How does the white alps copies feel comparing to the real white alps?
for the record, I for one oppose the designation 'real' and 'fake' for the various alps switches, as I feel the terms are misleading in a way (and unecessariliy make the later alps switches seem to be imposters of some kind - they're not, they're licensed/legal manufacturers).
I feel it would be like referring to unicomp as 'fake buckling springs' and ibm made ones as 'real buckling springs'. Doesnt seem right.
Sure, the 'later' alps switches vary in design and there were three or four major redesigns (after all we think unicomp uses lighter springs, dont we?), but they're all marketed under the alps umbrella and there's nothing 'fake' about them. They're redesigns.
So I prefer the terms 'original' and 'later'.
How do they feel? As with most questions like this, you'll get a range of responses since this is very subjective. I've tried pretty much all of them. My own opinion is that the 'original' alps is quite similar (in feel, tone, etc) to the 'later' switch that was sold as the "XM" switch (and which you find in most 'alps' keyboards out there today including filco and matias and ABS and so on. Actually the XM switch is probably the most common one out there today. So if you ask me, its pretty similar to the 'original' one.
You can still get your hands on the 'original' one pretty easily - just pick up an at101w on ebay for about $25 to $30 shipped, sometimes less. It has the 'original' 'bigfoot' alps.
Now some people will swear the newer XM is different from teh original bigfoot, but for me I find them more similar than not. Sure, they're slightly different, but not by much, if you ask me.
There are two remaining varieties of alps, both hard to find today. I actually forgot what one of them is. It wasnt any big shakes though. Now the other one, called 'real simplified' in the wiki - ah, thats my favorite alps switch. Quite different from the other alps designs and for my money much better than the rest. Unfortunately also virtually impossible to find anymore. Its a pity.
I came across it on the matias TP2 (old version - with the bum control card with the ghosting problems, so I couldnt use it anyway). But in terms of feel it was meaty, slightly heavier, clunkier and lower toned sound, and kept its resistance more consistently on the downstroke. (To be honest, it was like buckling springs, lol). But different enough to be neat.
Anyway, to answer your question, XM's are fairly similar to bigfoots, if you ask me. Alright, they're higher in tone when they click. But bigfoots are a bit high pitched to begin with too. Others will chime in with their views here anyway.
