Help make my case louder

[Jixr]

Usually everyone is trying to make their case quiet, which is pretty easy, but i want to do the opposite.

I just swapped one of my keyboards from blacks to blues, as I love the loud click, and its super quiet, and as you all know the case design makes a big difference. My Redscarf has an acrylic case, and the pcb is very close to the bottom of the case, and air space = sound.

I was thinking of making spacers between the pcb and the case, to give it a bit more air space to help it out.

Anyone else have any ideas?

EDIT: after doing a little testing, it seems that the gateron housings is whats taking away the higher pitched plastic-y click i like. Guess I have some soldering to do this week.

[henz]

but gaterons gives a more thocking sound. it suuuuper niceo!

[Jokrik]

Usually everyone is trying to make their case quiet, which is pretty easy, but i want to do the opposite.

I just swapped one of my keyboards from blacks to blues, as I love the loud click, and its super quiet, and as you all know the case design makes a big difference. My Redscarf has an acrylic case, and the pcb is very close to the bottom of the case, and air space = sound.

I was thinking of making spacers between the pcb and the case, to give it a bit more air space to help it out.

Anyone else have any ideas?

EDIT: after doing a little testing, it seems that the gateron housings is whats taking away the higher pitched plastic-y click i like. Guess I have some soldering to do this week.

Hey JIXR! been a while

I do have the same craving, I like my keyboard loud this is why I try to opt for aluminium case for all of my keyboard when possible

there are a couple of things which can improve the loudness from my experience:
1. Heavier springs results in louder click, but having MX Greens is even better!
2. Plastic case usually dampens the sound, but as you said the "air space" helps
3. This is where it gets tricky, too much air space especially on aluminium case would create an annoying "PING" sound
4. Clip your stabilizer

and most importantly

5. Don't use PBT keycaps, especially those thick one. GMK/Cherry is fine but if you want maximum click feeling opt for thin ABS (that if you like the profile)

Gateron is more clicky, but the press is still not as consistent as Cherry stuff
I've tried most clicky switches, if you like it super clicky nothing beats MX Green with thin ABS

[chyros]

I agree with Jokrik. ABS sounds bassier than PBT and thin sounds louder than thick. Might be that your switches are starting to lose their click btw.

Regardless, if you value sound a lot, you might want to try a switch family other than Cherry, which, in my opinion, has the worst clicky sound of any switch family out there. Buckling springs or Alps give a way better sound. Have a look through the typing demonstrations at the end of some of my videos if you're interested .

[jaffers]

I agree with Jokrik. ABS sounds bassier than PBT and thin sounds louder than thick. Might be that your switches are starting to lose their click btw.

Regardless, if you value sound a lot, you might want to try a switch family other than Cherry, which, in my opinion, has the worst clicky sound of any switch family out there. Buckling springs or Alps give a way better sound. Have a look through the typing demonstrations at the end of some of my videos if you're interested .

Pretty sure Jixr wants to make his Red scarf louder which, iirc, is a MX only PCB

EDIT: Tried the different switches on my NKPC switch tester (between kailh blues, cherry blue & green and gateron blue) and gateron blues are the loudest by far. Add a nice heavy spring and maybe take off any lube that is in there and you got yourself a damn find clicky switch. Added bonus to smoothness because its gateron.

Keep in mind that the gateron makes a more bassy sound in comparison to the cherry switches so it is likely to travel a little further to your ears (by no means am I an audio expert but it makes some sense)

[Jixr]

i've think i've just narrowed it down to it being the gateron cases, same keycaps, same slider and spring, and the only difference is the cherry housing and the gateron housing, and for whatever reason, the gateron really kills the sound.

( its more dense sounding, but i like the much higher pitched plastic-y sound.)

Anyway, this afternoon i'll swap the gateron housings for cherrys and see how that helps.

[bcredbottle]

Just use Matias Click switches. Every stroke sounds like a small-caliber rifle.

[BrewCaps]

Use lighter acrylic and more air space.  Think drums.

[Jixr]

unfortunately unless someone has an extra light saver laying around, i'm stuck with the case.

And yes, i'd love an apls blue keyboard.

[Jixr]

swapped to cherry housings, all is right in the world. I guess cherry blue sliders don't play well in gateron housings. Its amazing the difference in sound between the two.

[Steezus]

I have 62g Vintage Blues in my RS96 with an aluminum plate, I find it to have the perfect pitch when typing on it. I am hoping to make a full metal case for the RS96 when I have access to my school's engineering shop, perhaps a few could be made if there is interest.

[E3E]

I agree with Jokrik. ABS sounds bassier than PBT and thin sounds louder than thick. Might be that your switches are starting to lose their click btw.

Regardless, if you value sound a lot, you might want to try a switch family other than Cherry, which, in my opinion, has the worst clicky sound of any switch family out there. Buckling springs or Alps give a way better sound. Have a look through the typing demonstrations at the end of some of my videos if you're interested .

This is a big reason I chose to ultimately use the Alps OEM ABS doubleshots for my (linear) Alps build (and they are by no means thin); as much as I had been hunting for thick PBT, I found that the PBT just made everything TOO quiet (especially with the carbon fiber plate and sorbothane both dampening the sound quite a bit), and I didn't like that. The DS caps on my board give a nice clacking sound to it that reminds me of a typewriter with a library voice.
 
So yeah, definitely slap on some thin DCS caps or something on your board, and you'll have all the high-pitched clack you could ask for! I actually find the thin Tai Hao caps on my FAME blue Alps board to sound the best out of any of the others I have, at least for blue Alps. Thick ABS sounds good for these green linears, and PBT... Well, that's good if you want a quieter board, I guess! 
 
Sorry for veering slightly off topic, but I hope you're satisfied with your case/typing sound now!

[Jixr]

i'd deff be interested in a rs3 alum case, i'd need two, but would be very willing to pay.

I currently use tai hao caps, waiting on some others to ship from their GB's, but for whatever reason, it seems cherry blue sliders in gateron housings don't allow the slider to hang as much, causing a really weak click.

Though if you want to have quiet blues, that would be a really good way to go.

There are many variables, but swapping from gateron to cherry is good enough for me now, feels and sounds a lot better.

[Bromono]

i'd deff be interested in a rs3 alum case, i'd need two, but would be very willing to pay.

I currently use tai hao caps, waiting on some others to ship from their GB's, but for whatever reason, it seems cherry blue sliders in gateron housings don't allow the slider to hang as much, causing a really weak click.

Though if you want to have quiet blues, that would be a really good way to go.

There are many variables, but swapping from gateron to cherry is good enough for me now, feels and sounds a lot better.

I actually did the opposite to me redscarf. I put foam padding where there was air space. With Ergo clears and the padding... Pure bliss =)

Btw I see you are in Austin! I was just there last weekend. so many good breweries.

[Jixr]

i put padding on my other one, it does not have a plate and the pcb is way too flimsy to type on without some support underneath it.

Austin, the hispter town I once loved, now hate.

[Bromono]

i put padding on my other one, it does not have a plate and the pcb is way too flimsy to type on without some support underneath it.

Austin, the hispter town I once loved, now hate.

I like San Antonio better but Austin is fun to visit.

[Steezus]

i put padding on my other one, it does not have a plate and the pcb is way too flimsy to type on without some support underneath it.

Austin, the hispter town I once loved, now hate.

I like San Antonio better but Austin is fun to visit.

I've been to San Antonio before, it's a pretty cool place. The riverwalk is pretty nifty when it's all lit up for the holidays, food's good too.

[Jixr]

Austin's great to visit, F1, MotoGP, A festival every weekend in the fall, SXSW, but if you're living here and not making 100k a year, good luck buying a house. I've been here for 5 years, but will probably won't be here for another 5. I don't see the point in working in a city you can't afford to live in, and i'd rather live/work somewhere that pays a lot less than to subject myself to an hour long 15 mile commute every day.

[Bromono]

Austin's great to visit, F1, MotoGP, A festival every weekend in the fall, SXSW, but if you're living here and not making 100k a year, good luck buying a house. I've been here for 5 years, but will probably won't be here for another 5. I don't see the point in working in a city you can't afford to live in, and i'd rather live/work somewhere that pays a lot less than to subject myself to an hour long 15 mile commute every day.

Cheap housing in San Antonio and if you have a computer background, contract company's are gobbling people up to satisfy the huge military/government presence. Most of the time as long as you have a degree, some computer experience and can pass a Top Secret background check, they will take you and send you to all the training you need for the job.

[ika]

Weird. I think my Gateron blues have a louder, higher pitched, snappier "click' than the MX blues on my V60. Do I just have crappy blues?

[Jixr]

Weird. I think my Gateron blues have a louder, higher pitched, snappier "click' than the MX blues on my V60. Do I just have crappy blues?

I was using cherry blue sliders in gateron housings, and that could be why I was having an issue.