Biggest comment I have is that, once you’re fully up to speed, go back to a normal keyboard for about a month. That’s what I did, at least. By the end of that month, I was so comfortable on a standard keyboard that it was like I never left. It took me about a day to get back to speed on my split board, and ever since, I’m fully ambidextrous between the two. Fully up to speed when I switch with about a minute of typing. The only thing I will say, is that I have used qwerty my whole life, and changed to Dvorak on my split board. It’s possible that using different layouts on the different styles makes it easier for the muscle memory to not conflict, rather than harder like I originally anticipated. My qwerty muscle memory isn’t fighting between row stagger and columnar split. Just took time to mature both distinct sets of muscle memory. Anyways, thought I’d share my experience, somewhat unique as it may be.
Thanks for sharing! Whenever I have to type on a regular keyboard I always try to press thumb keys that aren't actually there (to switch to different layers), do you ever have that issue? For example typing numbers or specials characters are on layers activated by thumb keys on my layout, and so "pressing 5" is hardwired to holding on thumb key and then pressing a key on my home row. Also what do you think of Dvorak? I have heard a couple people say they regret switching to it, what about you?
The Voyager is a fantastic keyboard. I love mine and there's something so satisfying about having all the keys right there at my fingers without having to move my hands or wrists much. Edit: I'm also hoping they come out with a V2 version of this keyboard sometime in the near future that has even more improvements on this already amazing keyboard.
Yeah absolutely, I also really like that the voyager is so compact. I am actually not even too sure what I would like to be changed/improved in the voyager. What would you like to be improved?
@@MeRancic As both a Voyager owner and custom mech keyboard enthusiast, I appreciate its solid build but would like more features commonly found in the market, such as foam, gasket mounts (including adjustable leaf springs and pistons), weights (brass or otherwise), PCBs with flex cuts, plates made from deliberate materials, magnetic toolless case opening, wireless connectivity with insanely long battery life, thockier or creamier switch options, and an overall focus on acoustics and reduced vibration transfer to the table. For example, the Lofree Flow and Nuphy Air75 show that all of this is totally possible, even in a low-profile form factor. Plus, prices are dropping like crazy-keyboards that went for $300+ just a couple of years ago are now around $100. I still absolutely love my Voyager and use it as my main keyboard, but I’d like to see it move in this direction. This could help it reach a wider market, which I’m eager to see (the ergo split doesn't have to be such a niche forever, and the Voyager seems to have the best shot at achieving wider adoption). Right now, it's built and priced like non-split, non-ergo mechanical keyboards were almost a decade ago.
@@WhenTheUhh I agree that more options would be great, but I also can't quite see that happening as long as split keyboards stay a niche. There is so much overhead cost with every single feature you add that it just isn't a good business idea for them to do that, especially when the customers don't have that many options to begin with. The question is whether or not split keyboards are gonna see wide adoption, I have no clue about this, I have a hard time imagining normies typing with them, but they are just pretty much superior in every way so I am glad to be wrong on that. Though you make it sound like you think there is going to be a wide adoption? Why do you think so? Oh yeah also the price of the voyager matches pretty much that of any other split keyboard I found, they all seem to be around 300 bucks, give or take. So pricing-wise I think they are fairly normal there.
Learning to switch is just another skill, and anyone can easily learn to use both or any number of layouts with some practice. With the voyager, you can move the alphas up one row and make the bottom row a thumb row. Key tilters also work great for low profile, especially if you're down to 3 rows. Top row and bottom row can tilt towards the home row, and then thumb row can tilt towards your thumbs.
Instead of buying a second voyager for the bluetooth, you could also take a look at the Glove80. I was deliberating between the two for a while and decided to go for the more ergonomic option with the Glove80, but might also get a Voyager in the future (once I'm made of money) because it simply looks so slick
Hm true, that's an option as well. A friend of me actually got a Glove80 and I tested it for a couple minutes. I think in terms of ergonomics it's above the voyager, but I don't know if I could really get used to the way the keys are oriented. I also don't quite like that it feels so light. But yeah, if I would be made of money I would probably just get a Glove80 and see for myself haha.
On the topic of forgetting how to type on "normal" keyboards - when I switched to an ortho-matrix layout (planck-like) keyboard I specifically trained myself to switch between it and my regular stagger keyboard. The ability to switch without having to think about it was important to me and totally doable. But I can see how it would take some re-learning if you don't make the switch with that in mind. Also, I've read a lot of people's comments similarly saying that they switched layout when they swapped away from the traditional kb, which also helps to not break the muscle memory. That was certainly the case for me too, though I don't necessarily think it's a good idea for everyone. The main thing I learnt in the process was to "type properly" with all fingers in the right places. Anyway... Nice review! I really want to get a Voyager... Just waiting for the right time to make the investment.
Yeah totally agree, I can imagine that switching between keyboards is doable. Also typing with two keyboards might be benifitial to your brain, like how writing with your left hand is supposedly good for you brain function if you are right handed. I also planned to switch layouts initially but decided against it as it would take a huge time with moderate reward. Haha yeah the voyager isn't a small investment, though a worthwhile one in my opinion.
I switched layouts when my Voyager arrived. It wasn’t as hard as i thought it might be. One rule i had though was not looking at the keyboard whilst typing so it didn’t strain my eyes. Weirdly i can still type just fine on my staggered qwerty laptop layout
@@MeRancicI usually tell people to only consider switching if they can't touch type already or have severe RSI. If they can already touch type or don't have RSI, then it's often not worth it other than fun of a challenge. I'm a Dvorak user who couldn't touch type before on QWERTY very well (four fingers), so I decided there was a low cost of switching.
@@arir43 Yeah I agree with you there. The gains are marginal, although you can do pretty crazy stuff with those keyboards if you really wanted to. But yeah it's definitely not worth for everyone. Sorry for the late reply btw, somehow this didn't pop up in my feed.
Great video, too the point without waffling! I think the voyager is a great option, but I see one downside. That is that the thumb keys are just one key width. That means that your thumb must hit at a certain position. When by chance your thumb falls exactly on that spot it is great, but chances are that your thumb would naturally be a bit more left or right or a bit higher than the fixed thumb keys. When looking at how you type it seems to me that your best position would be between the two thumb keys!
That's a good point, although the thumbs keys are actually not that bad for me. The diagonal index finger keys are much harder for me to press. For me the keys could be much more space out, but that is extremely hard (impossible even) to make right for everybody. At this point if you want to customize your key positions then you really need to get into custom keyboards, and that is a bit too deep the rabbit hole for me (at least for now).
@@MeRancic I bought a Voyager and kind of regret it. The main thumb key (the small one) is not located good enough IMO and should be bigger and have a different keycap profile allowing to use the thumb from different angles. Also the N and B keys are super hard to reach, almost as bad as the B key on a standard keyboard. Now instead of one key hard to reach you have two keys. I think the key layout is not a good choice and they should have also used the choc spacing vertically. That saves 2 mm for each key and would have made the upper rows easier to reach. Over 4 rows you save 8 mm, which is significant.
@@nickgoogle4525 100% agree on the N and B key positions, they absolutely suck. The N key is so bad, I actually relocated it so that I don't have to press that key at all. The thumb key I don't quite agree with, for me it's pretty comfortable to press, I think it could be better but it's definitely a deal breaker for me. Not quite sure what you mean with "choc spacing vertically", are you referring to column stagger? Because that's one thing that I think could be been better, but again, this is different for every hand/person. Though I am sad to hear you regret your purchase, are you gonna switch or have you already switched? Curious about that.
@@MeRancic I continue to use my UHK for now mostly, but still practice with the Voyager. I think about changing the switches to the silent Chocs, possibly waiting for the Sunrise to become available. I also think about changing the thumb keycaps to the convex ones from the Glove80, which you can buy separate. That might help with the thumb a bit, that you do not hit the "sharp" border, when the thumb is not aligned in the tunnel of the keycap. The N and B key I can possibly get accustomed to, but still think a better key position would be possible. About the stagger. I do agree that the preferred stagger can vary from person to person, but I think there will not be too much variation and think the stagger could be better (no extra for the inner index row for sure. About the spacing vertically. Choc switches allow a closer key position, which ZSA did not us, but stayed with the default 19 mm pitch in both directions. They should have used the 17 mm pitch vertically. Research has shown that this has no disadvantages, so you would just benefit from easier to reach keys.
@@nickgoogle4525 I actually tested the Glove80 for a few minutes as a friend of mine has one, the keyboard itself is pretty interesting but I believe I would miss quite a bit even if I were to ever get used to it, something about the curvature just doesn't quite feel right. Though are the keycaps different to the default ones from the Voyager? Yeah the inner index finger stagger is really shit. Ohhh okay, I get what you mean with the choc gap now. That seems like a strange decision indeed.
lv'e had mine for a bit over a month now and my only complain is that it isn't wireless. The pro's are that my wrist pain went away, from an Alice Keyboard I was using. Moving to the Voyager was confusing for the first two weeks and it didn't help that I also changed over to Colemak DH. You could try to change your laptop keyboard layout (uf you us a different one like me) as that's what I did on my macbook, its a bit awkward having my hands so close together but I only use the laptop keyboard on rare occasions so no big deal. I didn't think about the what if it break aspect so i'll be saving up for my replacement one, hopefully they come out with a wireless version.
I was thinking about switching to the workman layout when I transitioned to the voyager but decided not to, I figured that the ortho layout will give me plenty of hardship to adjust to (and it did).
Good for you but for me they take up too much space and I don't get the benefits people talk about. I never get wrist pain or anything on my 40%. I will admit I used to get wrist pain on my left hand because of cut and copy paste requite such an odd position of the wrist, but I fixed that by turning the escape key into CTRL when pressed.
The space problem is something I also realized recently. It's fine on my main desktop, but when moving out and about it can get really annoying. I personally didn't switch because of wrist pain (although it was a bit preemptively), I mainly did it because the thumb keys are so underutilized on normal keyboards. But your point is valid.
In the first few seconds I can see the right half of the keyboard move in response to you typing. As someone with smaller hands and wider shoulders, a split keyboard would be fantastic for me. but repositioning the two halves would drive me nuts.
Hahaha damn, you got keen eyes. Yeah I do that constantly, though I also did that with my old regular keyboard too. I wouldn't say it's specific to split keyboards, but now each hand has to reposition one keyboard, so I guess they have more work to do :)
@@MeRancic Trust me I fuggin hate the normal staggered layout of normie boards. But damn... as a gamer? Any gaming feature isn't available on ergoboards. Right now wooting has features being imitated by every gaming peripheral company and if you dont have a wooting you are at a disadvantage. Also, they are all normie layout... ARGH.
hi, i have been thinking about getting one too but because of the price i've been hesitating between glove80 and voyager (don't want to make the wrong choice) did you have the chance to compare? btw I saw in the video it seems like you are in belgium too, can you share how much it costed you for the customs fees?
I was also thinking about getting a glove80, but ultimately decided for the Voyager (I couldn't compare them physically). The reason I chose the Voyager is because it is more minimalistic and seemed to have a better interface of programming the keyboard. I am not sure if the layout is compiled directly onto the glove80 or if it works through drivers, but the way the Voyager is packed is just awesome. I think it was something around 40-80 bucks, I can't find the receipt anymore. But it was definitely a more pricey fee.
The Voyager is a great board, but as some other people point out, the thumb cluster is its weak point. It's not only two keys are they are a bit too low for smaller hands. We think that the thumbcluster of the Dygma Defy is a better approach, although that's an MX board, not low profile like this one. Maybe we should do a low profile version...
Are people with smaller hands struggling with the thumb keys? For me they are a bit very close to the rest of the keys and I think they could be spaced out a bit more, though I have normal sized hands. Yeah low profile keys are extremely essential, for me, if I were a customer I would probably not even consider your options if you had only MX style keys. I actually really like the simplicity of the Voyager, I think it would be great to have one additional thumb key on each side but I think that would be enough, also the top row could be removed. This keyboard looks exactly like what I am searching for shop.beekeeb.com/product/pre-soldered-piantor-split-keyboard/, though I haven't tried it out yet. What does the Dygma thumb cluster do different? I saw that you have quite a few more thumb keys but are there also other differences?
I had the same though as you, I was almost pulling the trigger on a dygma (either defy or raise), but their software is still lacking behind, ZSA is much superior. You're stuck with their keycaps and other parts, while Voyager has more options, so you're not so stucked with the company. The software is the reason dygma needs all those 16 thumb keys, while Voyager only needs 4 (or even less). ZSA can do what dygma unfotunatelly still can't.
I find 3 thumb keys on each side to be the sweet spot. I could see a 4th being useful for very rarely used functions, like Bluetooth settings layer or something. That said, any more than 3 thumb keys and you’ll have to stretch a bit to reach them, and if I have to stretch, I simply won’t use the key. If I wanted to stretch for a key I’d have never bothered going split columnar in the first place
@@Mcdude22 Yeah I can see that, I am actually thinking about getting a 42 keys keyboard with 3 thumbkeys. Based on my experience with the Voyager that should be the optimum.
@@MeRancic anywhere from 36 to 42 is nice. I run a 38 key, 36 plus one extra pinky key on each side, and I have found 38 to be nice, a full three extra per pinky, for me, would be too much, but one extra is excellent, I can throw common symbols for programming on them and avoid layers for underscores and semi colons, it’s quite nice. 42 wouldn’t be bad, though, if you don’t mind just a bit of pinky stretching, or if your hands are especially large
y tho? Voyager seems to be way better, low profile keys, LEDs, lighter, portable... I believe there are more pros, but I was considering it a while ago.
@@LLF1234I have both and I like the kinesis more. I upgraded it to have custom lubed switches and it just feels amazing to use. But the voyager is nice too. A bit too small though.
If I used it exclusively on a large desk I might agree. Otherwise, it’s just too damn big. My desk is small, and I take my keyboard with me when I work out of the house (traveling to my parents house and getting work done while I’m there, getting homework done on campus, etc) and something like the Kinesis 360 is entirely unusable for that use case. Frankly that’s why I went fully custom, so I could go absolutely minimal (36 key layout) and have wireless. There’s really nothing that could convince me to give up the size or the wireless. Both are absolutely necessary if you work *anywhere* but your desk, ever.
@@Mcdude22 I also think the smaller your keyboard the more efficient you are typing (at least in terms of finger/hand movement). I find that 4 keys for each finger is too much, I rarely use the top row of the voyager and the third and forth pinky keys are also kinda ass. I think 40 keys would be optimal for me, but switching seems a bit excessive at this point, like there are only marginal gains to be had from switching to full custom. How long did it take you to arrive at your full custom build and how did you start?
Biggest comment I have is that, once you’re fully up to speed, go back to a normal keyboard for about a month. That’s what I did, at least. By the end of that month, I was so comfortable on a standard keyboard that it was like I never left. It took me about a day to get back to speed on my split board, and ever since, I’m fully ambidextrous between the two. Fully up to speed when I switch with about a minute of typing.
The only thing I will say, is that I have used qwerty my whole life, and changed to Dvorak on my split board. It’s possible that using different layouts on the different styles makes it easier for the muscle memory to not conflict, rather than harder like I originally anticipated. My qwerty muscle memory isn’t fighting between row stagger and columnar split. Just took time to mature both distinct sets of muscle memory.
Anyways, thought I’d share my experience, somewhat unique as it may be.
Thanks for sharing! Whenever I have to type on a regular keyboard I always try to press thumb keys that aren't actually there (to switch to different layers), do you ever have that issue?
For example typing numbers or specials characters are on layers activated by thumb keys on my layout, and so "pressing 5" is hardwired to holding on thumb key and then pressing a key on my home row.
Also what do you think of Dvorak? I have heard a couple people say they regret switching to it, what about you?
The Voyager is a fantastic keyboard. I love mine and there's something so satisfying about having all the keys right there at my fingers without having to move my hands or wrists much.
Edit: I'm also hoping they come out with a V2 version of this keyboard sometime in the near future that has even more improvements on this already amazing keyboard.
Yeah absolutely, I also really like that the voyager is so compact.
I am actually not even too sure what I would like to be changed/improved in the voyager. What would you like to be improved?
@@MeRancic As both a Voyager owner and custom mech keyboard enthusiast, I appreciate its solid build but would like more features commonly found in the market, such as foam, gasket mounts (including adjustable leaf springs and pistons), weights (brass or otherwise), PCBs with flex cuts, plates made from deliberate materials, magnetic toolless case opening, wireless connectivity with insanely long battery life, thockier or creamier switch options, and an overall focus on acoustics and reduced vibration transfer to the table.
For example, the Lofree Flow and Nuphy Air75 show that all of this is totally possible, even in a low-profile form factor. Plus, prices are dropping like crazy-keyboards that went for $300+ just a couple of years ago are now around $100.
I still absolutely love my Voyager and use it as my main keyboard, but I’d like to see it move in this direction. This could help it reach a wider market, which I’m eager to see (the ergo split doesn't have to be such a niche forever, and the Voyager seems to have the best shot at achieving wider adoption). Right now, it's built and priced like non-split, non-ergo mechanical keyboards were almost a decade ago.
@@WhenTheUhh I agree that more options would be great, but I also can't quite see that happening as long as split keyboards stay a niche. There is so much overhead cost with every single feature you add that it just isn't a good business idea for them to do that, especially when the customers don't have that many options to begin with.
The question is whether or not split keyboards are gonna see wide adoption, I have no clue about this, I have a hard time imagining normies typing with them, but they are just pretty much superior in every way so I am glad to be wrong on that.
Though you make it sound like you think there is going to be a wide adoption? Why do you think so?
Oh yeah also the price of the voyager matches pretty much that of any other split keyboard I found, they all seem to be around 300 bucks, give or take. So pricing-wise I think they are fairly normal there.
Learning to switch is just another skill, and anyone can easily learn to use both or any number of layouts with some practice. With the voyager, you can move the alphas up one row and make the bottom row a thumb row. Key tilters also work great for low profile, especially if you're down to 3 rows. Top row and bottom row can tilt towards the home row, and then thumb row can tilt towards your thumbs.
Instead of buying a second voyager for the bluetooth, you could also take a look at the Glove80. I was deliberating between the two for a while and decided to go for the more ergonomic option with the Glove80, but might also get a Voyager in the future (once I'm made of money) because it simply looks so slick
Hm true, that's an option as well. A friend of me actually got a Glove80 and I tested it for a couple minutes. I think in terms of ergonomics it's above the voyager, but I don't know if I could really get used to the way the keys are oriented. I also don't quite like that it feels so light.
But yeah, if I would be made of money I would probably just get a Glove80 and see for myself haha.
On the topic of forgetting how to type on "normal" keyboards - when I switched to an ortho-matrix layout (planck-like) keyboard I specifically trained myself to switch between it and my regular stagger keyboard. The ability to switch without having to think about it was important to me and totally doable. But I can see how it would take some re-learning if you don't make the switch with that in mind. Also, I've read a lot of people's comments similarly saying that they switched layout when they swapped away from the traditional kb, which also helps to not break the muscle memory. That was certainly the case for me too, though I don't necessarily think it's a good idea for everyone. The main thing I learnt in the process was to "type properly" with all fingers in the right places.
Anyway... Nice review! I really want to get a Voyager... Just waiting for the right time to make the investment.
Yeah totally agree, I can imagine that switching between keyboards is doable. Also typing with two keyboards might be benifitial to your brain, like how writing with your left hand is supposedly good for you brain function if you are right handed.
I also planned to switch layouts initially but decided against it as it would take a huge time with moderate reward.
Haha yeah the voyager isn't a small investment, though a worthwhile one in my opinion.
I switched layouts when my Voyager arrived. It wasn’t as hard as i thought it might be. One rule i had though was not looking at the keyboard whilst typing so it didn’t strain my eyes. Weirdly i can still type just fine on my staggered qwerty laptop layout
@@MeRancicI usually tell people to only consider switching if they can't touch type already or have severe RSI. If they can already touch type or don't have RSI, then it's often not worth it other than fun of a challenge.
I'm a Dvorak user who couldn't touch type before on QWERTY very well (four fingers), so I decided there was a low cost of switching.
@@arir43 Yeah I agree with you there. The gains are marginal, although you can do pretty crazy stuff with those keyboards if you really wanted to. But yeah it's definitely not worth for everyone.
Sorry for the late reply btw, somehow this didn't pop up in my feed.
Great video, too the point without waffling! I think the voyager is a great option, but I see one downside. That is that the thumb keys are just one key width. That means that your thumb must hit at a certain position. When by chance your thumb falls exactly on that spot it is great, but chances are that your thumb would naturally be a bit more left or right or a bit higher than the fixed thumb keys. When looking at how you type it seems to me that your best position would be between the two thumb keys!
That's a good point, although the thumbs keys are actually not that bad for me. The diagonal index finger keys are much harder for me to press. For me the keys could be much more space out, but that is extremely hard (impossible even) to make right for everybody. At this point if you want to customize your key positions then you really need to get into custom keyboards, and that is a bit too deep the rabbit hole for me (at least for now).
@@MeRancic I bought a Voyager and kind of regret it. The main thumb key (the small one) is not located good enough IMO and should be bigger and have a different keycap profile allowing to use the thumb from different angles. Also the N and B keys are super hard to reach, almost as bad as the B key on a standard keyboard. Now instead of one key hard to reach you have two keys. I think the key layout is not a good choice and they should have also used the choc spacing vertically. That saves 2 mm for each key and would have made the upper rows easier to reach. Over 4 rows you save 8 mm, which is significant.
@@nickgoogle4525 100% agree on the N and B key positions, they absolutely suck. The N key is so bad, I actually relocated it so that I don't have to press that key at all.
The thumb key I don't quite agree with, for me it's pretty comfortable to press, I think it could be better but it's definitely a deal breaker for me.
Not quite sure what you mean with "choc spacing vertically", are you referring to column stagger? Because that's one thing that I think could be been better, but again, this is different for every hand/person.
Though I am sad to hear you regret your purchase, are you gonna switch or have you already switched? Curious about that.
@@MeRancic I continue to use my UHK for now mostly, but still practice with the Voyager. I think about changing the switches to the silent Chocs, possibly waiting for the Sunrise to become available. I also think about changing the thumb keycaps to the convex ones from the Glove80, which you can buy separate. That might help with the thumb a bit, that you do not hit the "sharp" border, when the thumb is not aligned in the tunnel of the keycap. The N and B key I can possibly get accustomed to, but still think a better key position would be possible. About the stagger. I do agree that the preferred stagger can vary from person to person, but I think there will not be too much variation and think the stagger could be better (no extra for the inner index row for sure. About the spacing vertically. Choc switches allow a closer key position, which ZSA did not us, but stayed with the default 19 mm pitch in both directions. They should have used the 17 mm pitch vertically. Research has shown that this has no disadvantages, so you would just benefit from easier to reach keys.
@@nickgoogle4525 I actually tested the Glove80 for a few minutes as a friend of mine has one, the keyboard itself is pretty interesting but I believe I would miss quite a bit even if I were to ever get used to it, something about the curvature just doesn't quite feel right. Though are the keycaps different to the default ones from the Voyager?
Yeah the inner index finger stagger is really shit. Ohhh okay, I get what you mean with the choc gap now. That seems like a strange decision indeed.
lv'e had mine for a bit over a month now and my only complain is that it isn't wireless. The pro's are that my wrist pain went away, from an Alice Keyboard I was using. Moving to the Voyager was confusing for the first two weeks and it didn't help that I also changed over to Colemak DH. You could try to change your laptop keyboard layout (uf you us a different one like me) as that's what I did on my macbook, its a bit awkward having my hands so close together but I only use the laptop keyboard on rare occasions so no big deal. I didn't think about the what if it break aspect so i'll be saving up for my replacement one, hopefully they come out with a wireless version.
I was thinking about switching to the workman layout when I transitioned to the voyager but decided not to, I figured that the ortho layout will give me plenty of hardship to adjust to (and it did).
Good for you but for me they take up too much space and I don't get the benefits people talk about. I never get wrist pain or anything on my 40%. I will admit I used to get wrist pain on my left hand because of cut and copy paste requite such an odd position of the wrist, but I fixed that by turning the escape key into CTRL when pressed.
The space problem is something I also realized recently. It's fine on my main desktop, but when moving out and about it can get really annoying. I personally didn't switch because of wrist pain (although it was a bit preemptively), I mainly did it because the thumb keys are so underutilized on normal keyboards. But your point is valid.
In the first few seconds I can see the right half of the keyboard move in response to you typing.
As someone with smaller hands and wider shoulders, a split keyboard would be fantastic for me. but repositioning the two halves would drive me nuts.
Hahaha damn, you got keen eyes. Yeah I do that constantly, though I also did that with my old regular keyboard too. I wouldn't say it's specific to split keyboards, but now each hand has to reposition one keyboard, so I guess they have more work to do :)
@@MeRancic Ah you must just be a fairly vigorous typist.
If you switch back and forth between ortho and normal layout enough your brain will just automatically switch~
Yeah I was thinking about doing that, but ultimately decided not to just out of spite.
@@MeRancic Trust me I fuggin hate the normal staggered layout of normie boards.
But damn... as a gamer? Any gaming feature isn't available on ergoboards. Right now wooting has features being imitated by every gaming peripheral company and if you dont have a wooting you are at a disadvantage. Also, they are all normie layout... ARGH.
The inner column stagger is a bit much
hi, i have been thinking about getting one too but because of the price i've been hesitating between glove80 and voyager (don't want to make the wrong choice) did you have the chance to compare?
btw I saw in the video it seems like you are in belgium too, can you share how much it costed you for the customs fees?
I was also thinking about getting a glove80, but ultimately decided for the Voyager (I couldn't compare them physically).
The reason I chose the Voyager is because it is more minimalistic and seemed to have a better interface of programming the keyboard. I am not sure if the layout is compiled directly onto the glove80 or if it works through drivers, but the way the Voyager is packed is just awesome.
I think it was something around 40-80 bucks, I can't find the receipt anymore. But it was definitely a more pricey fee.
same lol I settled on a voyager and have zero regrets.. 3 months and it's awesome so far
@@slappy_chimp that's the way
Quality content 🔥
The Voyager is a great board, but as some other people point out, the thumb cluster is its weak point. It's not only two keys are they are a bit too low for smaller hands. We think that the thumbcluster of the Dygma Defy is a better approach, although that's an MX board, not low profile like this one. Maybe we should do a low profile version...
Are people with smaller hands struggling with the thumb keys? For me they are a bit very close to the rest of the keys and I think they could be spaced out a bit more, though I have normal sized hands. Yeah low profile keys are extremely essential, for me, if I were a customer I would probably not even consider your options if you had only MX style keys.
I actually really like the simplicity of the Voyager, I think it would be great to have one additional thumb key on each side but I think that would be enough, also the top row could be removed. This keyboard looks exactly like what I am searching for shop.beekeeb.com/product/pre-soldered-piantor-split-keyboard/, though I haven't tried it out yet. What does the Dygma thumb cluster do different? I saw that you have quite a few more thumb keys but are there also other differences?
I had the same though as you, I was almost pulling the trigger on a dygma (either defy or raise), but their software is still lacking behind, ZSA is much superior. You're stuck with their keycaps and other parts, while Voyager has more options, so you're not so stucked with the company.
The software is the reason dygma needs all those 16 thumb keys, while Voyager only needs 4 (or even less). ZSA can do what dygma unfotunatelly still can't.
I find 3 thumb keys on each side to be the sweet spot. I could see a 4th being useful for very rarely used functions, like Bluetooth settings layer or something. That said, any more than 3 thumb keys and you’ll have to stretch a bit to reach them, and if I have to stretch, I simply won’t use the key. If I wanted to stretch for a key I’d have never bothered going split columnar in the first place
@@Mcdude22 Yeah I can see that, I am actually thinking about getting a 42 keys keyboard with 3 thumbkeys. Based on my experience with the Voyager that should be the optimum.
@@MeRancic anywhere from 36 to 42 is nice. I run a 38 key, 36 plus one extra pinky key on each side, and I have found 38 to be nice, a full three extra per pinky, for me, would be too much, but one extra is excellent, I can throw common symbols for programming on them and avoid layers for underscores and semi colons, it’s quite nice. 42 wouldn’t be bad, though, if you don’t mind just a bit of pinky stretching, or if your hands are especially large
And did you play Nanotale with it ?
I didn't, the game looked cool but also like a puzzle game and I just can't for the live of my play those. I did create my own typing game though.
@@MeRancic Sounds great, do you have a link to play it ?
@@Coleim Yeah sure praxtube.itch.io/magus-parvus. It's pretty small though. Sorry for the late reply, somehow this wasn't in my feed.
@@MeRancic No worries, got the same issue sometimes. I'll check it out :)
Kinesis 360 or nothing
y tho?
Voyager seems to be way better, low profile keys, LEDs, lighter, portable... I believe there are more pros, but I was considering it a while ago.
@@LLF1234I have both and I like the kinesis more. I upgraded it to have custom lubed switches and it just feels amazing to use. But the voyager is nice too. A bit too small though.
If I used it exclusively on a large desk I might agree. Otherwise, it’s just too damn big. My desk is small, and I take my keyboard with me when I work out of the house (traveling to my parents house and getting work done while I’m there, getting homework done on campus, etc) and something like the Kinesis 360 is entirely unusable for that use case.
Frankly that’s why I went fully custom, so I could go absolutely minimal (36 key layout) and have wireless. There’s really nothing that could convince me to give up the size or the wireless. Both are absolutely necessary if you work *anywhere* but your desk, ever.
@@Mcdude22 I also think the smaller your keyboard the more efficient you are typing (at least in terms of finger/hand movement).
I find that 4 keys for each finger is too much, I rarely use the top row of the voyager and the third and forth pinky keys are also kinda ass. I think 40 keys would be optimal for me, but switching seems a bit excessive at this point, like there are only marginal gains to be had from switching to full custom.
How long did it take you to arrive at your full custom build and how did you start?