How to make mx switches slience?

[oppz197]

hi im currently using a mx brown kb, but my roommate thinks its too loud esp when i do late night essays. Is there a way to lighten the sound/ whihc mx switch is the quietest?

[calavera]

o-rings would soften the sound of bottoming out but it won't make them totally silent.

[rowdy]

Maybe practice not bottoming out.

[oppz197]

does black or red make less noise?

[rowdy]

Probably black, as it is slightly harder to press the keys down, and thus you would be slightly less likely to bottom out.

[ksm123]

MX Clears and acrylic plate, this combination is the most quiet I've ever used.

I don't bottom it out, not even modifiers. It is more quiet then my superior's ThinkPad keyboard.

I used to use MX Brown, even without bottoming out it was louder, metal plate amplifies the sound of returning key :-(

[knotra]

o rings, not bottoming out and typing slower.

i feel the cherry mx reds are the quietest without modifications

[knotra]

Probably black, as it is slightly harder to press the keys down, and thus you would be slightly less likely to bottom out.

maybe it's just me but for cherry mx black switches, i just press a lot harder so im bottoming out even more when usually i wouldnt be.

when i compare my black switch board and my red switch board, the red switch is quieter but it may just be the board.

[Input Nirvana]

KSM123 and Knotra are in the ballpark I think. The acrylic plate seems to stifle the most sound but am I wrong in thinking the cherry clears make some noise since they are tactile? Wouldn't black or red be better since they are linear? Super soft o-rings are a must as well and possible changing key caps.....all this if we are trying to make it as stealth as possible. Forget what's practical/affordable.

[rowdy]

I am typing on blacks now, and although I usually bottom out with reds and blues, I, with a little concentration, can almost not bottom out at all on blacks.

There is still a little rattle from the keycaps,

This is on a plate-mounted QFR btw.

[ksm123]

@InputNirvana:

I cannot give you any insight into difference between sound of Clears and Blacks, the shameful secret is: I've never in my life typed on linear Cherry MX keyboard.

On the other hand, bear in mind, that tactile, as opposed to clicky switch actuation is an order of magnitude quieter than bottoming a switch out...

[WhiteFireDragon]

Float type, or if that takes too much concentration, then O-rings. You'll still have noise from the keys popping back up, but if you lube it with high viscosity oil, you'll get rid of a lot that noise.

[davkol]

Don't forget about keycaps. Bottoming out and upstroke with thick/PBT caps don't sound as aggressive as with thin ABS.

KSM123 and Knotra are in the ballpark I think. The acrylic plate seems to stifle the most sound but am I wrong in thinking the cherry clears make some noise since they are tactile? Wouldn't black or red be better since they are linear? Super soft o-rings are a must as well and possible changing key ape.....all this if we are trying to make it as stealth as possible. Forget what's practical/affordable.

I think the bump somehow dampens the upstroke.

[Findecanor]

I have never tried an acrylic plate. A keyboard without PCB-mounted switches (no plate) is more silent than one with a metal plate.
The springs in Cherry MX Black switches ping somewhat, even if they are PCB-mounted.

[BlueBär]

I think I may have had an interesting idea. Since o-rings dampen the sound when bottoming out pretty well, there's still the problem of the key making this high pitched sound when snapping back up.
So I opened a Cherry MX Black and looked exactly which parts cause that sound, it's the stem's sliders bouncing against the upper part of the housing, just two small spots. To dampen this sound, I took the housing (since that is the non moving part) and put some glue on the two spots, then I took some fibers of a thick sock, making two small fluffs and glueing them inside.
I probably should have taken some different glue and made this a bit more properly, but this more a proof of concept.



Here are the results with a non-mounted, non-lubed Cherry MX Black switch (I am a bit sick but it's not that bad):
Vanilla switch: http://vocaroo.com/i/s17Q2clQt4dZ
Vanilla with blue o-ring: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0dZIp4zPwME
Modded switch: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0dh19b7yrDp

As I say in the last recording, it feels weird. Maybe that's the glue transferring a bit to the sliders, but that's rather my fault with the "wrong glue". However, it is very very silent.

Should I do more experiments with this?

[Danule]

Get a topre.  They are quiet and nicer for typing.

[davkol]

Get a topre.  They are quiet and nicer for typing.

Wrong thread, Topre circlejerk is here.

[tp4tissue]

Get a topre.  They are quiet and nicer for typing.

Wrong thread, Topre circlejerk is here.

 ) ) ) ) )

Wow, I wasn't the first one to call um out on it...

[Danule]

Get a topre.  They are quiet and nicer for typing.

Wrong thread, Topre circlejerk is here.

 ) ) ) ) )

Wow, I wasn't the first one to call um out on it...

ERGODOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!