Author Topic: New member & first mechanical keyboard  (Read 2064 times)

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Offline ThesisStatement

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New member & first mechanical keyboard
« on: Tue, 25 June 2013, 21:34:36 »
Hey everyone!  Brand new member and first time mechanical keyboard user here.  I had always used chicklet style keyboards in the past but my brother had rave reviews about his MX Black mechanical.

I decided upon a Ducky Shine II with MX Blue switches.  I am still getting used to the keyboard and I definitely type slower on it than I did on my non-mechanical, but I am sure that will change after I teach my fingers to lift up a little higher.  Regardless, I love the look, feel and sound.

Shortly after getting the keyboard I found this site and started looking at all the awesome modification everyone has been doing.  I really want to get in on some of these group buys, but being that I am new all the acronyms used are foreign to me. 

I have been doing my research and have sorted out a lot of it, but there is still much to learn.   Are the key profile of my Ducky OEM?  I hear a lot about SP DCS profile which I assume would work with any MX switch type keyboard?  I want to make sure if I get in on something it will be keys that will work with my keyboard.

At the same time, I already love the looks of the 60% ones and may have to get a TKL too!

Looking forward to learning and being a part of the community.  Thanks!

Offline aggiejy

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 26 June 2013, 01:16:32 »
Welcome to geekhack! 

Yes, your Ducky caps would be OEM profile, which are a bit taller than the Signature Plastics DCS profile.  The SP DCS are the most common custom-made keycaps that you'll find in group buys.  Recently though, we also have some keys from GMK in Germany which literally use the tooling that Cherry used back when they made double shot keycaps.  Those profiles are slightly different than SP DCS, but certainly closer to DCS than OEM.  (Plenty of people have SP mods and Cherry/GMK alphas for instance.)  The GMK key caps are thicker and I think most would say "nicer" overall.  (And many people simply like the thicker font over the typical SP fonts... but we're working on creating molds to bring the Cherry font to SP sets... very soon.)

Regardless, any of the Cherry MX keycap sets will work on your board.  A cherry stem is a cherry stem.  That's one thing that makes Cherry MX boards so fun to own, over say Alps/Topre/Buckling Spring.  You can pimp your board a lot!


Offline SeriouSSpotS

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 26 June 2013, 14:00:27 »
Welcome to Geekhack  :cool:
QFR - MX black   |   Poker X - Panda Clears   |   Poker 2 - MX blue

Offline SpAmRaY

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 26 June 2013, 14:05:22 »
Welcome!  Nice keyboard, Ducky FTW!!

Offline ThesisStatement

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 26 June 2013, 20:34:32 »
Welcome to geekhack! 

Yes, your Ducky caps would be OEM profile, which are a bit taller than the Signature Plastics DCS profile.  The SP DCS are the most common custom-made keycaps that you'll find in group buys.  Recently though, we also have some keys from GMK in Germany which literally use the tooling that Cherry used back when they made double shot keycaps.  Those profiles are slightly different than SP DCS, but certainly closer to DCS than OEM.  (Plenty of people have SP mods and Cherry/GMK alphas for instance.)  The GMK key caps are thicker and I think most would say "nicer" overall.  (And many people simply like the thicker font over the typical SP fonts... but we're working on creating molds to bring the Cherry font to SP sets... very soon.)

Regardless, any of the Cherry MX keycap sets will work on your board.  A cherry stem is a cherry stem.  That's one thing that makes Cherry MX boards so fun to own, over say Alps/Topre/Buckling Spring.  You can pimp your board a lot!

Thank you very much!  This information was very helpful.  I was reading how GH is was in the process of getting the Cherry Legend at SP.  I just signed up for the Toxic group buy which looks like it may be able to benefit from that.

Offline samwisekoi

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 26 June 2013, 21:37:59 »
Welcome!  While you wait for Toxic, go take a look at keycapsdirect.com.  Everything you see there will fit your Ducky.

Enjoy your time at Geek Hack!

 - Ron I samwisekoi
I like keyboards and case modding.  Everything about a computer should be silent -- except the KEYBOARD!

'85 IBM F-122/Soarer Keyboard |  Leopold FC200 TKL (Browns) + GH36 Keypad (Browns/Greens) | GH-122 (Whites/Greens) with Nuclear Data Green keycaps in a Unicomp case

Offline amzee

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 27 June 2013, 19:30:08 »
Why are all of your keys that have shift characters switched so that the shift character is on the bottom?

Is this just a Ducky thing I don't know about?

Offline ThesisStatement

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 27 June 2013, 20:26:43 »
Why are all of your keys that have shift characters switched so that the shift character is on the bottom?

Is this just a Ducky thing I don't know about?

I noticed the same thing.  I guess it is just the legend that Ducky uses?  I actually had to go look at my old keyboard to make sure it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me!

Offline ThesisStatement

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 11 July 2013, 21:22:52 »
Well, I have only had this Ducky for a short period of time, but I have already ordered a second keyboard (CM Storm Rapid) for work.  I went with MX Browns to keep the noise down.  The madness has begun!


Offline Steamboat

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 11:21:51 »
I did the same exact thing.  Been looking at mechanical keyboards for months and then one week I ordered a Ducky Shine 2 with blues for home and a CM Storm QFR with browns for work.  :)

My bank account and I have a love/hate relationship with this forum already.
« Last Edit: Sat, 13 July 2013, 11:24:15 by Steamboat »

Offline ThesisStatement

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Re: New member & first mechanical keyboard
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 13 July 2013, 15:59:51 »
:D I hear ya brother!