I wanted a slim keyboard but was unsure about the moddability. Your video has put those fears to rest. It sounds so much better after your mods! Thanks for sharing!
I have the exact same keyboard and thinking about modify it, just like yours. Just worry a bit about assembling and disassembling the keyboard... thank you for inspiring me, really appreciate your good work
Great job on this board! This eases my fear of low profile keyboards that I’ve acquired since joining this hobby. Also love your different typing styles, hilarious!!
All The V2 models sound WAY better i have the k3v2 with gateron browns and I LOVE it. It's so thin and has a great deep sound. Definitely lube the switches!
Thanks for the sound test! I have the K3 with foam mod, foamed mounting screws, lubed switches and taped stabs. Had no idea tape modding a low profile board would do anything because of the much shallower case but by the sound of it it does a lot :D Will definetly try it!
incredible, was super hesitant to mod my k1 but now i’m definitely going to, great video!! any tips to crack that thing open without damaging the cable?
thanks! I'm assuming the cable you meant was the one connecting the PCB and the battery? I would just be careful lifting the top half of the case from the bottom and when removing from the PCB to just pull with your fingers instead of with your whole arm so not to accidentally rip off the battery. one last thing when opening up this board: be VERY patient! if you're stuck look up the guide in the description. good luck!!
Amazed that this one of the only videos for really upgrading a k1, from a creator with 38 (39 now) subscribers, and it's amazing. I'm glad I kept the foam padding from the case, that was such a convenient tip. Getting new keycaps today that should fit, they're OEM profile. For only $20, I figured why not try and go crazy with it. I may make a video if I decide to really mod and lube it, I have the V3 Gateron Blue switches so I'm interested to see the difference. Thanks!
@@rahmaniastrid I did not have success replacing the keycaps as the middle plastic stem on the K1 V1-4 is about 1mm smaller in diameter than standard cherry profile. After a very stupid decision I made using a drill, it stopped working completely. I realized that the price of modding it along with the time to fix it would've been a big hassle, compared to buying a gently used K8. No more soldering worries at least for this. I'm thinking of reusing the K1's PCB and 3d print a new case and add knobs in the mix somehow haha! I think it'd be a perfect project to potentially get some use out of it instead of just trashing it.
exactly what I needed, you have earned a subscriber (I’ve decided i want the k1 tkl with optical switches but now i see theres the k1 se, which one do you suggest?)
thanks for the subscribe! isn't the k1 se basically k1 with hotswappable optical switch? maybe you were confused with the k3? anyway i think the k1 se is pretty solid, you can experiment with different switch options (I think there is an option for mint or banana switch, whatever those are), the keycap holes on the switches are MX style unlike in the vid which is a 2-hole style (so no changing keycaps, ever), and it has adjustable feet if you need those!
great vid! first time modding so i did the foam and tape on my K1 after seeing this. I have banana switches coming in today. I just want more keyboards now and more mods to do. send help
Dude, thank you. I followed the way you modded. The button for bluetooth or cable was annoying to put back haha. In the end, I couldn't be bothered with being neat thus the foam and tape be looking jank on mine. Just hoping that the foam doesn't heat up and burn...🤞
the foam is just the one you get from the box, if there isn't one then you can search "eva foam" on amazon or other sites you use. and yep the tape is just electrical, another tape that is popular to use is masking tape. happy modding!
Thanks you for this nice video. I am search for keyboard and keychron low profile is best for me, but I have one question : optical or mechanical switch? I am need tactile like a membrane keyboard( tactile feedback at the moment of pressing- not after and not before). thanks
I'm glad that you liked it! As for your question: it really depends on what you are looking for, optical switches actuates faster so it's better for gaming, meanwhile for general usage mechanical seems to be much preferred (although for low profile switches like the K1, they have their own low profile mechanical switches so its even more rare) And for the tactile switch: I honestly don't know switches that has tactility on the exact press, most that I know of has a bump before the press. For this keyboard, right after the bump it immediately registers the keystroke even if I haven't fully bottomed out. Hope this helps!
I think any foam would fit, generally people use PE or EVA foam. I just used the foam from the box because it's all I had, but it's thin tho. A denser foam would be better or even a silicon dampener
I have krytox 205G0 left over from my last board I lubed. Would this be OK to use in the same way you did here with super lube? Also, is this keyboard suitable for an office environment?
krytox would definitely be OK, probably even better than Super Lube. this board would be suitable for an office, you have to be really be mashing on it too be annoying. imo typing on a normal laptop keyboard would honestly be on the same volume as this
foam is probably the great way to go, I would suggest more foam if it can fit. I don't suggest lubing because it can cause the switch lose its 'clicky'-ness
K1 has 2 different versions that I know of, one uses proprietary gateron low profile switches (just the standard red brown blue), and the other has normal MX ones. So if you have the MX ones it's possible that there is a silent switch that can fit. that's all I know, sorry!
I'm pretty sure it's the foam that came inside the box for the keyboard. I just got my K1-SE today and it has a little foam protective layer that looks exactly like that
the tape I used was an electric tape! honestly since this board's assembly is pretty rigid (top half of the board doubles as the plate) it only affects the sound
these are soldered switches so you have to desolder it I'm afraid. are you using the same keyboard? if so please don't pull on them without desoldering first and it can cause damage to your board
That moment when a low profile mass market slim keyboard sounds as good as other high end keyboards that cost 4x as much. This hobby has destroyed us all.
haha I don't think it sounds THAT good, but yeah there is probably a point of diminishing returns for the money you spend on a board. Thanks for the comment btw!
This is what I've been needing for ages! I tried buying Kailh Choc switches for my K1 SE (gateron hotswapablle) and unfortunately, it didn't work. I'm planning to give this a shot (both lube and foam/tape mods over the next few weeks) and I have decided to use it for work
ah that sucks! I honestly thought about changing the switches so I could use normal keycaps, but turns out it's not possible huh🙁 anyways, you should definately try modding it! I would recommend you do it with a lot of patients tho lol
@@rahmaniastrid Oh no these are low profile kailh switches. But the pins are narrower, whereas the gateron pins are wider. The market doesn't seems to cater to the K1's yet
@@rahmaniastrid Guess it's a waiting game at this point......Also, with the foam you used, how many mm is it? I've been looking at foam for a few hours and am unsure how thick I can go without it being too thick Edit: Although I would like to bring to your attention that banana and mint gateron switches appeared and as an unavailable option on the Australian store (might be hinting at more switches to come)
@@maabat8142 the foam is 3mm thick, you could definately go a bit more, there is room. oooh interesting! haven't heard about it at all. curious what they would bring to the table after the CJ and oil king
Thank you so much for posting this! I ended up getting the K1 soldered version because it was the only one in stock at the time. What kind of lube did you use? (Or can I use any kind from Amazon?) Not sure how confident I am opening the back for the tape/foam mod, but I'm glad I kept my original packaging!
Thanks for watching! I used Super Lube because it was cheaper than Krytox. I've seen a lot of people using different kinds of lube, but I haven't used anything else so I suggest you just search 'switch lube' and see the reviews!
@@KilometroFinal Good to know, I have the V3. I may see if I can split it down the middle somehow so that I have thinner layers to make use of the foam.
По сравнению со стоком, очень сильное отличие. Попробуй другой источник звука, лично я замечаю разницу в наушниках Senhaiser HD180 + Lenovo legion 5 2021 на 30% громкости...
yeah those are the most painful part of this, try sliding them upwards as they kind of latch on the bottom part of the board and for some reason keychron added adhesives to them. start by pushing the side furthest away from you and gradually go down the board. hope this helps!
I wanted a slim keyboard but was unsure about the moddability. Your video has put those fears to rest. It sounds so much better after your mods! Thanks for sharing!
glad I could help!
Thanks for this walkthrough, I ended up using 2 layers of foam & it does sound a lot better
I have the exact same keyboard and thinking about modify it, just like yours. Just worry a bit about assembling and disassembling the keyboard... thank you for inspiring me, really appreciate your good work
it certainly is very daunting, the key is to be patient. good luck!
well, that tape and foam really made a nice difference ! I will try this on my blackwidow v3 mini as well as the K7 !
Sounds great! Even better than i expected! What foam/tape did you use? :)
Great job on this board! This eases my fear of low profile keyboards that I’ve acquired since joining this hobby. Also love your different typing styles, hilarious!!
thank you! I try to offer some humor to make it more enjoyable ^_^
All The V2 models sound WAY better i have the k3v2 with gateron browns and I LOVE it. It's so thin and has a great deep sound. Definitely lube the switches!
Thanks for the sound test!
I have the K3 with foam mod, foamed mounting screws, lubed switches and taped stabs.
Had no idea tape modding a low profile board would do anything because of the much shallower case but by the sound of it it does a lot :D
Will definetly try it!
yup it still made a difference, thanks for watching!
Your channel is underrated. I subscribed.
Good luck.
such a compliment! thank you!
Very cool. I own this keyboard & I don’t think I’ve seen anyone on YT mod it. Thanks
thanks! yeah it's not a board designed for modding in mind, like the iqunix, so it's hard to disassemble in the first place
OMFG!!! That THOCK!!!!
btw question.... is it feel wobble??
Love the sound after modded. ❤️
thank you!
just what i was looking to mod my keyboard.
Thank you for good guide, Maybe I try this someday :)
thanks for watching, let me know how it goes!
I just modded my keychron k1 and it sounds much more THOCKY Thanks to this tutorial !
congrats!
I bought the blue switch version from a guy few years back. Will try to follow your mod. Hopefully, it can be half as good.
good luck!
Oh yeah! Slap that space bar!!
hello how thick is the foam you used? THANK YOU !
Do we have any software for key mapping for k1? I have tried to use VIA but seems like its not working.
Is it possible to change the whole plate in the version with soldered switches?
incredible, was super hesitant to mod my k1 but now i’m definitely going to, great video!! any tips to crack that thing open without damaging the cable?
thanks! I'm assuming the cable you meant was the one connecting the PCB and the battery? I would just be careful lifting the top half of the case from the bottom and when removing from the PCB to just pull with your fingers instead of with your whole arm so not to accidentally rip off the battery. one last thing when opening up this board: be VERY patient! if you're stuck look up the guide in the description. good luck!!
Instasub, informative yet hilarious at the same time, thanks mate
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazed that this one of the only videos for really upgrading a k1, from a creator with 38 (39 now) subscribers, and it's amazing. I'm glad I kept the foam padding from the case, that was such a convenient tip. Getting new keycaps today that should fit, they're OEM profile. For only $20, I figured why not try and go crazy with it. I may make a video if I decide to really mod and lube it, I have the V3 Gateron Blue switches so I'm interested to see the difference. Thanks!
WOW thank you for the kind words! good luck on your mod, and definitely share the vid if you did make one!
@@rahmaniastrid I did not have success replacing the keycaps as the middle plastic stem on the K1 V1-4 is about 1mm smaller in diameter than standard cherry profile. After a very stupid decision I made using a drill, it stopped working completely. I realized that the price of modding it along with the time to fix it would've been a big hassle, compared to buying a gently used K8. No more soldering worries at least for this. I'm thinking of reusing the K1's PCB and 3d print a new case and add knobs in the mix somehow haha! I think it'd be a perfect project to potentially get some use out of it instead of just trashing it.
Hello, great video, great comparison and humor. :) Which tape did you use?
thanks for the compliment! I used electrical tape here
How hard it is to get full set of keycaps for K1?
exactly what I needed, you have earned a subscriber (I’ve decided i want the k1 tkl with optical switches but now i see theres the k1 se, which one do you suggest?)
thanks for the subscribe! isn't the k1 se basically k1 with hotswappable optical switch? maybe you were confused with the k3?
anyway i think the k1 se is pretty solid, you can experiment with different switch options (I think there is an option for mint or banana switch, whatever those are), the keycap holes on the switches are MX style unlike in the vid which is a 2-hole style (so no changing keycaps, ever), and it has adjustable feet if you need those!
Is it okay to lube k1 blue switches?
great vid! first time modding so i did the foam and tape on my K1 after seeing this. I have banana switches coming in today. I just want more keyboards now and more mods to do. send help
Dude, thank you. I followed the way you modded. The button for bluetooth or cable was annoying to put back haha. In the end, I couldn't be bothered with being neat thus the foam and tape be looking jank on mine. Just hoping that the foam doesn't heat up and burn...🤞
haha yeah those toggles were a nightmare. here is to hoping mine won't burn as well!
I also have a K1V4, love your lube+tape+foam sound. can you link where I can get the foam? and are the tape just electrical tape?
the foam is just the one you get from the box, if there isn't one then you can search "eva foam" on amazon or other sites you use. and yep the tape is just electrical, another tape that is popular to use is masking tape. happy modding!
Is it possible to do this mod using the low profile optical switch version? The lube and other stuff wouldn’t mess with the light sensors would it?
I believe it is, :3ildcat made a vid on the K3 which uses those switches and it looks like it didn't messed it
i sure hope that tape is non-conductive
Thanks you for this nice video.
I am search for keyboard and keychron low profile is best for me, but I have one question : optical or mechanical switch? I am need tactile like a membrane keyboard( tactile feedback at the moment of pressing- not after and not before). thanks
I'm glad that you liked it! As for your question: it really depends on what you are looking for, optical switches actuates faster so it's better for gaming, meanwhile for general usage mechanical seems to be much preferred (although for low profile switches like the K1, they have their own low profile mechanical switches so its even more rare)
And for the tactile switch: I honestly don't know switches that has tactility on the exact press, most that I know of has a bump before the press. For this keyboard, right after the bump it immediately registers the keystroke even if I haven't fully bottomed out. Hope this helps!
is there another foam that would be better that could fit into the board, or is there a reason that you used the foam that came in the box?
I think any foam would fit, generally people use PE or EVA foam. I just used the foam from the box because it's all I had, but it's thin tho. A denser foam would be better or even a silicon dampener
I'm thinking of doing this on my Keychron K3, that would be my first keyboard mod... What Lube did you use?
I used Super Lube, it's a cheaper option than Krytox but it gets the job done
I have krytox 205G0 left over from my last board I lubed. Would this be OK to use in the same way you did here with super lube? Also, is this keyboard suitable for an office environment?
krytox would definitely be OK, probably even better than Super Lube. this board would be suitable for an office, you have to be really be mashing on it too be annoying. imo typing on a normal laptop keyboard would honestly be on the same volume as this
Amazinggg
I have blue switches, will thius help with my CRAZYY PING? I added some eva foam but the ping is still the same.
foam is probably the great way to go, I would suggest more foam if it can fit. I don't suggest lubing because it can cause the switch lose its 'clicky'-ness
What are the most silent switches that fit a keychron k1 low profile? Can it fit cherry silent?
K1 has 2 different versions that I know of, one uses proprietary gateron low profile switches (just the standard red brown blue), and the other has normal MX ones. So if you have the MX ones it's possible that there is a silent switch that can fit. that's all I know, sorry!
Do you need to solder the switches?? if you want to change the switches?
There is a hot swappable version where you do not need to solder, and there is a non hot swap version that you do need to solder.
Hi. Where did you buy your foam? Or how thick is the foam you used?
I'm pretty sure it's the foam that came inside the box for the keyboard. I just got my K1-SE today and it has a little foam protective layer that looks exactly like that
What tape was used in this mod? Also does this affect the typing feel or just the sound?
the tape I used was an electric tape! honestly since this board's assembly is pretty rigid (top half of the board doubles as the plate) it only affects the sound
Can you show how to remove the switches?
I'm trying to remove mine but it's so hard, I'm able to lift them slightly but its harder to pull completely.
these are soldered switches so you have to desolder it I'm afraid. are you using the same keyboard? if so please don't pull on them without desoldering first and it can cause damage to your board
You fast forwarded the part that I need 😭, how do I remove the side panels?
Flip it up side down then pry the sides using a plastic prying tool. gravity will help.
That moment when a low profile mass market slim keyboard sounds as good as other high end keyboards that cost 4x as much. This hobby has destroyed us all.
haha I don't think it sounds THAT good, but yeah there is probably a point of diminishing returns for the money you spend on a board. Thanks for the comment btw!
This is what I've been needing for ages! I tried buying Kailh Choc switches for my K1 SE (gateron hotswapablle) and unfortunately, it didn't work. I'm planning to give this a shot (both lube and foam/tape mods over the next few weeks) and I have decided to use it for work
ah that sucks! I honestly thought about changing the switches so I could use normal keycaps, but turns out it's not possible huh🙁
anyways, you should definately try modding it! I would recommend you do it with a lot of patients tho lol
@@rahmaniastrid Oh no these are low profile kailh switches. But the pins are narrower, whereas the gateron pins are wider. The market doesn't seems to cater to the K1's yet
@@maabat8142 truee, even Keychron doesn't seem to be intersted to invest more in the K1, like no additional keycaps that actually fit
@@rahmaniastrid Guess it's a waiting game at this point......Also, with the foam you used, how many mm is it? I've been looking at foam for a few hours and am unsure how thick I can go without it being too thick
Edit: Although I would like to bring to your attention that banana and mint gateron switches appeared and as an unavailable option on the Australian store (might be hinting at more switches to come)
@@maabat8142 the foam is 3mm thick, you could definately go a bit more, there is room.
oooh interesting! haven't heard about it at all. curious what they would bring to the table after the CJ and oil king
Thank you so much for posting this! I ended up getting the K1 soldered version because it was the only one in stock at the time.
What kind of lube did you use? (Or can I use any kind from Amazon?)
Not sure how confident I am opening the back for the tape/foam mod, but I'm glad I kept my original packaging!
Thanks for watching! I used Super Lube because it was cheaper than Krytox. I've seen a lot of people using different kinds of lube, but I haven't used anything else so I suggest you just search 'switch lube' and see the reviews!
so I'm not the only one struggling to get it open I see..
Для чего используется клейкая лента? Для дополнительной звукоизоляции или от влаги?
Звукоизоляция
Wouldn't this technically decrease friction aswell, making the key less scratchy and functionally faster? Even by a little.
yup thats the beauty of lube! another good thing is that this doesn't eliminate the tactility of the browns, so slight bump then a smooth bottom out
Beautiful job! Wondering if the sake would be possible with the K3 v2?
yep it's absolutely possible!
@@rahmaniastrid yep! Just did the tape mod and the foam mod yesterday and it sounds pretty good!
@@rahmaniastrid the foam that came with the box was too thick for the k3v2 to close, so I used a thinner wrapping foam and it worked perfeclty
@@KilometroFinal nice job!!
@@KilometroFinal Good to know, I have the V3. I may see if I can split it down the middle somehow so that I have thinner layers to make use of the foam.
lol why the spamming of the space key 😂
you shuold use gated soudn while testing stuff like this
Can i install optical switches on the k1?
you can choose K1 SE with optical switches. i think it has been sold our for at least 6 months.
it is half price now for the K1 V5 optical
The ending lmao
haha just trying out new forms of typing tests!
It sounds to me like it didn't changed anything, did it?
try using headphones!
По сравнению со стоком, очень сильное отличие. Попробуй другой источник звука, лично я замечаю разницу в наушниках Senhaiser HD180 + Lenovo legion 5 2021 на 30% громкости...
Hi!
Which is the name of the lub?
Thanks for the video!
hi there! the lube I used was Super Lube
anyone struggling with side pannels push it forwrd and then open it
I had to put some heat on the side to melt some of the glue
yeah those are the most painful part of this, try sliding them upwards as they kind of latch on the bottom part of the board and for some reason keychron added adhesives to them. start by pushing the side furthest away from you and gradually go down the board. hope this helps!
👏,👏,👏.
me like. me want now.... 😯
that space bar is terrible
bruh.. girls lubing things is great.
... what's the difference
the sound after all the mods is deeper than stock, try using headphones to hear it much more clearly. thanks for watching!
ew.
meh