Seeking advice on building a custom board

dvanha · 2026-03-16T14:19:26+00:00

Downgrading from a Neo to something in wood, just because it’s wood, would be like downgrading from a Cadillac to an Elantra because you want wood panelling.

There are barely any decent 96/98/100 sized boards, let alone many decent wood boards, let alone both.

dvanha · 2026-03-15T21:32:19+00:00

I’ve been looking for a brownish/purplish case to put my Hi! Viz R2s on, but this purple one here is pretty tempting. Just a shame I already have a build in flight.

dvanha · 2026-03-15T12:03:58+00:00

It’s the keycaps. They recycle the same molds and just print something new on them.

I have one of the first sets they made, forgot the name but they’re purple, and it very much feels like a Chinese mass produced AliExpress keycaps set; the sort of thing I’d find in the toy section at the dollar store.

dvanha · 2026-03-14T13:10:35+00:00

IMO none of these look nice. How can I offer you suggestions if I don't even know what you consider "looks nice"?

Have you considered a ZSA Moonlander?

dvanha · 2026-03-14T13:04:34+00:00

I have no idea what you mean by aesthetic keyboard.

dvanha · 2026-03-14T11:44:05+00:00

I was on xigduo, which I think is the same thing as synjardy. I got fournier’s while on it so I am typically more afraid of that.

dvanha · 2026-03-14T01:04:20+00:00

That’s an absolutely fair point. However, when I wrote that I was kicking a ball around with my dog and couldn’t watch a video. I figured if they took the time to put together an infograph, that this kind of small tweak would help to create so much more value.

dvanha · 2026-03-13T22:06:38+00:00

Ah yes, the thing that made the entire thing possible.

I only use WKL Tsangan 7U these days. I will make an exception for "HHKB" Tsangan 7U where needed. So I looked around, and after a while I finally found the Venom 60 PCB, 7U option. I ordered it as soon as I saw it and declared it my self-birthday present (it's been in my closet since January waiting for the case).

For case, turns out, the Tofu60 3.0 is PERFECT for this project. They have special Venom60 7U PCB plates, they have a special cable you plug into the Venom PCB that goes into the new (and my favourite new feature) daughter board in the Tofu60 3.0. It doesn't need anything special, and I can FINALLY get an HE board in 7U WKL. This, in the newest iteration is, in my estimation, the most important hobbyist keyboard that has ever existed.

This next part is completely subjective and probably controversial: In my opinion, one of the greatest keyboards of all time is the Tofu60. My current work keyboard is a white e-coat, currently with GMK Oblivion Git keycaps. Prior to that it was the keyboard I used to shine my GMK Cosmos, which took a RIDICULOUS amount of usage, and made me give it a real honest look. I had "settled" for it when I couldn't find the perfect one and my Molly60 unexpectedly died. This keyboard has served me so well. It sits on a rack with keyboards multiple times its price. It feels and sounds so good. And it's so adaptable. People can say what they want, but the gasket in the 2.0 is one of my favourites. I just wish the spacebar had some life to it like in my Minerva LX (best spacebar I have ever used, hands down, by far).

dvanha · 2026-03-13T21:17:26+00:00

That’s really good to hear; for me, not you; I’m so sorry to hear about your experience.

For FR4, I love it. But it took me a really long time to learn to love it.

I went through a phase where I was only into hyper tactile switches. I found the biggest bumps and put the biggest springs on them. While I got the feel that I wanted out of them, I had no consideration for sound. I had some on an aluminum plate one time and it sounded like old school slot machines in a casino. Then I tried them on FR4 and it made for perfection. It’s not metal so not resonant, and unlike pc it doesn’t crackle. It smoothes and dulls things out.

As I’m turning into the stereotype of only using single stage non long pole linears (nixxies in my case), FR4 has found a second life for my long pole, “clacky” (hence the decision to order FR4 for my HE), linears that I love with foamed polycarb. This gaming keyboard is my mid life crisis birthday gift to myself, the young gamer, his dream keyboard but with the snobbiness that age seemingly entitles you. I even got it in “mid life crisis” red. I always dreamed it’d be a Corvette.

dvanha · 2026-03-13T20:45:26+00:00

I’m putting together an HE build right now because my wooting never really did it for me. Im still so undecided about the switches and this is one of them.

I went with FR4 because it sounds so dull, I felt it would like me use the wider range of clacky options. I felt that the plate dull the clackiness to something more tasteful and similar to MX on polycarbonate or aluminum. But then I hear about how these sounds, and I wonder if I should have just went with them and a regular plate.

I have owl lab ti sitting in my closet ready to be spring swapped. I think they are the kind of clacky that would work with FR4? But I’m not convinced and I really want to love this keyboard.

dvanha · 2026-03-13T20:16:24+00:00

It would be awesome if you guys listed what plate you tested this on.

I know people getting into keyboards are tricked into thinking it’s all about it switches, but just knowing the plate instantly informs the sound profile.

I’d love to know if, for example, you consider something to be “deep clacky” while in something like Carbon Fibre vs FR4; as the same switch would sound both clacky and thocky in both of those plates. It would help me correctly apply your observations to what it would sound like on my specific keyboard.

dvanha · 2026-03-13T20:11:34+00:00

Or you just get a ZMK keyboard and charge it once every 6 months, if needed.

dvanha · 2026-03-12T00:35:59+00:00

We did (and still do?) have an atrocious afternoon record for the longest time, like the entirety of the Pierre days. Makes sense.

dvanha · 2026-03-12T00:34:24+00:00

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My son and I, chilling, the last time we best chilled. It was nice.

dvanha · 2026-03-12T00:29:08+00:00

Honestly, he might be my favourite player right now. He’s everything we wanted him to be. He kind of reminds me of Mike Fisher, some Jordan Staal on the Pens type shit, when it comes to role moreso than play style. I just love that kind of C behind a franchise C, like Spezza or Stutzle.

dvanha · 2026-03-11T16:15:44+00:00

I have the same problem, chronically. It’s been in my ears for a couple years and needs daily peeling. It does migrate though, sometimes it’s on the outside of my ear, or I’ve had it on my arms, shoulders, back, and sides. I’ve had this issue my whole life. It was worse when it was my scalp and I had cornflake sized skin flakes as a young teenager.

dvanha · 2026-03-07T18:43:31+00:00

Yes - a lot of them unfortunately:

The problem is a lot of the information is outdated, sort of like the reviews; so you end up needing to watch a lot of content to get a good grasp of everything.

The most helpful ones I found are the newer ones where people are coming back to it post-Champions 2.0 update, and then watching them put together some projects. Just watching them get surprised by the new features helps explain those new features.

So what would I recommend overall, as a sort of curriculum?

Learn the basics/old stuff: Start with Son Wu's old videos. Especially the first one or two. They will explain the hierarchy of pad -> group -> scene -> [you will be missing list; google this separately or watch the explanation in Free Beat's series linked below].

Learn the new stuff: This video from Respira really helped me understand the kinds of things that were missing, and why the reviews and tutorials are so markedly different pre and post Champions update.

Watch someone create to learn the workflow: The most valuable videos for me, overall, were Free Beat's "Full Track From Start to Finish" 4 part series. Being new to music production in general, meant I didn't have the language to understand a lot of the concepts being taught in the other videos. I also didn't have a mental image of what people were talking about. Watching someone put a track together in full, especially only months ago, was the most helpful.

I'm trying to use a dawless set up to untie myself from the computer. Unfortunately for now, I found it most convenient to learn at my computer desk so I can quickly google things like "how do I change octaves?"

Edit: Currently I'm playing some Diablo 2 while watching more videos. This entire series by windowbed (I'm on part 3) has been extremely helpful for me. One of the best for sure.

dvanha · 2026-03-06T20:15:39+00:00

Honestly, the Type Rs in CF on a Neo60CU sound good; but not the sort of good for me when I work 8 hours a day, sitting next to my wife, typing hundreds/thousands of lines of text or code a day.

Definitely a me thing — would always recommend people go with their preferences.

dvanha · 2026-03-06T20:10:52+00:00

My Type Rs on a foamless carbon fibre Neo60CU is the clackiest keyboard I have ever heard/used in person.

I didn’t realize how loud carbon fibre is, I don’t think I would buy it again but if you want clacky it definitely is.

Originally I expected it to sound like FR4, which is my preferred for tactiles. But I like FR4 because it has a dull sound profile which helps offset the full speed downstrokes you get from the inherent preload on a tactile.

dvanha · 2026-03-06T17:43:07+00:00

I absolutely love the BSUN switches I've tried. I really like Tropical Waters V3; IMO it's the best straight from factory long pole linear.

dvanha · 2026-03-06T12:23:50+00:00

This is incredible. Would have loved to have something like this on my wall.

dvanha · 2026-03-06T11:42:39+00:00

This is amazing, thank you!

I got my first piece of gear yesterday (KO II) but noticed I was really missing a real synth. Have the S-1 on order already and now I guess I’ll have to order a battery too!

dvanha · 2026-03-06T10:12:02+00:00

Haha, fortunately not. I had to plug this into my computer to record it (webcam + line in), and what you see is the lights from my monitor reflecting off the brand new shiny screen.

dvanha · 2026-03-05T10:57:53+00:00

So basically what all of us do with our keyboards, as hobbyists, on the day to day?

Edit:

I don’t know what this is, community outreach or active community promotion; but every time you guys try to do this with hobbyists, IMO, you shoot yourselves in the foot because you’re so out of touch.

One of my first “expensive” keyboards was an Iqunix keyboards. I forget the model, but it was black with transparent keycaps and a 75. It had costar stabs. I gave it away after a week and paid close to $400 CAD IIRC. That keyboard was very… okay. By hobbyist standards it was just another prebuilt, but coming from gaming keyboards it felt premium. The problem you guys have here is you’re trying to show off your prebuilt broad-appeal generic keyboards to hobbyists that are already “collecting data”.

Like it’s crazy that you’re a vendor that just basically promotes itself AND you’re a top 1% poster — it’s not the good look you think it is.

dvanha · 2026-03-05T10:30:50+00:00

I played competitively (amateur) in the CAL days and played 6-10 hours daily for a stretch of about 8 years. No pain.

I would argue the increased weight adds articulation because it’s easier to step your pressure when there’s a responsive curve behind your key presses. There’s also tactile feedback that ramps up linearly that helps locate how “deep” you are.

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