Have you tried using soft-landing pads on any switches yet?
Something like this could be a good alternative to O-rings altogether.
I haven't tried using these with osu so they may not be good gameplay wise but regular typing does the job.

Wingler wrote:

Have you tried using soft-landing pads on any switches yet?
Something like this could be a good alternative to O-rings altogether.
I haven't tried using these with osu so they may not be good gameplay wise but regular typing does the job.

I've considered it, but these pose the same issue with the lack of posts on the stem as o-rings do with the caveat of not being able to reliably stack them. I'll still probably try them on one of my personal keypads to see if there's that much of a noticeable difference within the next few weeks. They do look like they'd do a better job with sound dampening.

Well, you might be facing some competition now as techkeys had released a new keyboard. Check it out:
http://techkeys.us/collections/accessor ... eekeyboard





^^ If you're asking, it's legit from the website.

They use gateron browns, and seem competitively priced as well.

dagambler999 wrote:

^^ If you're asking, it's legit from the website.

you can't forget this use for the keypad ~ I laughed a little too hard at it.

Parasyche wrote:

you can't forget this use for the keypad ~ I laughed a little too hard at it.

Nahh, I have a big, red Staples "Easy" button that does it for me. It's also a surprisingly fun project to do.

OT: The plate mounts look like machined aluminium. That and rubber feet and this is a surprisingly solid build. I have yet to purchase thnikk's keyboards but this quality is insane.

dagambler999 wrote:

Well, you might be facing some competition now as techkeys had released a new keyboard. Check it out:
http://techkeys.us/collections/accessor ... eekeyboard





^^ If you're asking, it's legit from the website.

They use gateron browns, and seem competitively priced as well.

There is absolutely no competition.

Techkeys is selling a keyboard with no USB connector for $48. It uses Gateron Browns (merely inferior Cherry MX Browns) and likely has only 125Hz polling. The separate cable costs $23 from them. That's $71 for a 3 key keypad.

By contrast, a Thnikk keypad has 1000Hz polling, a wide variety of switches (including the popular MX Red switches as well as the interesting Gateron Clear switches (essentially Reds that require less force)) and only costs $36.

FieryLight wrote:

There is absolutely no competition.

Techkeys is selling a keyboard with no USB connector for $48. It uses Gateron Browns (merely inferior Cherry MX Browns) and likely has only 125Hz polling. The separate cable costs $23 from them. That's $71 for a 3 key keypad.

By contrast, a Thnikk keypad has 1000Hz polling, a wide variety of switches (including the popular MX Red switches as well as the interesting Gateron Clear switches (essentially Reds that require less force)) and only costs $36.

True, but that plate mount though.. I know that you could use teensy boards for thnikk's keyboards in order to do 1000Hz but again, that build quality for the techkeys KB is nuts.

If I had to make a comparison (pardon my overly blunt analogy), it's like PC vs Mac. Getting the job done vs. pure luxury. Besides, I think techkeys is selling this assuming we already have micro-USB cables anyway.

Anyway, I'm not here to start a fight. I'm just letting thnikk know the latest word from the grape vine. I'd say thnikk has balls to do this anyways so there's my credibility as an opinionist out of the window.

EDIT: The techkeys board retails for 58.97 CAD while the thnikk board retails for 44.20+ CAD. I'd say those are both fully decked out models (LEDs vs. aluminium plate). Idk if the thnikk board ships with a cable though.

dagambler999 wrote:

True, but that plate mount though.. I know that you could use teensy boards for thnikk's keyboards in order to do 1000Hz but again, that build quality for the techkeys KB is nuts.

If I had to make a comparison (pardon my overly blunt analogy), it's like PC vs Mac. Getting the job done vs. pure luxury. Besides, I think techkeys is selling this assuming we already have micro-USB cables anyway.

Anyway, I'm not here to start a fight. I'm just letting thnikk know the latest word from the grape vine. I'd say thnikk has balls to do this anyways so there's my credibility as an opinionist out of the window.

EDIT: The techkeys board retails for 58.97 CAD while the thnikk board retails for 44.20+ CAD. I'd say those are both fully decked out models (LEDs vs. aluminium plate). Idk if the thnikk board ships with a cable though.

It does.

I'm with FieryLight in not really viewing this as competition. You're essentially paying for a piece of aluminum. I wouldn't even agree with the mac vs pc analogy. For the sake of equal scrutiny:

It's using what appears to be simple plastic tubing for elevation, leaving very little surface area in contact with the table/desk. This wouldn't be as much of a problem if they were rubber coated or sticky, but they're not. With the way people play osu and considering the not-too-heavy weight of the aluminum, it's going to move around a lot and there's not much you can do about it.

If the polling rate is 125hz and we're really comparing apples to apples, it's $31 for a v1 and $48 for this. Mine comes with a cable so it actually works out of the box. $5 more will get you the 1000hz model with cool lighting effects

I don't even think the PCB is worth the price. $12 for two of your switches being half-mounted to the PCB. You're better off picking up a trinket for $7 and whatever plastic housing.

The housing is nice, but I think the branding is a bit much.


I actually saw this yesterday but thanks for posting. I do think it's a cool concept, but the "perfect for osu" part seems like an afterthought the owner of techkeys thought up after seeing the noodlefighter thread and the few people using the techkeys business cards. They'll still do well without my endorsement thanks to that linustechtips video.

Aaa this is so cool I want one x3 too bad i dont have money

I think you've also seen this as well. If you could negotiate with WASD and get those steel backplates in bulk, I think it would be nice as well. Or the DIY solution would be to buy 1-inch C-channel metal struts and carve the mounts with the dremel. Idk, just throwing it out there too.

P.S. Pardon the resize fail. I don't exactly know how to resize photos on the forums.

dagambler999 wrote:

P.S. Pardon the resize fail. I don't exactly know how to resize photos on the forums.

it resizes it for you

drum drum wrote:

dagambler999 wrote:

P.S. Pardon the resize fail. I don't exactly know how to resize photos on the forums.

it resizes it for you

I wanted it smaller but idek how to edit. Meh I guess it's good enough.

FieryLight wrote:

It uses Gateron Browns (merely inferior Cherry MX Browns

The only competition with techkeys is if you bought this, soldered your own switches, and applied 3m tape on the bottom.
Though it would be cheaper (excluding shipping costs and whatnot), it wouldn't have LED support, would be somewhat uncomfortable to rest your fingers on, and would take effort to apply switches and program buttons.

But anyone who's willing to go this far has probably made their own already, so no big deal.

dagambler999 wrote:

I think you've also seen this as well. If you could negotiate with WASD and get those steel backplates in bulk, I think it would be nice as well.

Considering that fact that he's planning on dumping WASD's O-rings, I don't think there's much of a chance to get those backplates.
Also I'm pretty sure that the teensy is a tiny bit too large to fit in those anyhow.

I don't really have any problem with WASD. They've been very nice to me but their switch prices are higher than other places and now that I've tried o-rings that cost over 10x less and work better I'd never spend another $20 on theirs again.

Wingler wrote:

Also I'm pretty sure that the teensy is a tiny bit too large to fit in those anyhow.

This is my thought. I'm definitely interested in trying it out though. Coupled with some u-channel rubber this could actually work pretty well.

I'd have to mount the teensy to the side (there may be a better solution but this would just be for the prototype) so it would need to be tall enough to accommodate that and a little more for the rubber. I guess the side button could just be mounted to the front, though without sticking to anything you'd just push it back. After I release the rgb keypad I'll probably go straight into trying this out.

All keypads are going to be down for the next couple of days after the basic+ I have up is gone. I'm out of trinkets and Adafruit is too... so the basic(+) and v1 will be back up whenever those come back in stock. The v2 will be back up first hopefully alongside the RGB model.

Everything's gone pretty smoothly so far. The Gateron switches came in today and they all feel great. The code is at 99% with all of the bugs I've found decimated and thoughts of some other features.

One more feature has been added since the last update that allows you to hold the side button down for 6 seconds to change the button mappings from z and x to c and v. You can still change all of the mappings by editing the code (explained in my remapping guide) but this is for people who already have a keypad like a basic and want the newer model for the lighting effects and would like to use the combo to play taiko and 4 key osumania.

Hey guys, the osu store's got something new coming soon. http://new.ppy.sh/store/product/20
Is everyone ready for the competition?

Sytarno wrote:

Hey guys, the osu store's got something new. http://new.ppy.sh/store/product/20

Alright. This is the REAL competition. It's most definitely noodlefighter's amazingly built keypad since peppy even calls it (in quotes) the "nono" keyboard which is also what noddlefigther calls his (see http://noodlefighter.com/Osu_Keyboard.html ). 1000Hz, 3ms latency, $40 now, $30 later.... Thnikks, you gotta find a better price point to compete =P Plus these look just gorgeous. I hope the software noodlefighter made for it works too. There's some really awesome customization in there.

Thanks for sharing Sytarno =)

Sytarno wrote:

http://new.ppy.sh/store/product/20

new.ppy.sh huh... why is that?

I like it except for the seam between the two pieces of aluminum on the top and the anodized finish. It reminds me of a 3DS case I got off dealextreme.

One thing to note about mine in regards to software is that I've worked very hard for no software to be necessary. I would like for any adjustments to be able to be made from the keypad without the need for any additional software, eventually even button mappings if possible. This is the one feature of the techkeys keypad that I really like and would like to adopt. Unfortunately, this likely means that the cool pulse to bpm thing will never exist on my keypads.

I do plan on adjusting prices within the next month after I release the RGB model and have more time to source different parts (mainly the pro micros for the v2.) At that point, the v1 will be gone and the v2 will take its place at $30, but it's hard to say when that will be. Probably sooner rather than later knowing me.

The RGB keypad will be coming in at $40 at the start and drop to $35 after the price drop of the v2.

Depending on how everything goes with the aluminum, I might switch to that if it's viable or at least offer it as an option. I'm going to try to get ahold of some tomorrow while I'm still waiting for parts to come in.

What are the three little buttons ?

Supreme11 wrote:

What are the three little buttons ?

Probably pause, smoke, and retry.

I think they can be mapped. Pretty sure it's more like Esc, C (or whatever smoke is by default) and SpaceBar.

http://store.ppy.sh/store/product/23 So theyre available now. I wanted to try yours or the one from the osu store but i have no clue which one is better for me? What are the benefits from yours and what are the benefits from the osu one? Can someone explain it to me? :S

I've added a page to my website for cleaning the restickable tape on your keypads here: [link]
This will be added to the OP later in the week after the RGB keypad goes up.

Shizuyi wrote:

http://store.ppy.sh/store/product/23 So theyre available now. I wanted to try yours or the one from the osu store but i have no clue which one is better for me? What are the benefits from yours and what are the benefits from the osu one? Can someone explain it to me? :S

It're really going to come down to what you prefer, but I'll do my best to provide a comparison.

-The nono keyboard is driverless.
 -Mine is too.

-The nono keyboard is remappable.
 -Mine is too, but it requires you to be a little more hands on. Any of my Teensy LC models are very easy to work with though and once the IDE is configured you can change whatever code you'd like.

-The nono keyboard comes with three extra buttons.
 -Mine comes with one. I have no qualms about this because mine was designed with the one button in mind. I also think the placement on the left is a lot better because you can hit it with your ring finger without interrupting gameplay (it's not as awkward as you'd think) vs having them under your fingers and having to adjust your hand. You still have a keyboard for the buttons that don't need to be quickly accessible and even if you want to map left/right to something for song select I would just say use the buttons on your tablet if you have one.

-The nono keyboard has an RGB LED for under/side glow like a riced out car.
 -Mine doesn't, but my RGB keypad will be out this week for $36. As far as this compares to my v2 which will be the same price (in 1-2 months according to the description) it's a plus if you like it. That color reactive mode is pretty cool though...

-The nono keyboard has one lighting effect with the switch-mounted LEDs(?)
 -Mine has 5 including off if you want to turn them off.

As far as the inclusions in the box go, I don't see much of reason to change what I offer. Two sets of o-rings seems like overkill since a lot of my customers don't even use them and rubber feet still aren't reliable enough for me to want to include.

Then there's aesthetics and whether you prefer aluminum with a seam or a minimal plastic box. This is even more subjective.

Edit: I also have a product line so if you don't like lighting effects or extra buttons you can pick one up for as low as $22 USD (+$5 shipping to the US, $8 to CA, and $10 everywhere else.)

So its as much as i thoguht there is no big difference in what they offer. ANd the price (if i want the same things) is the same as well, boith 40$. Well now i have to choose.

Shizuyi wrote:

So its as much as i thoguht there is no big difference in what they offer. ANd the price (if i want the same things) is the same as well, boith 40$. Well now i have to choose.

I'm actually going with the sooner rather than later thing I said a few posts back and the v2 is getting bumped down to $30 when it goes back up (probably by Wednesday or Thursday.)

I couldn't get it to start working again, tried it on a different PC with no luck and bought another cable just to make sure my cables weren't the issue, no luck their either. Theirs nothing wrong with it physically so all I can think of is that the programming must of gotten messed up or something and I wouldn't know how to fix that either ways, lol. Either ways it was great while it worked xD

KevEz wrote:

Theirs nothing wrong with it

whose?

I've added a few pages to my website along with all of the prep work for the new keypad going up.

[link] Updated page for the v2 remapping guide, adding the RGB to the guide since they use the same microcontroller
[link] Added a page for the "v2.1", a new version of the v2 that uses the Pro Micro instead of the Teensy LC. The .1 doesn't mean it's any better, I just wanted a different name to avoid confusion with these guides.
[link] Added a page for LED modes of the v2/v2.1 to show them off to people who may be interested.
[link] Added a page for LED modes of the RGB keypad.
I also changed the navigation a bit to make it less confusing.

KevEz wrote:

I couldn't get it to start working again, tried it on a different PC with no luck and bought another cable just to make sure my cables weren't the issue, no luck their either. Theirs nothing wrong with it physically so all I can think of is that the programming must of gotten messed up or something and I wouldn't know how to fix that either ways, lol. Either ways it was great while it worked xD

I'd still like to check it out to see what's wrong with it. I'm thinking it's just a fluke and the trinket died, but I'd have to see for sure.
Free upgrade to RGB from a free model before would be cool though, huh? I really wouldn't mind doing it, you've helped me out a lot.

[ Momiji ] wrote:

KevEz wrote:

Theirs nothing wrong with it

whose?

No grammar sticklers in my thread, pls.

Awww, everything is out of stock besides the keycaps.

Alright, everything's up. To quickly outline the changes for people who haven't read through the thread:


The v1 and v2 are gone and replaced with the v2.1, which has taken the v1's place in price.

The RGB keypad is up for $36. There are no alternate keycap options right now, but glow in the dark may be added in the near future. It also exclusively uses Gateron switches for their semi-transparent housing which is perfect for the backlighting.

Cherry MX black switches are back in stock and Gateron reds, blacks, and browns have been added.

All keycaps are back in stock (though maybe not for long.)

There were a bunch of changes made to my website to add more information, including remapping/reprogramming guides for all models, a cleaning guide for my tape, an FAQ page, and pages showing off LED modes for the v2/v2.1 and RGB models.

[Shop] [RGB] [v2.1] [Basic+] [Basic]

[Website]

Kaas wrote:

Awww, everything is out of stock besides the keycaps.

^

Im thinking about ordering one.
2 Questins before:
1. Whats the differnece between the RBG and the v2.1 besides the Ligghning effects of course?
2. WHats the difference between GAteron and Cherry Switches? I never used GAteron; are there the same differences´between the colours as at the Cherrys?

Shizuyi wrote:

Im thinking about ordering one.
2 Questins before:
1. Whats the differnece between the RBG and the v2.1 besides the Ligghning effects of course?
2. WHats the difference between GAteron and Cherry Switches? I never used GAteron; are there the same differences´between the colours as at the Cherrys?

1) Lighting effects are the only difference besides there being no option for Cherry switches on the RGB.

2) All of the Gateron colors match the corresponding Cherry colors except for clears which are a 35g linear switch and yellows (which I don't have) which are a 100g(?) linear switch. Beyond that, they are almost identical physically except for the semi-transparent white housing and the Gaterons feel a lot smoother.

What about Basic and BAsic +? WHat makes em worse than RGB or v2.1?

Shizuyi wrote:

What about Basic and BAsic +? WHat makes em worse than RGB or v2.1?

The 125hz polling rate instead of the 1000hz found on the RGB and v2.1. Other than that, no backlighting and no escape button on the basic.

Im very sorry for t´his much questions but the more appreciate your fast, informativ answers! I just wanted to get sure about buying it because its soooo much money for just 2 Keys (espeically if you live in Germany and have to handle 10$ shipping). But i think its worth an investemt since i HATE my Cherry Browns for Osu!. i could also be just bad but i i still hope to have more fun with other Switches.

These look really cool, too bad I probably can't buy some from you. I would be concerned that there wouldn't be a wide enough gap between the keys. (I play with index and ring finger.)

Shizuyi wrote:

Im very sorry for t´his much questions but the more appreciate your fast, informativ answers! I just wanted to get sure about buying it because its soooo much money for just 2 Keys (espeically if you live in Germany and have to handle 10$ shipping). But i think its worth an investemt since i HATE my Cherry Browns for Osu!. i could also be just bad but i i still hope to have more fun with other Switches.

No problem, I'm glad to be able to answer any questions you have. My keyboard with browns was the biggest reason I got into this so I understand

Nib105N05 wrote:

These look really cool, too bad I probably can't buy some from you. I would be concerned that there wouldn't be a wide enough gap between the keys. (I play with index and ring finger.)

I could make one for you to accommodate that. I have a wider housing (that's a little deeper too but the height is the same) that would probably work perfectly for 3 keys (or two with a 1 key space in the middle.)



I can't do this for everyone as I only have one of these cases right now. If anyone else is interested you can PM me and we can try to work something out.

Awesome, ordered one with gateron clears .

So I did this today:


I'm planning on adding it as another lighting effect, but I'd like another day or two for testing/tweaking.

Kaas wrote:

Awesome, ordered one with gateron clears .

Shipping out tomorrow morning!

Very cool. I ordered one with Gateron clears. I'm looking forward to it!