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6 simple mechanical keyboard mods to make them sound better
I absolutely love my mechanical keyboard. For the past few years, I've been using a Keychron K2 V2 with minor upgrades every now and then. Trust me when I say this -- once you switch to a mechanical keyboard -- there's no going back. There are a plethora of mechanical keyboards out there in the market that you can buy, or you could even build your own mechanical keyboard with custom parts. Regardless of which option you choose, the world of mechanical keyboards is a rabbit hole that keeps going deeper and deeper. What I mean to say is, that you can keep upgrading or modding your keyboard with time to make it even better.
A few examples of basic modding include changing the keycaps for a fresh look or using a custom cable that matches your desk setup. However, these mods don't necessarily impact the functionality of the keyboard, but instead, only focus on aesthetics. So, what if you want to go beyond just cool RGB lighting or color-matched keycaps? That's where the mods mentioned in this article come into play. From the time I started playing around with mechanical keyboards, my focus has been to improve the typing experience and the sound produced when typing. These mods will help with both. So, get ready to get the most thock out of your mechanical keyboard with the help of these beginner-friendly mods!
Beginner’s guide to mechanical keyboards: Switches, keycaps, form-factors, and more
Ready to buy or build you new mechanical keyboard and enter the rabbit hole?
Some mods in this list require you to disassemble your keyboard in order to perform them. I would recommend doing this with care since one wrong step can end up destroying your keyboard. It's also recommended to take pictures of your keyboard at every step of the disassembly so you know how to put it back together.
Foam mod
Stuff your keyboard with foam
Let's start with a mod that's not necessarily the easiest to do but is totally free of cost so it's one of the first mods I ever did on my keyboard. As the name suggests, this mod requires packing foam -- the sponge-like substance you generally find inside packages that house electronic equipment or other fragile items. Look around the house and you should be able to find some lying around. If you don't have it, you can also use a piece of sponge cut into thin layers. Once you have a few strips of those ready, it's time to get to work.
Unscrew the case of your keyboard and slowly lift up the circuit board. Now, start placing pieces of the foam on the base of the keyboard case followed by the sides. Ensure you place thin layers since the circuit board needs to be put back inside the case on top of the foam. Also, make sure you don't cover the screw holes, or else you won't be able to seal the keyboard shut. Once you've covered the surface area of the case, place the circuit board on top and put all the screws back to assemble the keyboard back to its original form. You may have to apply some force to keep the circuit board in place since the foam occupies some space. Be gentle with it, though.
The idea here is simple. All the strips of foam inside the case act as sound dampeners -- resulting in better thock when typing. The foam mod generally works best when combined with the tempest mod so if you've unscrewed your keyboard, don't screw it back up if you also want to perform other mods from this list.
Tempest mod
Put that masking tape to use
If you're doing the foam mod, I would highly recommend pairing it up with the tempest mod for the ultimate thock! The way this works is you take the circuit board of the keyboard, turn it around, and apply a layer of masking tape over it. Ensure you cover the entire PCB with the masking tape. You may have to cut out strips of the tape based on the shape and size of the PCB. Keep in mind that the tape shouldn't overlap to the front of the PCB at the edges.
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Just like the foam mod, the tempest mod is also pretty much free of cost since most of you may already have a roll of masking tape at home. Even if you don't, it's only a few bucks but the difference it makes when combined with the foam mod is totally worth it! For those wondering, the tempest mod adds to the depth of the sound, resulting in a more bass-heavy thock when typing. In short, the keyboard feels less hollow so there's less of an echo/reverb with each keystroke. Just make sure you're careful with the wires attached to the PCB as you don't want to cut or disconnect them.
Band-aid mod
Not just for injuries
I know, it sounds super weird to stick a band-aid on your keyboard but trust me, it makes a world of difference to the sound and typing feel. The band-aid mod is used to ensure the stabilizers mounted inside your keyboard don't make a rattling sound when typing. For those unaware, stabilizers are small components that hold large keys together on a mechanical keyboard. For example, the space bar has a stabilizer to ensure it is actuated evenly when any part of the key is pressed. The same applies to the backspace or Enter keys.
If you hear some sort of rattling sound or noise that's not pleasing to the years when you press these large keys on your keyboard, know that it's time to reach out for the first-aid kit at home! With the keyboard disassembled, remove the PCB from the case and get rid of all the switches and stabilizers. Then, cut a piece of fabric band-aid and stick it where the stabilizers need to be inserted. Ensure you cover all the grooves where the stabilizers sit.
Then, reinsert the stabilizers into their original positions before assembling the keyboard back up. This ensures the stabs don't move around in their positions except in the axis they're supposed to, resulting in reduced rattling.
Custom switches
Go beyond red, blue, and brown
Most keyboard manufacturers offer a limited set of key switches when buying mechanical keyboards. The three most widely available options include red, blue, and brown. You will find combinations of these three switches made by either Cherry MX or Gateron on most keyboards (unless you go with Razer, in which case they have their own weird nomenclature). However, did you know that there's a massive market for custom switches made by several other OEMs?
You see, the three common switches are largely divided into linear, tactile, and clicky. But, what if you're looking for something that's clicky but not as much as blue switches? Or, something that's more tactile than the brown ones? That's where custom switches come into the picture. There are a plethora of switches, like the Gateron Ink Black V2, G Pro Yellow, Cherry MX Speed Silver, Kailh Box Jade, etc. that can take your typing experience to the next level. They have varied levels of actuation force, travel distance, sounds, etc. so you can pick up the ones that are best suited to your usage.
Which mechanical keyboard switches should you use?
Whether you're a gamer, a typist, or both, the switches you choose for your keyboard can make the experience better.
It's rather simple to replace switches if you have a hot-swappable mechanical keyboard. Use a switch puller to pop off the switches and plug in new ones. However, if your switches are soldered onto the PCB, you will have to desolder them and solder the new ones, which can be a hassle. So, if you're in the market for a new mechanical keyboard, I would highly recommend buying a hot-swappable one.
Switch lubrication
For smoother key press
To nobody's surprise, a mechanical keyboard uses mechanical switches that require lubrication from time to time to perform in the intended fashion. Lubricating a switch makes it smoother and eliminates rattling sounds that may appear over time. The process can be a bit intimidating to begin with, but you should pick up the pace rather quickly once you get your hands dirty.
I would recommend investing in a switch opening and lubing kit since you can use it multiple times or for different keyboards. Start by removing the switches from the PCB, opening them up, and applying the lubricant to the spring as well as the stems of the switches. It is quite a time-consuming process since you may have to lubricate up to 100 switches based on the size of the keyboard. However, the outcome is worth it and the effect lasts for a long time.
It's advisable to lubricate linear switches only since applying lubrication on tactile or clicky switches can take away the tactile feel when typing.
O-rings
Keep the decibel levels in check
Some people buy a mechanical keyboard for its sound. Others may want a muted sound profile, especially when working in public spaces or environments where peers may get disturbed by loud sounds. If you belong to the latter category, O-rings are for you. The best part about O-rings is that you don't need to disassemble your keyboard or even remove the key switches. All you have to do is pull out the keycaps and insert an O-ring around the stem of the cap. Put the cap back on, and you can instantly feel a difference when typing.
O-rings act like gaskets that reduce the impact of a key press, hence reducing the sound levels when typing. A set of O-rings is also extremely affordable, making it a no-brainer if you wish to bring down the decibel levels at work.
Make your keyboard truly yours
All the mods and customizations mentioned above can be used to make your keyboard unique to you. Whether it's by replacing the switches with ones that aren't generic or using the foam and tempest mods to add more thock, change the way your keyboard sounds and feels!
