WASD CODE Keyboard : First Impressions

[bianco]

Unplug the computer side instead.

This what I do, and try to keep the cable with its respective keyboard.  Although really HHKB and model M are the only two that are easy to unplug.  The rest I have to fiddle around underneath and angle the plug into the socket in the recess under the keyboard.

similar to what i do.
although, i use the usb hub from my monitors.
so which ever system is connected to the monitor, i can use the keyboard and mouse with it.
and if i have to change the i/o device, the usb plug is just on the monitors.

[RedAntz]

I just received my CODE 87 key Clear. Initial impression is that most of the keys feel solid, except the bigger keys, especially 'Enter' key and 'Delete' key. With a light touch/tap without pressing the key, they wobble and make some springy sound.

Is this a norm for mechanical keyboard ?

[Thagarr]

RedAntz, not all mechanical keyboards wobble. It has been my experience that every Cherry MX board I have tried has at least some wobble in the keys. Some boards are worse than others of course, and the big keys are where it is most noticeable. It's been decades since I used an Alps board, so I can't really comment on them.

If you want a mechanical keyboard that doesn't wobble, get yourself a trusty old IBM Model M! The newer Unicomp buckling spring boards are good to type on, but they do have a bit of wobble in some keys.

[ajx]

I just received my CODE 87 key Clear. Initial impression is that most of the keys feel solid, except the bigger keys, especially 'Enter' key and 'Delete' key. With a light touch/tap without pressing the key, they wobble and make some springy sound.

Is this a norm for mechanical keyboard ?

Yes it sounds quite normal
I have this issue with my Poker II, Pure, Poker I...

[rowdy]

I just received my CODE 87 key Clear. Initial impression is that most of the keys feel solid, except the bigger keys, especially 'Enter' key and 'Delete' key. With a light touch/tap without pressing the key, they wobble and make some springy sound.

Is this a norm for mechanical keyboard ?

Welcome to Geekhack!

The bigger keys tend to have the switch connected to the middle of the keycap.

Then there is a stabiliser which connects to either side of the keycap so that if you press one end of the key, the whole key goes doen instead of just tilting to one side.

Depending on the type of stabiliser (Cherry or Costar) you can get some odd effects.

Code has Costar, right?  I've found that they tend to wobble a bit more.  This is normal.  You only have to worry if a key gets stuck down, or sits at a really weird angle.

[RedAntz]

Thanks guys !

I was expecting those keys to 'feel' to be a bit more solid (don't get me wrong, CODE 87 build quality is excellent) given that it is an expensive keyboard.

I was initially tossing between IBM Model M and Cherry MX Clear, but the lack of TKL option and noise swayed me towards CODE 87.

And now, the rabbit hole to keycap customizations ...

[rowdy]

If you try a few different keyboard types, like Model M, MX with Costar stabilisers, MX with Cherry stabilisers, Alps, Matias you will discover that they all feel different.

Even different keyboards from different manufacturers with the same stabilisers and switches can feel different!

[saturnotaku]

Big thanks to Thagarr for the review. I was on the fence among four different keyboards and ultimately went with the CODE, but the 87-key version with MX Clears. I'll be using it with my dual-boot MacBook Pro, so OS X friendliness was a major consideration. I ordered the keyboard, foam wrist rest, and an extra USB cable (that I'll actually be using for something else) from WASD a couple hours ago and have already received a shipment notification. Looks like I'll be taking an afternoon off of work next week so I can be home for delivery.

I'm going to try my hand at a YouTube video since there isn't a whole lot out there about this specific keyboard. It will dispense with unboxing nonsense and focus on the features and how it works with OS X. Depending on how the stabilizers are, I may end up lubing them at some point after the return policy expires.

[megalomartx]

Been on the hunt for a new keyboard and grabbed this one on Amazon today with MX greens!  I was thinking about getting it on the Massdrop deal last week, but these come with free shipping at $170(no tax was added) which was only about $8 more than the Massdrop deal.

[caseyandgina]

I have an 87-key CODE with greens.  I actually ordered the Clears, then last minute changed my mind, cancelled the order, and ordered the greens instead.  Glad I did, as I really do enjoy it.  Although they are very loud when I first tried out the keyboard at home in a mostly-empty room with hardwood floors (lots of echo), in the office environment the noise is really not a concern at all.  I tried taking off the red rubber rings when I was at home, but the noise became so loud (I generally bottom out the keys, maybe that will change in time, maybe not) that I put them all back on.  I will probably try taking them off again at some point as I did prefer the feel of the keyboard with the rings removed, and the noise is not as much of a problem at work.  I need to do this before I replace this keyboard.

Yes, replace.  Didn't I say I love this keyboard?  Yes, but there is one problem.  Though it has hardware support for Dvorak (which I type on; don't really need hardware remapping support though), it only comes in QWERTY.  I didn't think that was going to be a problem, until I tried to remap the keycaps.  Then I came to the sad realization that the keyboard (and all WASD keyboards) have a flat backplane and a different angle on each row of keycaps to simulate a curve.  Sadly I don't think curved-plane keyboards are really made anymore, so this is just a newb mistake on my part.

So my plan is to order a WASD V2 Custom keyboard with the keycaps I want, which will give me some additional flexibility with key design and colors as well.  I also want the Fn key to just say "fn" rather than having a menu icon.  I inquired to WASD as to whether the case (which is awesome!) was identical to the code, and they confirmed:

The CODE keyboard only comes in the standard QWERTY layout. You can order a Dvorak keycap set, but as I said before it won’t be “backlit compatible”, but it will fit your keyboard and you will be able to use it in Dvorak mode with the correct keys with the correct profiles in the correct spots. The only thing is that the legends will not be illuminated like on the standard CODE keycaps.

Yes, completely identical, the keyboards are virtually the same with some minor differences. CODE keyboards features LED’s, a different controller board (for LED functions), and has a dual-layer PCB. They weigh the same, yes.

I would say if you really want a Dvorak layout, go with the V2. To make a “Dvorak” CODE, you’ll need to purchase the CODE keyboards first, then an additional keycap set, so the cost will be higher. The new keycaps will essentially obstruct the backlighting.

As others have said on this thread, it's a bit unfortunate they decided to use a micro USB connector.  In reality, this probably won't ever matter to me as the keyboard is going to sit on my desk in a fixed position most of the time, but I would have preferred a full-size USB-B.  This is not an ultra-thin keyboard so I don't see the need of an ultra-thin connector.  I haven't taken the keyboard apart but it feels from tapping like there is some empty space inside above the spot where the cable plugs in, implying that a USB-B could fit with minor design change.  I have heard of some people gluing the cable into place as it will sometimes fall out of the channel otherwise anyways - it is secured into the channels using only pressure, unlike some older keyboards that had a narrower bit at the bottom of the channel that you'd have to force the cable through, but then it would stay inside the channel unless forcibly removed.  If I pick up my keyboard to have a look at the bottom without being cautious, sometimes the cable pulls downward and out of the channel in the process, putting pressure on the micro USB plug.  If I were to change anything about this keyboard design, it would be the connector and channel, though as I said I consider these to be very minor issues.  These are not defects of the CODE, they are true of all WASD keyboards, and I will be replacing this with another WASD keyboard, because overall it is fantastic!  If you really want to be able to disconnect the device at the keyboard end, you could get a short micro USB extension cable, plug it in and glue it into place, then use the longer cable to connect that to your computer.

Before I ship the CODE keyboard back, might anyone here be interested in purchasing it at a slightly discounted price?  Send me an offer if so.  BTW before I order another set of WASD keycaps, since I can order the base keyboard without them, does anybody know if it is possible to find ABS or PBT keycap sets that have a Dvorak layout printed on them?  There's always the option of getting all blank keys too I guess, I just hate the keys having QWERTY printed on them when I never use that.

[Thagarr]

I finally got some free time, and got motivated to finally have a crack at fixing my Code. I have been using my old Ducky Shine for the past several months, and while it is a good board, the feel of the Blues on it was just starting to get to me. I much prefer the feel of the Clears on the Code.

Ok, so lets take this think apart!


One screw under the QC label. Oops, I voided the warranty!



Two more screws, one under each of the feet. Extend them and then just pull straight up, and they snap right out.





Time to pry up the little tabs, my trusty Leatherman was perfect for this! However, be careful, the plastic the case is made out of is very soft and won't take much punishment. Rather disappointing considering how much this thing cost! I used a small straight screw driver to pry up the edge enough to get my Leatherman in there. Then just slid around and twisted slowly popping up each tab. The back on mine was the toughest for me, but your mileage may vary.



This thing was not designed to be worked on, that is for sure. That is one of the things I like about the old Deck keyboards, they were designed to be modified! Unfortunately I cant stand the font!



The brains.



The connector going to the main PCB. Just slide out the connector.



Pull off that little annoying piece of plastic and unscrew the 3 screws holding the PCB down.



Here is the back of the PCB. As you can see, there are no solder points here to hold it to the PCB.



On the front, you can see the damage where the mini USB connector pulled off. It is tough to tell in this picture, but part of one of the traces actually came off with the mini connector. That would turn out to be a significant issue.



I tried soldering it back on a couple of times, but I couldn't get a good connection. I got a couple of flashes of power, but the connection was badly intermittent. I didn't have any spare mini connectors or USB PCB's lying around, so I went old school!



I had to widen the mini USB whole a bit to get the cable, trusty Leatherman to the rescue again! 



It may not be the prettiest fix, but it is effective! Everything works perfectly and I am back to typing on Clears and loving it!