You actually do NOT want to use anti-static/ESD/conductive foam as PE switch foam. ESD PE foam is intended to dissipate static electricity away from the product it is wrapping. So when used as switch foam, it actually risks static shocks being transferred from the case to PCB (normally, there is an air gap that prevents this from happening). OwlLab doesn't seem to want to release what type of foam the Jelly uses specifically, but it is theorized that it is regular IXPE foam. The rumour about using black ESD PE foam is misinformation.
Overall, great video though. I need to try your method of the PE mod! In hindsight, I find it a bit silly that I released a PE foam guide without actually trying to only make cutouts for the stabilizer housings LOL. Do you happen to notice if the wires rub against the foam during use? That's my only concern with your method, as I noticed that the Jelly's foam has cutouts for the stab wires. Looking forward to more videos!
Oh man thanks for the info. I bought an embarrassingly large amount of the anti-static stuff 🤦♂️. Lemme watch your vids on this topic first. As for the stab wires, I actually ended up cutting slits for them because I wanted to apply and remove the PE foam without removing the stabs. But even before that, I didn't notice any issue with the wires.
Ohp! Hopefully you can find other uses for it 😅 Ok, that's good to hear! My main gripe about the way I do the PE foam mod is that some of the "poppyness" is missing from the stabilized keys, especially the space bar. So your method with cutouts for just the housings and wires might be the play!
I can totally understand not wanting to work with this board anymore, I've modded and disassembled it with different configs pratically 15 different times myself. Great video btw! I was shocked when I noticed your sub count, the quality is amazing.
This was great, ever since I got my board, I had the PC plate, then the Alu plate, then back to the PC plate, I then tried to half tighten the screws and triple gasket, then thought it was good. Now I have that PE foam with all screws in and tightened almost all the way and I could say that my board finally sounds how I wanted it to, all it took was 2 months after it arrived to me.
Just finished doing the PE mod on my Alu plate with Everglide Aquaking Switches and the difference is quite amazing even on these linears, thanks a lot for your testing and video. One thing to note though for those who are about try the PE mod is that when you install the switches back onto the plate, some pins WILL bend although easily fixable so test the switches first before you install the keycaps and you should be good to go. Amazing mod!
Thanks for the detailed setup and guide! I have been modding my GMMK pro, tweaking it over the last year. The sound was always a bit meh, but a tip from your video finally made it sound a lot. better, similar to your sound test 1! The big tip was I had the screws only lightly tightened to give the board more "flex" which is not noticable. I think what this does is allow the sound to leak out the bottom, which makes it a lot more muted. I tightened the screws all the way as you mentioned, thinking "what the heck ill try it", and it was a huge difference! So thanks a lot!
Great review man, I'll definitely consider your mods on my GMMK Pro (still sealed) video lol, I've been pushing it back due to other projects but this is a great reference!
Thanks, man! Good luck with it! If you do the PE foam, you might have to do some more research into what exactly is the safe kind to use. I'm still not sure 😅
i don't usually comment on videos but your video on the gmmk pro has been incredibly helpful. i followed your steps by performing the pe foam mod and that really brought life into this keyboard - thanks so much for making this very thorough video!
Thank you very much for this great video. I've tried a lot of mods as well, but what really stood out was the tempest mod. For some reason something as simple as a masking tape, or any paper-based tape for that matter (e.g. painters tape and so on) works really well. The typing sounds "poppy" which gives a smooth feel to it. I am using polycarbonate plate with standard foam in between the PCB and plate, uses the stand-off to put them together and finally one layer (three stripes) of tapes. I did not put any cotton/PE foam at the bottom as it didn't produce much difference. That or I'm too old to hear things anymore LOL!
Tried the tempest mod as well and my board went from poppy and fun to listen to- to drab and almost.. apalling to type on, for a lack of a better term. Glad someone else shares the sentiment that the tape mod isn’t an end all be all solution to “thock.”
It depends on the keyboard, I guess. No go on the GMMK Pro for me but I have it on a couple of cheap tray-mounted boards along with the PE foam since they need all the help they can get lol. I'm also keeping both mods off my KBD67 Lite since it already sounds great and to get more diversity of sound out of my boards hehe
If I remember right, the outcome of the tape mod is partly dependant on the switches used. Might be useful to know if you want to try with different switches later
What an incredibly helpful and well made video. Thank you for going into such depth. I come here after having tried the tape mod on my D65, and am leaving this video now inspired to switch to PE foam, as well as add the standoffs to my plate and PCB (I left them out assuming that the board would feel better that way).
@@CaloysKeyboards Just did both, and on my D65 (using Akko CS Matchas) the PE foam sounds WAY better than the tape mod. Tape mod was a pretty small impact -- it did deepen the sound, but not by much. PE foam, however, was a huge impact. I agree with the term "marble-y" -- as an owner of a marble dining table, it does kind of sound like I'm tapping on that table.
@Christopher CHOW I'm only using the stock PCB foam (no case foam). So to be clear, PE foam + PCB foam, no case foam. I did try both tape and PE foam on the PCB and noticed no real difference and so I got rid of the tape just to reduce future mess. I also didn't try other configurations, because I'm happy with the way it sounds. :)
Just re-watching this as I now just received the GMMK Pro. PE foam mod + stock bottom case foam + plate foam removed + PC plate produced a sound that I liked. I have Boba U4Ts and GMK cherry keycaps. My PC plate received on 23.8.21 in Europe seems to be just as bad as the earlier versions. I.e. Too small and a nightmare to install with Durock stabs. I just ordered a quality looking AVX Works FR4 plate which should be shipped early September. If you are outside of North America then you can get from MechMods in the UK. I am hoping that this will fit nicely and sound good as well.
That's a huge bummer about the plate. It's been way too long since release for there to still be faulty plates being shipped. I've seen that FR4 plate form AVX Works and it looks super nice. Much nicer than the one I used. Hope it works out for you hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards Hi Caloy. My AVX Works FR4 plate arrived and its great! No warping or misalignment. I have a modded TOFU60, KBD67 v3 and GMMK Pro and the latter is my favourite board. Its sounds and feels super nice with the FR4 plate, Boba U4T switches and MT3 keycaps. I also bought a set of KBDfans D65 gaskets but I am wondering if I will get any benefit in fitting them. Do the D65 gaskets mess with the height of the keycaps?
@@davieslm Nice! I didn't find any benefit with the D65 gaskets but it wouldn't hurt to try them out if you're curious. You can always just tighten the screws fully and they'd function identically to the stock gaskets. Use the thinner parts in between the pre-cut gaskets to avoid interference while closing the case. Not sure what you mean by messing with the keycaps height. The whole of the PCB+plate assembly and top case would all rise up together so there wouldn't be any misalignment there.
@@CaloysKeyboards Thanks Caloy. I will give the gaskets a go. You are right about the keycaps. I was just confused a little as was thinking it was like tray mount system meaning if you install o-rings on a Tofu then this will raise the height of the PCB and you will have larger gaps at the bottom of the keycaps.
tbh the plate issue is fixed but theres so much old stock still that you can easily get an older one ( which is annoying ). I got an older GMMK pro with the the stab issue as well where they overlubed. I had to file down my Alu plate as well.
I got inspired to start keeb modding because of your vids! So I purchased all the necessary stuff I need to start modding. I plan to use a GMMK PRO with a PC plate, Glorious Gateron Blacks with 60g Springs (gonna bag lube with Krytox 106) also planning on holee mod and band aid mod with switch films and switch pads and a 3.5mm spacebar foam. Im hoping it’ll sound awesome! Edit: Gonna change the Goat stabs to Duroc V2 stabs as well and so krytox 205g0 one all the switches and stabs
I sold my GMMK Pro because I got so tired of tinkering with it. This makes me want to pick one up again and give it another go. My ideal sound and doesn't break the bank either.
Here's an update from August: www.pcgamingrace.com/blogs/news/gmmk-pro-post-launch-report Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've addressed the PC plate issues. Just the alu and brass.
Thank you! Hmm it looks about the same, I think. The second scene in the intro (with the light bulb) is with the PE Foam installed hehe Edit: Ok, I've had the RGB on for a little bit now and it does seem dimmer than it was before the PE foam. On the edge it's brighter since there's no foam there 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards makes sense. Unless someone takes the time to make holes for the LEDs too! Might need to try that myself, hmmm. Thanks though, I really like the way you do you sound comparisons too! Cheers, and keep up the good work.
Good video. :) Heard that you mentioned the Philippines? :) Do you live there and if so do you know any good stores? Looking for someone that is making custom cases or just sells cases in different sizes. Lazada is not always easy to find what your looking for :) Liked and subscribed
Thank you! Yup nasa Pinas po ako hehe. Do you mean custom cases for a specific keyboard? The only thing that springs to mind is PMX.GG on Facebook. They make custom cases, plates, foams, etc hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards hey Kuya! :P Than you. Will have a look! Not necessarily for a specific board, but more a specific size. Would like a wood cabinet and a alu one for a 75%. Might even go so far to see if i can find someone with a CNC. Doing my first proper hotswap with glorious panda, glorious lynx and doing the lubing myself. :) Based in Taguig
I actually got around to building my GMMK Pro and I had a terrible time as it actually came with one stripped screw head on the space bar stab housing. Had to take a drill to it to get it out ;( Anyways loved the part 3 of the modding tutorial, the editing of the vids are really clean. Definitely need to try that PE voodoo magic foam haha
Thank you! Oh man, so sorry about your bad experience. When I ordered mine, I actually started seeing posts in FB groups about people getting stripped case screws. Didn't know the stabs were susceptible to it too. I was very scared when I first got mine but there was only one screw that was tighter than the others and I was able to get it off without stripping it, fortunately. Glorious needs to improve their screws or else not tighten them so hard.
"I got my hands on a multimeter and tested both the PE foam included with the GMMK Pro and also the anti-static Betafoam and both are non-conductive" Love you
I've never tried that PE foam placement. If you did it like that, you'd either have to cut big holes for the switches or attempt to push the entire housing through it, which would pretty much defeat the point, I think hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards Thank you. Ended up placing it closest to the pcb and skipping the pcb foam alltogether. Only used 2 screws to secure the pc-plate to the pcb. The thock is unreal haha, what an upgrade to my old ducky keyboard.
Interesting - I use the aluminum plate with the middle standoffs (because otherwise the pcb won't stzy attached) I cut off all the edges which attach the plate to the pcb and I have pe foam and tempest mod. I removed all stock case foam, and only loosely use the 4 corner screws. This has been a very enjoyable result to me. Thanks for sharing the details of your journey.
@@CaloysKeyboards Angle Grinder =) - I'm considering going back and cutting some slits in to the plate for even more flex - but not sure about that since I'm really happy with the typing experience right now. I've tried it with three different switches so far, some Gateron Cap Brown V2s, Durock POM Linear and now some lubed Tecsee Purple Panda PME (which are just a better holy panda - very good switch!). This is my current favorite board (of 25...this is a ridiculous addiction). Funnily enough, Tecsee Purple Panda PME are almost identical to my previous favorite (and way more expensive to make...) switch - a KK Lightwave (V1) + Gateron Yellow Spring + Halo stem.
Hi sir caloy! Nice acoustics. I just have one question. With the pc plate bowing, were u able to find any solution to this problem? My pcb is still bending. Thanks
I hope Glorious starts selling the aluminum plates in both its colors. I have the black GMMK pro, but I would love the silver plate over the black one.
Great content and very nicely arranged + summarized video. That's a +1 subscriber for you man 😎 Any chance you can share a link to buy the FR4 Plate? :)
Thank you so much! The FR4 plate was just made by a maker here in the Philippines. I'm not sure if there's any stock left. You can check his site here: rmi-kb.com/
Thanks for the reply, unfortunately nothing to be seen or bought from the website or their discord channel :/ It's ok then, but fyi here's the other only FR4 plate option I've seen and apparently they're really good, but on the pricier side :) www.mechmods.co.uk/products/gmmk-pro-fr4-plate-by-avx-works
Love your vid man. 🔥 Just want to ask a question. Did the tempest mod decreased the black magic power of the PE Foam Mod when both of them were applied?
I had the same issue with the PE foam mod. My G switch wasn't working unless pressed hard because the added PE foam was just enough to make it not have full contact. Sad as I liked the sound but meh I went back stock. Although might take out the plate foam after seeing this
Do you mean the PE Foam? Well, regardless I probably wouldn't be able to find an alternative any better than you would since I don't live in the US and am not very familiar with Amazon 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards great to hear. Look forward to seeing your vid.. don't know how long the GB will stay open on CandyKeys... So perhaps waiting on your opinion might not be in the cards.. will see.. what happens.
From other people's videos, it seems like you'll need to do quite a bit of modding to make it sound acceptable. If you don't already have a 75% and enjoy that tinkering, it seems like a pretty great option, especially considering the low price hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards Excellent points.. i do enjoy thinkering / modding. don't have the time to do it as much as i like to with me going back to school and all.. But i don't have a 75% certainly not one with south facing LED and qmk/via support.. with the FR4 plate 170 euro is reasonable anything else is way way more expensive mostly because i need to import it to the EU. Appreciate your thoughts..
Yes every test with the PE foam was without the plate foam as using the plate foam with the PE foam caused issues for me with switches losing contact with the sockets.
EVA foam works fine for inside the case. If there are structure lines that would make you have to cut the foam into many little pieces, you might be better off with a DIY silicone dampener.
After the PE foam this keboard case is hard to close back with the screws? PE on the PCB and under the foam case.. I need to apply some force to close it.. And you removed the standoffs? (two on the plate)
I've never really screwed the case super tightly. Once I feel some resistance, I just stop screwing, even if the top and bottom cases aren't fully flush. I removed the standoffs initially when I was comparing to the FR4 plate but for the final configuration using the PC plate, I used the standoffs.
@@CaloysKeyboards Yeah because I dont know why I need to apply force to close this case.. Maybe I need to replace the gaskets with the D65? that is made big difference and flex?
You're using the stock gaskets? Not triple gaskets? I think if you replaced with the D65, it would be even harder to close, since it's thicker. Try removing the PE foam under the PCB. I've found it doesn't really make a difference when placed there anyway.
@@CaloysKeyboards You mean the case pe foam? And I think D65 is helps to this closed easier because they are thinner than the stock gaskets (I used the stock now) And this D65 makes this keyboard flexy?
Yes, the case PE foam. Neither the triple gaskets nor the D65 gaskets made the typing experience flexy or bouncy for me. You could make it flex or bounce by pressing really hard, sure, but during normal typing I couldn't feel it.
Tried out the tape mod on my modded Blackwidow Tournament Edition 2014 and it did sound a bit better with the Gateron Yellows I put in. Gonna try the tempest mod sometime in the future when I get another board since I'm not gonna desolder this thing again lmao but looks easy enough for hotswaps.
I removed the stock foam between the PCB and plate so I just use the PE foam. It caused problems for me with the FR4 plate and I found that it opened up the sound so I just left it off even with the PC plate.
hi. I just noticed that the square holes in poly carbonate plate is slightly bigger than the switches (at least with cherries). there is tremendous difference when you tape 4 sides of the square before putting the switch. Can you test on this? The result yields quite noticeable when you use silent switches. I am now cutting tapes into very thin pieces and taping all 4 sides of all square holes; similar to old fashion tapings for holes for stabilizer holders.
Oh I've got the GMMK Pro in a different configuration for another video right now hehe. I've never noticed the switches being loose during normal use. What does this change? Sound? Feel?
@@CaloysKeyboards basically it reduces the noises that aren't coming from the switch; making it pure. I tested with cherries. When you put the switch on the plate and shake it from the bottom, the switch slightly moves to all sides. When you tape the 4 sides, it does not move gives firmer feel and better sound. However, if you use weak masking tapes, it does not stick well. So I am also bonding the tapes little by little... takes some time
@@CaloysKeyboards if the switches are loose on the pc plate, the extra sound it will make is the shaking sound of the switch in the plate installed = plastic bumping sound. It is true that it is hard to recognize when the switches are not silent switches
@@CaloysKeyboards My personal thought is people who can distinguish the firmness and the sound comparison between built-in keyboards and hot-swaps can tell the difference
Any links for the US for PE Foam non-conductive that could cover a TKL and be 0.5mm or thinner? Everything on US Amazon is at best 1/16" ( 1.5mm ) or is 0.5mm but super tiny in size. Any suggestions?
Sorry I'm not in the US so I probably wouldn't be able to find anything any better than you would. This is the link that Technology Brother provided but it seems out of stock: www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMQPNZK?&linkCode=sl1&tag=technolog07e5-20&linkId=9207bd8c06af76ece2ac2ce2af50a860&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl Maybe you can check videos from other creators and see if they've provided links.
I dont know how you recommended remove the plate foam.. I try this and now the board sounds hollow.. how that is possible.. And my backspace is more louder than enter keycap
How do I know if the PE foam is safe to use. I was thinking about using the PE foam that my keyboard case was wrapped in for shipping. Is there a way to be sure or what do you think. It's kind of holding me back
I don't remember all the details already so you might have to read through the entire pinned comment thread on this video. I think you might have to use a multimeter to test the conductivity of the PE foam, which is what I did.
So to clarify, you only cut holes for stabs, and just push the switches through to create holes right? Don't to be punching all the holes for the pins lol. Thanks for the tips
@@CaloysKeyboards I preordered mine from avxworks hope the sizing fit and I hope I still can use the PE foam with the plate foam with fr4. glorious doesn't ship to my country except from glorious's partner vendor so no pc plate for me yet
I tried rubbing the PE foam that came with the board with rubber ruler to see if it's produce static electricity. and I can't feel any static electricity coming out of that PE foam by touching it with the back of my arm and seeing if any of my arm's hair got lifted and the result is none of it lift up and I can't feel the static electricity at all so does this meant that the PE foam that came with the board already have ESD protection? can someone validate my finding or correct me if I'm wrong?
We need an electrical engineer up in here lol. From what I've read, most people have been able to use the PE foam that came with the board with no issue. I've read some people say they had issues with unresponsive or double-pressing switches, but those might be unrelated to static. Scott from Keybored also mentioned that the GMMK Pro's PCB might be ESD-protected.
@@CaloysKeyboards yes we need someone who have qualifications to check this. PE foam is black magic but finding PE foam with ESD properties is difficult
@@albioncia Regular PE foam in general does not seem to be conductive (I had someone I trust test it with a multimeter). If you want more info, I did a lot of research on this mod and recently posted an entire video about it on my channel LOL
@@albioncia also please do NOT use PE foam with ESD properties. I understand why it's confusing, but ESD foam is intended to dissipate static electricity away from the product it is wrapping i.e. it is conductive, and should not be used as switch foam.
Oooh I hadn't seen that bottom silicone. I'll think about it. I was considering the alu V3 case but it's a bit too pricey for me right now with all of the other stuff I've bought for the channel. Maybe when I get monetized 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards Yeah, I think they've just recently added the silicone piece as an option. The allu case could be a nice option for you since you said you wish your case was white :)
thank you sir! may I ask how did you test it like what setting?😭 i have my tester but i'm clueless af 🤣 (i want to try if the pe foam i have laying around here is safe)
You can set it to either resistance mode or diode mode. Place both the prongs on the foam, the reading should remain as OL, meaning open line or there's no conductivity. You can also try it on a metal object to see the difference. There should be a reading and/or a beep noise with that.
Pe foam mod goes crazy. Really does make it brighter. I could use that but I’ll see if anyone has made a vid about it w black inks before I open it again ahfkdhb
I ordered a multimeter to check for myself but it's probably still several days away from arriving. Meanwhile, I've been using my cheapest keyboard with the betafoam and haven't had any issues.
Well, I haven't tried it again but if it's just a single sheet with nothing else in there then it shouldn't make any difference. Not trying to discount your experience or anything.
@@CaloysKeyboards no worries at all. I actually used 2 layers of PE foam, I tested it compared to an empty case. To me, it removes the ping and hollowness. Adds a nice sound in my opinion
@@keyboardkevin5949 Nice! Pretty surprising given the tofu's cavernous case lol. I guess it goes to show you might not need to be stuffing so much dampening material to get the sound you want hehe
My enter key is more muted than the other stabs you know why? when I tuning my stabs it sounds fine but when I assemble my keyboard it sounds more muted and not poppy like the other stabs.. Removing the plate foam - open up much the sound? And holee mod is really worth it even on the enter key? And I see sometimes people doing the D65 mod and replace the original gaskets and told that is more softer hehe
Are you using the PC plate? Maybe it's because of the shrinkage from that. Yes, I found removing the plate foam opened up the sound and I prefer it that way. If you have the time and patience, I'd say go for the Holee mod on all of the stabs. It should keep them free of rattle in the long run. I've found that without it, the rattle usually returns after some time. I tried the D65 gaskets as well as the triple gaskets but didn't really feel much of that flex or softness while typing.
I have aluminum. So what is the advantage of the D65? I have it but not install it yet.. and I think not the all areas in this keyboard sounds identical.. the standoffs is really important? I not install them
For me, the D65 gaskets did not provide any advantage but that's personal preference. You should just try it and see how it feels for you. I used the standoffs since I found that a stiffer keyboard produced a louder sound, which I was aiming for. But again, that's personal preference as well. I can't really tell you whether or not it's going to be good for you.
@@CaloysKeyboards I understand.. I doing the holee mod but here I have some really thin band-aid so.. I do that before some time and the band-aid right now not sticky very well.. only my enter stab is problematic right now maybe I wash this... You think I install the standoffs again without open the PCB and only remove some of my keycaps? Thanks!
You'll still have top open the case to install the standoffs since they slide in from under the PCB, but yes you don't have to remove any of the switches and only some of the keycaps. For the stabs, try swapping the enter stabs with shift or backspace to see if the issue moves to those keys or stays with the enter key.
Holee mod has been pretty great for me so far. Haven't had all that much experience with Epsi. I used it on the spacebar previously and it seemed to work fine. Nothing has really made this keyboard flexy for me during typing.
@@CaloysKeyboards So what is the D65 is used for? better sounding? Maybe more thicker gaskets can do it more flexy and good sounding (or triple gasket?)
I tried the triple gaskets in part one. You can make the keyboard flex by pressing hard but I never felt any flex or bounce while typing. The D65 gaskets did not end up making a big difference for me since I ended up tightening everything up fully to improve sound.
@@CaloysKeyboards Okay so you recommend tightened all the screws? some people take off some screws because have much of them haha.. And I think because of removing the plate foam that is more space so it is gonna to be flexy
I've found that more stiffness leads to better sound, at least in my opinion. Don't really care about flex anymore since I don't feel it during normal use anyway hehe
so was there any solution to flex lol I regret buying it as im typing on it with a brass plate + pe foam + case foam + extra gaskets lol.... what flex... but the raindrop noises
Even with the flexiest possible configuration (PC plate, no case foam, triple gaskets, loose screws), I still couldn't feel the flex during normal typing 😅
I did initially but it caused some problems with the plate rising. I imagine there wouldn't be any problems if you were to use the standoffs and plate screws. I also found that the sound opened up without the stock plate foam so I just omitted it.
@@CaloysKeyboards oh wow thanks man. this is certainly interesting that we can use the PE foam mod without the plate/pcb foam in placed and still achieve that sound
For me and for this keyboard, yes. I have another keyboard that's a tray mount that sounds pretty awful so I did both on it since it needs all the help it can get lol
@@CaloysKeyboards wow! thanks for a quick reply. currently I'm gonna try to do what you did for the durock pom linears, because that's the kind of thock I'm after. I'm using Boba u4ts so it should be similar if not more thocky when it's done. I'll let you know when I'm finished if it's still not getting the right sound
@@CaloysKeyboards copied your mod exactly, and got exactly the sound i was looking for (wow this is sexy!) sorry for the bother, i wasnt expecting you to reply for much longer, so i wouldve just deleted my comment if it worked out. took a look at your sub count and noticed it was a bit low, so i did the best i could and added one to it :)
Excellent video! That PE foam is incredible. I have just transformed my Tofu60 (PC, U4T, GMK) with this mod. Looking at buying a KBD67 R2 Lite (on the mech market) or the GMMK Pro as its locally in stock. Would you say a GMMK Pro with PC plate, Durock V2, Boba U4T, GMK caps, plate foam removed and PE foam modded would sound deeper, thockier and more even than a KBD67 Lite R2 (ABS) with the stock PC plate, stabs, switches and keycaps? I love the form factor of both boards but don’t want another flat sounding board like a Tofu with no mods.
Thank you! Hmmm, I think whichever one has the PE foam would win in terms of deep sound and thock. As for evenness, I'm assuming you mean consistency in sound throughout the keys? I haven't noticed any major inconsistency in either board.
@@CaloysKeyboards Thanks Caloy. Yes that is exactly what I mean. I have drilled out the two centre posts on my Tofu but the top row sounds flat because I think its due to the PCB next to a very thick alloy case edge. The rest of the keys are super thocky and I just wondered if the GMMK Pro and KBD67 Lite have the same characteristics. Descision time.. I can right now buy a new KBD67 Lite R2 kit for 174EUR delivered with no import fees. However I will need to change the ABS case as it is white and I like black. Alternatively I can buy the GMMK Pro with PC plate in the color I want (black) for 236 EUR delivered with no import fees. I know they are different form factors but I like both but I am looking for the best sounding board with the PE foam mod. PC plate with Boba U4T switches and GMK WoB.
Afraid I can't say anything definitively about this as I haven't tried the PE foam mod on the KBD67 Lite. I would imagine it would win over the GMMK Pro in terms of sound since it already sounds nice and thocky without it.
I'm still doing some more research on this. I read that you can test conductivity using a smartphone touch screen. I tried using the betafoam to touch my phone's screen and it didn't react. With something metal, it does. So does this mean it's not conductive and therefore ok to use? I'm still not sure lol. You wouldn't happen to have a multimeter on you to test for sure? 😅
I wouldnt risk any of these mods to the keyboard. The sound difference is less than 1% to my ears. Either mod you are risking static electricity or sticky adhesive on your PCB. All painters tape tell you have to remove the tape within x number of days. Just bad ideas in my book.
You actually do NOT want to use anti-static/ESD/conductive foam as PE switch foam. ESD PE foam is intended to dissipate static electricity away from the product it is wrapping. So when used as switch foam, it actually risks static shocks being transferred from the case to PCB (normally, there is an air gap that prevents this from happening). OwlLab doesn't seem to want to release what type of foam the Jelly uses specifically, but it is theorized that it is regular IXPE foam. The rumour about using black ESD PE foam is misinformation.
Overall, great video though. I need to try your method of the PE mod! In hindsight, I find it a bit silly that I released a PE foam guide without actually trying to only make cutouts for the stabilizer housings LOL. Do you happen to notice if the wires rub against the foam during use? That's my only concern with your method, as I noticed that the Jelly's foam has cutouts for the stab wires.
Looking forward to more videos!
Listen to this man, he knows what he's talking about
Oh man thanks for the info. I bought an embarrassingly large amount of the anti-static stuff 🤦♂️. Lemme watch your vids on this topic first. As for the stab wires, I actually ended up cutting slits for them because I wanted to apply and remove the PE foam without removing the stabs. But even before that, I didn't notice any issue with the wires.
Ohp! Hopefully you can find other uses for it 😅
Ok, that's good to hear! My main gripe about the way I do the PE foam mod is that some of the "poppyness" is missing from the stabilized keys, especially the space bar. So your method with cutouts for just the housings and wires might be the play!
Is the pe foam that came with the gmmk pro safe to use?
I can totally understand not wanting to work with this board anymore, I've modded and disassembled it with different configs pratically 15 different times myself. Great video btw! I was shocked when I noticed your sub count, the quality is amazing.
Thank you so much!
This was great, ever since I got my board, I had the PC plate, then the Alu plate, then back to the PC plate, I then tried to half tighten the screws and triple gasket, then thought it was good. Now I have that PE foam with all screws in and tightened almost all the way and I could say that my board finally sounds how I wanted it to, all it took was 2 months after it arrived to me.
Nice! Glad it worked out for you hehe. It takes some doing the but this board can sound really good 😁
Extremely detail and very helpful.
Gotta work on my newly arrived GMMK Pro as well.
Thanks man!
Your content just keeps getting better and better. I am enjoying typing this an a PE-foamed GMMK Pro with Ink Blacks. Cheers.
Just finished doing the PE mod on my Alu plate with Everglide Aquaking Switches and the difference is quite amazing even on these linears, thanks a lot for your testing and video. One thing to note though for those who are about try the PE mod is that when you install the switches back onto the plate, some pins WILL bend although easily fixable so test the switches first before you install the keycaps and you should be good to go. Amazing mod!
Nice! Great advice 😁
Thanks for the detailed setup and guide! I have been modding my GMMK pro, tweaking it over the last year. The sound was always a bit meh, but a tip from your video finally made it sound a lot. better, similar to your sound test 1! The big tip was I had the screws only lightly tightened to give the board more "flex" which is not noticable. I think what this does is allow the sound to leak out the bottom, which makes it a lot more muted. I tightened the screws all the way as you mentioned, thinking "what the heck ill try it", and it was a huge difference! So thanks a lot!
Nice! Great to hear. Flex is overrated anyway lololol #jokingnotjoking
Great review man, I'll definitely consider your mods on my GMMK Pro (still sealed) video lol, I've been pushing it back due to other projects but this is a great reference!
Thanks, man! Good luck with it! If you do the PE foam, you might have to do some more research into what exactly is the safe kind to use. I'm still not sure 😅
i don't usually comment on videos but your video on the gmmk pro has been incredibly helpful. i followed your steps by performing the pe foam mod and that really brought life into this keyboard - thanks so much for making this very thorough video!
Thank you! Always glad to help 😊
Thank you very much for this great video. I've tried a lot of mods as well, but what really stood out was the tempest mod. For some reason something as simple as a masking tape, or any paper-based tape for that matter (e.g. painters tape and so on) works really well. The typing sounds "poppy" which gives a smooth feel to it. I am using polycarbonate plate with standard foam in between the PCB and plate, uses the stand-off to put them together and finally one layer (three stripes) of tapes. I did not put any cotton/PE foam at the bottom as it didn't produce much difference. That or I'm too old to hear things anymore LOL!
Nice! Yea, the PE foam really only has an effect on top of the PCB, not underneath hehe
Tried the tempest mod as well and my board went from poppy and fun to listen to- to drab and almost.. apalling to type on, for a lack of a better term. Glad someone else shares the sentiment that the tape mod isn’t an end all be all solution to “thock.”
It depends on the keyboard, I guess. No go on the GMMK Pro for me but I have it on a couple of cheap tray-mounted boards along with the PE foam since they need all the help they can get lol. I'm also keeping both mods off my KBD67 Lite since it already sounds great and to get more diversity of sound out of my boards hehe
If I remember right, the outcome of the tape mod is partly dependant on the switches used. Might be useful to know if you want to try with different switches later
What an incredibly helpful and well made video. Thank you for going into such depth. I come here after having tried the tape mod on my D65, and am leaving this video now inspired to switch to PE foam, as well as add the standoffs to my plate and PCB (I left them out assuming that the board would feel better that way).
Thank you so much! Hope it all goes well for you! 😊
@@CaloysKeyboards Just did both, and on my D65 (using Akko CS Matchas) the PE foam sounds WAY better than the tape mod. Tape mod was a pretty small impact -- it did deepen the sound, but not by much. PE foam, however, was a huge impact. I agree with the term "marble-y" -- as an owner of a marble dining table, it does kind of sound like I'm tapping on that table.
Woah nice! Mirrors my experience hehe. That's a fun way of describing it, marble-y 😁
@Christopher CHOW I'm using an FR4 plate. I'm pretty tempted to order the PC plate to see how I like that material.
@Christopher CHOW I'm only using the stock PCB foam (no case foam). So to be clear, PE foam + PCB foam, no case foam.
I did try both tape and PE foam on the PCB and noticed no real difference and so I got rid of the tape just to reduce future mess. I also didn't try other configurations, because I'm happy with the way it sounds. :)
Daaaang PE Foam sounds good! Great thumbnail as well!
Thanks bro! Yesss Jelly Epoch sounds for cheap 😁
Best mods and sound I ever seen for GMMK Pro. Really good contents keep going.
Thank you so much!
Great video. Subbed to hopefully get you monetized soon. you deserve it with the quality of your content.
Thanks! Much appreciated 🙏
dude your actually insane! thanks for this
I don't have a gmmk pro, but great video! I appreciate you doing all this keyboard science
Thank you! It's great fun! 😁
Just re-watching this as I now just received the GMMK Pro. PE foam mod + stock bottom case foam + plate foam removed + PC plate produced a sound that I liked. I have Boba U4Ts and GMK cherry keycaps.
My PC plate received on 23.8.21 in Europe seems to be just as bad as the earlier versions. I.e. Too small and a nightmare to install with Durock stabs. I just ordered a quality looking AVX Works FR4 plate which should be shipped early September. If you are outside of North America then you can get from MechMods in the UK. I am hoping that this will fit nicely and sound good as well.
That's a huge bummer about the plate. It's been way too long since release for there to still be faulty plates being shipped. I've seen that FR4 plate form AVX Works and it looks super nice. Much nicer than the one I used. Hope it works out for you hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards Hi Caloy. My AVX Works FR4 plate arrived and its great! No warping or misalignment. I have a modded TOFU60, KBD67 v3 and GMMK Pro and the latter is my favourite board. Its sounds and feels super nice with the FR4 plate, Boba U4T switches and MT3 keycaps. I also bought a set of KBDfans D65 gaskets but I am wondering if I will get any benefit in fitting them. Do the D65 gaskets mess with the height of the keycaps?
@@davieslm Nice! I didn't find any benefit with the D65 gaskets but it wouldn't hurt to try them out if you're curious. You can always just tighten the screws fully and they'd function identically to the stock gaskets. Use the thinner parts in between the pre-cut gaskets to avoid interference while closing the case. Not sure what you mean by messing with the keycaps height. The whole of the PCB+plate assembly and top case would all rise up together so there wouldn't be any misalignment there.
@@CaloysKeyboards Thanks Caloy. I will give the gaskets a go. You are right about the keycaps. I was just confused a little as was thinking it was like tray mount system meaning if you install o-rings on a Tofu then this will raise the height of the PCB and you will have larger gaps at the bottom of the keycaps.
tbh the plate issue is fixed but theres so much old stock still that you can easily get an older one ( which is annoying ). I got an older GMMK pro with the the stab issue as well where they overlubed. I had to file down my Alu plate as well.
This was such a helpful video, thank you so much
You're welcome! Thanks as well 🙏🏼
Very helpful, considering getting a new GMMK pro again because of this. Lol.
Apologies to your wallet 😂
I got inspired to start keeb modding because of your vids! So I purchased all the necessary stuff I need to start modding. I plan to use a GMMK PRO with a PC plate, Glorious Gateron Blacks with 60g Springs (gonna bag lube with Krytox 106) also planning on holee mod and band aid mod with switch films and switch pads and a 3.5mm spacebar foam. Im hoping it’ll sound awesome!
Edit: Gonna change the Goat stabs to Duroc V2 stabs as well and so krytox 205g0 one all the switches and stabs
Nice! Good luck with it! 😁
I sold my GMMK Pro because I got so tired of tinkering with it. This makes me want to pick one up again and give it another go. My ideal sound and doesn't break the bank either.
It should be smoother sailing now with the updates that Glorious made to the plates!
@@CaloysKeyboards When did the update the plates? Does the PC plate finally fit properly?
Here's an update from August: www.pcgamingrace.com/blogs/news/gmmk-pro-post-launch-report
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've addressed the PC plate issues. Just the alu and brass.
999th subscriber, thank you and excited to mod my newly bought GMMK Pro!
Nice! Thank you so much!
Love how in depth the videos are!
Did you test out how the rgb looked when using PE foam? If so how did it look?
Thank you! Hmm it looks about the same, I think. The second scene in the intro (with the light bulb) is with the PE Foam installed hehe
Edit: Ok, I've had the RGB on for a little bit now and it does seem dimmer than it was before the PE foam. On the edge it's brighter since there's no foam there 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards makes sense. Unless someone takes the time to make holes for the LEDs too! Might need to try that myself, hmmm.
Thanks though, I really like the way you do you sound comparisons too!
Cheers, and keep up the good work.
Anyone got a UK / EU link for PE foam?
Good video. :) Heard that you mentioned the Philippines? :) Do you live there and if so do you know any good stores? Looking for someone that is making custom cases or just sells cases in different sizes. Lazada is not always easy to find what your looking for :)
Liked and subscribed
Thank you! Yup nasa Pinas po ako hehe. Do you mean custom cases for a specific keyboard? The only thing that springs to mind is PMX.GG on Facebook. They make custom cases, plates, foams, etc hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards hey Kuya! :P
Than you. Will have a look! Not necessarily for a specific board, but more a specific size. Would like a wood cabinet and a alu one for a 75%. Might even go so far to see if i can find someone with a CNC. Doing my first proper hotswap with glorious panda, glorious lynx and doing the lubing myself. :) Based in Taguig
Very well done, thank you!
Thank you so much! Appreciate you coming back 🙏🏼
I actually got around to building my GMMK Pro and I had a terrible time as it actually came with one stripped screw head on the space bar stab housing. Had to take a drill to it to get it out ;( Anyways loved the part 3 of the modding tutorial, the editing of the vids are really clean. Definitely need to try that PE voodoo magic foam haha
omg me too I use a wire cutter to cut the stab off then to cut the screw and the nut that was holding the right spacebar stab that was actual pain
Thank you! Oh man, so sorry about your bad experience. When I ordered mine, I actually started seeing posts in FB groups about people getting stripped case screws. Didn't know the stabs were susceptible to it too. I was very scared when I first got mine but there was only one screw that was tighter than the others and I was able to get it off without stripping it, fortunately. Glorious needs to improve their screws or else not tighten them so hard.
"I got my hands on a multimeter and tested both the PE foam included with the GMMK Pro and also the anti-static Betafoam and both are non-conductive" Love you
I've never tried that PE foam placement. If you did it like that, you'd either have to cut big holes for the switches or attempt to push the entire housing through it, which would pretty much defeat the point, I think hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards Thank you. Ended up placing it closest to the pcb and skipping the pcb foam alltogether. Only used 2 screws to secure the pc-plate to the pcb. The thock is unreal haha, what an upgrade to my old ducky keyboard.
Interesting - I use the aluminum plate with the middle standoffs (because otherwise the pcb won't stzy attached) I cut off all the edges which attach the plate to the pcb and I have pe foam and tempest mod. I removed all stock case foam, and only loosely use the 4 corner screws. This has been a very enjoyable result to me. Thanks for sharing the details of your journey.
Nice! Sounds like really well thought out build! How did you cut off the tabs from the alu plate? 😁
@@CaloysKeyboards Angle Grinder =) - I'm considering going back and cutting some slits in to the plate for even more flex - but not sure about that since I'm really happy with the typing experience right now. I've tried it with three different switches so far, some Gateron Cap Brown V2s, Durock POM Linear and now some lubed Tecsee Purple Panda PME (which are just a better holy panda - very good switch!). This is my current favorite board (of 25...this is a ridiculous addiction). Funnily enough, Tecsee Purple Panda PME are almost identical to my previous favorite (and way more expensive to make...) switch - a KK Lightwave (V1) + Gateron Yellow Spring + Halo stem.
You could also use Leukoplast tape cloth for the holee mod. Works really well and not a waste of band aids
I'm good with Holee mod supplies. I've got like 300 of these fabric bandages now 😅
Hi sir caloy! Nice acoustics. I just have one question. With the pc plate bowing, were u able to find any solution to this problem? My pcb is still bending. Thanks
I hope Glorious starts selling the aluminum plates in both its colors. I have the black GMMK pro, but I would love the silver plate over the black one.
i get what you mean about the tempest mod. i actually prefer the one with just the PE foam. thank you
Great vid! Where'd could I find that deskmat?
Thank you! Unfortunately, all of my deskmats are custom featuring my own art 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards When i saw Luffy on it I don’t know how long i searched online for it 😭. I’m going to look into making my own, thanks for the idea!
Great content and very nicely arranged + summarized video. That's a +1 subscriber for you man 😎
Any chance you can share a link to buy the FR4 Plate? :)
Thank you so much! The FR4 plate was just made by a maker here in the Philippines. I'm not sure if there's any stock left. You can check his site here: rmi-kb.com/
Thanks for the reply, unfortunately nothing to be seen or bought from the website or their discord channel :/
It's ok then, but fyi here's the other only FR4 plate option I've seen and apparently they're really good, but on the pricier side :)
www.mechmods.co.uk/products/gmmk-pro-fr4-plate-by-avx-works
Oh yeah I've seen this. Definitely nicer than the one I got but would be prohibitive to have shipped here to the Philippines, probably hehe
Nice vid bro! Mind linking the PE foam you used in the video? Thank you!
Thanks! Link should be in the description hehe
Love your vid man. 🔥 Just want to ask a question. Did the tempest mod decreased the black magic power of the PE Foam Mod when both of them were applied?
Thanks, man! Hmm it sort of had this deadening effect. Like the sound got duller or something hehe. I prefer it with just the PE without tape.
I was kind of considering the tape mod and the PE foam mod... maybe I'll try just the PE foam first and see how it goes
You just earned a sub!
Thanks so much! 🙏🏼
do you only just use pe foam in your final build or pe foam with the plate foam aswell? awesome sound test and explanations! keep it up!
Thank you! Just the PE foam. Once I took the plate foam out, I didn't put it back in hehe
Hi what's the Hangul keycap set on the kbd67 lite you showed at 4:22?
NP PBT Crayon from KBDFans. I have a separate video on it 😊
I had the same issue with the PE foam mod. My G switch wasn't working unless pressed hard because the added PE foam was just enough to make it not have full contact. Sad as I liked the sound but meh I went back stock. Although might take out the plate foam after seeing this
Go for it! That PE foam sound is worth it hehe
Since the one I see on your video is sold out. If I wanted to find an Amazon alternative in the US, where could I find one?
Do you mean the PE Foam? Well, regardless I probably wouldn't be able to find an alternative any better than you would since I don't live in the US and am not very familiar with Amazon 😅
Nice vid, brodie!
Thanks, bro! Appreciate it!
Great video! I hope you reach monetization soon!
Thank you so much! I hope so too lol
wouw good in depth vid.. i was thinking of trying out the Keychron Q1 any thoughts ??
Thank you! Haven't tried out the Q1 yet but I've got one incoming and I'll definitely do at least one video on it hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards great to hear. Look forward to seeing your vid.. don't know how long the GB will stay open on CandyKeys... So perhaps waiting on your opinion might not be in the cards.. will see.. what happens.
From other people's videos, it seems like you'll need to do quite a bit of modding to make it sound acceptable. If you don't already have a 75% and enjoy that tinkering, it seems like a pretty great option, especially considering the low price hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards Excellent points.. i do enjoy thinkering / modding. don't have the time to do it as much as i like to with me going back to school and all.. But i don't have a 75% certainly not one with south facing LED and qmk/via support.. with the FR4 plate 170 euro is reasonable anything else is way way more expensive mostly because i need to import it to the EU. Appreciate your thoughts..
D65 gaskets only on the bottom case right?
some people do that on the PCB / plate
And poly plate really worth it?
In the closing sound test with the gps, did you not use plate foam? Did the PE foam still give that pop even without the plate foam?
Yes every test with the PE foam was without the plate foam as using the plate foam with the PE foam caused issues for me with switches losing contact with the sockets.
@@CaloysKeyboards Thanks
What’s the best foam to put into the ducky ? You can’t sandwhich the PE foam in these boards you can only put foam in the case
EVA foam works fine for inside the case. If there are structure lines that would make you have to cut the foam into many little pieces, you might be better off with a DIY silicone dampener.
After the PE foam this keboard case is hard to close back with the screws? PE on the PCB and under the foam case.. I need to apply some force to close it.. And you removed the standoffs? (two on the plate)
I've never really screwed the case super tightly. Once I feel some resistance, I just stop screwing, even if the top and bottom cases aren't fully flush. I removed the standoffs initially when I was comparing to the FR4 plate but for the final configuration using the PC plate, I used the standoffs.
@@CaloysKeyboards Yeah because I dont know why I need to apply force to close this case.. Maybe I need to replace the gaskets with the D65? that is made big difference and flex?
You're using the stock gaskets? Not triple gaskets? I think if you replaced with the D65, it would be even harder to close, since it's thicker. Try removing the PE foam under the PCB. I've found it doesn't really make a difference when placed there anyway.
@@CaloysKeyboards You mean the case pe foam? And I think D65 is helps to this closed easier because they are thinner than the stock gaskets (I used the stock now) And this D65 makes this keyboard flexy?
Yes, the case PE foam. Neither the triple gaskets nor the D65 gaskets made the typing experience flexy or bouncy for me. You could make it flex or bounce by pressing really hard, sure, but during normal typing I couldn't feel it.
Tried out the tape mod on my modded Blackwidow Tournament Edition 2014 and it did sound a bit better with the Gateron Yellows I put in. Gonna try the tempest mod sometime in the future when I get another board since I'm not gonna desolder this thing again lmao but looks easy enough for hotswaps.
Yeah, the tape is pretty nice for pre-builts and other tray-mounts hehe
I meant PE foam mod instead of the tempest oops. But yeah temptest is gonna be handy when I refurb pre-builts from now on.
Ohh I hear the PE foam mod is only for hotswap. I think the foam melts when you try to do it on a soldered board hehe
cool video, truly black magic fuckery mods. would these work for a tray mount keeb as well?
Thanks! Yes, I'm right now using the PE+tape on a tray mount TKL, the XM87 😁
hellow, sry if i dont get it, but do you use the PCB stock foam + PE foam, or just the PE foam and remove the stock PCB foam?
I removed the stock foam between the PCB and plate so I just use the PE foam. It caused problems for me with the FR4 plate and I found that it opened up the sound so I just left it off even with the PC plate.
hi. I just noticed that the square holes in poly carbonate plate is slightly bigger than the switches (at least with cherries). there is tremendous difference when you tape 4 sides of the square before putting the switch. Can you test on this? The result yields quite noticeable when you use silent switches. I am now cutting tapes into very thin pieces and taping all 4 sides of all square holes; similar to old fashion tapings for holes for stabilizer holders.
Oh I've got the GMMK Pro in a different configuration for another video right now hehe. I've never noticed the switches being loose during normal use. What does this change? Sound? Feel?
@@CaloysKeyboards basically it reduces the noises that aren't coming from the switch; making it pure. I tested with cherries. When you put the switch on the plate and shake it from the bottom, the switch slightly moves to all sides. When you tape the 4 sides, it does not move gives firmer feel and better sound. However, if you use weak masking tapes, it does not stick well. So I am also bonding the tapes little by little... takes some time
@@CaloysKeyboards if the switches are loose on the pc plate, the extra sound it will make is the shaking sound of the switch in the plate installed = plastic bumping sound. It is true that it is hard to recognize when the switches are not silent switches
@@CaloysKeyboards My personal thought is people who can distinguish the firmness and the sound comparison between built-in keyboards and hot-swaps can tell the difference
Any links for the US for PE Foam non-conductive that could cover a TKL and be 0.5mm or thinner? Everything on US Amazon is at best 1/16" ( 1.5mm ) or is 0.5mm but super tiny in size. Any suggestions?
Sorry I'm not in the US so I probably wouldn't be able to find anything any better than you would. This is the link that Technology Brother provided but it seems out of stock: www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMQPNZK?&linkCode=sl1&tag=technolog07e5-20&linkId=9207bd8c06af76ece2ac2ce2af50a860&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Maybe you can check videos from other creators and see if they've provided links.
@@CaloysKeyboards Yea that is the one that most people landed on, hence why it is sold out, thanks though, appreciated.
Ahh bummer. Good luck with the search 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards Thanks, the search continues ;)
I dont know how you recommended remove the plate foam.. I try this and now the board sounds hollow.. how that is possible..
And my backspace is more louder than enter keycap
Hmmm do you have everything set up the same as me? PC plate, case foam, PE foam, all case screws tight, all plate screws and standoffs?
How do I know if the PE foam is safe to use. I was thinking about using the PE foam that my keyboard case was wrapped in for shipping. Is there a way to be sure or what do you think. It's kind of holding me back
I don't remember all the details already so you might have to read through the entire pinned comment thread on this video. I think you might have to use a multimeter to test the conductivity of the PE foam, which is what I did.
Hello did you use the plate foam that came with the alu plate?
I did, initially, but I removed it when I did the PE foam mod.
MAN PE FOAM AND TEMPEST MOD TOGETHER SOUNDS LIKE PLAYING MINECRAFT LMAO
Er is that a good thing? I don't play Minecraft 🤣
So to clarify, you only cut holes for stabs, and just push the switches through to create holes right? Don't to be punching all the holes for the pins lol. Thanks for the tips
Yup. I poked holes for the fat pole bit on the bottom of the switch with just tweezers. The other pins just rip through hehe
Not sure if I missed it, but what were the keycaps in the beginning? They look hella nice. Great video too!
Thank you! Those are the NP Crayon keycaps. I'll probably do a video on them. You can buy them from KBDFans 😊
btw did you get your fr4 plate from avx works?
No, that one has the gold trim and a bunch of flex cuts. Mine was designed by a local enthusiast and then produced by a local maker hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards I preordered mine from avxworks hope the sizing fit and I hope I still can use the PE foam with the plate foam with fr4. glorious doesn't ship to my country except from glorious's partner vendor so no pc plate for me yet
Yeah it looks great. Looks better than the one I have lol. They seem pretty confident that the sizing is perfect so I hope it all works out for you 😁
I tried rubbing the PE foam that came with the board with rubber ruler to see if it's produce static electricity. and I can't feel any static electricity coming out of that PE foam by touching it with the back of my arm and seeing if any of my arm's hair got lifted and the result is none of it lift up and I can't feel the static electricity at all so does this meant that the PE foam that came with the board already have ESD protection? can someone validate my finding or correct me if I'm wrong?
We need an electrical engineer up in here lol. From what I've read, most people have been able to use the PE foam that came with the board with no issue. I've read some people say they had issues with unresponsive or double-pressing switches, but those might be unrelated to static. Scott from Keybored also mentioned that the GMMK Pro's PCB might be ESD-protected.
@@CaloysKeyboards yes we need someone who have qualifications to check this. PE foam is black magic but finding PE foam with ESD properties is difficult
@@albioncia Regular PE foam in general does not seem to be conductive (I had someone I trust test it with a multimeter). If you want more info, I did a lot of research on this mod and recently posted an entire video about it on my channel LOL
@@albioncia also please do NOT use PE foam with ESD properties. I understand why it's confusing, but ESD foam is intended to dissipate static electricity away from the product it is wrapping i.e. it is conductive, and should not be used as switch foam.
Any plans to review KBD67 lite silicone insert for bottom part of the case and allu case upgrade?
Oooh I hadn't seen that bottom silicone. I'll think about it. I was considering the alu V3 case but it's a bit too pricey for me right now with all of the other stuff I've bought for the channel. Maybe when I get monetized 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards Yeah, I think they've just recently added the silicone piece as an option.
The allu case could be a nice option for you since you said you wish your case was white :)
Yeah the e-white alu case looks sooo nice. It's more expensive than the other colors tho 😫
great video! also i just wanna clarify is the foam from betafoam safe or nahh?
Thank you! I'm actually still not sure haha. Not using my boards with them right now while I figure this all out 😅
Hello, I've just now got my hands on a multimeter and have found that the betafoam is not conductive and therefore is safe to use.
thank you sir! may I ask how did you test it like what setting?😭 i have my tester but i'm clueless af 🤣 (i want to try if the pe foam i have laying around here is safe)
You can set it to either resistance mode or diode mode. Place both the prongs on the foam, the reading should remain as OL, meaning open line or there's no conductivity. You can also try it on a metal object to see the difference. There should be a reading and/or a beep noise with that.
What keycaps are those @0:10?
NP PBT Crayon from KBDFans. I have a review video for it hehe
Pe foam mod goes crazy. Really does make it brighter. I could use that but I’ll see if anyone has made a vid about it w black inks before I open it again ahfkdhb
Btw vids are great hope you take off
Thanks once again! Good luck with it hehe
Can you try mass loaded vinyl?
I don't think I've ever heard of that before but I'll see what I can do hehe
Where di you get that keycap with korean characters?
Those are the NP Crayon keycaps from KBDFans. I made a separate video on them 😁
Any updates regarding the conductivity of the PE foam sold by betafoam?
I ordered a multimeter to check for myself but it's probably still several days away from arriving. Meanwhile, I've been using my cheapest keyboard with the betafoam and haven't had any issues.
Got the multimeter earlier than expected and the Betafoam is not conductive, meaning it is safe to use.
@@CaloysKeyboards And what about the original PE of the GMMK Pro?
It's also non-conductive.
@@CaloysKeyboards Thank you! I've tried the mod on my KBD67 Lite and I didn't think it would make much of a difference but it did!
Wait I'm a little bit confused, did you remove the stick plate foam when adding the PE foam? Or did you just add it?
For all of the sound tests with PE foam, there is no plate foam.
@@CaloysKeyboards Okay thanks, I'm picking up my GMMK Pro tomorrow, I hope I enjoy it. Thanks for responding so fast
@@CaloysKeyboards Hey man, just got my keyboard and modded it with some Gateron hippos and I couldn't be happier, really glad I found your channel
Nice! Glad you like it! What mods did you do? Hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards I did the PE foam, swapped the bottom case foam for silicone, put in some durock v2 stabs, and got a Polycarbonate plate.
does pe foam make it louder? dont really care about the sound i just want something a little quieter
I don't think it makes it louder, just different in sound. I think it's already pretty muted in its stock form.
I put PE foam as case foam in my Tofu60. I noticed a big and nice difference. Are you sure there is no difference?
Well, I haven't tried it again but if it's just a single sheet with nothing else in there then it shouldn't make any difference. Not trying to discount your experience or anything.
@@CaloysKeyboards no worries at all. I actually used 2 layers of PE foam, I tested it compared to an empty case. To me, it removes the ping and hollowness. Adds a nice sound in my opinion
@@keyboardkevin5949 Nice! Pretty surprising given the tofu's cavernous case lol. I guess it goes to show you might not need to be stuffing so much dampening material to get the sound you want hehe
Can you please make a video on mass loaded vinyl!!
Great video!!!!
Thank you!
My enter key is more muted than the other stabs you know why? when I tuning my stabs it sounds fine but when I assemble my keyboard it sounds more muted and not poppy like the other stabs..
Removing the plate foam - open up much the sound?
And holee mod is really worth it even on the enter key?
And I see sometimes people doing the D65 mod and replace the original gaskets and told that is more softer hehe
Are you using the PC plate? Maybe it's because of the shrinkage from that.
Yes, I found removing the plate foam opened up the sound and I prefer it that way.
If you have the time and patience, I'd say go for the Holee mod on all of the stabs. It should keep them free of rattle in the long run. I've found that without it, the rattle usually returns after some time.
I tried the D65 gaskets as well as the triple gaskets but didn't really feel much of that flex or softness while typing.
I have aluminum.
So what is the advantage of the D65? I have it but not install it yet..
and I think not the all areas in this keyboard sounds identical..
the standoffs is really important? I not install them
For me, the D65 gaskets did not provide any advantage but that's personal preference. You should just try it and see how it feels for you. I used the standoffs since I found that a stiffer keyboard produced a louder sound, which I was aiming for. But again, that's personal preference as well. I can't really tell you whether or not it's going to be good for you.
@@CaloysKeyboards I understand.. I doing the holee mod but here I have some really thin band-aid so.. I do that before some time and the band-aid right now not sticky very well.. only my enter stab is problematic right now maybe I wash this...
You think I install the standoffs again without open the PCB and only remove some of my keycaps?
Thanks!
You'll still have top open the case to install the standoffs since they slide in from under the PCB, but yes you don't have to remove any of the switches and only some of the keycaps.
For the stabs, try swapping the enter stabs with shift or backspace to see if the issue moves to those keys or stays with the enter key.
did you use a plate foam for the final sound test?
Nope. Once I started using the PE foam, I ditched the stock plate foam.
Holee mod really recommended here? What about Epsi? With the D65 this keyboard are more flexy?
Holee mod has been pretty great for me so far. Haven't had all that much experience with Epsi. I used it on the spacebar previously and it seemed to work fine. Nothing has really made this keyboard flexy for me during typing.
@@CaloysKeyboards So what is the D65 is used for? better sounding? Maybe more thicker gaskets can do it more flexy and good sounding (or triple gasket?)
I tried the triple gaskets in part one. You can make the keyboard flex by pressing hard but I never felt any flex or bounce while typing. The D65 gaskets did not end up making a big difference for me since I ended up tightening everything up fully to improve sound.
@@CaloysKeyboards Okay so you recommend tightened all the screws? some people take off some screws because have much of them haha.. And I think because of removing the plate foam that is more space so it is gonna to be flexy
I've found that more stiffness leads to better sound, at least in my opinion. Don't really care about flex anymore since I don't feel it during normal use anyway hehe
so was there any solution to flex lol I regret buying it as im typing on it with a brass plate + pe foam + case foam + extra gaskets lol.... what flex... but the raindrop noises
Even with the flexiest possible configuration (PC plate, no case foam, triple gaskets, loose screws), I still couldn't feel the flex during normal typing 😅
Flex is a gimmick. Makes a keyboard feel cheap too.
What keycap is on the kbd67 lite?
NP PBT Crayon from KBDFans hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards thanks!
Did you put the PCB Plate foam on top of the PE Foam?
I did initially but it caused some problems with the plate rising. I imagine there wouldn't be any problems if you were to use the standoffs and plate screws. I also found that the sound opened up without the stock plate foam so I just omitted it.
@@CaloysKeyboards oh wow thanks man. this is certainly interesting that we can use the PE foam mod without the plate/pcb foam in placed and still achieve that sound
how thick should the PE foam be? is it ok if its over 2 or 3mm?
That's probably too thick. Mine is just 0.5mm. Might be able to get away with 1mm
@@CaloysKeyboards alright thanks for letting me know :))
so does this mean having just the PE foam mod is better than having both?
For me and for this keyboard, yes. I have another keyboard that's a tray mount that sounds pretty awful so I did both on it since it needs all the help it can get lol
why do i not get any of this thock when i did any of these mods man what am i doing wrong :(
Same keyboard? What's your configuration (switches, plate, foams, etc)?
@@CaloysKeyboards wow! thanks for a quick reply. currently I'm gonna try to do what you did for the durock pom linears, because that's the kind of thock I'm after. I'm using Boba u4ts so it should be similar if not more thocky when it's done. I'll let you know when I'm finished if it's still not getting the right sound
Gotcha. Good luck!
@@CaloysKeyboards copied your mod exactly, and got exactly the sound i was looking for (wow this is sexy!) sorry for the bother, i wasnt expecting you to reply for much longer, so i wouldve just deleted my comment if it worked out. took a look at your sub count and noticed it was a bit low, so i did the best i could and added one to it :)
Nice congrats! It's no bother at all. I love to help hehe. Thank you for the sub! 🙏🏼
nice vid!!
Thank you!
Excellent video! That PE foam is incredible. I have just transformed my Tofu60 (PC, U4T, GMK) with this mod.
Looking at buying a KBD67 R2 Lite (on the mech market) or the GMMK Pro as its locally in stock.
Would you say a GMMK Pro with PC plate, Durock V2, Boba U4T, GMK caps, plate foam removed and PE foam modded would sound deeper, thockier and more even than a KBD67 Lite R2 (ABS) with the stock PC plate, stabs, switches and keycaps?
I love the form factor of both boards but don’t want another flat sounding board like a Tofu with no mods.
Thank you! Hmmm, I think whichever one has the PE foam would win in terms of deep sound and thock. As for evenness, I'm assuming you mean consistency in sound throughout the keys? I haven't noticed any major inconsistency in either board.
@@CaloysKeyboards Thanks Caloy. Yes that is exactly what I mean. I have drilled out the two centre posts on my Tofu but the top row sounds flat because I think its due to the PCB next to a very thick alloy case edge. The rest of the keys are super thocky and I just wondered if the GMMK Pro and KBD67 Lite have the same characteristics.
Descision time..
I can right now buy a new KBD67 Lite R2 kit for 174EUR delivered with no import fees. However I will need to change the ABS case as it is white and I like black.
Alternatively I can buy the GMMK Pro with PC plate in the color I want (black) for 236 EUR delivered with no import fees.
I know they are different form factors but I like both but I am looking for the best sounding board with the PE foam mod.
PC plate with Boba U4T switches and GMK WoB.
Afraid I can't say anything definitively about this as I haven't tried the PE foam mod on the KBD67 Lite. I would imagine it would win over the GMMK Pro in terms of sound since it already sounds nice and thocky without it.
Hey bro do you do commission work?
I don't sorry hehe
@@CaloysKeyboards alright! Keep up the clean and smooth videos!
PE mod for sure.
What will happen if u use multiple layers of tape?
Never even thought of doing that hehe. Not really sure as I'm not even sure how the one layer works to affect sound 😅
@@CaloysKeyboards im doing it now since im really curious.. im doing 7 layers now 🤣
@@CaloysKeyboards hmmm im doing it progessicely.. and 4 layers got the deepest sound.. not sure why
It got less deep after 4??
@@CaloysKeyboards the pitch went lower at 4 .. but higher at 7
Im not sure how.. maybe it’ll be different on other boards too
I bought the same foam as you from betafoam it's anti static and apparently that's bad. Send me the link if you end up buying a new one 😁
I'm still doing some more research on this. I read that you can test conductivity using a smartphone touch screen. I tried using the betafoam to touch my phone's screen and it didn't react. With something metal, it does. So does this mean it's not conductive and therefore ok to use? I'm still not sure lol. You wouldn't happen to have a multimeter on you to test for sure? 😅
This hobby gets people to insanity lol
Lol true. It's fun though (for the most part 🤣).
This keyboard has a poor latency (about 30 ms)
I've never noticed 😅
I wouldnt risk any of these mods to the keyboard. The sound difference is less than 1% to my ears. Either mod you are risking static electricity or sticky adhesive on your PCB. All painters tape tell you have to remove the tape within x number of days. Just bad ideas in my book.
1.5 years later and I'm typing on the same GMMK Pro. Zero issues encountered and way more than 1% difference to my ears. No regrets 😎