@@HardwareCanucks 🤣🤦♂️ I knew I should have watched this before jumping to your Corsair k100 video🤣 well at least now I know what key polling means great review of the k100 by the way keep it coming 😁
One thing to point out. ABS does not necessarily mean it's cheap plastic, it's simply cheaper general because it's easier to work with when doing double shots. High quality ABS keycaps exist and are basically the "standard" for high end stuff.
@@KevinOQuinn And not only them but other manufacturers also make pretty darn good ABS, JTK is up there in quality, Domikey is catching up quickly in quality as well and SP makes some VERY good ABS (although a bit thin, but still high quality) Meanwhile if we're paying attention to legend quality as well as keycap quality, there really are only like 3 good PBT keycap manufacturers.
Yeah, that’s my one gripe about the video- the broad categorization of ABS as cheap and therefore PBT as premium. There’s plusses and minuses to either, but I would have liked at least a passing mention on things like legibility of legends or sublegends as a talking point. Given the focus of the channel it’s not surprising, but I do think this is the one area I think it’s a major mischaracterization of the keyboard space.
Lubing a full keyboard is between 3-4 hours. Also Dimitri, very well done...not even the top keyboard youtubers ever made such a detailed glossary of terms, so good on you.
Hey {{3}}, thanks for your comment! I completely agree with your sentiment. Taking the time to lube a full keyboard can be quite time-consuming. If you're looking for efficient cleaning solutions, have you considered the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule? It offers powerful vacuuming and blowing capabilities, making it a handy tool to maintain a spotless environment on your desk and beyond. Plus, it's compact and reasonably priced compared to other brands. Cheers!
iirc, "Thock" is used to describe if the keyboard/switch has a deep sound signature. And the opposite of this is "Clack" if they have a higher pitched sound. At this point, I kinda hate that word nowadays as some people don't even know what "thock" sounds like anymore. It'd be better if it's described as having a deeper or higher pitched sound. Great video though! Covered most of the basics from this hobby. Love that you're getting into the keyboard hobby!
The quality of the keycaps depends much more on the quality of the manufacturer than the material used. In fact in the keyboard enthusiast community doubleshot ABS keycaps from GMK & OG Cherry sets are considered the best of the best.
Keychron claimed their sets were pbt but sucked regardless of the material according to what i've heard. When i bought my Q1 i just got a completely different set of keycaps and switches.
I actually use my keycaps, and seeing 2 sets of "W, A, S, D and Spacebar" develop permanent shine in less than six months made me ditch GMK completely. My wife says I'm so clean it annoys her sometimes and I dont sweat profusely, so PBT or any reasonably priced ABS it is.
No, they aren't. GMK is great quality ABS, but the reason they don't do PBT is about manufacturing losses vs volume. PBT is notoriously hard to work with, and wasteful. PBT is objectively a better material.
@@literate-aside Wasn't arguing which material was better. Just was stating GMK & OG Cherry doubleshot ABS is the highest quality sets available right now. You could definitely put OG Cherry dyesub PBT up there too, but good luck finding a set if them nowadays.
@@robr640 I disagree I'm afraid. GMK make good quality ABS keys, but they trade on name and variety. There are absolutely better keys out there, especially those made from PBT. Personally I've *really* struggled to find an ABS set that sound as good either, PBT just sounds better to me, especially double shot; then again that's another thing that's very hard to find these days. That's the beauty of this hobby though I guess; it's all subjective.
thanks for connecting the custom keyboard community and gaming keyboard community with this. Would've been better if you could have given examples between keyboards custom/prebuilt using the terms you just discussed as both have their pros and cons .
Before this video I honestly did not know all the knowledge I had accumulated over the years of watching others talk about keyboard. Definitely a passion of mine and a really really good video for someone that has no idea about any of this. It is a pricey hobby but very nice
3:00 If I recall correctly 6KRO is often used instead of "actual" NKRO because of legacy USB compatibility reasons. As far as I know the official USB HID spec supports (or used to support) only up to 6 keys plus modifiers keys, rendering NKRO boards inoperable in cases where the host machine doesn't support it. This is also why QMK has a toggle switch between 6KR0 and NKRO.
Ahhh wow... thanks for the clarification! So does that mean the latest Logitech keyboard with 6KRO is actually NKRO and not only 6-key anti-ghosting? -D.
@@HardwareCanucks I'm a little bit out of my depth, but internally probably yes, and the 6KRO is just caused by the board's firmware. I wager they just don't want to risk breaking compatibility by sending more data than what the USB HID spec defines. To my knowledge especially BIOSes can be quite finicky about the matter. Though to be honest, I would not be particularly surprised if many boards marketed as NKRO are actually just 6KRO. Anti-ghosting on the other hand just (usually) means that the board has a dedicated diode for every switch so that the keyboard matrix can be scanned properly without signals being crossed. Really it's just a sign that the board isn't cutting every corner imaginable. If a board has 6KRO/NKRO I'd be more than willing to bet that it has full anti-ghosting.
Well done covering most of the basics, it's also useful to mention the different keycap side profiles like OEM, Cherry, ASA, Xda, etc that can affect compatibility with some switches. For the stabiliser it's also good to mention the securing method: plate mounted(common) vs screw in(better) stabs. Speaking of the plate there can be many materials: steel, aluminium, brass, FR4, carbon fiber , policarbonate, etc, affecting sound typing feeling. More for the custom side of keebs a bonus mention is the case material like plastic or aluminium and finish options like paint, anodising (some say anno for short), ceracoating, etc. Oh and the GB or group buys that are basically limited in number group preorders with a small window to secure an unit and after that a very very very long wait for them to actually manufacture the things, compile the set and eventually ship it.
Hey {{3}}! Great points you brought up in your comment! The different keycap side profiles, stabilizer securing methods, plate materials, and case options are all crucial factors to consider when choosing a mechanical keyboard. Additionally, group buys can be an exciting way to get unique custom keyboards. Thanks for mentioning these important details! By the way, have you ever tried using the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule for cleaning your keyboard and desktop setup? It's a versatile tool that can definitely enhance your maintenance routine!
Thanks for putting this video together! I've always wondered what some of this stuff meant/how it translated into what I should/shouldn't be looking for.
I spent MONTHS looking into all of these terms last year in the process of learning to build my own. WHY U ONLY MAKE NOW?!?!?!! This is a -great- video to make and will no doubt help a lot of beginners on a -very- lengthy road. Goodjob
I'm not sure if you, yourself, need clarification on those terms you mentioned but in case someone sees your comment and does need help: GMK is just a keycap manufacturer, and probably the most popular in the custom keyboard scene. There are others like ePBT and Signature Plastics. QMK is just a software program used to flash a keyboard or configure layouts. VIA is another popular one. Plates are metal plates with cutouts for switches and stabilizers to mount onto. They go between the PCB and switches, and can modify the feel and sound of a keyboard, depending on material used. Materials can be plastic, like polycarbonate or acrylic or metals, like brass or aluminum. PCBs are, well, the "motherboard" of a keyboard (?). That's what you mount your switches, and usually stabilizers, to actually register key presses.
your video saved my first keyboard build the part about optical switches made me check and i found out i ordered optical switches instead of mechanical. that would have been a very bad surprise after waiting 3 weeks for shipping
so f*cking informative ,I tried to learn these terms by reading articles but couldn't wrap my head around them fully, your way of speech and the pics and videos inside this helped alot
Overall, you covered a lot of great terms for beginners and explained them well. As others have already said, the material of the keycap has nothing to do with the quality of the keycap. There are low-quality ABS and low-quality PBT, and there are high-quality ABS and high-quality PBT. Quality comes from the manufacturing process. The main criticism with ABS is that it will shine, which people view as low-quality, but there are ABS keycaps from the dawn of the keyboard as we know it that still look amazing. From my experience, price = quality for any type of keycap up to the $100 mark. Everything after that will be about the same quality, but you’re paying for extras, unique colors, etc. You explained the double-shot process well. Dye-sub is also a very cool process which can only be done to PBT, since it is more temperature resistant. The legends are made by using a special dye that when placed on the keycap and baked, the dye vaporizes and is absorbed by the plastic, sort of infusing and penetrating the plastic. This is why dye-sub is so much more durable than pad-printed, UV printed, or laser etched keycaps. There is no realistic durability difference between dye-sub and double-shot. ABS cannot be dye-sublimated because it cannot withstand the higher temperatures involved. ABS vs PBT is the greatest debate I’m the community, and will probably always be.
FANTASTIC video, now I know even more about mechanical keyboards. You pointed out a problem I started to experience which was multiple key presses being registered on my old keyboard. Weird part is that happened over time, it did not do that for 3+ years but then it seemed like the debounce delay feature started failing. I even replaced the switches and it still did it.
Wow nice video, thank you for putting so much effort in researching this! You can already tell by the keycaps comment, ABS does not mean cheap. Some manufacture has gotten really good at producing really high quality, color accurate, thick ABS keycaps with minimal warping (Germany's GMK for example). While PBT can be a better plastic material, the manufacturing process for it still need to catch up. Right now, the problems with PBT are: 1. warping and shrinking (More common in doubleshot PBT), 2. color vibrancy (colors on PBT are not saturated in comparison to ABS for this reason), 3. fuzzy legends (To avoid reason 1, manufacture uses Dyesub which can cause major fuzziness). Once PBT manufacturing process catch up, I'd be glad to switch to PBT.
You might want to keep an eye out for Milkyway. They are going to become the standard for Dye-Sub PBT. Plus they are even going to unveil a new manufacturing process for dyesub later this year.
I remember buying my first mechanical keyboard 7 years back, went with a pretty value board. $135 brushed aluminum face plate, and all metal body. Absolutely loved it, I still to this day love it, just wanted something a little different after so many years. I downgraded from a full size to 65% and I was very on the fence about it, but to my genuine surprise beyond the volume wheel I've not really noticed much beyond a lot more room on my desk mat. I originally opted for a cheap $30 65% (didn't want to spend a lot and find out I hated it) and it worked, after 2 months I bought a Drop Alt LP for $100 new in the box, I loved it as well. I guess my point is, don't discount hotswap, some switches are a lot cheaper than replacing a full keyboard. It saves money in the long run, and you get the option to use less traditional switches (like Holy Pandas) which can be borderline impossible to find on a prebuilt keyboard.
I just bought my first Ducky last month and got the Cherry Silent switches. It's just sooo good; now I need another one! And the SF definitely takes some getting used to.
@@Daniel-dj7fh They're super tactile and satisfying like you'd expect from mechanical, but the keys are pretty silent! There's none of the clicky from a mechanical, but you can hear key travel and bottoming out. I had normal Cherry MXes and my roommate would complain when we games together, even he was like "damn that's quiet."
Gmk set cost more as Gmk needs to pay the designers money, so the quality may not match with the price. You pay for the colour scheme more than the quality.
@@grism01 ABS is in fact a cheaper plastic compared to PBT. The GMK pricing is for the quality of the coloring, text clarity and of course the limited quantity with a touch of the artists cut per sale. So he was not wrong in that. ABS can be done right and GMK knows what they are doing, they dont really have competitors at this time.
PBT cannot be shine-through. So if keycaps advertized as PBT and they still have translucent symbols - they are made out of both ABS and PBT mix. Moreover ABS have tendency to crack and when you put in and out keycaps too often.
Excellent explanation of all these confusing terminologies. Personally I don't care about 90% of these "issues" and think that the keyboard space has really taken it too far. I have to do actual research before I buy a new keyboard nowadays...
Springs could cause some scratch I guess but the switch leafs, the switch housing, and switch stem would be more likely to cause a scratchy sound and feel.
Plenty of people have mentioned the keycaps part, and not all ABS being bad and not all PBT being good, so I won't go further on that. What I will say is the description of "thock" without any real explanation of what it means should mean that there should have been some sort of point about not using the word. For anyone who has to answer questions almost daily about keycaps that thock, switches that thock, boards that thock, it gets really tiring having to ask back "ok, what do you actually mean?" every single time. Using the words you mean instead of a nebulous onomatopoeia makes it much more pleasant for anyone who's trying to help you find products that suit your needs. Otherwise though, decent video, does a very good job of communicating the terms to beginners without straying too much into preferences.
Custom mechanical keyboard is a big big rabbit hole. From custom once of keycaps to switches and boards. I'm like $2000 AUD deep. Haven't bought a mech keyboard since early 2021
The "Thock" sound really has changed from what it really meant a while ago huh, it used to only be used on electro capacitive keyboards like Topre or Niz, certain switches do have that deep "Thock" sound like the Gat inks or Gazzew Bobas but definitely not the example that was given (its more like poppy) "Cripsy" is only used on clicky switches that uses a click bar instead of the traditional click jacket like cherry blues, almost every click bar switch is manufactured by Kailh (ie: box jade, navy, pink, sherbet)
It hasn't changed, people in the hobby still refer thock to a deeper, more "warm" sound. The definition in the video wasn't accurate, nor was the example sound.
@Hardware Canucks This is a wonderful video. Thank you. The part I struggle with the most is where to buy keycaps and switches. Like you, I'm in Canada, and I've only found a couple of places here that have limited stock and are very expensive. Could you please recommend any good Canadian stores for keycaps and switches. A place you trust. If not, then U.S. ones. I see some amazing stuff on RUclips, but whenever I go to websites, I'm not impressed at all. Where are people getting all these amazing keycaps? Thank you in advance for your help.
Few notes 1. It's not Thonk and Silky smooth , it's Thock and Clack. 2. I'd talk about Keycap profiles like ASA/Cherry/OEM/MT3 etc .. 3. GMK sometimes makes ABS keycaps and they are not cheap at all . 4. Forgot to mention types of Lubes like Krytox/Trybosis/Permatex and etc.
silky smooth has nothing to do with sound. it's how they feel. A fresh unlubed switch will most likely be scratchier than a broken in lubed switch, and then become "silky smooth"
I recently bought Akko Jelly Black switches and oh boy, they are SMOOTH! They are also fast and firm on the stem and housing, very stable. I just wish the bottom out force were greater.
IF you have the time you can always mod your switches and do whats called a "spring swap" to swap your lighter springs for heavier ones. there are plenty of sites that offer springs. keep in mind you will probably need a switch opener for easier use to open the switch
there's two kind of hotswap, outemu one and general ones. the outemu ones most of the time exist on cheap hotswap keyboard. You could use non outemu switches but the pins to be sanded thin in order to install in the outemu hotswap board. the general ones accept anything tho.
nice video i think the next one after should be about the types of switches and the different brands there are as just getting a mechanical keyboard with say gatreon red switches or cherry mx blue switches to kalih brown switches are going to get confusing and may even feel like a bad keyboard experience due to the type of switch not fitting in with the type of keyboard typing/gaming habits each person has. like someone recommended cherry mx reds for me but it turned into a nightmare as i needed the tactile bump feel response due to the types of games i prefer playing.
I'm curious why there's no auto caption when Eber hosts the video more often than when Dimitri hosts it. When Dimitri hosts the video, the auto caption is almost always enabled.
Excellent video👍 quick question I'm liking frameless looking keyboards because they look less like a big brick. I like compact size keyboards but with most of the keys for writing vs gaming. What do you recommend? Thank you
Me: *Has spent over 2k on custom keyboard builds* Also Me: Hmmm, this looks interesting dw though this is a really good beginner vid, i ofc dropped a like
doubleshot ABS cheap? Well well you can tell that to GMK or JTK or Domikey keycaps, the most expensive keycaps sets out there. Keycaps sound is not only affected by the material, but also the profile (Cherry profile, SA profile, KAT profile, etc), and material thickness as well.
Now the hard task of convincing keyboard enthusiasts that the THOCK is a horrible noise and there's literally nothing worse than living in a small house or apartment with someone that has a keyboard going THOCKTHOCKTHOCKTHOCK all day and night Silent keyboard tech let's go!!
i have had nothing but issues using the wireless on my virtuoso and no fixes i have seen online work so im stuck using this expensive headset in wired mode...
All your keys sounded the same to me but I'm still using my keyboard from over 20 years ago. Came with my hp and cheapest is best to me. I refuse to learn to type so it's all the same to me
I'm thinking about readjusting and relubing my gmk stabs because I have an f* ton of rattle. Should I put the effort here or just get my hands on some c³ equalz, durok or kbdfans stabs?
lol as someone from he custom mechanical keyboard community hearing the (explain it to me like I'm five) tone of this video is hilarious. glad there is a comprehensive video that explains most of this terms that I can send to new people though. it will be good for getting more people into a hobby that will ruin their wallet. uh just one thing tho ABS is not always cheaper. and PBT will still shine with alot of use. alot of the most expensive capsets are ABS.
Well done. Excellent video. Informative. I definitely learned a lot. However, I'm not going to jump on my Harley and go for a ride and some real life adventure to counter balance the geeky with something that's actually cool. LOL
This is probably one of the best beginner explanation videos for an introduction to the keyboard community that I’ve seen. Great job!
Awesome to hear :) Happy to help!
-D.
Exactly - all things answered that I was too afraid to ask for fear of offending KB aficionados.
Beginner 😥 lol. Was too much info never thought there was so many things to understand in a keyboard
@@HardwareCanucks 🤣🤦♂️ I knew I should have watched this before jumping to your Corsair k100 video🤣 well at least now I know what key polling means great review of the k100 by the way keep it coming 😁
is it? the biggest thing about mechanical keyboard, that is the types of switches, was not mentioned
One thing to point out.
ABS does not necessarily mean it's cheap plastic, it's simply cheaper general because it's easier to work with when doing double shots.
High quality ABS keycaps exist and are basically the "standard" for high end stuff.
@@KevinOQuinn And not only them but other manufacturers also make pretty darn good ABS, JTK is up there in quality, Domikey is catching up quickly in quality as well and SP makes some VERY good ABS (although a bit thin, but still high quality)
Meanwhile if we're paying attention to legend quality as well as keycap quality, there really are only like 3 good PBT keycap manufacturers.
Yeah, that’s my one gripe about the video- the broad categorization of ABS as cheap and therefore PBT as premium. There’s plusses and minuses to either, but I would have liked at least a passing mention on things like legibility of legends or sublegends as a talking point. Given the focus of the channel it’s not surprising, but I do think this is the one area I think it’s a major mischaracterization of the keyboard space.
I'm sorry, ABS is cheap plain and simple. Cheaper to make, cheaper to source, and cheaper to manufacture in mass.
@@KevinOQuinn Cheap being inferior wasn't the point I was trying to make. Cheap as in cost was what I was trying to get across.
@@bwloawesome Cheaper does not mean lower quality.
Lubing a full keyboard is between 3-4 hours. Also Dimitri, very well done...not even the top keyboard youtubers ever made such a detailed glossary of terms, so good on you.
Hey {{3}}, thanks for your comment! I completely agree with your sentiment. Taking the time to lube a full keyboard can be quite time-consuming. If you're looking for efficient cleaning solutions, have you considered the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule? It offers powerful vacuuming and blowing capabilities, making it a handy tool to maintain a spotless environment on your desk and beyond. Plus, it's compact and reasonably priced compared to other brands. Cheers!
iirc, "Thock" is used to describe if the keyboard/switch has a deep sound signature. And the opposite of this is "Clack" if they have a higher pitched sound.
At this point, I kinda hate that word nowadays as some people don't even know what "thock" sounds like anymore. It'd be better if it's described as having a deeper or higher pitched sound.
Great video though! Covered most of the basics from this hobby. Love that you're getting into the keyboard hobby!
Bro these guy's quality for their videography is insane. Their video always look so crisp
The quality of the keycaps depends much more on the quality of the manufacturer than the material used. In fact in the keyboard enthusiast community doubleshot ABS keycaps from GMK & OG Cherry sets are considered the best of the best.
Keychron claimed their sets were pbt but sucked regardless of the material according to what i've heard. When i bought my Q1 i just got a completely different set of keycaps and switches.
I actually use my keycaps, and seeing 2 sets of "W, A, S, D and Spacebar" develop permanent shine in less than six months made me ditch GMK completely. My wife says I'm so clean it annoys her sometimes and I dont sweat profusely, so PBT or any reasonably priced ABS it is.
No, they aren't. GMK is great quality ABS, but the reason they don't do PBT is about manufacturing losses vs volume. PBT is notoriously hard to work with, and wasteful.
PBT is objectively a better material.
@@literate-aside Wasn't arguing which material was better. Just was stating GMK & OG Cherry doubleshot ABS is the highest quality sets available right now. You could definitely put OG Cherry dyesub PBT up there too, but good luck finding a set if them nowadays.
@@robr640 I disagree I'm afraid.
GMK make good quality ABS keys, but they trade on name and variety. There are absolutely better keys out there, especially those made from PBT.
Personally I've *really* struggled to find an ABS set that sound as good either, PBT just sounds better to me, especially double shot; then again that's another thing that's very hard to find these days.
That's the beauty of this hobby though I guess; it's all subjective.
As a keyboard beginner, this is the video I've been waiting for. Thank you. 👍🙂
I would also add layout options: 60% 65% 75% TKL etc.
2:06 Damn, I did not expect that, well done 😆
thanks for connecting the custom keyboard community and gaming keyboard community with this. Would've been better if you could have given examples between keyboards custom/prebuilt using the terms you just discussed as both have their pros and cons
.
Before this video I honestly did not know all the knowledge I had accumulated over the years of watching others talk about keyboard. Definitely a passion of mine and a really really good video for someone that has no idea about any of this. It is a pricey hobby but very nice
3:00 If I recall correctly 6KRO is often used instead of "actual" NKRO because of legacy USB compatibility reasons. As far as I know the official USB HID spec supports (or used to support) only up to 6 keys plus modifiers keys, rendering NKRO boards inoperable in cases where the host machine doesn't support it. This is also why QMK has a toggle switch between 6KR0 and NKRO.
Ahhh wow... thanks for the clarification! So does that mean the latest Logitech keyboard with 6KRO is actually NKRO and not only 6-key anti-ghosting?
-D.
@@HardwareCanucks I'm a little bit out of my depth, but internally probably yes, and the 6KRO is just caused by the board's firmware. I wager they just don't want to risk breaking compatibility by sending more data than what the USB HID spec defines. To my knowledge especially BIOSes can be quite finicky about the matter. Though to be honest, I would not be particularly surprised if many boards marketed as NKRO are actually just 6KRO.
Anti-ghosting on the other hand just (usually) means that the board has a dedicated diode for every switch so that the keyboard matrix can be scanned properly without signals being crossed. Really it's just a sign that the board isn't cutting every corner imaginable. If a board has 6KRO/NKRO I'd be more than willing to bet that it has full anti-ghosting.
As a G413 owner, you have my thanks. ;-)
Some keyboard will simulate 2 USB HID keyboard in Windows, you will have more than 6KRO
Well done covering most of the basics, it's also useful to mention the different keycap side profiles like OEM, Cherry, ASA, Xda, etc that can affect compatibility with some switches. For the stabiliser it's also good to mention the securing method: plate mounted(common) vs screw in(better) stabs. Speaking of the plate there can be many materials: steel, aluminium, brass, FR4, carbon fiber , policarbonate, etc, affecting sound typing feeling. More for the custom side of keebs a bonus mention is the case material like plastic or aluminium and finish options like paint, anodising (some say anno for short), ceracoating, etc. Oh and the GB or group buys that are basically limited in number group preorders with a small window to secure an unit and after that a very very very long wait for them to actually manufacture the things, compile the set and eventually ship it.
Hey {{3}}! Great points you brought up in your comment! The different keycap side profiles, stabilizer securing methods, plate materials, and case options are all crucial factors to consider when choosing a mechanical keyboard. Additionally, group buys can be an exciting way to get unique custom keyboards. Thanks for mentioning these important details! By the way, have you ever tried using the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule for cleaning your keyboard and desktop setup? It's a versatile tool that can definitely enhance your maintenance routine!
Thanks for putting this video together! I've always wondered what some of this stuff meant/how it translated into what I should/shouldn't be looking for.
I spent MONTHS looking into all of these terms last year in the process of learning to build my own.
WHY U ONLY MAKE NOW?!?!?!!
This is a -great- video to make and will no doubt help a lot of beginners on a -very- lengthy road. Goodjob
Amazing video! How about a video explaining the custom mechanical keyboard scene? GMK, QMK, plates, PCBs they all get very confusing!
I'm not sure if you, yourself, need clarification on those terms you mentioned but in case someone sees your comment and does need help: GMK is just a keycap manufacturer, and probably the most popular in the custom keyboard scene. There are others like ePBT and Signature Plastics.
QMK is just a software program used to flash a keyboard or configure layouts. VIA is another popular one.
Plates are metal plates with cutouts for switches and stabilizers to mount onto. They go between the PCB and switches, and can modify the feel and sound of a keyboard, depending on material used. Materials can be plastic, like polycarbonate or acrylic or metals, like brass or aluminum.
PCBs are, well, the "motherboard" of a keyboard (?). That's what you mount your switches, and usually stabilizers, to actually register key presses.
Taeha Types has a great video on the anatomy of a custom keyboard.
your video saved my first keyboard build the part about optical switches made me check and i found out i ordered optical switches instead of mechanical. that would have been a very bad surprise after waiting 3 weeks for shipping
so f*cking informative ,I tried to learn these terms by reading articles but couldn't wrap my head around them fully, your way of speech and the pics and videos inside this helped alot
In the last year I've been following a number of... keyboard influencers (?)... On RUclips, and this is by far my favorite primer. Kudos to you sir.
Overall, you covered a lot of great terms for beginners and explained them well.
As others have already said, the material of the keycap has nothing to do with the quality of the keycap. There are low-quality ABS and low-quality PBT, and there are high-quality ABS and high-quality PBT. Quality comes from the manufacturing process. The main criticism with ABS is that it will shine, which people view as low-quality, but there are ABS keycaps from the dawn of the keyboard as we know it that still look amazing. From my experience, price = quality for any type of keycap up to the $100 mark. Everything after that will be about the same quality, but you’re paying for extras, unique colors, etc.
You explained the double-shot process well. Dye-sub is also a very cool process which can only be done to PBT, since it is more temperature resistant. The legends are made by using a special dye that when placed on the keycap and baked, the dye vaporizes and is absorbed by the plastic, sort of infusing and penetrating the plastic. This is why dye-sub is so much more durable than pad-printed, UV printed, or laser etched keycaps. There is no realistic durability difference between dye-sub and double-shot. ABS cannot be dye-sublimated because it cannot withstand the higher temperatures involved.
ABS vs PBT is the greatest debate I’m the community, and will probably always be.
FANTASTIC video, now I know even more about mechanical keyboards. You pointed out a problem I started to experience which was multiple key presses being registered on my old keyboard. Weird part is that happened over time, it did not do that for 3+ years but then it seemed like the debounce delay feature started failing. I even replaced the switches and it still did it.
Wow nice video, thank you for putting so much effort in researching this! You can already tell by the keycaps comment, ABS does not mean cheap. Some manufacture has gotten really good at producing really high quality, color accurate, thick ABS keycaps with minimal warping (Germany's GMK for example). While PBT can be a better plastic material, the manufacturing process for it still need to catch up.
Right now, the problems with PBT are:
1. warping and shrinking (More common in doubleshot PBT),
2. color vibrancy (colors on PBT are not saturated in comparison to ABS for this reason),
3. fuzzy legends (To avoid reason 1, manufacture uses Dyesub which can cause major fuzziness).
Once PBT manufacturing process catch up, I'd be glad to switch to PBT.
You might want to keep an eye out for Milkyway. They are going to become the standard for Dye-Sub PBT. Plus they are even going to unveil a new manufacturing process for dyesub later this year.
Thanks. I'm about 2 million videos in and still had no idea what was going on until now.
Great seeing AK being in the big city!
I remember buying my first mechanical keyboard 7 years back, went with a pretty value board. $135 brushed aluminum face plate, and all metal body. Absolutely loved it, I still to this day love it, just wanted something a little different after so many years.
I downgraded from a full size to 65% and I was very on the fence about it, but to my genuine surprise beyond the volume wheel I've not really noticed much beyond a lot more room on my desk mat. I originally opted for a cheap $30 65% (didn't want to spend a lot and find out I hated it) and it worked, after 2 months I bought a Drop Alt LP for $100 new in the box, I loved it as well.
I guess my point is, don't discount hotswap, some switches are a lot cheaper than replacing a full keyboard. It saves money in the long run, and you get the option to use less traditional switches (like Holy Pandas) which can be borderline impossible to find on a prebuilt keyboard.
I just bought my first Ducky last month and got the Cherry Silent switches. It's just sooo good; now I need another one! And the SF definitely takes some getting used to.
What is your opinion on the silents, do they feel mushy, do they have a nice damped sound, etc.?
@@Daniel-dj7fh They're super tactile and satisfying like you'd expect from mechanical, but the keys are pretty silent! There's none of the clicky from a mechanical, but you can hear key travel and bottoming out.
I had normal Cherry MXes and my roommate would complain when we games together, even he was like "damn that's quiet."
@@isturma Which switch do you specifically have, because I don't think I remember Cherry having tactile silent switches 🤔🤔🤔
10:17 me, looking at prices of GMK ABS double shot sets vs most other pbt keycap sets: wait a minute
Wish more videos were as informative and concise as this one is. thank you so much!
"ABS is cheaper"
me looking at 129€ GMK base set: sure
Limited run keycaps are never cheap, nor really intended to be.
Cause dude doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about in this video
Even more absurd of a statement when you realise dye-sub pbt caps are like 40 dollars max lmao.
Gmk set cost more as Gmk needs to pay the designers money, so the quality may not match with the price. You pay for the colour scheme more than the quality.
@@grism01 ABS is in fact a cheaper plastic compared to PBT. The GMK pricing is for the quality of the coloring, text clarity and of course the limited quantity with a touch of the artists cut per sale. So he was not wrong in that. ABS can be done right and GMK knows what they are doing, they dont really have competitors at this time.
7:05 *Turns up volume to hear the pi-...* *_LUBING!_*
PBT cannot be shine-through. So if keycaps advertized as PBT and they still have translucent symbols - they are made out of both ABS and PBT mix. Moreover ABS have tendency to crack and when you put in and out keycaps too often.
Cant pbt be doubleshot?
@@Daniel-dj7fh Yeah
Simply the best video on mechanical keyboards I have seen! Nice job guys. I can definitely purchase my first mech keyboard with more confidence
Excellent explanation of all these confusing terminologies. Personally I don't care about 90% of these "issues" and think that the keyboard space has really taken it too far. I have to do actual research before I buy a new keyboard nowadays...
5:15 The Truly Ergonomic CLEAVE Keyboard 'Optoelectrical Infrared Mechanical Switch' was here ;)
Wow. I have learned a lot. Thanks for the video. 👍
Thank you for the information, it helped me to know what to buy or not.
Actually a legit good explanation. Felt like I learned something. Good job!
Yo this is super helpful. Thank you so much man!
Damn, another one gone down the rabbit hole and one of my favorite tech youtuber as well
Springs could cause some scratch I guess but the switch leafs, the switch housing, and switch stem would be more likely to cause a scratchy sound and feel.
Plenty of people have mentioned the keycaps part, and not all ABS being bad and not all PBT being good, so I won't go further on that.
What I will say is the description of "thock" without any real explanation of what it means should mean that there should have been some sort of point about not using the word. For anyone who has to answer questions almost daily about keycaps that thock, switches that thock, boards that thock, it gets really tiring having to ask back "ok, what do you actually mean?" every single time. Using the words you mean instead of a nebulous onomatopoeia makes it much more pleasant for anyone who's trying to help you find products that suit your needs.
Otherwise though, decent video, does a very good job of communicating the terms to beginners without straying too much into preferences.
Really great video! Thanks for taking the time to put it together :)
Custom mechanical keyboard is a big big rabbit hole. From custom once of keycaps to switches and boards. I'm like $2000 AUD deep. Haven't bought a mech keyboard since early 2021
This was such a good video for relatively newbie’s like myself. Appreciate the schooling!!
The "Thock" sound really has changed from what it really meant a while ago huh, it used to only be used on electro capacitive keyboards like Topre or Niz, certain switches do have that deep "Thock" sound like the Gat inks or Gazzew Bobas but definitely not the example that was given (its more like poppy)
"Cripsy" is only used on clicky switches that uses a click bar instead of the traditional click jacket like cherry blues, almost every click bar switch is manufactured by Kailh (ie: box jade, navy, pink, sherbet)
It hasn't changed, people in the hobby still refer thock to a deeper, more "warm" sound. The definition in the video wasn't accurate, nor was the example sound.
Thanks man. Just What I needed. I wish I've seen this before buying my cheap keyboard
Love the vid! Just fell down this rabbit hole, still dont know how to answer for "why do you need 5 keyboards?" lol
@Hardware Canucks This is a wonderful video. Thank you. The part I struggle with the most is where to buy keycaps and switches. Like you, I'm in Canada, and I've only found a couple of places here that have limited stock and are very expensive. Could you please recommend any good Canadian stores for keycaps and switches. A place you trust. If not, then U.S. ones. I see some amazing stuff on RUclips, but whenever I go to websites, I'm not impressed at all. Where are people getting all these amazing keycaps? Thank you in advance for your help.
Awesome video thanks!
Few notes
1. It's not Thonk and Silky smooth , it's Thock and Clack.
2. I'd talk about Keycap profiles like ASA/Cherry/OEM/MT3 etc ..
3. GMK sometimes makes ABS keycaps and they are not cheap at all .
4. Forgot to mention types of Lubes like Krytox/Trybosis/Permatex and etc.
silky smooth has nothing to do with sound. it's how they feel. A fresh unlubed switch will most likely be scratchier than a broken in lubed switch, and then become "silky smooth"
I finally found the video i was looking for. Thanks a ton!
Thanks for putting this all together.
3:30 ok I like it. “Picasso”
Nice introductory poem 👍
The amount of nerdery that goes on in this hobby is astounding. I love it.
It gets nerdy when you order some random pcb off the web and reprogram the keys and layers on qmk or something like that.
Getting my first 60% keyboard with hot swap soon can not wait already got some custom keys for it 😂❤
Brilliant video that I will no doubt reference in the future.
Fantastic tutorial, thank you 😊
I recently bought Akko Jelly Black switches and oh boy, they are SMOOTH!
They are also fast and firm on the stem and housing, very stable.
I just wish the bottom out force were greater.
IF you have the time you can always mod your switches and do whats called a "spring swap" to swap your lighter springs for heavier ones. there are plenty of sites that offer springs. keep in mind you will probably need a switch opener for easier use to open the switch
You can also just try to type lighter
@@Daniel-dj7fh
Can't. It's muscle memory.
@@williamtael8379 nana it's possible. Everytime you think about how light your switches are you just have to be abit more gentle
Man, I really needed this Bad Seed tutorial! 😜👌🏼
there's two kind of hotswap, outemu one and general ones. the outemu ones most of the time exist on cheap hotswap keyboard. You could use non outemu switches but the pins to be sanded thin in order to install in the outemu hotswap board. the general ones accept anything tho.
Hot swappable means it can be swapped while power is still on.
nice video i think the next one after should be about the types of switches and the different brands there are as just getting a mechanical keyboard with say gatreon red switches or cherry mx blue switches to kalih brown switches are going to get confusing and may even feel like a bad keyboard experience due to the type of switch not fitting in with the type of keyboard typing/gaming habits each person has. like someone recommended cherry mx reds for me but it turned into a nightmare as i needed the tactile bump feel response due to the types of games i prefer playing.
Appreciate this kind of Work, it helps alot Keep it up please 🌹👍❤️
I needed a minute to myself after that smooth af segue
I'm curious why there's no auto caption when Eber hosts the video more often than when Dimitri hosts it. When Dimitri hosts the video, the auto caption is almost always enabled.
Excellent video👍 quick question I'm liking frameless looking keyboards because they look less like a big brick. I like compact size keyboards but with most of the keys for writing vs gaming. What do you recommend? Thank you
Remembering hearing about a ducky promo code that you had. I’ll use it if you can get back to me before I buy it up
those phantom keycaps look really nice and clean!
Which is the best quality keyboard? With non of those flaws?
That's amazing explanation
Me: *Has spent over 2k on custom keyboard builds*
Also Me: Hmmm, this looks interesting
dw though this is a really good beginner vid, i ofc dropped a like
Why don't more wired keyboards have a USB port for a wired mouse? I love my Lenovo Enhanced keyboard with this feature as I don't like wireless.
doubleshot ABS cheap?
Well well you can tell that to GMK or JTK or Domikey keycaps, the most expensive keycaps sets out there.
Keycaps sound is not only affected by the material, but also the profile (Cherry profile, SA profile, KAT profile, etc), and material thickness as well.
Now that you have done this video explaining keyboard terms could you please make a video on some nice keyboards that you would recommend.
Keychron and GMMK have pretty good sets.
I can't recommend anything specific because not everyone uses the same layouts.
“The thonk” lol thock is deep lol great video tho
I bought mine before watching this video. What should I do?
isnt 6 key rollover enough? i mean you only have 5 fingers.. how many buttons can you really push. 5 should do it am i wrong?
Now the hard task of convincing keyboard enthusiasts that the THOCK is a horrible noise and there's literally nothing worse than living in a small house or apartment with someone that has a keyboard going THOCKTHOCKTHOCKTHOCK all day and night
Silent keyboard tech let's go!!
Thank you. Thocky keyboards sound horrible. Finally someone who agrees
Super weird question but what glasses are those? really struggling to find a pair i like 😅
I've done it! I now have my Master's Degree in Keyboard Engineering! Whoo-hoo!
ISO layout with a 2 line enter key
is it me or did i miss a definition on ten keyless/60%/40%?
I love the quality of the keyboard... love it
What is the best keycap
i have had nothing but issues using the wireless on my virtuoso and no fixes i have seen online work so im stuck using this expensive headset in wired mode...
All your keys sounded the same to me but I'm still using my keyboard from over 20 years ago. Came with my hp and cheapest is best to me. I refuse to learn to type so it's all the same to me
Good to see people start putting out beginner-friendly content about mechanical keyboards :)
I can see that Dmitry went down the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole.
I'm thinking about readjusting and relubing my gmk stabs because I have an f* ton of rattle. Should I put the effort here or just get my hands on some c³ equalz, durok or kbdfans stabs?
The "thonk"!
Great video
lol as someone from he custom mechanical keyboard community hearing the (explain it to me like I'm five) tone of this video is hilarious. glad there is a comprehensive video that explains most of this terms that I can send to new people though. it will be good for getting more people into a hobby that will ruin their wallet. uh just one thing tho ABS is not always cheaper. and PBT will still shine with alot of use. alot of the most expensive capsets are ABS.
Which keyboard is shown at 7:50? Thanks.
Well done. Excellent video. Informative. I definitely learned a lot. However, I'm not going to jump on my Harley and go for a ride and some real life adventure to counter balance the geeky with something that's actually cool. LOL
Is Razer the only manufacture with Phantom keycaps?
Didn't know star lord teaches about keyboards when he's not saving the galaxy.
what's the name of the keyboard on 8:56
I watched the whole thing and, while it was informative, left my inital question unanswered. Just what the hell is the point?
What is the purple keyboard in the thumbnail if anyone knows ??