Fed up with clears

[berserkfan]

I don't know what has come over me, but I have gotten very fed up with Cherry MX clears. They were my favorite switch for a while and I either bought or modded many keyboards to clears. And now? i just don't like them anymore.

They're simply nothing compared to jailhouse blues, in my opinion. Even though the jailhouse blues I make are not perfectly consistent and have to be reworked. But now that I have one keyboard with jailhouse blues on them I really miss it whenever I type on another keyboard.

I am thinking of desoldering various keyboards and selling the clears from them, then putting my jailhouse blues in them.

Would you guys share your experiences here? I have never gotten so tired of a switch type before. I don't want to end up selling lots of clear stems and switches, only to regret later and look for them again. Yet, seriously, that big tactile bump and noise from the clears is really coming across as uncivilized to someone who has very good feeling jailhouse blues.

[dante]

Are you from Asia?  I think the 2nd line in your Sig needs to be retranslated.  )

[hwood34]

Are you from Asia?  I think the 2nd line in your Sig needs to be retranslated.  )

nope

[Puddsy]

So change everything to jailhouse blues?

Everyone's tastes change. You're not weird for getting bored/fed up with something.

[exitfire401]

That's actually what happened to me with vintage blacks...I loved the switches so much for a few months, then one day, just didn't get the same sensation while typing on them. Now I'm on my clears kick, and I love them. Don't foresee them going anywhere anytime soon for me.

[Puddsy]

I mean, stuff like this is the reason I try to always have one keyboard with every switch :|

[berserkfan]

Are you from Asia?  I think the 2nd line in your Sig needs to be retranslated.  )

You don't know how totally crap that Gigantomahkia manga is. Google and read it. Yes, the main character drinks the urine of a little girl to level up.

[SpAmRaY]

I won't know what to do if I ever get tired of clears.

[esoomenona]

.

[berserkfan]

I won't know what to do if I ever get tired of clears.

As if! Aren't you the guy who loves collecting black switches?

But I really don't understand what got over me. one month ago, it was still ok. Now, I just don't like clears anymore.

[Sagii]

Well.. I just arrived at the front door of the lovehouse called clears, and I'm gonna take these bad boys (eh.. girls*), for a ride every single night for quite a while ) I got my poker 2 with clears yesterday ^.^ but I definitely get what you're saying, and I've felt the same way in many OTHER scenarios.
Haven't been in the keyboard business long enough to experience it here, however.

Moral of the story: clears are awesome, but suddenly getting to a point where it turns on a nickel (or whatever your saying is) is really not that weird!

[jacobolus]

Switch to Alps?

[dante]

Switch to Alps?

JOIN THE ALPS MASTER RACE!

[Tiramisuu]

Interesting comments.   I've found that the best one is the one I've become accustomed to (ignoring the el cheapo garbage).    Extremes can be a bit annoying but once I have gotten used to the touch and trigger point there isn't much thought that goes into it.  If you give me a different keyboard it takes a couple of minutes to adjust but really no significant excitement.

I like a light touch and not bottoming out.   I like a short distance.   Loud clicking generally distracts me from thinking.  That said in a short bit I'd probably adjust and move on.

[BossBrew]

Just received my first keyboard with MX Clears and I love it! My first mech had MX Browns so the switch to the Clears was logical and turned out to be a great choice. Sometimes you just feel differently about something you loved before, it's completely normal and happens to me all the time with my guitar gear.

[eth0s]

One time I got tired of Topre switches. 

No wait, I lied.  That never happened.  I never got tired of Topre.

Maybe try Topre?  It's not a sin to win.

[anowt]

OP  -  even with there being so many cherry switches, cherry hasn't covered every possible variety of typing experience with their lineup -- they've only touched some pretty broad categories of typing experience.  It's inevitable that people will feel constrained by those choices due to their unique preferences.   So that's my empathy on the subject.

[gameaholic]

Broken-in ergo clears FOREVER-EVER!

[Tempest790]

I thought heavier switches were my thing too, but after buying both MX Blacks and Grays, and using Reds for a long time, I've settled on ... Browns.

I'll might get that new Ducky 4 in browns or wait until they make an MX RGB.

[tp4tissue]

So change everything to jailhouse blues?

Everyone's tastes change. You're not weird for getting bored/fed up with something.

Same reason TacticalStache gave to his last girl friend after he cheated on her...

[Puddsy]

So change everything to jailhouse blues?

Everyone's tastes change. You're not weird for getting bored/fed up with something.

Same reason TacticalStache gave to his last girl friend after he cheated on her...

Show Image

she cheated on me actually

[tp4tissue]

So change everything to jailhouse blues?

Everyone's tastes change. You're not weird for getting bored/fed up with something.

Same reason TacticalStache gave to his last girl friend after he cheated on her...

Show Image

she cheated on me actually

Now I /feels bad..   

Tp4 still loves you .

[rowdy]

I have not tried clears yet

But I do have several keyboards with different switches, and change them out from time to time for variety.  Same with keycaps.  Gives a fresh feel to the keyboards, and there are still combinations of keyboards/switches and keycaps that I have not tried yet.

[demik]

I got tired of all MX switches.

One time I got tired of Topre switches. 

No wait, I lied.  That never happened.  I never got tired of Topre.

Maybe try Topre?  It's not a sin to win.

[Oobly]

What aspect of Clears don't you like any more?

Change one of your boards to 62g ErgoClears and I predict you'll fall in love with Clear stems again.

[berserkfan]

What aspect of Clears don't you like any more?

Change one of your boards to 62g ErgoClears and I predict you'll fall in love with Clear stems again.

Seriously, I don't know. But all that clears stand for (tactile, not too noisy, etc.) don't come across as comparable with my own jailhouse blues anymore. It just feels - I'll call it barbaric.

[rowdy]

Try using different switches for a while, a couple of weeks or so.

Then switch back to the clear and see how you feel.

[Belfong]

First time I ever heard of jailhouse Blues. What is it?

And I wondered what happened if I get tired of Topre. I have so much investment in them!

[tbc]

First time I ever heard of jailhouse Blues. What is it?

And I wondered what happened if I get tired of Topre. I have so much investment in them!

basically a blue with a spacer between the clicky white part and the rest of the stem.

the result is that you actuate MUCH earlier. i forget if there is a noise difference.

extremely difficult to get consistent manufacturing.

[Belfong]

Thanks tbc, is it home made DIY or it's something produce by Cherry?

[esoomenona]

.

[Belfong]

That's sound like a lot of work. No wonder he likes jailhouse blues. Sometimes, after all the effort and work poured onto something, the affection towards the work grows.

[berserkfan]

First time I ever heard of jailhouse Blues. What is it?

And I wondered what happened if I get tired of Topre. I have so much investment in them!

basically a blue with a spacer between the clicky white part and the rest of the stem.

the result is that you actuate MUCH earlier. i forget if there is a noise difference.

extremely difficult to get consistent manufacturing.

Thanks tbc, is it home made DIY or it's something produce by Cherry?

Some geekhacker invented this method and a small number of people have tried it out. It's homemade DIY. I thought I had a great way of producing them quickly, but I have found even my method requires reworking so not useful for most geekhackers.

[divito]

That's sound like a lot of work. No wonder he likes jailhouse blues. Sometimes, after all the effort and work poured onto something, the affection towards the work grows.

That's kind of what it sounds like to me. It's like he's justifying all that work into hating clears and gravitating towards the jailhouse blues.

I'm sure changing tastes is normal over time, though.

[frosty]

That's actually what happened to me with vintage blacks...I loved the switches so much for a few months, then one day, just didn't get the same sensation while typing on them. Now I'm on my clears kick, and I love them. Don't foresee them going anywhere anytime soon for me.

oh no. i'm getting my vintage blacks soon

[Grim Fandango]

I have only ever felt this way with switches that were heavy/needed a lot of force for actuation. Even if I liked how they felt initially, it never took long before I was like "screw this, it makes no sense". I have always been unable to use any board for a long time that had >45grams actuation.

I wont even consider them now.I understand it is personal preference and all that. But still I feel that anyone who spends 10 hours working behind the computer every day that uses a heavy switch has to be somehow kind of insane.

[divito]

I wont even consider them now.I understand it is personal preference and all that. But still I feel that anyone who spends 10 hours working behind the computer every day that uses a heavy switch has to be somehow kind of insane.

Am not, my mother had me tested!

[bianco]

this is what i am afraid would happen.
that's why i prefer to have an option to open the switch tops without desoldering.
i assembled my lightsaber (not using the plate) with a mixture of clears and clicky (green and white) switches.
in the end, i took out the clicky stems and replaced them with clears.

[Hypersphere]

A similar thing happened to me. After using a full-size IBM Model M for years, I thought I would see what contemporary mechanical keyboards were like, and so I started trying keyboards with various Cherry mx switches. I quickly tired of them or just didn't like them in the first place.

I have now gone through blues, greens, browns, vintage blacks, and most recently clears. Last week, I started putting my Cherry mx boards up for sale. The first one to go was a Kul ES-87 with clears.

At first, I didn't like clears at all, then after trying a number of different keycap sets and experimenting with O-rings, I thought maybe I could like them well enough to use for a while, but finally I gave up in frustration.

I have not yet tried reds or contemporary blacks; I have my doubts, but I might give these a try before giving up on Cherry mx altogether.

For some time now, my favorite switches have been Topre (especially 55g) and IBM capacitive buckling spring (such as those in the IBM XT keyboard). Distant second-favorites include Matias tactile/click, Alps (orange and Monterey blue), and NMB Hi-Tek white or black "space invader" switches.

[berserkfan]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized. My jailhouse mod isn't completely reliable but it's truly enjoyable to type on. Add to that some recent problems I have been having with a Deck with clears, and I'm fed up. Should have never bought that Deck to begin with and now its a big waste of money.

[SpAmRaY]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized. My jailhouse mod isn't completely reliable but it's truly enjoyable to type on. Add to that some recent problems I have been having with a Deck with clears, and I'm fed up. Should have never bought that Deck to begin with and now its a big waste of money.

Can't blame a faulty keyboard on the type of switches it has

[berserkfan]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized. My jailhouse mod isn't completely reliable but it's truly enjoyable to type on. Add to that some recent problems I have been having with a Deck with clears, and I'm fed up. Should have never bought that Deck to begin with and now its a big waste of money.

Can't blame a faulty keyboard on the type of switches it has

Of course. I am just recording the emotional background associated with my recent dislike of clears. I didn't put clears on my lovely Tipro which has jailhouse blues and I like my Tipro, so that may have created a bias there.

That said, don't you go about making faulty keyboards out of good ones?  Is there a new keyboard that has passed through your hands that has not been desoldered yet?

[Belfong]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized.

now we know where the word Cherry peasant came from

[Photoelectric]

I don't know what has come over me, but I have gotten very fed up with Cherry MX clears. They were my favorite switch for a while and I either bought or modded many keyboards to clears. And now? i just don't like them anymore.

They're simply nothing compared to jailhouse blues, in my opinion. Even though the jailhouse blues I make are not perfectly consistent and have to be reworked. But now that I have one keyboard with jailhouse blues on them I really miss it whenever I type on another keyboard.

I am thinking of desoldering various keyboards and selling the clears from them, then putting my jailhouse blues in them.

Would you guys share your experiences here? I have never gotten so tired of a switch type before. I don't want to end up selling lots of clear stems and switches, only to regret later and look for them again. Yet, seriously, that big tactile bump and noise from the clears is really coming across as uncivilized to someone who has very good feeling jailhouse blues.

I'd just use a different keyboard for a while.  I love my Jailhouse Blues on the LZ-GH, but coming back to them from Clears is always strange initially.  Stock-spring Clears are still my favorite switch, if I HAD to just use one type.  I've considered replacing my JBs with 62g Blacks more than once (originally that board had 62g Blacks), but they grow on me again every time I use them.  I don't think there's a "best switch" out there personally--it's a matter of subjective preference at any given time, and there's nothing wrong with having all your keyboards use a different switch configuration for some variety.

[SpAmRaY]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized. My jailhouse mod isn't completely reliable but it's truly enjoyable to type on. Add to that some recent problems I have been having with a Deck with clears, and I'm fed up. Should have never bought that Deck to begin with and now its a big waste of money.

Can't blame a faulty keyboard on the type of switches it has

Of course. I am just recording the emotional background associated with my recent dislike of clears. I didn't put clears on my lovely Tipro which has jailhouse blues and I like my Tipro, so that may have created a bias there.

That said, don't you go about making faulty keyboards out of good ones?  Is there a new keyboard that has passed through your hands that has not been desoldered yet?

Yeah something like that, I just desolder all the 'old' boards with clears so I can use the clears and other parts in building other boards.

[tbc]

....

[demik]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized.

now we know where the word Cherry peasant came from

actually, riotonthebay is the OG cherry peasant. dubbed by me, i dont even know why.

[vimx]

Switch to Alps?

JOIN THE ALPS MASTER RACE!

Yeah, eugenics isn't funny.  Why do people keep saying this?

[Puddsy]

No, I used to like clears.

But after I did my jailhouse mod, I found clears more - what I would call uncivilized.

now we know where the word Cherry peasant came from

actually, riotonthebay is the OG cherry peasant. dubbed by me, i dont even know why.

he pretty much lives on his HHKB, but whatever

[jacobolus]

JOIN THE ALPS MASTER RACE!

Yeah, eugenics isn't funny.  Why do people keep saying this?

I think the “master race” thing comes from the Reddit community http://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/, and more generally from the 15–25-year-old-male-video-game-player culture; in other words, immature children. I wouldn’t worry about it, but I agree it would be nice if folks would keep such stuff away from geekhack.