25 Jun 2016, 21:57
I just wanted to add my comments to those of others regarding Phase I and Phase II of the Model MF project(s).
Phase I and Phase II seem like distinct projects, although it might have been difficult to achieve Phase II without first accomplishing Phase I.
I should think there would be many who would like to see the drop-in using an original SSK case. I for one admire the design and styling of the SSK, yet I have wished that the switches could be Model F.
As for capacitive buckling spring switches (Model F or Model F-type) in a novel setting -- this is an interesting challenge and not without risk.
Despite the fact that Ellipse has promised to deliver a reincarnated Kishsaver along with a new variant in a compact case, my own preference for Phase II is for a 60% form factor with a HHKB-like layout, and switches with the weight and feel of IBM Model F.
If the native layout were not HHKB, I would want full programmability, preferably with a dead-easy gui configurator. Beyond these preferences, there would be scope for some imagination in design and styling, such as a "floating look", polished steel or aluminum instead of black, optional LEDs, and perhaps even a new switch design, such as a switch that had the force-displacement curve of the IBM Model F but without a loud click --if such a thing were possible.
Regarding the issue of silencing, I am a bit schizophrenic when it comes to keyboard preferences. When I am using a Topre-switch keyboard, I am sensitive to the slightest extraneous noise that the keyboard makes. I particularly don't like the return-stroke sound, and so I have installed Silencing Rings in all my Topre-switch boards, and I have lubed all the stabilizers and switch rails. Now just about all I hear is the downstroke "thock", which I find satisfying.
However, when I am using a keyboard whose switch mechanism is inherently noisy, such as IBM buckling springs, I expect them to be noisy. It is an honest type of noise that is intrinsic to the working of the switch. This is in stark contrast to something like Cherry mx blue switches, where the "tactile bump" has literally been grafted to the stem and the click has been artificially added as well. I object to these non-purposeful noises but not to the sounds that the switch makes in order to carry out its function.
Therefore, I would not suggest investing time, effort, and funds on trying to suppress the sound of buckling spring switches. Instead, embrace the noise! However, it could be okay to tune the sound, but this might be more a function of the case design. This is an aspect of the XT that gives it what I consider a pleasant sound -- the tight-as-a-drum case of the XT, whose tension is maintained by just two screws on the back. To my ear, the XT sounds much nicer than the AT, and this has much to do with the case design.
Tuning the sound of a keyboard shares some features with musical instruments. The sound of a violin depends mightily on the strings being held under tension and vibrating against the bridge, which transmits vibrations to the hollow wooden body. It is still a mystery why a Stradivarius sounds better than a current mass-produced violin, each in the able hands of someone like Itzhak Perlman. It is also not altogether clear how the position of the internal sound post modulates the sound, but musicians will work with a violin maker to adjust the position of the sound post to fine-tune the instrument. The point is, acoustics is still an art as well as a science.
Recently, I have been experimenting with different cases for my V60MTS-C. I thought I would dress up the board by transplanting it into a low-profile TEX CNC aluminum case. It looked quite sleek and more modern than before, but in the aluminum case, the overall sound of the keystrokes was raised in pitch (or perhaps the low notes were attenuated). The sound of the click mechanism was accentuated at the expense of the thocky sound of bottoming out the keystrokes. The new case made my Matias Click switches sound like Cherry blues. Not good to my ear! Next, I tried a Royal Glam black walnut case. Again, it looked nice, but now the sound was deadened, and because the Matias boards will only accept 3 of the 6 possible mounting screws, the keyboard wobbles when hitting keys in the upper two rows. It turns out that that the cheap stock plastic case sounds the best of the three. The Matias plastic case appears to have a larger hollow volume than some other stock cases I have seen, and I think this acts rather like the body of a violin or classical guitar to deepen and amplify the sound.
I really ought to take the time to make some recordings, plot some amplitude vs frequency graphs, and then post my findings. One point I'd like to make, which is sure to be controversial, is that the aftermarket keyboard case racket is not improving the sound of keyboards (to my ear), although some would argue that a well-made aluminum case makes the board look more modern and sophisticated. A metal case also increases the weight of the keyboard, but this doesn't matter until you pick it up to appreciate the heft.
"In any case", I am looking forward to both, the drop-in Phase I solution along with the innovations that you and others devise for Phase II.
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