best backlit caps out there right now: http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1003