Filco metal plate ringing

[davidc]

I have justy bought a Filco Majestouch N Key (brown Cherry MX switches) which is great except that there is a metallic ring every time you tap a key.  It's the same problem I found with the Cherry G80-3000.

Because I had experienced this problem before I was careful to listen to a Filco with MX Browns on the audio clips area.  I listened to the Filco FKBN87M/EB Tactile Touch there and couldn't hear any ringing at all in the audio clip so I thought it was safe to buy.

So just a word of caution to potential buyers - beware of buying on the basis of the posted audio sound clips alone - they may not tell the whole story.

I assume the damn metal plate is the problem again - as someone said in the G80-3000 ring thread, the ring sounds like the ring you get from a basketball after it bounces.  Back to the Customizer I suppose.

[itlnstln]

You must work in a very quiet space.  I can only hear something similar if I put my ear right next to it.  The air conditioner in my office drowns the pinging sound out, let alone other people working.  Put some headphones on, start some soothing music, and enjoy typing.  Problem solved.

[elbowglue]

The g80-3000 is PCB mounted.  I have owned the filco cherry brown previously, the g80-3000, and many other cherry brown boards -  The feel when you bottom out and the sound is slightly harsher on the Filco compared with the Cherry G80-3000.   I tend to bottom out a lot, which is why I prefer PCB mounted cherry brown boards.

Record an audio file if you are getting a crazy ping noise, I'd be interested in hearing it, to see if it differs from other's recordings of cherry browns.

Isnt the customizer much louder by the way?

[davidc]

The ringing is entirely audible even with a radio on in front of me.  Thanks for correcting me on the Cherry G80-3000.   The Filco does have a metal baseplate - see here:
 http://www.ask.com/bar?q=filco&page=1&qsrc=121&dm=all&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Felitekeyboards.com%2Fproducts.php%3Fsub%3Dfilco_keyboards%2Cmajestouch_87key%26pid%3Dfkbn87meb&sg=SkRqqjKjoN%2F9UL5AjeMJPgVdzVjWMSKVPFOS574qcig%3D&tsp=1267205608765
Baseplate or not the ringing is v bad.  You would need to have a hearing problem not to hear it unless the ambient noise is very loud indeed.  Very disappointing as I like the keyboard very much otherwise and the snap of the keys is great.

[davidc]

The g80-3000 is PCB mounted.  I have owned the filco cherry brown previously, the g80-3000, and many other cherry brown boards -  The feel when you bottom out and the sound is slightly harsher on the Filco compared with the Cherry G80-3000.   I tend to bottom out a lot, which is why I prefer PCB mounted cherry brown boards.

Record an audio file if you are getting a crazy ping noise, I'd be interested in hearing it, to see if it differs from other's recordings of cherry browns.

Isnt the customizer much louder by the way?

The Customizer has louder keys but no ring.  I like the compact size of the Filco and the snap and volume of the its keys are just right for me.  If I can make a decent sound recording I'll submit tit.

[itlnstln]

I wonder if typing surface makes any difference.  I type on a "wood" (i.e. particle board/pressed wood) desk that is very inert but still wood, so it might absorb enery.  On something like metal or glass, this might not be the case, so the spring might be a little pingier.  That said, I have seen fairly significant changes in sound by putting a keyboard on a mousepad or shelf liner.

[davidc]

I wonder if typing surface makes any difference.  I type on a "wood" (i.e. particle board/pressed wood) desk that is very inert but still wood, so it might absorb enery.  On something like metal or glass, this might not be the case, so the spring might be a little pingier.  That said, I have seen fairly significant changes in sound by putting a keyboard on a mousepad or shelf liner.

I have the Filco on a carpet-like piece of pc sound-deadening material.  As with my earlier ringing Cherry, I tried the Filco on various materials but unfortunately they make no difference to the ringing.  I am amazed that other people don't hear and dislike the ringing - particularly when the sound of different key types is so important to members here.

[itlnstln]

It could be just a mental thing.  That sound, for whatever reason, irritates the hell out of you.  Because of that, you might focus on it more than others, and in your head, it's "louder."  In my case, I really dislike the clicking sound of blue Cherrys, so I find it irritating more so than other people, and, perhaps, blow how loud and irritating the clicking is way out of proportion.  Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

[nanu]

I notice and dislike the pinging, too, but it's insignificant compared to the rattle of rebounding keys. It seems most apparent when releasing keys quickly, and it's unique per switch: my down arrow key is not as resonant as the right arrow key.

You seem like the kind of person who'd consider being an investor to the emerging market of keyboard-silencing technologies.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Yep, most geekhackers do not mind and welcome all audio feedback whilst typing.

[davidc]

The strange thing is that others do not seem to hear it at all.

[itlnstln]

I would imagine most of it has to do with the environment it's being used in.  I type mostly at work where there is always some kind of background noise no matter how minimal.  That, and I listen to music with headphones most of the time, too, so I don't really hear my keyboards much anyway.

[whininggit]

I hear the ringing on my G80-3000 (but I'm using it a quiet environment with a near-silent PC), both when it had the blue switches and now with the browns. I can actually hear it more by just lighting grazing the tops of the keys, rather than pressing them, although releasing them quickly seems to make a difference when you do press them. I believe that the ringing comes from the springs, which means you're unlikely to be satisfied with any keyboard that uses Cherry MX switches.

I personally don't find it annoying, and it's a lot less than the ringing I get from my IBM Model M.

Perhaps you'd be more suited to something such as a Topre?

[nanu]

See also the average age of geekhackers.  I could be coaxed to believe that as we get older, the  bodily response to hypertension-induced tinnitus would be the brain's ignoring higher-pitched ringing :biggrin:

It could certainly explain how wisened-up mothers have that uncanny ability to ignore incessant requests from children.

[Mental Hobbit]

Sometimes I hear some spring ring on my Filco with browns too. Even in a silent environment at late night it's close to my perception threshold though.

I've never heard anything like that on the numerous Cherry boards with blues or blacks I own. Either only the soft brown springs are affected, or the steel backplate acts as a resonator.

[pfink]

The strange thing is that others do not seem to hear it at all.

I've been using a Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless w/ browns at the office for about a month (I'm typing this on it now) and I do hear the pinging, however it doesn't really bother me and is only noticeable if I'm typing fairly fast and listening for it.

I'm not sure that it's caused by the metal plate, though. It might be an echo or something from the keys themselves. I'm going to try the dental band mod at some point to see if it makes a difference.

[itlnstln]

It's probably just a fact of life when using a keyboard with spring-loaded switches.  I know that ALPS, especially fakes, have a tendency to "ping," too.  Unless you go to Topres or rubber domes, you probably aren't going to get away from it.

[itlnstln]

Fortunately, I haven't heard any farting yet, but I have heard the related "kissing" sound a couple of times.  I haven't heard it as much now that I have used the 'board more.

[itlnstln]

Man, to think at one time, he was hittin' those high-dollar ones.  Now, he's f*cking around with those $2 hoes.

[hyperlinked]

Pull the keyboard feet in if the ringing bothers you that much. I only notice the pinging when I have my keyboard feet lowered. I actually hear it on the key return and not from hitting the bottom plate.

Actually, the best way to keep the noise from being audible is to increase your typing speed so that you're hitting the next key by the time it wants to ping.

[itlnstln]

Pull the keyboard feet in if the ringing bothers you that much. I only notice the pinging when I have my keyboard feet lowered.

Maybe this is why more people don't hear it.  I have my 'board flat without the feet extended, and a number of people here do as well.  If this is the main difference, then that might explain why it doesn't come up very often.

[ricercar]

I type on my Filco on an inverted aluminum baking pan in the bathtub. Do you think that contributes to the extra pinging noise?

[msiegel]

I type on my Filco on an inverted aluminum baking pan in the bathtub. Do you think that contributes to the extra pinging noise?

i've heard bundt cake pans work better than turkey roasting pans

[davidc]

Thanks for all the replies.

1.  I'm relieved that others can hear the ringing on the Cherry and Filco though dismayed that I'm the only one it bothers.  I'm a wizened old father whose hearing is obviously still pretty acute.

2.  Yes - the ringing must be coming from the key springs not from a base plate.

3.  Feet up or feet down the ring is audible.  Same for the keyboards's feet.

4.  Oh well...

5.  Incidentally, why don't the Customizer keyboards ring?  My IBM Model M rings worse than any other keyboard so just sits in the corner as a museum piece.

[davidc]

How about sticking some Delta fans in your PC?  You won't hear ANYTHING after that.

Have a Xbox 360?  That works too.

Hope for the best - I used to notice it  but rarely do know - not sure if it's keyswitch break-in period, psychology, or the double shot keys.

Thanks.  I have spent a lot of time quietening my pc so unfortunately I can hear the ringing distinctly.  Perhaps a sledgehammer would reduce the ringing.

[msiegel]

why don't the Customizer keyboards ring?

they don't?

hmm... this would be worth finding out about

[majestouch]

Coincidentally positioned, an excessively vibrating Cherry MX switch can really cause a metal backplate to resonate. Strange thing about these switches is that they sometimes break in and quiet down after 100 presses, others change their tune with the humidity, and sometimes they'll self-manifest from a previously quiet existence after months or years of use, only to retreat again a week later. I have bags of Cherry switches and for whatever reason, the ringing is more common with browns, but I'd guess almost a third of loose brown switches ring a bit when you quickly depress the keystem. Right after you mount them, some become dampened, others not. I've gotten a couple of complaints about ringing in the past, and out of curiosity I had these customers return the board for inspection, but upon receipt they're nothing out of the ordinary. A comparatively louder switch can be replaced, but it isn't a guarantee another won't take it's place; such is the lot with Cherry MX switches.

[nanu]

As an fun experiment, I hung a towel above my keyboard and mouse. The ringing is muddled further in addition to having the desk between keyboard and ears. Typing sounds could be dampened more with an entrance curtain that would invariably touch the wrists.

[kishy]

Que ripster with the orange fabric-laptop-head-tunnel...