The Space Bar has absurd sound dynamics, am I right?

[KHAANNN]

I have a keyboard with Cherry MX Green switches, I have been obsessing over various sound issues over a month (the initial issue was spacebar balances producing a click on a silent keyboard with red switches, fixed by lubricating, my recent issues are related to the click sound of the green switches, yet this question is related to the keycaps and their sound dynamics)

My latest conclusion is, each key/key type enhances/pronounces click sounds differently. Switches themselves don't produce much to hear, yet when you put a keycap on, the sound is really enhanced, unique to the key/key type

The 1x1 keys have a very clean sound, as the key enlarges, the sound changes significantly, and the spacebar produces a totally different, unique, low frequency sound

In a way this is a good thing, spacebar producing a unique, higher frequency, distinct click, it might even be considered a feature (considering these green switches were actually made for the spacebar initially, there is obviously a market for unique spacebar behaviours, and I have just that!)

But I'm wondering whether I should replace the spacebar switch just in case, as the different click sound might also be a sign of a weak switch (some switches don't click well)

I also tested a 1x1 keycap on the spacebar switch just to test this theory, and it sounded like the other 1x1 keys, great, this supports my sound dynamics theory

Yet there is also the possibility that the switch isn't good enough for angled activations (the balanced keys sometimes get activated in a not so balanced way, some switches can't handle it well)

So to sum up, does your spacebar keys sound very different too?

[jacobolus]

Yep. Yet another reason why spacebars larger than about 3 keys wide are stupid. :-)

[KHAANNN]

I was thinking about that a while ago, after I experienced the spacebar balancer click issue on my red switched keyboard

I'm amazed why there are no split/double spacebars yet, dividing the spacebar into 2 keys, with 2 switches, and better utilised balancers

Would be really interesting and I'm sure it would work for most of the people since mostly the thumbs use the spacebar

I researched whether it exists, but couldn't come up with anything

[jacobolus]

I'm amazed why there are no split/double spacebars yet, dividing the spacebar into 2 keys, with 2 switches, and better utilised balancers [...] I researched whether it exists, but couldn't come up with anything

People have been trying this idea since at least the 1930s, on various alternate typewriter designs.

Several Japanese keyboard design projects in the 80s included split spacebars and extra thumb buttons. You can see some legacy of this on standard Japanese keyboards, which have several extra small thumb keys and a relatively narrow spacebar.

In the 90s, there were many keyboards with split spacebars, an idea which was patented (earliest priority date in the late 80s, but I don’t think implementations started showing up until the early-to-mid 90s), and licensed to several vendors (IBM, NMB, Alps, and several others) and marketed as “Erase Ease”.

A couple examples:



I’m not convinced the patent would have been defensible had anyone raised a real contest, but having it there likely discouraged many keyboard makers from including split spacebars while the patent was in effect.

[KHAANNN]

Thanks a lot for the very insightful insight, it's definitely very interesting

I guess It wouldn't be too hard to test a split spacebar on a personal scale, it might be done by drilling into an existing keyboard's plate and pcb, putting 2 blank right-shift keys instead of a spacebar, just parallel connecting two switches might work too, either of them would activate the keypress and both pressed would act as a single click, it seems doable, although I wouldn't attempt it myself

[Oobly]

There are a number of interesting split spacebar keyboard designs made by GH members already, like jdcarpe's JD45 (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62641.0) and my own Writer's Portable (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=66836.msg1580523#msg1580523).

[aref]

I had a CMQFR with MX Green switches. There was no uniformity to the switch on that keyboard: some were quiet, others made a quiet click. I returned the keyboard and got a replacement CMQFR, only to have the same experience.

[katushkin]

You should also try different profile keys. SA vs Cherry spacebars on Clears is interesting. As is DSA vs Cherry on Greens.

It's like how the same switches feel different depending on manufacturer, plate vs no plate, case material, even the surface you are typing on. It's about finding what is the most pleasurable and comfortable typing experience for yourself.