I'm not sure if they changed the thickness of the plate foam but I will say that with that and PE foam that was 1/16 in thick the keys do not make contact with the PCB. Maybe I need to find thinner pe foam tho
Be CAUTIOUS when using Kilmat! Its top layer is made of aluminum so it will conduct electricity when touches the bottom of PCB which it will! So, put paper or tape on the bottom of PCB (and hope it won't tear) or put something non-conductive on top of Kilmat, like the original case foam it came with.
Great advice! I usually turn the kilmat upside down with alu side facing into the case. But in this case, the kilmat was thin enough and the PCB has tape :)
@@apmartini70 Noico is a great option. Basically the same kind of thing but just a bit thicker than Kilmat at 80mil instead of 50mil. Should be a bit cheaper too.
The force-break mod is actually insane. I just got mine in the mail and I applied the force-break mod while initially adding some extra foam because I was scared of any sort of ping. Gladly, there was no pinging, but I hardly felt any flex or bounciness. I decided to take a shot and use the single stock paper-thin foam and there was STILL no ping or resonance. You're a genius, Keybored!
Hey there! It's great to hear that you're enjoying the Keychron Q1 Ultimate Modding Tutorial. If you're looking to keep your desk spotless and maintain your keyboard's cleanliness, I highly recommend checking out the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule. It offers powerful vacuuming and blowing capabilities to keep your setup clean and dust-free. Plus, its versatile accessories make it handy for other tasks as well. Happy cleaning!
It really does! It has that deep smooth thock that everyone enjoys. The board is a fairly lively one with the mods, and balances out well with the mellow ink blacks!
@@Keybored im deffo going to grab this board even if its not for myself but more as a hey you see this, welcome to custom keyboards you cant go back now and give it to a friend
@@Keybored I don't know if 80 mil would be to thick, but you could instead get the noico 80 mil in 5 sqft packs from amazon for 13 bucks, its the same butyl with foil dampening material. Ps it is to thick
@@ryansouza613 Hey, So you did determine that the 80mil is too thick. I just got my Q1 in and am trying to determine how I should treat it. (Also what did you end up using as a dampener, I have found a silicone sheet that I can get for 8 bucks that is thin and was trying to see if that is what I should get.)
@@roopert8533 80 Mill is to thick for the Q1 according to keybored who actually tested it... But I haven't built a Q1 myself so I can't really be of help! I would probably see if there is a keycron discord that has a q/a channel about the board. Personally Im waiting on a freebird60 which comes with a silicone dampener but I was think of swapping it with the noico for better performance so that's why I brought it up here.
The legend is back at it again with the quality content. I love how you go out of your way to find different dampeners instead of following along with what the community is doing.
Again just like in the rattling stab video tutorial, when it comes to mod education or mod tutorial, your channel is the best. I always appreciate those who take the time to analyze the what and the why then come up with the how to make things reach their full potential. Rock on man. Cheers.
@@Keybored Scott, I have a quick question cuz I remember you've been talking about this in one of your video. The sound damping mats available in my country are all 1.5 mm or above. I remember you mentioned about "flattening it" to which I tried but failed miserably. How do you flatten the sound damping mat effectively...??? I would like to try this at least 1 last time before I decide to order the Kilmat from Amazon because the shipping price to my country is very expensive.
After modding my board, I've found that if you use the force break mod with 3 layers of tape and at as many points as you can put on the bottom frame, it completely eliminates any sort of ping whatsoever WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR A NOISE DAMPENER! It's a little more tedious to do, but I think it makes that big of a difference. Thanks so much for the tutorial!
@@saab251 Instead of using small squares of tape, you can apply tape on the entire frame leaving only the screw holes. In theory it should isolate the upper case from the lower case even more.
@@kevin-sj3wt depends on how sticky the tape is. Technically (?) if it was super sticky, and you ripped it off with force, it could tear off some sockets or diodes along with it. To be honest, it’s not an issue if you’re just careful.
Quick note on the noise dampener on the bottom piece, the silver aluminum foil layer of that dampener might be conductive causing the pcb to freak out if the pcb is contact with the dampener back when I used it on one of my board, so either use it with the tape mod or flip the dampener around if this issue happens to you
Hi ZL_ Great point! For the thicker Noico stuff, I do flip it around so the aluminum is below. For this application, the kilmat was so thin that I wasn't experiencing contact between the PCB and the dampener :) a layer of tape also helps as well. Great point!
This is next level! was doubting the Q1 when i watched the sound test from other reviews but you really managed to find the perfect balance between flex and sound!!
You're great at modding! I do have a challenge though, I wonder how you'd mod the Gamakay K series (especially the K66 and K61) to sound good, I figured it would be a good choice since a LOT of people own those boards!
Thank you Octavia! I haven't checked out the K series yet, but I'll look up how they're constructed! I bought an insanely cheap board off amazon for a segment in the near future... that would be the biggest challenge for me so far!
@@Keybored they're actually not mounted at all! It's just a stacked acrylic case and the PCB is just... In there..... I'm curious as to how you'd improve it and hey, maybe I'll do the same to my K66 in the end!
Thank you so much for this video! It helped a lot. I did all the mods mentioned here and love the result! The board went from pingy to thoccy. Spacebar sound improved dramatically. One mistake I made was that I used the thin foam from the bottom of the case for PE foam mod. It's stretchy so it was very hard to for the plastic feet of switches to pierce through. It's probably not even thick enough to modify the sound much. Yet it's too thick / incompressible to be used as an uncut sheet -- middle keys weren't making contact with the PCB even with all 6 PCB screws in.
Yeah, the PE foam selection is pretty important for the hotswap pin issue. I would recommend that the PE foam be under .5mm! But thank you for watching and I'm glad it was helpful! :)
Awesome man, I just ordered a Q1 as my entry to the 'build your own mechanical keyboard and mod the hell out of it'-world :D The barebones version arives in about two weeks and then I'll get some nice keycaps, foam etc for modding and my first switches - which of course I'll lube myself - will be the Kaihl Purple. I am really excited what I'll be able to get out of this board. Again thanks for this video!
@@Keybored Thanks to you too :) And btw, I didn't make that clear, I bought this board a week ago after watching hundreds of videos and finally making a decision which one to buy. And in perfect timing you released this modding guide for my board :) very nice!
I just picked up a Q1, and this board still benefits from the Kilmat Dampener. It looks like Keychron did add more case foam since this modding tutorial, but the foam they added is kinda thick and kills most of the flex in the board. It also does not sound as good as just using the Kilmat (to my ears anyway). I also added the tape mod to the back of the pcb. This sounds really good now, especially for a board at this price. Thanks for sharing your findings, helped me a lot here.
If your going to do this i reccomend puting the sound deadener paper side up metal side down. The metal side will short the hotswap sockets. Keybored put masking tape here so it was ok to put metal side up.
:) Good advice! When I use the thicker Noico 80mil, I usually flip it upside down or add a layer of tape on top of it, or add another layer of foam in between if it's an especially tall case like the GK series :)
Thanks for the awesome modding tips, my Q1 just arrived and I modded it right away following your videos. I ended up leaving the bottom case empty without dampener whatsoever (I removed all of stock foam that came with it), then I used leftover stabilizer foam pad for the force break mod. IMHO it gave me a "poppier" sound..
Glad it worked out! I think there were a few revisions from my version to what is out there right now. I hope the revisions were for the better and the Q1 is even better than it was before!
Thanks for your video! I used a silicone mod instead of the kilmat which took care of most of the ping. Instead of using painter's tape for the edge mod, I used the 1mm PE foam and stuck it to the edges at each screw hole. These two did the trick for removing all ping.
Just finished my Q1 knob version by following the mods you have on this guide and the final product is insane! I used brass plate, and lubed prevail epsilon switches (I wiped off the factory lube) and also band aided durock v2 stabs. Thank you again so much for this tutorial I am so happy with my board.
Hey there! As a fellow tech enthusiast, I highly recommend checking out the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule. It's a game-changer for maintaining a spotless environment on your desktop and even in your car. With its powerful vacuuming and blowing capabilities, it's perfect for keyboard cleaning and reaching tight spaces. Plus, the multiple tubes and high-quality filters ensure long-lasting performance. Definitely worth considering! 😄👍
Hi, I wanted to ask: When applying the sound dampener on the bottom (the kilmat in the video), did you actually stick it to the bottom or did you place it as a loose piece?
@@thereallocksmith5170 I placed it as a loose piece as it allows easier configuration in the future if you are remodding. Acoustic wise no different as a loose piece or glued if the fit is tight.
This is impressively good. A friend just sent me this and I used the fabric bandaids I had on hand for force break + a little PE foam in the void in the mean time and wow what a difference.
I've been waiting for this! Just one thing, I didn't see how thick the PE foam should have been or where to get it in the description -- you had mentioned thinner than what the jelly epoch uses, but not any specific thickness
I have been using the thinnest PE foam I could find out of electronics boxes lol. I realized that stuff like monitors and TVs and such come wrapped in PE foam, and it's actually very thin. It goes right on top of the PCB, between the plate foam and PCB!
hi Scott, just wanted to let you know that when i saw Shang Chi, i was like wow this Tony Leung guy really looks like Scott K from keybored. Besides that, great quality as usual, keep it up!
@Keybored The only part during the video where I got confused: where did you add the layer of 1mm PE foam? I can see where everything else goes but in that part of the video all I see is the foam cutout they included over the PCB. Is the PE foam under the PCB, between taped PCB and kilmat? Also, where is the silicone base in relation to all of this? I have the keychron K8 pro on the way and already ordered pe foam, kilmat, lube, and some durock stabs. The k8 pro comes with a silicone base in the case and this will be my first time taking a mech apart to mod it. If you can list what the layers are in order that'd be really helpful, that sound you got during the sound test is immaculate
To get rid of the pinging, pleas try with a sheet of sound damping mat like the ones that dynamat has for sound damping in cars. Here in sweden we have a product called "bitumen" or "bitumex" which is a superheavy sheet of some flexible black stuff with a self adhesive side. It´s best described as a "lead rubber mat". Attach it to any surface that sounds hollow or rattles and it instantly makes it dead by removing vibrations. I have spot-covered most of the insides of my keebs with this stuff and they sound really great in my ears. Pair it up with something that diffuses sound and i think you have a winner solution!
Did the Kilmat and Tape modes on the Q1 with the stock phantom reds and stock stabs and it made it sound soooo much better. Would 10/10 recommend these mods to anyone trying to make the stock full-built version of the Q1 better.
@@Keybored Yes. The only worrying thing is the person in these comments saying the aluminum on the sound dampener sheet could screw up the PCB, but I guess with the tape protecting the entire PCB it should be OK. Not noticing any issues so far.
I have been using the Q1 for about a month now. Mine has brown switches. The sound is great. Very pleasant. I do not see the need for mods. Also, I have never pinged the case while typing. Some reviewers are just hyper-critical. I am vey happy with my keyboard!
I think it's because after the review boards went out, Keychron actually upped the foam thickness. The original ones essentially had paper thin foam in it, and it was sooo pingy!
All of those sound tests are so pleasing to listen to! Just beautiful work here. I am surprised at how similar the Coffee Chips and the U4Ts sound - were 62g longs used in the CCs?
I'm glad you made a video clearing this up, because a lot of reviews came to bad conclusions on this board based on its hollowness. No board is going to be great straight out of the box, and most of them need mods to meet the high standards that people want for a custom. I would definitely recommend the poly fill mod, it doesn't affect the flex that much and makes a big difference, but with all your mods you probably wouldn't notice too much. Keep up the great work and you earned a sub from me ;)
:) Thank you for the sub TysonEdits! I really appreciate the support! The board is mediocre just out of the box, but really transforms with mods. One of these diamonds in the rough boards :)
So orginally I did the forcebreak mod with just painter's tape. It works, but I thought I could do better. I went back and did one layer of painter's tape and then a dab of UV resin on this piece of tape. Worked a charm and it give a little more clearence for more bounce.
I would like everyone to know I did the tape mod on my minivan like 4 years ago. Not a new mod 😁 also used foam tape on the underside of the plate between the plate and PCB for my KBD65 and it helped alot.
Another thing I'll add that THIN PE foam is a requirement not an option for PC plate. I have tried using a generic PE foam which was a millimeter or 1.5mm thick and it needed reduced the noise but also, combined with the built-in PCB foam increased the height between switches and the board preventing the keys in-between plate screws reaching the hot swap sockets. Also, I think @Keyboard you have an early unit, in the latest shipment I received I had two pieces of case foam and thicker PCB foam. The pinging was not that annoying as is shown in the video.
Thin thin thin on the PE is an absolute! I managed to find some paper thin stuff by scavenging some electronics, and that's the only stuff I use now if PE foam is absolutely necessary
@@Keybored at the end i was lucky enough to find a kbd67 lite and i instabuyed it, unfortunately in that awkward tiffany color. Will update the case as soon they come back in stock.
The L&F Phantom Reds actually sound really nice. I'm thinking about getting the original Q1 and soldering in a rotary encoder then following your mods here, though I'm torn between blue and grey. I followed your mods for my KBD 67 Lite and it sounds wonderful. Thank you for the inspiration.
glad someone did u4ts with the keychron because I was planning to get that exact build Edit: So I got the exact build but with pbt instead of abs keycaps, and I can say that it's a lot deeper and creamy in person than with the mic
I'm planning on building a Q1 and this is one of the references I am using for modding it. It sucks that I am getting around to it during lunar new year so there will be delayed shipping, but I think it'll be a fun project.
I've worked with kilmat before tbh the best way to use it is peel and permanently apply it. It works so much better. There is a roller designed to press this onto car panels. The roller thins the kilmat and "pops" the bubble wrap surface. I know people don't like to permanently mod their keeps but this stuff works better that way.
Yup! You are very correct about that. Sticking it on does improve the overall performance. That's what I ended up doing to mine... I doubt I'll ever take it off
holy crap. This is board really sings with these mods. I bought a stock with gat reds and did all of these mods and added a little to it. What annoyed me was even the micro-gap between the top and bottom the top still had a lot of ping and certain keys would do bring it out while others were perfect. So I ended up adding a layer of blue masking tape to the inside face of the portions around the case edge as well as the breaks between the direction pad and pgup/down keys. I was hoping to add some dampening to the thin long portions that a lot of the top has wherever there is a break between keys. I also had some small eva foam with adhesive backing that I added to the voids where the plate could have extra gaskets but doesnt (middle of the board top and bottom as well as left and right). I also removed the thin foam stuck to the case and put the thicker piece they included along with a sheet of the same thin type that you suggested adding on the pcb ontop of it. With lubed creams, durocks, and stock ABS caps it sounds really really good. Not muted at all but no ping and a nice deep and punchy sound for the 1u keys. Great video man
Noico and Tomzz have way cheaper alternatives to Kilmat, Alubutyl mats (butyl with aluminum foil). But of the two, only found ~1.5mm from tomzz (of which kilmat mil50 is too, not quite 1mm). Essentially, imagine it as having reeeaally soft and thin silicone for absorbing vibration and the foil dampens some higher resonant frequencies. Perfect for metal, but in plastic cases it holds no strength over other materials like denser/thinner foam
Yup! really good material for metals. I do use it for plastic cases too to add some weight and it helps to take away some of the plastickiness of the case as well
I think that dampening you found was really good, but I also think that spending $35 for sound dampening alone is a little much, would be nice to see you try alternatives like polyfill, or maybe cheaper thin foams. btw I know that alexotos already has tried polyfill, but he doesnt really test the flex, so if keybored could do like a short or something using polyfill, and show a flex test that'd be great!
:) Yeah it's a bit expensive at $35. But it comes with so so so much, that you can probably do like 30 Q1s with... Would be nice if they sold like a smaller pack of it for like $5
Hey mate, would 60 mil dampeners work? Didn’t want to buy 25 sq feet of kilmat lol Also do we need to stick the dampener to the board? Cheers mate. Loved the video.
You used the 50 mil kilmat in this video, it seems that it's more difficult and more expensive to pick up that thickness where I'm from. Would an 80 mil (2mm) killmat also work? or would it remove too much flex from the board? And amazing video! I just got my Q1 Pro and I will be installing all these mods on it.
I opened up my q1 pro and noticed it's factory force-break-modded. I have the optional acoustic pack. Since I had it open, I tapemodded it and now the thocc is real! before with the pack made it more marble (all ping was gone btw)
Great video! Did you roll out/flatten the Kilmat? Remove the adhesive? Or just install as is, cut, adhesive. Not sure if the sound matters or not with the paper still over the adhesive backing.
Nice guide! Do you think a 2 mm sound dampening mat would be too thick for the keyboard? I wouldn¨t mind if it would eliminate both ping and some flex at the same time
I actually used a 2mm sound dampener very similar to Kilmat but it completely killed the flex. It also completely eliminated any hollowness, though. I would still just try the force break mod and see if that gives you a result you'd like first, then try the dampener if it still is not as you'd like.
Great video! Very helpful, I recently ordered my Q1 which will be my first fully custom build, are there any alternatives to the Kilmat sound dampener? I costs 50usd to ship to my country from Amazon.
I think other butyl deadeners will also work the same, they might be thicker, so you can try to use a roller or a cylinder and flatten it down to about 1mm :)
If you did not care too much about the flex of the board, what would be your recommendations to make this thing as thoccy as possible. Amazing review super high production quality. Just ordered this as my first custom keyboard and am super excited!
Thanks! You won't be disappointed when it arrives! If you didn't care for flex, you can stick with case foam rather than the auto butyl noise dampeners, since they do provide a more thoccy sound profile :) I initially tried it with the Zip-N-Fit shelf liner and it had a deeper sound. Also, skip the PE foam on the PCB
would have loved to see this without the pe foam. imo every switch in the sound test sounds nearly the same. i get the hype around the it, but i really didnt think the q1 needed the extra pe foam
It was also the switch choice lol. Most of these switches have the same sound profile so they sound so similar... prime example is that U4T Vs. the Coffee Chip. But the PE foam does add a bit of that "jelly" which normalizes the sound too.
It's hard to find a quantity of kilmat for sale that is not the size of a car. But if you look for "Butyl based sound deadening", you will find smaller cheaper quantities used in making hifi speakers.
Followed and did the exact same mod on my Q1, surprisingly, mine is now sounded very similar to yours and its amazing though gasket is not that good after noise dampener
love this vid keep it up!! so i’m tryna decide on purchasing either the q1 or the gmmk pro. but idk which to get. but in your opinion, what would you purchase? from your own words lol.
Just got my Q1 love it. if you want to get rid of the Ping completely i used Masking tape and Cotton rounds like the stuff that girls use to take off make up. I dont have ping at all any more. i used one layer of tape and 2 rows of the the cotton rounds and a few to cover the spaces. boom no Ping
Hello Keybored and thank you for the amazing moding info! Any opinions on the Gateron phantom red switches that you got with it? I ordered it with the same switches and I am wondering if I should actually use them, film and lube them or not, change the spring etc. or if I should just replace them with other linears. Thank you!
The phantom reds are actually fantastic! Smooth and medium sound profile, with great tolerance, and they also have a distinctive pop to them (similar to the CAP switches). With lube and film, they are great!
I know this video is a bit old, but I’m hoping to still get a question or two in. I think Kilmat and similar products are “peel and stick”. Is it necessary to peel and stick on, or does it work just as well without peeling? Thanks
I did some more playing with my Q1 after watching your vid when it dropped. I've been daily driving a Q1 (lubed nk Creams with ePBT KAT Profiles) and with the force break, PE mod, and just the thick layer of foam in it. The PE foam and removal of the thin layer gave the board room to flex nicely and had a nice sounds to it. What I found was I still had some case ping (especially on the right mods) and the way I resolved it was being sure I did not tighten the screws down very hard. That got me thinking. If the case ping I was hearing was coming from the top then it has to be transmitting from the lower case contact. But with the force break, that should be minimized-- right? Well, if you tighten the screws down tight-- no. It crushes the tape and also I believe pulls the screw heads up against the bottom case tight which allows better transmission of the vibrations from typing. So the next step I have tried is to use small 3mm ID by 1mm thick silicone o-rings placed like washers on the case screws themselves. Not between the case halves, but placed between the bottom case and screw head so that the head has minimal contact with the bottom case and has less ability to transmit vibration. This seems to have removed the last bit of ping I had and has made tapping on the area above the F row sound like a solid block of aluminum. It also seems to fix the issue of the screws coming loose when only lightly snugged, which I was using blue loctite to work around for the time being. I think the last thing I'm considering trying is having a 3d printed top case made. Really just the rim maybe no blockers even.. I think the reason the Q1 pings so bad is with the top and bottom bolted tightly it creates a sort of rectangular aluminum bowl with thin sides and even thinner blockers ontop. Kind of like the Tofu, only with a added 'roof' thats also very thin. So any vibrations sent through typing to the bottom case travel all the way upto the top and resonate those thin sections with the ping sounds.. A different material, like PLA or even Polycarb, with a fairly high density should make for an interesting effect.
Great video as always! Do you thinking changing the gaskets for D65 Gaskets from KDB Fans would imrpove the flex? I'm waiting on a few parts, but even with a PolyCarbonate plate (no switches or keycaps yet) it doesn't feel as flexible as I thought. Thanks!
This is legendary, I'll have to give it a shot!
Thanks Hipyo! I'm sure it'll turn out great in your hands :) Took your advice and hashtagged the channel name, hope it works!
Hippo with a y moment
I'm waiting for your video =)))
I'm not sure if they changed the thickness of the plate foam but I will say that with that and PE foam that was 1/16 in thick the keys do not make contact with the PCB. Maybe I need to find thinner pe foam tho
How many stabilizers does this take?
Be CAUTIOUS when using Kilmat! Its top layer is made of aluminum so it will conduct electricity when touches the bottom of PCB which it will! So, put paper or tape on the bottom of PCB (and hope it won't tear) or put something non-conductive on top of Kilmat, like the original case foam it came with.
Great advice! I usually turn the kilmat upside down with alu side facing into the case. But in this case, the kilmat was thin enough and the PCB has tape :)
What would be an alternative to Kilmer?
@@apmartini70 Noico is a great option. Basically the same kind of thing but just a bit thicker than Kilmat at 80mil instead of 50mil. Should be a bit cheaper too.
hahahaha i was a victim of this a minute ago, i was wondering why my keyboard got possessed by a ghost and started typing randomly
@@gingeas haha well I’m glad you figured it out :)
The force-break mod is actually insane. I just got mine in the mail and I applied the force-break mod while initially adding some extra foam because I was scared of any sort of ping. Gladly, there was no pinging, but I hardly felt any flex or bounciness. I decided to take a shot and use the single stock paper-thin foam and there was STILL no ping or resonance. You're a genius, Keybored!
:) Thank you so much for the support! Glad the mod suggestions worked out!
Hey there! It's great to hear that you're enjoying the Keychron Q1 Ultimate Modding Tutorial. If you're looking to keep your desk spotless and maintain your keyboard's cleanliness, I highly recommend checking out the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule. It offers powerful vacuuming and blowing capabilities to keep your setup clean and dust-free. Plus, its versatile accessories make it handy for other tasks as well. Happy cleaning!
Ink blacks sound so good on this board
It really does! It has that deep smooth thock that everyone enjoys. The board is a fairly lively one with the mods, and balances out well with the mellow ink blacks!
@@Keybored im deffo going to grab this board even if its not for myself but more as a hey you see this, welcome to custom keyboards you cant go back now and give it to a friend
Absolutely! And their minds will be blown haha :)
@@Keybored Christmas is coming up!
Love how you always find these nice dampeners! Finding alternative solutions rather than and trying new things is always cool to see
:) Thanks sviz! I wish they would sell it in smaller packs... not everyone needs 25 sq. ft. of the stuff lol
@@Keybored Well if you ever need to get rid of any of the excess just let me know haha. Still waiting on my keyboard to ship out.
@@Keybored I don't know if 80 mil would be to thick, but you could instead get the noico 80 mil in 5 sqft packs from amazon for 13 bucks, its the same butyl with foil dampening material. Ps it is to thick
@@ryansouza613 Hey, So you did determine that the 80mil is too thick. I just got my Q1 in and am trying to determine how I should treat it. (Also what did you end up using as a dampener, I have found a silicone sheet that I can get for 8 bucks that is thin and was trying to see if that is what I should get.)
@@roopert8533 80 Mill is to thick for the Q1 according to keybored who actually tested it... But I haven't built a Q1 myself so I can't really be of help! I would probably see if there is a keycron discord that has a q/a channel about the board. Personally Im waiting on a freebird60 which comes with a silicone dampener but I was think of swapping it with the noico for better performance so that's why I brought it up here.
The legend is back at it again with the quality content. I love how you go out of your way to find different dampeners instead of following along with what the community is doing.
Thank you Slump! I appreciate the support :)
Again just like in the rattling stab video tutorial, when it comes to mod education or mod tutorial, your channel is the best. I always appreciate those who take the time to analyze the what and the why then come up with the how to make things reach their full potential.
Rock on man. Cheers.
Thank you so much Foon! I really appreciate the comments and support!
@@Keybored Scott, I have a quick question cuz I remember you've been talking about this in one of your video.
The sound damping mats available in my country are all 1.5 mm or above. I remember you mentioned about "flattening it" to which I tried but failed miserably. How do you flatten the sound damping mat effectively...??? I would like to try this at least 1 last time before I decide to order the Kilmat from Amazon because the shipping price to my country is very expensive.
Thanks for this. I'm planning on getting a Q1 soon, so this is perfect timing. Great video as always, keep it up!
Thank you Greg! The Q1 is phenomenal with the mods!
After modding my board, I've found that if you use the force break mod with 3 layers of tape and at as many points as you can put on the bottom frame, it completely eliminates any sort of ping whatsoever WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR A NOISE DAMPENER! It's a little more tedious to do, but I think it makes that big of a difference. Thanks so much for the tutorial!
:) you're very welcome! Glad you found additional fixes to make the Q1 even better!
Im interested, what do you mean by "as many points as you can put on the bottom frame"?
@@saab251 Instead of using small squares of tape, you can apply tape on the entire frame leaving only the screw holes. In theory it should isolate the upper case from the lower case even more.
does tape mod harm ur PCB? some said so
@@kevin-sj3wt depends on how sticky the tape is. Technically (?) if it was super sticky, and you ripped it off with force, it could tear off some sockets or diodes along with it. To be honest, it’s not an issue if you’re just careful.
Quick note on the noise dampener on the bottom piece, the silver aluminum foil layer of that dampener might be conductive causing the pcb to freak out if the pcb is contact with the dampener back when I used it on one of my board, so either use it with the tape mod or flip the dampener around if this issue happens to you
Hi ZL_ Great point! For the thicker Noico stuff, I do flip it around so the aluminum is below. For this application, the kilmat was so thin that I wasn't experiencing contact between the PCB and the dampener :) a layer of tape also helps as well. Great point!
This is next level! was doubting the Q1 when i watched the sound test from other reviews but you really managed to find the perfect balance between flex and sound!!
:) It took me an entire saturday trying to figure out how to keep it flexible and also sound good lol
Love the way you systematically improved the weakness in the acoustics of the Q1. So well done!
Thank you FluffyKeebz! I appreciate it :)
You're great at modding! I do have a challenge though, I wonder how you'd mod the Gamakay K series (especially the K66 and K61) to sound good, I figured it would be a good choice since a LOT of people own those boards!
Thank you Octavia! I haven't checked out the K series yet, but I'll look up how they're constructed! I bought an insanely cheap board off amazon for a segment in the near future... that would be the biggest challenge for me so far!
@@Keybored they're actually not mounted at all! It's just a stacked acrylic case and the PCB is just... In there..... I'm curious as to how you'd improve it and hey, maybe I'll do the same to my K66 in the end!
The Gamakay MK61 too! It’s like the most popular one on bangood atm
Genuinely impressed by the sound and how you maintain the flex of the board. Brilliant ideas
Thank you Scott! Took me a while to figure out the balance lol
This is jaw dropping. Especially that tape placement. Great stuff
:) Hope the content is helpful to you!
Thank you so much for this video! It helped a lot. I did all the mods mentioned here and love the result! The board went from pingy to thoccy. Spacebar sound improved dramatically.
One mistake I made was that I used the thin foam from the bottom of the case for PE foam mod. It's stretchy so it was very hard to for the plastic feet of switches to pierce through. It's probably not even thick enough to modify the sound much. Yet it's too thick / incompressible to be used as an uncut sheet -- middle keys weren't making contact with the PCB even with all 6 PCB screws in.
Yeah, the PE foam selection is pretty important for the hotswap pin issue. I would recommend that the PE foam be under .5mm! But thank you for watching and I'm glad it was helpful! :)
@@Keybored Do you have a link on where to get that thin of a PE foam?
This is probably the best Q1 video so far. Most people just BS but you really fix the problem.
:) Thank you Kramers! Glad it was helpful!
Your q1 mod is the best ive seen be far! Amazing sound and flex. I ordered some car sound dampening sheets (?) off amazon as soon as i saw this.
:) I hope your Q1 turns out great as well! Such a good keyboard after the mods
I don't care, I'm using the top part of the case for the triangle in middle school band.
LMAO!!!!
Haha, you sure can! I was so shocked at how much it reverbed lol
Man, these ideas are so good. I have bobas and blue samurai lined up for my blue Q1. Can't wait for it to turn up.
:) It won't disappoint!
Awesome man, I just ordered a Q1 as my entry to the 'build your own mechanical keyboard and mod the hell out of it'-world :D
The barebones version arives in about two weeks and then I'll get some nice keycaps, foam etc for modding and my first switches - which of course I'll lube myself - will be the Kaihl Purple. I am really excited what I'll be able to get out of this board.
Again thanks for this video!
You're very welcome! Welcome to the hobby :)
@@Keybored Thanks to you too :)
And btw, I didn't make that clear, I bought this board a week ago after watching hundreds of videos and finally making a decision which one to buy. And in perfect timing you released this modding guide for my board :) very nice!
I've been waiting for this for so long.
:) Hope it was worth the wait!
I just picked up a Q1, and this board still benefits from the Kilmat Dampener. It looks like Keychron did add more case foam since this modding tutorial, but the foam they added is kinda thick and kills most of the flex in the board. It also does not sound as good as just using the Kilmat (to my ears anyway). I also added the tape mod to the back of the pcb. This sounds really good now, especially for a board at this price. Thanks for sharing your findings, helped me a lot here.
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy that q1!
This worked perfectly on my Q1, thank you. My Q1 in Space Grey with Olivia and 8008 inks love you for this tutorial.
:) Glad to hear that! That sounds like a fantastic combo!
If your going to do this i reccomend puting the sound deadener paper side up metal side down. The metal side will short the hotswap sockets. Keybored put masking tape here so it was ok to put metal side up.
:) Good advice! When I use the thicker Noico 80mil, I usually flip it upside down or add a layer of tape on top of it, or add another layer of foam in between if it's an especially tall case like the GK series :)
Thanks for the awesome modding tips, my Q1 just arrived and I modded it right away following your videos. I ended up leaving the bottom case empty without dampener whatsoever (I removed all of stock foam that came with it), then I used leftover stabilizer foam pad for the force break mod. IMHO it gave me a "poppier" sound..
Glad it worked out! I think there were a few revisions from my version to what is out there right now. I hope the revisions were for the better and the Q1 is even better than it was before!
Thanks for your video! I used a silicone mod instead of the kilmat which took care of most of the ping. Instead of using painter's tape for the edge mod, I used the 1mm PE foam and stuck it to the edges at each screw hole. These two did the trick for removing all ping.
:) Glad it worked out! Enjoy the Q1!
Just finished my Q1 knob version by following the mods you have on this guide and the final product is insane! I used brass plate, and lubed prevail epsilon switches (I wiped off the factory lube) and also band aided durock v2 stabs. Thank you again so much for this tutorial I am so happy with my board.
Hey there! As a fellow tech enthusiast, I highly recommend checking out the HOTO Compressed Air Capsule. It's a game-changer for maintaining a spotless environment on your desktop and even in your car. With its powerful vacuuming and blowing capabilities, it's perfect for keyboard cleaning and reaching tight spaces. Plus, the multiple tubes and high-quality filters ensure long-lasting performance. Definitely worth considering! 😄👍
Hi, I wanted to ask: When applying the sound dampener on the bottom (the kilmat in the video), did you actually stick it to the bottom or did you place it as a loose piece?
@@thereallocksmith5170 I placed it as a loose piece as it allows easier configuration in the future if you are remodding. Acoustic wise no different as a loose piece or glued if the fit is tight.
What did you use for the PE Foam, and where did you find it? Sorry for asking so much later.
This is impressively good. A friend just sent me this and I used the fabric bandaids I had on hand for force break + a little PE foam in the void in the mean time and wow what a difference.
I know right! The difference between stock and modded is insane!
i bought a q1 recently, and this video is so legendary i subbed just bc of it, nice work
Thank you for the sub! I appreciate it! I'm glad to hear that the content was helpful!
THIS IS THE BEST SOUNDING KEYCHRON Q1 VIDEO OUT THERE!
Thank you so much Nerd Psycho!
I've been waiting for this! Just one thing, I didn't see how thick the PE foam should have been or where to get it in the description -- you had mentioned thinner than what the jelly epoch uses, but not any specific thickness
I have been using the thinnest PE foam I could find out of electronics boxes lol. I realized that stuff like monitors and TVs and such come wrapped in PE foam, and it's actually very thin. It goes right on top of the PCB, between the plate foam and PCB!
@@Keybored Ahh, ok thanks!
try to aim with
@@BloodDeathON I haven't been able to find anything less than 0.5mm -- do you know anywhere that sells it?
You the GOAT for this, Keybored.
Thank you Jay! I really appreciate the support!
Sounds so good! Makes me want to replace my GMMK Pro with a Q1...
:) you could always make one with a tactile and one with a linear! :)
hi Scott, just wanted to let you know that when i saw Shang Chi, i was like wow this Tony Leung guy really looks like Scott K from keybored. Besides that, great quality as usual, keep it up!
Hahaha, thank you, I'll take that as a compliment! Thank you for the support!
@Keybored The only part during the video where I got confused: where did you add the layer of 1mm PE foam? I can see where everything else goes but in that part of the video all I see is the foam cutout they included over the PCB. Is the PE foam under the PCB, between taped PCB and kilmat?
Also, where is the silicone base in relation to all of this? I have the keychron K8 pro on the way and already ordered pe foam, kilmat, lube, and some durock stabs. The k8 pro comes with a silicone base in the case and this will be my first time taking a mech apart to mod it. If you can list what the layers are in order that'd be really helpful, that sound you got during the sound test is immaculate
You always manage to make any keyboard sound so good
Thank you for the support! I probably spend too much time on it haha
@@Keybored of course man keep up the good work
To get rid of the pinging, pleas try with a sheet of sound damping mat like the ones that dynamat has for sound damping in cars. Here in sweden we have a product called "bitumen" or "bitumex" which is a superheavy sheet of some flexible black stuff with a self adhesive side. It´s best described as a "lead rubber mat". Attach it to any surface that sounds hollow or rattles and it instantly makes it dead by removing vibrations. I have spot-covered most of the insides of my keebs with this stuff and they sound really great in my ears. Pair it up with something that diffuses sound and i think you have a winner solution!
Thank you for that suggestion! I'll google it and take a look at what that is!
Thank you Scott for blessing the keyboard community.
Thank you for the support :) I hope the tutorial is helpful in getting the most out of the Q1!
Did the Kilmat and Tape modes on the Q1 with the stock phantom reds and stock stabs and it made it sound soooo much better. Would 10/10 recommend these mods to anyone trying to make the stock full-built version of the Q1 better.
:) Glad it worked out well! I think this thing really sings with some mods!
Copied your mods for my Q1 and it sounds like an absolute dream. Thank you!
Glad it worked out!
@@Keybored Yes. The only worrying thing is the person in these comments saying the aluminum on the sound dampener sheet could screw up the PCB, but I guess with the tape protecting the entire PCB it should be OK. Not noticing any issues so far.
@@suba7320 yup! I put 3 layers of tape between the pcb and the kilmat :)
I have been using the Q1 for about a month now. Mine has brown switches. The sound is great. Very pleasant. I do not see the need for mods. Also, I have never pinged the case while typing. Some reviewers are just hyper-critical. I am vey happy with my keyboard!
I think it's because after the review boards went out, Keychron actually upped the foam thickness. The original ones essentially had paper thin foam in it, and it was sooo pingy!
Yeasss, the ultimate Q1 is here!
:) I hope the tutorial is helpful!
I knew it. some tape between the top and btm alu plate would help a lot. thanks for this. can't wait to order this one.
:) for this keyboard, a combination of multiple things really helped to bring out the best!
nice one, some people also mentioned automotive sound dampener, turns out great!
yup! It really does help metal cases quite a bit!
been waiting for this for agesss! Let's go!
It's here! Hope it's helpful!
@@Keybored 100% just ordered one in, this configuration seems like the best!
All of those sound tests are so pleasing to listen to! Just beautiful work here. I am surprised at how similar the Coffee Chips and the U4Ts sound - were 62g longs used in the CCs?
Hi ShinySushi! Thank you! You are very right about the coffee chips and the U4T... they do sound so similar lol. The springs were kept stock!
@@Keybored Amazing, just bought a pack with your code! Excited to see what 62g longs sound like
I'm glad you made a video clearing this up, because a lot of reviews came to bad conclusions on this board based on its hollowness. No board is going to be great straight out of the box, and most of them need mods to meet the high standards that people want for a custom. I would definitely recommend the poly fill mod, it doesn't affect the flex that much and makes a big difference, but with all your mods you probably wouldn't notice too much. Keep up the great work and you earned a sub from me ;)
:) Thank you for the sub TysonEdits! I really appreciate the support! The board is mediocre just out of the box, but really transforms with mods. One of these diamonds in the rough boards :)
Omg you finally released it yay thx for the nice vid
No problem! I hope it's helpful!
Day already off to a good start
:) Hope the video was helpful!
So orginally I did the forcebreak mod with just painter's tape. It works, but I thought I could do better. I went back and did one layer of painter's tape and then a dab of UV resin on this piece of tape. Worked a charm and it give a little more clearence for more bounce.
I would like everyone to know I did the tape mod on my minivan like 4 years ago. Not a new mod 😁 also used foam tape on the underside of the plate between the plate and PCB for my KBD65 and it helped alot.
The pioneer!
Keychron is going to gain so many additional sales simply for this video
Perhaps they did! I figure they'll prob sell a lot of these, and if this video can help these Q1s become great, hey, that's worth while!
Another thing I'll add that THIN PE foam is a requirement not an option for PC plate. I have tried using a generic PE foam which was a millimeter or 1.5mm thick and it needed reduced the noise but also, combined with the built-in PCB foam increased the height between switches and the board preventing the keys in-between plate screws reaching the hot swap sockets.
Also, I think @Keyboard you have an early unit, in the latest shipment I received I had two pieces of case foam and thicker PCB foam. The pinging was not that annoying as is shown in the video.
Thin thin thin on the PE is an absolute! I managed to find some paper thin stuff by scavenging some electronics, and that's the only stuff I use now if PE foam is absolutely necessary
Need to know where to get this THIN PE foam. Can’t find anything less than 1mm 😭
I was so scared about getting the q1 but after this, i think im gonna go for it
:) You won't be disappointed
@@Keybored at the end i was lucky enough to find a kbd67 lite and i instabuyed it, unfortunately in that awkward tiffany color. Will update the case as soon they come back in stock.
omg. this sounds like popcorn popping mixed with boiling water on a warm noon day. legendary. subscribed XD
Thanks Paul! That was a very poetic description of the sound :)
The L&F Phantom Reds actually sound really nice. I'm thinking about getting the original Q1 and soldering in a rotary encoder then following your mods here, though I'm torn between blue and grey. I followed your mods for my KBD 67 Lite and it sounds wonderful. Thank you for the inspiration.
You're very welcome! The phantom reds really surprised me with how smooth and how they sounded :)
So close to 30k lesgo best yter
Thank you so much! 50k next!
Dude, you make the best sounding keyboards
Thank you so much Ali!
This is so good! Love it and great job!
Thank you so much Darren! It's a great keyboard with mods!
I’d expect nothing less, video is great, and I like the hashtag! #keybored
Haha, I am trying to figure out ways to make the channel easier to search. Hipyo actually recommended that to me!
@@Keybored The idea is a win-win
glad someone did u4ts with the keychron because I was planning to get that exact build
Edit: So I got the exact build but with pbt instead of abs keycaps, and I can say that it's a lot deeper and creamy in person than with the mic
I'm planning on building a Q1 and this is one of the references I am using for modding it. It sucks that I am getting around to it during lunar new year so there will be delayed shipping, but I think it'll be a fun project.
It will turn out great! The Q1 is one of my favorite boards to type on!
@@Keybored thanks for the encouragement. I decided I'm gonna pull the trigger on Feb 1st so it's on that month's CC bill.
I love the q1 and am planning on getting as my first board !
I've worked with kilmat before tbh the best way to use it is peel and permanently apply it. It works so much better. There is a roller designed to press this onto car panels. The roller thins the kilmat and "pops" the bubble wrap surface. I know people don't like to permanently mod their keeps but this stuff works better that way.
Yup! You are very correct about that. Sticking it on does improve the overall performance. That's what I ended up doing to mine... I doubt I'll ever take it off
Just ordered the Q1! Going to pair it with some oil kings.
sounds so good, great job on this
Thank you sox!
you're a god's blessing!!! im brain storming on how to tackle/mod this bad boy but you save my brain cell from dying T_T ty so much
:) Thank you so much! I hope the content was helpful!
This is too drrrarrrn good! Imma DL this typing test and add it to my bi-weekly workout mixtape. =)
:) Thank you!
You're a wizard, as always!
:) Thank you! I appreciate the support!
holy crap. This is board really sings with these mods. I bought a stock with gat reds and did all of these mods and added a little to it. What annoyed me was even the micro-gap between the top and bottom the top still had a lot of ping and certain keys would do bring it out while others were perfect. So I ended up adding a layer of blue masking tape to the inside face of the portions around the case edge as well as the breaks between the direction pad and pgup/down keys. I was hoping to add some dampening to the thin long portions that a lot of the top has wherever there is a break between keys. I also had some small eva foam with adhesive backing that I added to the voids where the plate could have extra gaskets but doesnt (middle of the board top and bottom as well as left and right). I also removed the thin foam stuck to the case and put the thicker piece they included along with a sheet of the same thin type that you suggested adding on the pcb ontop of it. With lubed creams, durocks, and stock ABS caps it sounds really really good. Not muted at all but no ping and a nice deep and punchy sound for the 1u keys. Great video man
:) Glad it worked out well! This board is so so stock, but it really comes alive with mods!
Noico and Tomzz have way cheaper alternatives to Kilmat, Alubutyl mats (butyl with aluminum foil).
But of the two, only found ~1.5mm from tomzz (of which kilmat mil50 is too, not quite 1mm).
Essentially, imagine it as having reeeaally soft and thin silicone for absorbing vibration and the foil dampens some higher resonant frequencies.
Perfect for metal, but in plastic cases it holds no strength over other materials like denser/thinner foam
Yup! really good material for metals. I do use it for plastic cases too to add some weight and it helps to take away some of the plastickiness of the case as well
I think imma gonna have to get this after seeing this!
It sounds sooo good it's almost illegal!
:) it definitely has one of the best sound profiles, especially at this price point!
Awesome video! Id love to hear a sound test without the pe foam and some higher pitches switches.
:) Thank you! The mods on this board doesn't have PE foam, so until I can, that would be a good reference point!
I think that dampening you found was really good, but I also think that spending $35 for sound dampening alone is a little much, would be nice to see you try alternatives like polyfill, or maybe cheaper thin foams. btw I know that alexotos already has tried polyfill, but he doesnt really test the flex, so if keybored could do like a short or something using polyfill, and show a flex test that'd be great!
:) Yeah it's a bit expensive at $35. But it comes with so so so much, that you can probably do like 30 Q1s with... Would be nice if they sold like a smaller pack of it for like $5
Damplifier pro small mod pack. $7.99
Agree, it's not a practical solution, Kilmat's cost is beyond crazy after shipping.
Hey mate, would 60 mil dampeners work? Didn’t want to buy 25 sq feet of kilmat lol
Also do we need to stick the dampener to the board?
Cheers mate. Loved the video.
I ended up sticking it to the bottom of the case on mine. 60 mil should also work as well!
You used the 50 mil kilmat in this video, it seems that it's more difficult and more expensive to pick up that thickness where I'm from. Would an 80 mil (2mm) killmat also work? or would it remove too much flex from the board? And amazing video! I just got my Q1 Pro and I will be installing all these mods on it.
I opened up my q1 pro and noticed it's factory force-break-modded. I have the optional acoustic pack.
Since I had it open, I tapemodded it and now the thocc is real! before with the pack made it more marble (all ping was gone btw)
im saving this video for future reference
:) Thanks! I hope it's helpful!
Great video! Did you roll out/flatten the Kilmat? Remove the adhesive? Or just install as is, cut, adhesive. Not sure if the sound matters or not with the paper still over the adhesive backing.
Nope! The kilmat was thin enough to be used direct. And I used the adhesive this time and stuck it to the case!
Nice guide! Do you think a 2 mm sound dampening mat would be too thick for the keyboard?
I wouldn¨t mind if it would eliminate both ping and some flex at the same time
I actually used a 2mm sound dampener very similar to Kilmat but it completely killed the flex. It also completely eliminated any hollowness, though.
I would still just try the force break mod and see if that gives you a result you'd like first, then try the dampener if it still is not as you'd like.
Liked and saved for later when my own q1 arrives. Hope I will be able to replicate this half as well
Great video! Very helpful, I recently ordered my Q1 which will be my first fully custom build, are there any alternatives to the Kilmat sound dampener? I costs 50usd to ship to my country from Amazon.
I think other butyl deadeners will also work the same, they might be thicker, so you can try to use a roller or a cylinder and flatten it down to about 1mm :)
@@Keybored did you roll the Kilmat you installed? The Amazon page mentioned that proper installation requires the sheet to be rolled smooth
If you did not care too much about the flex of the board, what would be your recommendations to make this thing as thoccy as possible. Amazing review super high production quality. Just ordered this as my first custom keyboard and am super excited!
Thanks! You won't be disappointed when it arrives! If you didn't care for flex, you can stick with case foam rather than the auto butyl noise dampeners, since they do provide a more thoccy sound profile :) I initially tried it with the Zip-N-Fit shelf liner and it had a deeper sound. Also, skip the PE foam on the PCB
would have loved to see this without the pe foam. imo every switch in the sound test sounds nearly the same. i get the hype around the it, but i really didnt think the q1 needed the extra pe foam
It was also the switch choice lol. Most of these switches have the same sound profile so they sound so similar... prime example is that U4T Vs. the Coffee Chip. But the PE foam does add a bit of that "jelly" which normalizes the sound too.
It's hard to find a quantity of kilmat for sale that is not the size of a car. But if you look for "Butyl based sound deadening", you will find smaller cheaper quantities used in making hifi speakers.
:) Thank you for the suggestion!
This sounds so amazing! I may have missed it, but is that the stock plate that comes with the board?
Followed and did the exact same mod on my Q1, surprisingly, mine is now sounded very similar to yours and its amazing though gasket is not that good after noise dampener
Nice video once again! Luckily my GMMK Pro sounds just as good now too.
:) Glad it worked out!
love this vid keep it up!! so i’m tryna decide on purchasing either the q1 or the gmmk pro. but idk which to get. but in your opinion, what would you purchase? from your own words lol.
The Q1 is much better than the GMMK Pro lol. I have 2 GMMK Pros in boxes that I rarely even use anymore
Great work!
Thank you J Z!
Just got my Q1 love it. if you want to get rid of the Ping completely i used Masking tape and Cotton rounds like the stuff that girls use to take off make up. I dont have ping at all any more. i used one layer of tape and 2 rows of the the cotton rounds and a few to cover the spaces. boom no Ping
Haha that is very interesting! I didn't even think about using cotton for my keyboards!
Killed it!
Thank you so much!
What a great mod! I know you used 50 mil dampener here, but do you think 80 mil thickness would be ok for the Q1?
You can use the 80 but will be slightly too thick, so will eat into the flexibility. However you can use a cylinder to flatten it a bit
Hello Keybored and thank you for the amazing moding info! Any opinions on the Gateron phantom red switches that you got with it? I ordered it with the same switches and I am wondering if I should actually use them, film and lube them or not, change the spring etc. or if I should just replace them with other linears. Thank you!
The phantom reds are actually fantastic! Smooth and medium sound profile, with great tolerance, and they also have a distinctive pop to them (similar to the CAP switches). With lube and film, they are great!
@@Keybored Thank you, I appreciate the reply, I shall lube and film them :)
now this is someone who knows how to mod a board
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!
I know this video is a bit old, but I’m hoping to still get a question or two in. I think Kilmat and similar products are “peel and stick”. Is it necessary to peel and stick on, or does it work just as well without peeling?
Thanks
I did some more playing with my Q1 after watching your vid when it dropped. I've been daily driving a Q1 (lubed nk Creams with ePBT KAT Profiles) and with the force break, PE mod, and just the thick layer of foam in it. The PE foam and removal of the thin layer gave the board room to flex nicely and had a nice sounds to it. What I found was I still had some case ping (especially on the right mods) and the way I resolved it was being sure I did not tighten the screws down very hard. That got me thinking. If the case ping I was hearing was coming from the top then it has to be transmitting from the lower case contact. But with the force break, that should be minimized-- right? Well, if you tighten the screws down tight-- no. It crushes the tape and also I believe pulls the screw heads up against the bottom case tight which allows better transmission of the vibrations from typing. So the next step I have tried is to use small 3mm ID by 1mm thick silicone o-rings placed like washers on the case screws themselves. Not between the case halves, but placed between the bottom case and screw head so that the head has minimal contact with the bottom case and has less ability to transmit vibration. This seems to have removed the last bit of ping I had and has made tapping on the area above the F row sound like a solid block of aluminum. It also seems to fix the issue of the screws coming loose when only lightly snugged, which I was using blue loctite to work around for the time being.
I think the last thing I'm considering trying is having a 3d printed top case made. Really just the rim maybe no blockers even.. I think the reason the Q1 pings so bad is with the top and bottom bolted tightly it creates a sort of rectangular aluminum bowl with thin sides and even thinner blockers ontop. Kind of like the Tofu, only with a added 'roof' thats also very thin. So any vibrations sent through typing to the bottom case travel all the way upto the top and resonate those thin sections with the ping sounds.. A different material, like PLA or even Polycarb, with a fairly high density should make for an interesting effect.
Very thorough analysis! If you do something cool like that, let us know how it turned out!
Great video as always! Do you thinking changing the gaskets for D65 Gaskets from KDB Fans would imrpove the flex?
I'm waiting on a few parts, but even with a PolyCarbonate plate (no switches or keycaps yet) it doesn't feel as flexible as I thought.
Thanks!