[IC] Typemaster 180 - 75% Premium Board - GB: Sat. 6th March 2021

[Typemaster]

Typemaster 180

After 10 months of work and 3 prototypes made, we are excited to present you our very first mechanical keyboard, the 180 (Series 1 ; 80 keys). This board features a 75% layout with a 7.7° typing angle.

With an 6063 aluminum body and a 904L stainless steel weight and plate, the keyboard weight around 2,6 kg / 5,7 lbs once it’s fully construct.

The 180 is simple and elegant in design, it is composed of only 4 parts :

A top part, through which your keycaps will pass, a bottom part that meets the top part when you close the case, a weight passing through the bottom part of the keyboard, and a plate for the installation of your mechanical switches.



GB Thread is here: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=111439.0





Design

We only use premium materials in Typemaster keyboards. For our first group buy, you will find 6063 Aluminum and 904L Stainless Steel.

Each of our keyboards adopts a clean, seamless and screwless design, a cross between retro and modern. For more convenience, each of our keyboards closes magnetically, through the use of 16 magnets.

Thanks to the neodymium magnets, the strongest magnets on the market, we guarantee that your case will not open by itself when you lift or carry it.

The design of our Series 1 adopts the use of two distinct colors between the upper and lower parts of the keyboard. The lower part joins the upper part thanks to a rounded shape, allowing you to enjoy its unique color without having to turn your keyboard over.


Isolation

All Typemaster keyboards are equipped with insulation using new generation materials. Thanks to the use of 16 gel pads, you benefit from unparalleled writing comfort and acoustic insulation.

Notches are machined in our plates so that the gel present on the lower part of the case fits perfectly into it. Thanks to these notches, placing the plate before closing the keyboard becomes a simple operation.

The first property of this gel is the absorption of vibrations. Most of the vibrations that are emitted when you type on the keyboard are not transmitted to the case, which does not become a resonance chamber. The sound that comes out of the keyboard when you use it is therefore pure, and without any resonance or noise.

The second property of the gel is the ability to absorb pressure as it contracts, giving you a flex and typing comfort never before achieved, even if you are using a stainless steel or brass plate. Once the keystroke is made, the gel returns to its initial shape, without wearing out over time, due to its fantastic properties.

In addition to the use of gel pads, each keyboard rests on 4 large 3M branded feet, improving acoustic insulation, overall flex, and damping of your keystrokes.

We have also chosen to use larger than usual feet to protect the back of your keyboard, which is no longer in contact with your desk or deskmat. This way, you avoid accidental scratches by moving your keyboard during use.


Electronics

Electronics is an important part when it comes to creating a keyboard that will last over time. For this reason, all Typemaster PCBs are created using the best materials available on the market.

The FR4 material used withstands TG 170-180 heating temperatures. The copper layer is doubled compared to a standard PCB to 2 oz. The gold immersion plating is also doubled to 2U/inch, providing long-lasting corrosion protection.

Finally, we only use quality electronic components from world-renowned brands such as Samsung or Panasonic.

Each Typemaster keyboard offers a USB-C connection, thanks to the use of a Unified daughterboard (by ai03). This offers you ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection, an overcurrent protection, an overvoltage protection, and a noise shielding.

Why no hot-swap PCB? We are convinced that the keyboard you use should not limit you in your choice of layouts or switches you want to use. In creating a plate and PCB that gives you choice, we don't want to limit you by offering a PCB that only works with certain types of switches, and for a particular layout.

However, we are sure you will appreciate being able to switch plates quickly, giving you the possibility to use several different types of switches, keycaps, or layouts over the time.


Specs

• 75% premium board
• Seamless and screwless in design
• Closes with 16 magnets instead of screws
• Quick plate change (less than 30 seconds)
• Uses advanced gel pads for a great insulation and flex
• Notches in the plate for quick & easy plate placement on the gel pads
• 6063 Aluminum with Mirror Polished Stainless Steel weight
• High quality PCB with ANSI & ISO support
• Layouts : 6.25U and 7U spacebars support, stepped and normal capslock support, splited and normal backspace support
• Unified USB-C Daughterboard with all the protections you need
• QMK and VIA support
• Designed, engineered, assembled and quality-checked in France
• Shipped from France with magnets, gel and feet pre-installed
• Price estimation between 420€ and 480€ depending of IC results

Links

We'll post updates here, but you can follow us as well here :

• Our website: https://typemaster.works
• Our Instagram: https://instagram.com/typemaster.works

Videos

Unboxing and first sound test :

Our second sound test :

Our third sound test :

Magnetic operation, plate placement and gel dampening :

@hipyotech Review :

@jeffbattlestation Sound Test :

Edit #1 - IC Results

The IC is now closed, thanks you everyone for your support and for completing the form ! Here are the results :

We collected 140 answers from the form. On the question « Do you plan to enter into the Typemaster 180 group buy ? », we got a 77% « Yes » (107 answers), and 18% of « Maybe ».

About the color schemes, the winners are (Top color / Bottom color)

• Silver / Black « Gris argenté et Noir basalte » (23,5%)
• Black / Gold « Noir basalte et Or » (21,3%)
• Silver / Green « Gris argenté et Vert d’Eau » (11,8%)
• Black / Green « Noir basalte et Vert d’Eau » (6,6%)
• Black / Red « Noir basalte et Rouge Intense » (6,6%)
• Silver / Red « Gris argenté et et Rouge Intense » (6,6%)
• Black / Blue « Noir basalte et Bleu Électrique » (6,6%)
• Silver / Blue « Gris argenté et Bleu Électrique » (4,4%)

All these colors will be made for the GB !

The results also showed the majority does not want to pay more to get a numbered keyboard. We’ll probably do limited series in the future, but for now, we’ll stick with un-numbered keyboards.

Now, on to the questions :

1) The most asked question is about the absence of a logo in the top right corner. It’s a tricky question, and while we understand why some people would like to get a logo / brand on the face of their keyboard, we also understand why some other people prefers to get a clean look.

To be honest with you, our first take on the very first prototype was : « it definitely needs a logo on the top right ». So we did that, but it made the top right not « right », even if the result technically speaking was very good.

While a logo looks great when there’s no switches and keycaps on the board, the result is a bit messy once the keycaps are in. The looks feels too busy, and overall wrong.

Since this time, we are more and more convinced that a clean look is the way to go. This keyboard design is made to last in time, and we strongly thinks the overall design and look of the board makes it recognizable without the presence of a logo.

So, in our mind, the absence of logo is a mark of distinction by itself, as a part of the design choices.

2) The second most asked question was the lack of non-metallic plates. We have good news for you ! After talking with our factory, there will be extra plates for sale in the GB : you’ll be able to choose between aluminum, brass, stainless steel, POM, and PC. No carbon at this moment (it requires testing on our side), and no FR4 also (it requires a bit of time for design).

However, if the demand is here, we’ll do an IC for both of these materials later.

Side note is we never tested plastic-based plates on this build, so the result is not guaranteed :-) However, once the switches are in and the PCB is soldered, the amount of force required to open the keyboard should not damage the plate.

Another thing important to know is the gel fixed on the bottom part of the keyboard (3mm thickness) is giving a nice flex, even if you’re using stiff plates like brass or stainless steel. The flex is even better with aluminum plate. This is something to keep is mind, the gel acts like shock absorbers, nothing like classic rubber / silicone pads.

This is also why we will not propose half plates, as they are absolutely not necessary, and possibly not working well this the gel pads.

3) There was also a few comments about the feet of the keyboards. Some people feels the feet are too big. Indeed, there are bigger than that we’re used to see, but there’s a lot of reasons about that :

- It protects the keyboard from scratches on the back if you slide your board on your deskmat
- It adds an additional layer of flex on the typing experience if you’re using a deskmat
- It also adds a lot in terms of overall sound insulation, especially if you’re not using a deskmat
- It permits to give a little bit more of angle on the board without getting a « too big » look. The feet on the back are slightly bigger than the feet on the front

So in summary, you don’t see them, but there are definitely part of the overall experience :-)

4) The least common questions, with quick answers :

« Badge instead of logo ? » We don’t want a « bam in your face » look

« What about a white / rose / rose gold / crimson / purple / lilac / navy blue / brass weight version ? » If there’s enough interest in the future, we’ll certainly make another GB with new colors and materials. For now, 6 colors is already a lot to manage on our side for a first GB

« Hotswap PCB ? » Not at this moment, too restrictive in terms of layout. But maybe in the future :-)

« PC version ? » Probably not a good idea with the magnets (hello cracks), but we’ll probably test one day for fun !

« Plate 3D files release ? » I don’t see why we shouldn’t do that, so we’ll release the plate 3D file if you want to test some things :-) Personal use only.

« Is there any risk of the magnets damaging the internals of the keyboard ? » Absolutely no risks, we tried it the rough way and there never was a problem. No guarantee with plastic plates, however.

« Discord when ? » Not right now, we're already super busy with this project to make it right, and we want to keep the communication with you easy. You’ll find all the informations on updates here on GeekHack, on our Instagram, and also on our website.

Price, versions, ETA for shipping

We’ve got a lot of discussions with our factory the last days. The last quote we received from them was very pricey, and there was a lot of negotiations to keep the price sustainable.

We want as a side note to inform you there will be no compromises on the quality of the products we will make in this GB (and in the future) : best aluminum for keyboards, use of the smallest tools in the CNC to get the best result without machining marks (outside and inside the board), finest bead blasting we can get, carefully selected anodization factory, very small fitting tolerances, strict QC in factory + additional QC on our side, and so on.

All this premium features comes at a price, and we’ll going to make 2 versions of the board to accommodate most of the budgets :

The base version of the board with aluminum top, bottom, plate and weight will be 429€. If you want to go with a mirror polished stainless steel weight, the price will be 479€.

The MoQ will be 100 units, with a maximum of 250 units.

For the extra plates, the MoQ will be 25 units per material.

The ETA for shipping after the group buy is around 4-5 months for 100 units, and 5-6 months for 250 units. (2 months for the different factories to make the products, 1 month for sea shipping to France, 1 month per 100 units to prepare in France). Please keep in mind this is an estimation :-) But we’ll do our best to make this the quickest we can.

We will probably ship by batches on a FCFS basis. We will update you at every important step (probably every 2 weeks).

The date of GB will be announced soon.

Thanks again for participating in the IC, and feel free to comment and ask any questions :-)


Edit #2 - Video Proof

Also, as promised, here is a quick live record to show the sound of our videos is 100% raw, without any post production, here :

Sound file shown in the video :

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0453/4173/7116/files/Input_Device_Recording_20210102_1627.mp4?v=1609601386

[yoot]

reserved

[gnhuy91]

incredible!

[vi0till]

Any tentative date for the GB?

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[Typemaster]

Any tentative date for the GB?

We'll announce a fixed GB date once we'll have enough returns on our IC, so we hope to run it mid/end December or early/mid January at the latest

[treeleaf64]

A lot of marketing words. 
It looks p nice

[Diggidy]

Filled out the IC. Really nice looking board - I love the magnetic closure - I think it's a brilliant idea.

I am curious if you have thought about offering non-metallic plate options. I may be in the minority, but I don't love brass or SS plates, and much prefer carbon, PC, or POM. Any chance of offering them as extras, or will plate files be released?

[Typemaster]

I am curious if you have thought about offering non-metallic plate options. I may be in the minority, but I don't love brass or SS plates, and much prefer carbon, PC, or POM. Any chance of offering them as extras, or will plate files be released?

About non-metallic plate, that's an interesting point. If the IC is successful, we'll see what we can do about that! If there is no way to propose extra materials on our side during the first GB, we'll release the STEP file for the plate.

The tricky point is the plate needs to be laser cut, then CNC machined to make the notches that fit the gel. It may not be easy to do on other materials than metal. But we'll take a look at it!

[FireLock]

Such a lovely design, to bad I am not prefering roundness to my boards. GLWIC

Skickat från min SM-G960F via Tapatalk

[noorejji]

Now I know the sound from bottoming out a key will vary depending on the placement of said key on any given board, but this variation seemed particularly pronounced on this board. The typing video seemed to produce everything from the clackiest clacks to the thockiest thocks. Not sure what to make of it

[ephemeral25]

I know that you've been working hard on it but I am out.

TLDR  Too sus for me and even if the final product is decent there are other trustworthy designers that deserve our support.

[Typemaster]

Now I know the sound from bottoming out a key will vary depending on the placement of said key on any given board, but this variation seemed particularly pronounced on this board. The typing video seemed to produce everything from the clackiest clacks to the thockiest thocks. Not sure what to make of it

I think the problem here is the switches used (gateron ink red housing + nk cream stems), the sound is different even without the keyboard case. It was a bad idea to use these switches, we'll do a second sound test later with more common switches.

[Typemaster]

Original comment edited

Original answer removed

[Cahuib23]

deleted

[Typemaster]

simon proved on his stream that it is edited.
https://www.twitch.tv/blacksimon/clip/TenderThoughtfulHerringHassanChop

Hi there, thanks for the link, I was not aware about this video.

I will do another sound test while filming the setup in live tomorrow, but it's indeed funny to see this kind of hole in the medium range.

But to be clear one more time, there was no post-production edition on the audio, I don't see why I would cut the medium like that anyways, it makes no sense.

[ButDutWut]

Is that the Porsche font on the weight?

[Typemaster]

Is that the Porsche font on the weight?

Not at all, but it is indeed strongly inspired from it. There is no such "Porsche" font in existence, each graphic has been done by hand. Exactly like the Typemaster font, witch has been 100% done by hand from scratch. But if you look closely, you'll find a lot of differences between the Porsche work and ours.

We wrote about that a while ago here : https://typemaster.works/blogs/typemaster-news/about-the-typemaster-logos

[cannon-cat]

looks good
edit: any chance for discord?

[Typemaster]

So, as a first step to correct simon's mistake on stream, a friend of me just sent me a spectrum analysis of the part of our video where I'm doing the sound test of the keyboard.

On the left side of the screenshot, you can see the part of the video selected in white.

On the right side of the screenshot, you can see a median spectrum analysis of this selected segment.


Here is what simon is seeing on stream with it's consumer-grade DAC :



"There's a huuugeeeee f*cking gap, this is 100% edited"

And this is what a real spectrum analysis looks like :



You can see the medium are not cut at all. You can do the same analysis by yourself by downloading the mp3 of the video here : https://mp3-youtube.download/en/audio-online-converter

So, to be clear one more time, no, the sound hasn't been edited. I'll do another video later. Just for fun :-)

[Typemaster]

looks good
edit: any chance for discord?

Thanks you :-)

Not at the moment due to of a clear lack of time to manage it, but we strongly think about it :-) For now if you don't want to miss any information, we'll put everything here and on our Instagram.

[Diggidy]

The people going out of their way to berate someone and accusing them of editing the audio on a prototype sound test are the worst part of this hobby.

[donny_pete]

This thing can double as a weapon too. I am in love

[tngpq]

The people going out of their way to berate someone and accusing them of editing the audio on a prototype sound test are the worst part of this hobby.

He is a ****. Move on.

Love the design and font.

[Puddsy]

isn't this the board that started out as a keycult copy

[Beenoman]

woah thats a cool weight design

[iinko_mk]

nice. GLWIC

[zekth]

simon proved on his stream that it is edited.
https://www.twitch.tv/blacksimon/clip/TenderThoughtfulHerringHassanChop

Buy DAC on drop
Be sound engineer

[FlitzDeelman]

This looks great. However, can we have a Twitch streamer build a prototype and give their impressions?

[vi0till]

This looks great. However, can we have a Twitch streamer build a prototype and give their impressions?

+1

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[Myoth]

Is that the Porsche font on the weight?

Not at all, but it is indeed strongly inspired from it. There is no such "Porsche" font in existence, each graphic has been done by hand. Exactly like the Typemaster font, witch has been 100% done by hand from scratch. But if you look closely, you'll find a lot of differences between the Porsche work and ours.

We wrote about that a while ago here : https://typemaster.works/blogs/typemaster-news/about-the-typemaster-logos

what about the 80 on the pcb ? it looks eerly similar to the Peugeot "Lion" font.

Comparison :



I'm curious because I wanted to use it myself but figured it was a way too obvious copyright infrigement.

[Typemaster]

what about the 80 on the pcb ? it looks eerly similar to the Peugeot "Lion" font.

I'm curious because I wanted to use it myself but figured it was a way too obvious copyright infrigement.

The "80" on the PCB is similar to the one on the weight. But in fact you are right, the Peugeot numbers font is verrrrry similar to the Porsche numbers, witch surprised me quite a bit when I saw it.

Considering we're not in the automotive world at all, if you design your own "inspired" font, I don't think you'll get any problems.

I encourage you to do not use fonts already done, but to use this awesome piece of software : https://fontforge.org/en-US/

But you'll see there is not a lot of way to design a "8" or a "0", following an "automotive" theme

Here are some views of how we created the Typemaster font :

[Typemaster]

This looks great. However, can we have a Twitch streamer build a prototype and give their impressions?

We'll work on that very soon :-) Considering we only have 1 unit of the latest prototype, I want to make sure we don't need it anymore for 2 weeks before sending it to someone.

[noorejji]

I'm curious because I wanted to use it myself but figured it was a way too obvious copyright infrigement.

what even

Audio edits and font theft. These comments are something else.

[FlitzDeelman]

This looks great. However, can we have a Twitch streamer build a prototype and give their impressions?

We'll work on that very soon :-) Considering we only have 1 unit of the latest prototype, I want to make sure we don't need it anymore for 2 weeks before sending it to someone.

Great, thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Myoth]

what about the 80 on the pcb ? it looks eerly similar to the Peugeot "Lion" font.

I'm curious because I wanted to use it myself but figured it was a way too obvious copyright infrigement.

The "80" on the PCB is similar to the one on the weight. But in fact you are right, the Peugeot numbers font is verrrrry similar to the Porsche numbers, witch surprised me quite a bit when I saw it.

Considering we're not in the automotive world at all, if you design your own "inspired" font, I don't think you'll get any problems.

I encourage you to do not use fonts already done, but to use this awesome piece of software : https://fontforge.org/en-US/

But you'll see there is not a lot of way to design a "8" or a "0", following an "automotive" theme

Here are some views of how we created the Typemaster font :

Show Image

Show Image

thank you for the hindsight !

I'm curious because I wanted to use it myself but figured it was a way too obvious copyright infrigement.

what even

Audio edits and font theft. These comments are something else.

I wasn't accusing them of anything, I said I didn't use this particuliar font myself because I was scared of such consequences. I also said that I was surprised to see something so similar. You're extrapolating lmao

[treeleaf64]

Hi this is treeleaf
I want to make an apology for accusing you of editing sound. I'm glad you were able to back up your claim, and this makes it easier for me to respect you

Sincerely,
treeleaf

[noorejji]

I wasn't accusing them of anything, I said I didn't use this particuliar font myself because I was scared of such consequences. I also said that I was surprised to see something so similar. You're extrapolating lmao

Forgive me, I'm not trying to extrapolate anything here. I'm just picturing a team of Peugeot lawyers absolutely ruining his life with slapstick lawsuits. lmao as you say.

[Julia]

is there a possibility you can make a discord? I do not have IG and might forget about your website after bookmarking it.

[ptiede]

This looks interesting

[Cahuib23]

Hi this is treeleaf
I want to make an apology for accusing you of editing sound. I'm glad you were able to back up your claim, and this makes it easier for me to respect you

Sincerely,
treeleaf

same here

[Typemaster]

Hi this is treeleaf
I want to make an apology for accusing you of editing sound. I'm glad you were able to back up your claim, and this makes it easier for me to respect you

Sincerely,
treeleaf

same here

Thanks you guys :-) We'll also make another sound test as soon as we can as a second step to makes the things cristal clear

[Typemaster]

is there a possibility you can make a discord? I do not have IG and might forget about your website after bookmarking it.

I'll discuss this with the team asap, we'll probably do that soon, we just need a bit a free time to do it correctly :-)

For now you can fill out the IC form and leave your e-mail, so you will be informed of important steps on our project (we won't send 10 e-mails a week)

[Typemaster]

We just received our 100th form submission, I wanted to thanks you all about that, and for the kind words we received as well ! It really means a lot for us !

The IC form will be closed this Sunday (the 13th), and we will answer the questions & requests we are seeing at this moment.

[xantiema]

Going by some of the recent group buy discords, I would personally refrain from offering it should I ever run a GB - drastically more time consuming meeting the demand on attention through for updates, clarifications and what not. Delays tend to yield some profound trolling as well 

[Lenux]

Saw the first early prototype, it was kinda sus.

Now, this is really interesting it changed lot of things. I kinda like it, price is correct.

But i couldn't see any information about the Mount style. Also which one will be used as weight the text or the emblem ?

GLWIC !

Sent from my Mi A2 Lite using Tapatalk

[Typemaster]

Saw the first early prototype, it was kinda sus.

Now, this is really interesting it changed lot of things. I kinda like it, price is correct.

But i couldn't see any information about the Mount style. Also which one will be used as weight the text or the emblem ?

GLWIC !

The first prototype was really an early work-in-progress, we should have told it at this moment... Mistakes has been made in the past!

The mounting system is very simple in design, yet extremely efficient. 8 gel pads with a thickness of 3mm are glued on the bottom piece (the blue part).

The plate have notches with the exact same size of the gel. So you place your plate directly on the bottom piece, without worrying too much about the plate placement because the notches are guiding you to place the plate correctly.

Then, you place the top part, witch also have gel pads to make a "sandwich" mount. So at the end, your place is only touching gel parts. A nice 1.4mm clearance has been added all around the plate in the case, so you can move the plate by typing etc. without worrying to touch the case. The gel gives a very nice amount of flex, even with a very stiff plate.

And voilà, that's it.

About the weight, it's one piece :-) There is the "Typemaster 180" writing on the top, and the logo on the bottom, it's literally going through the bottom blue piece.

[Typemaster]

We got contact with the factory today, and it seems we will be able to get plates in Carbon Fiber, POM and PC. Plates will most likely deburred and ready to use. I've seen not deburred plates in the past shipped directly to customers, and it wasn't nice to see. About an FR4 version, we'll do that later as it needs a bit of design work. We'll confirm that this weekend once the IC form will be closed !

Just a quick reminder about the fact the gel pads on the bottom piece are giving any plate a nice amount of flex, even with the stiffer ones like brass or stainless steel. Hopefully a plastic plate will not gives too much flex, we're now in untested territories :-)

[treeleaf64]

We got contact with the factory today, and it seems we will be able to get plates in Carbon Fiber, POM and PC. Plates will most likely deburred and ready to use. I've seen not deburred plates in the past shipped directly to customers, and it wasn't nice to see. About an FR4 version, we'll do that later as it needs a bit of design work. We'll confirm that this weekend once the IC form will be closed !

Just a quick reminder about the fact the gel pads on the bottom piece are giving any plate a nice amount of flex, even with the stiffer ones like brass or stainless steel. Hopefully a plastic plate will not gives too much flex, we're now in untested territories :-)

Alu plate avail? fingers crossed

[Diggidy]

We got contact with the factory today, and it seems we will be able to get plates in Carbon Fiber, POM and PC. Plates will most likely deburred and ready to use. I've seen not deburred plates in the past shipped directly to customers, and it wasn't nice to see. About an FR4 version, we'll do that later as it needs a bit of design work. We'll confirm that this weekend once the IC form will be closed !

Just a quick reminder about the fact the gel pads on the bottom piece are giving any plate a nice amount of flex, even with the stiffer ones like brass or stainless steel. Hopefully a plastic plate will not gives too much flex, we're now in untested territories :-)

That's awesome news. I'd definitely be down for a CF and POM plate.

[Typemaster]

We got contact with the factory today, and it seems we will be able to get plates in Carbon Fiber, POM and PC. Plates will most likely deburred and ready to use. I've seen not deburred plates in the past shipped directly to customers, and it wasn't nice to see. About an FR4 version, we'll do that later as it needs a bit of design work. We'll confirm that this weekend once the IC form will be closed !

Just a quick reminder about the fact the gel pads on the bottom piece are giving any plate a nice amount of flex, even with the stiffer ones like brass or stainless steel. Hopefully a plastic plate will not gives too much flex, we're now in untested territories :-)

Alu plate avail? fingers crossed

Yes :-) Alu plate will be shipped bundled with the keyboard. It will be the same color as the bottom piece. You'll also have an option to get an extra aluminum plate !

[Typemaster]

IC is now completed, thanks you all again for your support, it means a lot for us !

Original post has been updated with the IC results, final prices, MoQ, versions, and ETA for shipping.

GB date will be announced soon. Feel free to comment and ask any questions :-)

[kk73715]

So the 429 and 479 pricing does not include the plate?

[Typemaster]

So the 429 and 479 pricing does not include the plate?

It includes the Aluminum plate by default, my bad, I'm correcting the message :-)

[pixelpusher]

I think elongated flat black feet would look and feel better than the generic clear bumpons.  Perhaps something like the Keycult or Mekanisk bumpons.

[Typemaster]

I think elongated flat black feet would look and feel better than the generic clear bumpons.  Perhaps something like the Keycult or Mekanisk bumpons.

I just checked the 3M offering, and we're currently using the ref. SJ5303 for the back (11.2mm width ; 5.1mm height) and the SJ5306 (9.5mm width ; 3.8mm height) for the front. They are both Hemispherical shaped.

While the SJ5303 can be replaced by the SJ5003 in black color, there is no direct replacement for the SJ5306 in the same shape.

We'll try to go with Cylindrical shape with the SJ5076 (8mm width ; 2.8mm height) on the front, and with the SJ5001 or SJ5012 (12.7mm width ; 3,6mm height) on the back, but is it a bit low IMO.

It worth the try to test tho, if the fitting and look is better, we'll ship with black Cylindrical bumpons instead of clear Hemispherical ones.

Edit: spelling ; just ordered the 4 new references for the bumpons, so we'll test that shortly.

[Lenux]

If we are in France will shipping still take place in 1 months i'm curious about it.

Sent from my Mi A2 Lite using Tapatalk

[Typemaster]

If we are in France will shipping still take place in 1 months i'm curious about it.

Sent from my Mi A2 Lite using Tapatalk

There's about 2h30 (rough estimate) of QC / preparation for each keyboard, but I suppose we will ship in batches, depending of the carrier. So in France you'll get your keyboard in 2 days once it's shipped, while it should take 5 to 7 days worldwide, depending of the location.

What I can say is we'll do that as fast as we can, but with high quality standards. Considering this is our first GB, time frames are only estimations :-)

[Cubic // esc lab]

.

[tommyamoszhao]

Nice！

[PHYLO]

This board just looks so gorgeous.

[Diggidy]

Are you still planning to have a streamer build one before GB?

[Typemaster]

Hi there !

Just a little update on the progress for the GB, the configuration of the shop took a lot of time but is almost finished !

About a stream review of the Typemaster 180, we haven't had time to look for it yet, but let us know if you know a streamer interested to do so.

It's unlikely it will be done before the GB, but we'll do our best to arrange that during the GB.

We'll keep you informed on the GB opening date soon !

Happy holidays everyone !

[Diggidy]

I find this board very interesting, and is something I am strongly considering buying, given the opportunity.

With that said, I think you guys really need to do a build stream with an independent streamer to make buyers more confident in this board. There are a lot of people that still comment about this being a KC copy based upon your past IC (even though I don't agree), and even in this thread there have been people questioning the legitimacy of your sound tests. A streamer going through your board, building it, and then sound-testing it would go a long way.

Additionally, there are also other premium 75% boards going to GB soon, such as the GHS.RAR 75%. They have like 4-5 streamers setup to show off their board. That makes a big difference in peoples' confidence to spend 600+ on a 75% board.

[Typemaster]

I find this board very interesting, and is something I am strongly considering buying, given the opportunity.

With that said, I think you guys really need to do a build stream with an independent streamer to make buyers more confident in this board. There are a lot of people that still comment about this being a KC copy based upon your past IC (even though I don't agree), and even in this thread there have been people questioning the legitimacy of your sound tests. A streamer going through your board, building it, and then sound-testing it would go a long way.

Additionally, there are also other premium 75% boards going to GB soon, such as the GHS.RAR 75%. They have like 4-5 streamers setup to show off their board. That makes a big difference in peoples' confidence to spend 600+ on a 75% board.

Thanks for the comment :-) I indeed 100% agree with you, will start researches right now.

If you happen to know some names, I have to agree I don't have the time to follow any Twitch streamers, so I'm not fully aware of the people doing this.

[Diggidy]

I have no idea what the process is like to have these individuals build a board, how long it takes, etc.. but some of the more common people building boards right now, aside from Taeha:

- Alexotos
- Apiary
- Minterly
- 3ildcat
- Taekeyboards

... and many others.

[adamjohari]

Love the 904L steel weight. They use that steel in Rolex these days. In for the board, just name your price!

[xantiema]

The whole idea of independent builders being the norm and barrier to entry probably needs to change. I don't see why I would feel more trusting post-community build log. These guys seem trustworthy enough to run a group buy, like many others.

[Typemaster]

As of today, here is the current plan. We'll do another sound test as promised, before the GB. It should come by the end of this week.

This new sound test will be done with the initial switches (lubed Gat Ink Red housing + NK cream stems), and with lubed and filmed Tangerines v2. So you can know a bit better about "how does it sounds with regular switches".

Then, we'll send the prototype to a YouTuber, so you'll get an independant and unbiased review.

While I agree it should not be a norm, I feel it's a good way to have another point of view on our project, and we're pretty excited to see how it comes out!

However, we still don't know if we'll delay the start of the GB to after this review goes online, but what's sure is it will come way before the end of the GB.

Anyways, we're doing everything to do the best, and the fastest, witch is clearly a hard task for a first GB :-)

[xantiema]

I vote for no delays, but I also admit I should have no say in deciding the matter 

[Engedi_]

My OCD is telling me that the empty top right corner is bothering me.
Maybe you can add F13 to make it look more uniform...

[Typemaster]

My OCD is telling me that the empty top right corner is bothering me.
Maybe you can add F13 to make it look more uniform...

It is an integral and assumed part of the design. More fulfilled not equal to better, in our opinion :-)

It creates a kind of balance with the space available under the 3 right function keys.

[Diggidy]

I look forward to the typing test video from you guys - if you could do a more detailed run through of the board, the plate mounting, etc, that would be awesome to see as well.

One thing I read on the website that I didn't see in this post - the PCB supports ALPS switches? Is that correct? Are the plate offerings going to allow for ALPS as well?

[Typemaster]

I look forward to the typing test video from you guys - if you could do a more detailed run through of the board, the plate mounting, etc, that would be awesome to see as well.

One thing I read on the website that I didn't see in this post - the PCB supports ALPS switches? Is that correct? Are the plate offerings going to allow for ALPS as well?

We will do a more detailed video as well :-)

Yes, the PCB and plates are both supporting ALPS switches !

[Typemaster]

Happy new year, and best wishes from Typemaster :-)

We just have published a second sound test on YouTube, with the same switches you seen on the first video :

Another sound test with lubed Tangerines v2 will come soon, once the build is finished.

Also, as promised, here is a quick live record to show the sound of our videos is 100% raw, without any post production, here :

Sound file shown in the video :

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0453/4173/7116/files/Input_Device_Recording_20210102_1627.mp4?v=1609601386

BTW, each Shopify file URL is unique, as far as I know.

This should makes the things clear :-)

Happy watching !

[Cubic // esc lab]

.

[Diggidy]

Hahaha, I love it, that 2nd video.

Great sounding board. Very excited for this.

[cannon-cat]

I'm glad you guys were able to defend yourselves from the far-fetched claims against you guys. Here's hoping to a successful groupbuy 

[soloplayer]

oh man i really like the curve and the sound of your board, definitely make me drool lol
but 2 things bother me are the emptiness on the top- right and the position of arrow cluster. my preference is the arrow cluster is in the same row with the spacebar (like normal tkl if i describe it wrong), and a knob or a switch on the top right.
i know it's your own choice, and above is my preference. you cant satisfy everyone ,but it's my own thought. hope you guys could consider it in r2 GB.
any GLwGB, maybe i could grab one if my finance allow lolol

[JCraftCables]

Overall design is clean but the blocker spacing is a little inconsistent (around the arrow cluster) which you may want to consider revising for future versions.

[Typemaster]

Thanks you guys for the kind words :-)

As requested many times, here is a new sound test, this time with fairly common switches : the Tangerines v2. There are a bit more highly pitched compared to the previous switches we were using.

These has been filmed and slightly lubed with Krytox 205g0. This time I've been very careful to lube them equally, so the result is quite nice and even.

I also made sure the stabilizers are lubed perfectly, so they are not rattling at all.

Feel free to let us know what you think about the board sound

Happy watching !

[Cubic // esc lab]

Please have content creators build this

[Typemaster]

Please have content creators build this

Incoming :-) This keyboard should be shipped to a Youtuber / stream this coming week!

[Typemaster]

Another day, another video for you guys !

This time, you'll see better how the magnetic closing & opening works. You'll also see how the plate placement works, and how the gel pads makes the plate "floating" around the board, creating this unique typing flex experience, and great sound dampening.

We'll currently finalizing some details with the shop, and we should announce the GB date soon.

Feel free to let us know if you want to see something else before the board goes to a third party reviewer :-)

Enjoy!

[Cubic // esc lab]

This is super cool and I'm excited for this despite the hiccup in the beginning

Are there any price expectations?

When would the GB happen and when could people expect to receive the board?

Thanks!

[Typemaster]

This is super cool and I'm excited for this despite the hiccup in the beginning

Are there any price expectations?

When would the GB happen and when could people expect to receive the board?

Thanks!

You can find the prices in the first post, or on our website :-)

We'll do our best to make the GB in mid-January, and we can expect a 4 to 6 months delay before shipping

[bball2]

Man that prototype looks great and sounds awesome too!

Are you planning on a FCFS group buy or a raffle?

[Typemaster]

Man that prototype looks great and sounds awesome too!

Are you planning on a FCFS group buy or a raffle?

Thanks you :-)

The GB will be FCFS. Considering our IC, I think anyone who will be here the first days will have the time to catch one.

If there is too much buy pressure on this sale, or a future one, we'll go with a raffle-style at this moment, but we're not here :-)

[Havattack]

I'm not to big on the surface aesthetics (mostly the bottom) but the layout is AWESOME. I'll never understand why more 75's don't use a 3-button cluster on the right side. 4 and 2 button clusters don't jive with my functuay.
The one thing i really don't like are the rubber feet on the bottom. They look like a cheap after thought. 

[Cubic // esc lab]

I'm not to big on the surface aesthetics (mostly the bottom) but the layout is AWESOME. I'll never understand why more 75's don't use a 3-button cluster on the right side. 4 and 2 button clusters don't jive with my functuay.
The one thing i really don't like are the rubber feet on the bottom. They look like a cheap after thought.

Same. I wish more designers used this layout. It's the best middle ground between 65% and TKL. For me, 65% is too sparse, while TKL is a little too much. 

[soloplayer]

i prefer the symmetrical 75, like the Dawn
do you guys have a plan to release a Typemaster 165, for 65% layout?

[Exluna]

To tell you the truth I'm interested already due to the unique magnetic mechanism. I hope you don't mind, I do have a couple of questions.

1) I was wondering how the magnets are attached to the case? In my experience magnetically attached doors/parts are great until a magnet comes loose from the adhesive and sticks to the other side! How are the magnets held in place? Will they stay in place over time?

2) Are you considering other formats perhaps, in the future? (I'm in love with 1800 boards for work!)

I really like the idea of the magnets. The gel also sounds like a really interesting idea. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in the GB.

[Typemaster]

The one thing i really don't like are the rubber feet on the bottom. They look like a cheap after thought.

We'll try another rubber feet very soon and post pictures accordingly, so you may have a good surprise about them :-)

do you guys have a plan to release a Typemaster 165, for 65% layout?

The next keyboard we'll working on will most certainly be a 65% layout, but it requires this GB to be a success!

[Typemaster]

To tell you the truth I'm interested already due to the unique magnetic mechanism. I hope you don't mind, I do have a couple of questions.

1) I was wondering how the magnets are attached to the case? In my experience magnetically attached doors/parts are great until a magnet comes loose from the adhesive and sticks to the other side! How are the magnets held in place? Will they stay in place over time?

2) Are you considering other formats perhaps, in the future? (I'm in love with 1800 boards for work!)

I really like the idea of the magnets. The gel also sounds like a really interesting idea. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in the GB.

No worries, I'm here to answer any questions :-)

1) The magnets are glued to the case. We're allowing a nice tolerance around the magnets to put a fair amount of glue. This gluing operation is made by ourselves in France, by hand, with special glue (UHU MAX REPAIR EXTREME). Once the glue is dried, it's very unlikely the magnet will come out by itself.

2) If this first GB is a success, we'll construct a nice line-up over the time, with this design, and other things we have in mind. The first keyboard / GB is what's taking the most time to do, so we hope the community let us work on other projects by making the Typemaster 180 a success!

> The gel also sounds like a really interesting idea.

We're trying not to oversell it, just because, you know... But if you ask me, this is probably a game changer in mech keyboards feeling and dampening. Silicone / rubber / foam pads are really bad for many reasons, compared to what we achieved with this gel. Most of keyboards internals are over-engineered these days. Magnets + gel seems to be the best way to go IMO. Time will tell :-)

[Surefoot]

Nice round shape and layout. That would certainly complement SA keysets (SA Skyriter comes to mind for the green version) very nicely. Will definitely get one

[soloplayer]

i'm certain that this GB will be a success. not sure if it's a huge success or not, but pretty sure success anyway lol  )
very happy with the news, the magnet, the bottom curve and gel are so awesome. i will patiently waiting for a 65% version adapted with all of these features 

[Diggidy]

Please have content creators build this

Incoming :-) This keyboard should be shipped to a Youtuber / stream this coming week!

Any updates on who the streamer will be?

[Typemaster]

Any updates on who the streamer will be?

Yes! The keyboard left our office today, and Hipyotech will do the review once he will receive it!

His Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hipyotech/

His YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/hipyotech

I'll keep you guys updated once I know more about the schedule

[Typemaster]

Hi there!

Good news! The Typemaster 180 will be on YouTube stream with @hipyotech on YouTube today!

Countdown: https://countingdownto.com/countdown-pages/1C1jgg7T

Hipyotech YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PokeFamily

[Typemaster]

*error*

[Typemaster]

*error*

[Exluna]

I enjoyed that stream. Those magnets look really strong and secure. Mmm now I'm hoping for the GB within the next 2 months. Things look like they are coming together well.

[xantiema]

Looking forward to the GB - it is a must have for me

[Diggidy]

Do you know if Hipyotech is planning to do an actual build video, as opposed to the stream? He seems like a really nice dude, and I know everyone has to start somewhere - for example, Tae is my favorite keyboard content creator, and his channel started off with mostly budget keyboards - however, it was pretty clear that Hipyotech has not evaluated many premium boards. I can't say his stream really sold me on anything - fairly poor camera quality (the board legit looked gold his color was so off), washed out and difficult to hear audio, cheap budget keycaps, and at times he didn't seem to know basic details about the board. He also just kept going back to his Idobao boards and keycaps throughout the stream...

[marthike135]

Do you guys not have a discord?

[Hipyo]

Do you know if Hipyotech is planning to do an actual build video, as opposed to the stream? He seems like a really nice dude, and I know everyone has to start somewhere - for example, Tae is my favorite keyboard content creator, and his channel started off with mostly budget keyboards - however, it was pretty clear that Hipyotech has not evaluated many premium boards. I can't say his stream really sold me on anything - fairly poor camera quality (the board legit looked gold his color was so off), washed out and difficult to hear audio, cheap budget keycaps, and at times he didn't seem to know basic details about the board. He also just kept going back to his Idobao boards and keycaps throughout the stream...

I'll be making a full video, that will be out in the beginning of February. Also, I'm still figuring out streaming so my capture card was not working properly and the audio had some issues, and I'm sorry for that. The final footage in my overview video will be significantly better than what was portrayed on stream. You're also right that this is my first super premium board, and I think I did mention that a few times on stream. I'm still in the process of editing together the video, so if you have some specific things you would like covered please let me know and I can see if I can work them in. To be fair however, it was more of a first impressions stream, and I did not want to go into it sounding like a drone reading a product sheet or something.

[Cubic // esc lab]

Really stoked about this board. Looks really good so far.


I am a huge fan of this 75/TKL hybrid layout - clean and contains the necessary keys that I need to use.


Also love innovative design elements like that gel mount + magnet enclosure mechanism.


My only real concern is the sound of the board isn't really my style. Sounds a bit.. hollow?


If you could send this off to someone like Alexotos who knows a bit more about board building, I'll definitely re-consider.


Good luck with IC my friend!

[Hipyo]

My video review for the board is now live

- I probably missed some things, but all of this is my opinion and my perspective on the board.

[Samael82]

Definitely joining and thx again to Hipyo for bringing it to my attention, totally missed the IC here! 
Only problem is i can't decide what color to chose! Amazing color matching guys, bravo!

[xantiema]

Whats funny is that I love everything about the board except the color combinations - somehow being able to opt into a completely black or silver would have been optimal, yet I would still love to join the GB irrespective of this 

[hello21]

I'm finding this quite brilliant, especially the empty top blocker.
1. Will it be possible for users to take off the bumpons or do they come glued to the board?
2. What's the front height of the board?

[Samael82]

Whats funny is that I love everything about the board except the color combinations - somehow being able to opt into a completely black or silver would have been optimal, yet I would still love to join the GB irrespective of this 

I agree on the full black, it a classic, but then again, this board is anything but classic   

Black-Green with a GMK Aurora Polaris on is going to be very special imo.

[bball2]

Do we have any renders for any of the other colors? Really leaning towards black/gold or black/green :-D

[nu_types]

isn't this the board that started out as a keycult copy

Yes, but everyone in this hobby has a short memory.

[Cubic // esc lab]

Just watched the Hipyo video.

If I have money left when this goes into GB, I'm in.

Any ideas when GB will be, and how long fulfillment will take?

[Diggidy]

Getting an all black case would be pretty dope - it should be possible too yeah?

[Typemaster]

Do you guys not have a discord?

Not atm ! Follow our Instagram to get the latest news :-)

Getting an all black case would be pretty dope - it should be possible too yeah?

The 180 is designed to be two tones, so it's not planned. It also removes the hassle for color matching.

Just watched the Hipyo video.

If I have money left when this goes into GB, I'm in.

Any ideas when GB will be, and how long fulfillment will take?

We should announce the GB date very soon (hopefully tomorrow, or in the next few days) with all the details

I'm finding this quite brilliant, especially the empty top blocker.
1. Will it be possible for users to take off the bumpons or do they come glued to the board?
2. What's the front height of the board?

They will come glued to the board, but we might have some news in the few days about the bumpons :-) Please follow our instagram so you won't miss it!

Also there is a slight hole in the board for the bumpons.

I don't have the exact numbers in mind, but it's the shortest possible considering the design. Under 20mm for sure

[Typemaster]

Jeffsbattlestation is live on Twitch right now with the Typemaster 180 !

https://www.twitch.tv/jeffsbattlestation

[soloplayer]

Jeffsbattlestation is live on Twitch right now with the Typemaster 180 !

https://www.twitch.tv/jeffsbattlestation

board sound so good omg!!

[bball2]

Great video, lots of great renders on the website as well!

[Samael82]

Jeffsbattlestation is live on Twitch right now with the Typemaster 180 !

https://www.twitch.tv/jeffsbattlestation

Is it too late to change the gel thickness and make some room so that you can add the foam option under the PCB?
Board sounded good even with the weird SS plate you chose to send to the reviewers, but i feel like it would benefit from some foaming, lots of empty space as it is right now.

[Typemaster]

Is it too late to change the gel thickness and make some room so that you can add the foam option under the PCB?
Board sounded good even with the weird SS plate you chose to send to the reviewers, but i feel like it would benefit from some foaming, lots of empty space as it is right now.

Adding foam under the PCB is not necessary. The idea about the gel is to add flex, without the PCB to touch anything solid. And also isolate (sound wise) the plate + PCB combo from the case. There is a very little empty space under the PCB :-) It would also be a bad idea to add space on the bottom to add foam, the difference would be minimal.

The best you can do if you want to mute the sound is to add foam between the plate and the PCB. This will reduce the plate resonance, without killing the gel dampening.

[Typemaster]

Jeffbattlestation's sound test with the Tangerines v2 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMjivJ0BdA4x

[Typemaster]

About the GB, everything should be ready for us in the next few days. It took way more time than expected to setup the shop and get all the services we need to make the GB happen!

We'll announce the GB date as soon as we can (we hope in the next few days). Stay tuned :-)

[bball2]

Any update on the group buy date?

[Typemaster]

The Typemaster 180 GB date is announced!

Date : Saturday 6 March

PST / UTC -8 - 10:00 AM
EST / UTC -5 - 1:00 PM
CET / UTC +1 - 7:00 PM

We're updating our website now, and we will open a GB thread very soon!

[Randomi]

I think this looks good! Would be nice if store policy would be available in other languages than french though: https://typemaster.works/pages/conditions-generales-de-vente

Also, I take it ISO is supported? There are no selections based on layout for the plate on the site.

[keyboardcircle]

Can you create an ALPS plate design that work with ALPS stab?

[Typemaster]

I think this looks good! Would be nice if store policy would be available in other languages than french though: https://typemaster.works/pages/conditions-generales-de-vente

Also, I take it ISO is supported? There are no selections based on layout for the plate on the site.

We are on it, but it will be a Google translate based translation, as we don't have the funds to pay yet-another-lawyer to do that

ISO is 100% supported. The plate and PCB are designed to accept both ANSI and ISO

Can you create an ALPS plate design that work with ALPS stab?

Unfortunately the design is sealed as it is right now, afaik MX-style stabs should work well, unless you're using old keycaps

[Typemaster]

GB Thread is here !

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=111439.0

Please follow the link for any questions, thanks!