Thought-provoking questions were brought by TechiCardia's review of the MIKIT M65 Evergreen.
He believes that the gasket should be thicker and to be more bouncy, and is not satisfied with a little flexy. Coincidentally, many keyboard content creators consider whether a gasket keyboard works well based on how well its flexibility is when you press it up and down — the more flexy, the better. Otherwise, it is considered a pity.

Definition:
Gasket Mount gives the board a slightly more cushioned feel since the plate isn’t in direct contact with the other metal components of the keyboard.

https://preview.redd.it/t3k5kb8of1ra1.png?width=885&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=a4aff7f6d7f64ae17ea4d4f4db88ab8eeb5b03d0

(Source: keyboard.university)

- By definition, it is difficult to define the theory of "whether more flexibility is better" or "how much flexibility is best" when it comes to typing feel and sound.
(The above is an extremely ideal statement, the specific situation depends on the design and room.)

The recent trend is that the more flexy the better. However, we didn’t get many chances to verify it but just watched how much bouncy it is.
Some would be disappointed if the entire keyboard doesn't come with an obvious bouncy when pressed.
But if it's not as flexy, is it deserve the disappointment? Although the sound is already great.

So we need your opinions, to improve MIKIT keyboards and provide better products in the future:

Do you think it is worth choosing only if it is obviously flexy?
Do you prefer to get a super flexy gasket keyboard than a so-so-flexy keyboard?
3. Since using the Gasket Mount keyboard, do you no longer prefer other mounts?

All voices are welcomed and much appreciated.

Comments

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[deleted] t1_jee0rr1 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 10:07 AM

#2,522,014

[removed]

sledge812 t1_jee4cj4 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 10:53 AM

#2,522,858

Flexibility is not just dependent on the gasket. In fact, it is far more dependent on the plate and the PCB. A half plate made of a very soft material such as polycarbonate or POM with a thin PCB that has flex cuts supported by gaskets barely high enough to prevent the top frame and case from touching will flex fare more than a brass full plate on a thick PCB with no flex cuts and massive gaskets which keep the top frame and case several millimetres apart. The other major point for flexibility is how much room there is in the case for the PCB to flex.

I don't care about any of that. In fact, too much flexibility can be a bit disorienting when trying to type very fast — the OG Portico made me feel like I was typing on jello, which was a very weird sensation (but it did introduce me to gasket mounts and I didn't look back since).

I do care about the sound of the board. I want it to be bass, and not too loud. I don't want it completely muted, just about the same volume as an Apple aluminium keyboard but not that high pitched nonsense you get from that membrane board. For this sound profile I have to necessarily use a board with a plate gasket or a gasketed top mount (e.g. Mode Sonnet) design. I also need to use plenty of sound absorbing material to prevent resonance. Ideally, I want a soldered board so there is no extra "give" between the switch and the PCB like you have in a hotswap.

So, if you ask me what I prefer, I would tell you that I am most excited about solder boards, big brass weights, high density silicon case dampeners, and some type of sound barrier mount system.

To each their own :)

dontmakemegetavpn t1_jeeesjl wrote on March 31, 2023 at 12:37 PM

#2,526,189

Flexibility in gasket mount keyboards is stupid. You may as well put your whole keyboard on various pillows if all you want is an arbitrary amount of give to your key presses. Gasket mount boards should be focused on the way it makes the keyboard sound, and in my opinion should be designed with a top-mount option in most cases. The plate and/or pcb should determine the flexibility.

IAlwaysReplyLate t1_jefauyh wrote on March 31, 2023 at 4:21 PM

#2,537,018

I suspect people who want a bouncy feel would be better served by spring-mount, but they're rarer at the moment... or by plateless, which are even rarer. The trouble is that gasket mount can supply a measure of spring and is easier to design than spring-mount or plateless, so manufacturers tend to use that and people start expecting gasket-mounts to be bouncy.

So what are you to do? Cater both for people who want bounce and for people who want sound insulation without bounce. Maybe that's a spring-mount board for the bounce fans, maybe that's several specifications of gasket if you don't want to go spring-mount. After all, you (probably) offer several different choices of switch to suit people's differing tastes - why wouldn't you offer different gaskets to suit the differing tastes in the market?

Past-Calligrapher-11 t1_jefesyb wrote on March 31, 2023 at 4:46 PM

#2,538,225

I have a Keychron Q2 and the gaskets they use are pretty cushy. I think it is pretty nice feel. My Sonnet with iso top mount is certainly stiffer.

Intelligent-Shake-70 t1_jeffjl0 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 4:51 PM

#2,538,438

Gasket flex is definitely a priority for the majority of custom keyboard buyers. However, one overlooked factor when making a keyboard flex is the space inside the case. More space inside the keyboard allows for things like foam AND gasket travel without the PCB bottoming out on the case/foam.

thatonepuzzlepiece t1_jefs8xv wrote on March 31, 2023 at 6:14 PM

#2,542,375

I think that the best implementation of gaskets that we've seen in the hobby have been the gasket jackets vs socks. It allows for customization of flexibility while also providing adhesive free installation.

Silentism t1_jegfh2h wrote on March 31, 2023 at 8:49 PM

#2,549,986

The community uses bounce and flex interchangeably and idk if there’s technically a distinction between them, but for me: flex is all about flexibility of the pcb and maybe plate, and bounce is about the vertical movement of the whole pcb + plate. Both contribute to a soft typing experience.

For example, the tiger80 has really thick gaskets (although a bit different because I think it relies a bit on a pocket of air?) and a 1.2mm pcb with long flex cuts across each row. That has a super soft typing feel and imo very satisfying.

I have a mode65 thats top mount and I have a flex cut solder pcb and half plate. Its not bouncing up and down like gaskets allow, but its still very flexible with a flex cut on top and below the alphas. Also a soft typing feel and satisfying.

I think its funny you mention people are disappointed when its not obviously flexy, because the community in the west hates flex cuts because of the sound, and maybe it could be because bigger content creators have stated that flex cuts aren’t for them. But I’ve heard flex cuts are popular in the east which is why so many boards came out with flex cuts. And so it seems to me people just don’t want a stiff board.

People loved the qk65 despite its flex cuts. Imo, those flex cuts did nothing lol. I had one, sold it because it felt stiff, but everyone else loved it. It wasn’t stiff enough to make my fingers tired after a while, but I was just disappointed because content creators mentioned flex and bounce and that board practically had neither for me. Imo, the gasket socks just weren’t thick enough. There was almost no bounce, and the flex cuts were so small they didn’t allow much more flex than if it were to have no flex cuts.

So I think if you guys implement thick gaskets people would appreciate it. Because a flexible pcb isn’t well received apparently, so I guess the next route is looking to make the board feel soft by making it bouncy.

I don’t think a board needs to be super flexy for me to buy one, even though I love flexy boards, there is such a thing as too much. I’ve realized that now with my plateless jris65 that I’ve modded to not bottom out when I press hard.