How to customize and modify a mechanical keyboard?

Updated 12.11.24
Several mechanical keyboards are possible to modify and customize according to your own needs and preferences. Certainly, there will be variations in the types of mods that can be done, depending on how the keyboard is put together. This article provides a summary of the most common modifications and their intended functions.

Swapping the keycaps

By swapping the keycaps on your keyboard, you change the keyboard's appearance, typing experience, and sound profile. You need a keycap puller, a small tool that makes it easy to pull off the ones that are already installed. Keycaps are available in different profiles. The profile determines the height and design of the keycap surface (flat, concave, square, round, etc.). Before you go shopping for new keycaps, it's a good idea to ensure that they actually fit your keyboard. You can read more about keycaps and the different profiles here.

Swapping mechanical switches

Another easy way of customizing a mechanical keyboard is to replace the mechanical switches under each keycap. The support for "hot-swap" in a keyboard indicates if the switches are soldered in place or can be replaced without soldering. Switches come in different types of tactile feel, with or without clicking sounds, and with different bottom-out force (how hard you have to press the key for it to activate). Read more about switches here.

How to make the keyboard sound better?

It is relatively easy to customize the sound profile of a mechanical keyboard (what sound you get from the keystrokes). Be aware that a pre-built keyboard purchased from your local store for $50 might not be that easy to disassemble and customize. In contrast, more expensive custom keyboards are designed with modification in mind, making them much easier to both disassemble and customize.

The sound from the keyboard can be compared to an orchestra where certain instruments affect the soundscape more than others. Some instruments are more prominent, while others are less audible. However, it is the sum of all that creates the complete soundscape.

The case (enclosure). A plastic case will provide a different sound profile than an aluminum or wooden case. Generally speaking, softer materials will make the sound deeper and duller, while stiffer materials will make a lighter, sharper sound (Example: knocking on something made of plastic makes a different sound than tapping on something made of metal. Dropping a soft medicine ball on the floor also makes a different sound than if you dropped a stiff bowling ball).
Materials with a higher density can also have a dampening effect on vibrations (resonance). For instance, a single piece of brass will dampen resonance in a case that otherwise consists of aluminum only.
The switches. This may be the single most influential factor affecting the sound profile. Clicky, linear and tactile switches all provide different sounds. And there will be differences related to what materials the switch is made of, tolerances, spring tension and design in general. In addition, lubricated switches will provide a different feel and a deeper sound compared to non-lubricated switches. Switches that aren´t lubed can be perceived as dry, scratchy and more rattling. Read more about switches and lubrication in this article.
Keycaps. As a rule, thin and/or low keycaps will provide a brighter and thinner sound profile, while thicker and/or taller keycaps will provide a deeper, fuller sound profile. Higher keycaps, (i.e. SA profile), will provide a fuller sound profile than, for example, keycaps in DSA profile (which is a relatively low profile), and will therefore be perceived as thinner and brighter. You can simplify it a bit, to say that the more mass (the heavier) the keycaps are, the deeper and fuller the sound profile becomes.
The materials ABS and PBT will also produce different sounds, since ABS is a softer material than PBT, which is relatively hard. Ceramic keycaps generally produce deeper sounds than plastic because they have a higher mass/weight. Read more about keycaps in this article.

The mounting plate. When you type on a keyboard, the power of the keystrokes is transmitted through keycaps, switches, and the plate. The plate then vibrates, thereby generating sound waves. The weight, density and stiffness of the plate determine it´s natural frequency, i.e. what sound the plate produces. Higher weight and density results in a deeper sound, while higher stiffness results in more high-frequent sound. To compare the materials in a clear and simple way, we can use the ratio between stiffness (modulus of elasticity) and mass density. This ratio gives an indication of how a material will behave in terms of natural frequency and sound production (middle column).

Carbon fiber	143,75	65g
Stainless steel	25,64	296g
Aluminium	25,56	102g
Copper	13,06	342g
FR4	12,97	70g
Brass	12,14	323g
Acrylic	2,71	47.5g
Polycarbonate (PC)	2,00	47g
Polyoxymethylene (POM)	1,99	47g

Keyboard mounting plates in copper fr4 carbon fiber and polycarbonate

In general terms, you would expect that materials with high numbers will vibrate at higher frequencies, i.e. contribute to a brighter, more high-frequent sound. Materials with low numbers will contribute to the opposite, i.e. a deeper, fuller sound.

Typically, the feel of typing on a keyboard is influenced by the materials used; softer materials tend to provide a softer typing experience, whereas harder or stiffer materials offer a more direct and less flexible feel. If we rank the materials based on elasticity, the order becomes slightly different:
Carbon fiber - Stainless steel - Copper - Brass - Aluminum - FR4 - Acrylic - PC - POM.

Simple modifications that will affect your keyboard's sound profile

Filling the keyboard with dampening materials such as foam rubber, silicone, plasticine, wadding, textiles etc. Keyboards that have a lot of cavities under the PCB will usually provide a more hollow sound than keyboards with less/no cavities. Filling cavities with softer materials can contribute to less resonance from the keystrokes, and provide a more subdued sound profile. Check out our variant of case foam in Poron material, which is suitable for this purpose.
PE foam mod: adding a thin layer of dampening material between the PCB and the switches. Switch pads, which serve an identical purpose, are also available; these are adhered directly onto the PCB. This will dampen the sound of keystrokes, and usually gives a slightly softer feel and deeper sound. The material used for switchpads also impacts the sound. Imagine that a keyboard without switch pads or inlays is tuned in the note C. If you add switch pads or inlays made of PE foam, the keystrokes will achieve a deeper sound, equivalent to half to a full note deeper (B). If you add switch pads or inlays made of Poron, the keystrokes will achieve an even deeper sound, corresponding to one to two whole tones deeper (Bb/A).
Tape mod: applying multiple layers of masking or electrical tape to the underside of the PCB. This may result in a marginally louder sound from the keystrokes, while simultaneously accentuating the lower frequencies, making the sound appear more "thocky."
Force break mod: installing gaskets (seals) between components that come together. For example, a piece of tape can act as a gasket. If your keyboard case consists of separate top and bottom parts, you can install gaskets on the frame where these sections meet. The gaskets or tape will aid in reducing resonance and prevent sound from transferring between components. This has a particular effect on metal/aluminum components.
O-ring on keycaps. The purpose of o-rings is to dampen sound and to provide a softer feel when a key is pressed. O-rings are available in various sizes and levels of hardness. As a rule, thin rings will provide less cushioning than thick ones. And hard rings will provide more of a firm feel than soft rings.

Hear examples of different sound profiles with our mechanical keyboard, Drekiskip.

See also our Instagram for more examples of different sound profiles.

Layout re-mapping and macro-commands

For those who are looking for an even more extensive customization, it may be possible to remap the keyboard layout. However, this assumes that the PCB has built-in firmware supporting this, and that you possess the right software.

QMK (Quantum Mechanical Keyboard) is a type of open source firmware that many keyboards support. Remapping with QMK is a relatively complicated task that requires knowledge of coding, but fortunately there is software that simplifies the process and makes it possible for even novice people to remap their keyboard. VIA is one such software, and it is available online VIA (caniusevia.com). With VIA you can remap your keyboard directly from the webbrowser.

The purpose of remapping is to create your own customized keyboard layout. Here are some examples of what you can do with QMK/VIA:

Give keys a different location. For example, swap [Home] to [Delete] or [Ctrl] to [Fn].
Choose where you want keys for adjusting volume, rgb lights, screenshots, etc.
Create a command activated by one key or combination of keys. For example, put the machine into sleepmode or open a specific program.
Create a sequence of commands with one key or combination of keys, e.g. open the browser and load a specific URL.
Type a phrase (single word or phrase) with a specific key or key combination. For example, signature on an email, or a single word that you use frequently.

The possibilities are obviously many. In theory, you can create long sequences of commands. Your imagination is the only limit to how you you can configure your keyboard. Worth noting is that VIA has a user-friendly interface. When setting up commands for keys, you can utilize the record function to capture your keystrokes in real time, which are then saved as a macro function for a designated key. This feature is quite handy!

Can you guess what this command does?
[Win] c h r o m e [Enter] g m a i l . c o m [Enter]

Dreksiskip layer 1 (activated by [Fn]-key).

Modify or swap stabilizers

Stabilizers in a mechanical keyboard are responsible for ensuring that the larger keys do not tilt or move abnormally when pressed. You'll only find stabilizers on large and wide keys such as space, enter, shift and backspace. Although many mechanical keyboards come with pre-assembled stabilizers, there are possibilities to enhance them for even better stability and less rattle.

One way to improve stabilizers is to lubricate them. This will help reduce friction between parts and prevent them from rattling when the key is released. Using the correct lubricant and the appropriate amount is crucial for optimal functioning. Another way of improving the stability of the keys is to adjust the tension of the springs in the stabilizers. This is done by adjusting the screws that hold the stabilizers in place. To reduce the sound of the stabilizers, attach stabilizer-pads onto the PCB (underneath the stabilizers). Some people opt to replace standard stabilizers with new ones of higher quality and tighter tolerances. Staebies and TX stabilizers are today considered high quality by many keyboard enthusiasts.

Stabilizers are available in different mounting styles. One type is mounted directly onto the PCB, while another is affixed to the mounting plate. Some stabilizers are clipped in place, whereas others are secured with screws. Generally, screw-in stabilizers are considered more stable than other types.

The connection

It's true that a cable is just a cable, yet the market offers a plethora of cables in various designs and colors, largely driven by aesthetic preferences. A growing trend is the use of USB cables with aviator connectors. These cables are often coiled, reminiscent of the ones that came with keyboards in the 70s and 80s, similar to the coiled cables of landline phones. Aviator cables typically feature a USB-C input for the keyboard, an aviator connector, and a USB-A input for the computer. The advantage of this connector is the ease of disconnecting the keyboard without reaching for the computer's input. For those who switch keyboards often or transport their keyboard to different computers, it's more convenient to detach the aviator connector rather than the entire cable, assuming a matching connector is available on the second computer. The simplicity of this solution is definitely up for debate, but the appeal lies in the aesthetics and the cool-factor.

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