I've seen a few posts about how flex-cut PCBs affect sound and a couple of videos comparing full vs flex-cut PCBs. However, the two videos I've seen which compare the sounds seem to contradict each other. In the first the keyboard sounds completely different with the flex-cut PCB than without and in the second they sound almost indistinguishable. Also, there have been posts discussing the added flex from a flex-cut PCB and each person seems to have a different opinion on how much flex they offer. Would anyone who has used both types of PCBs share their experience on the sound/feel. Thank you.

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Fraaaaan t1_j6n0bx3 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:17 PM

Flex cuts can be nice but a lot of PCBs nowadays have flex cuts because it's the cool thing to do.

The current meta is all about flex and bounce, so having soft plastic plates and a ton of flex cuts on the PCB is going to make the board jump up and down when you're typing on it. This can feel over the top and since all the energy is used up to move the PCB/plate assembly, the sound can be quite underwhelming. Lots of people nowadays don't understand that more of something isn't always better.

Instead of talking about the keyboard feel, people (reviewers and content creators especially) do a "flex test" where they push down on the keyboard with 5 kg of force and showcase how much the plate/PCB assembly bends. That doesn't really give you an idea of how it is to type on the keyboard, but designers and manufacturers accommodate their designs to these things because they think it matters.

There is nothing inherently wrong with flex cuts, but depending on the execution you can really see who's doing it for a nicer typing feel and who's doing it to sell more keyboards because it's the current hype thing.

Waruiiko t1_j6i21ez wrote on January 30, 2023 at 2:11 PM

I have just compared the DZ60s, and for me the flex cut sounds "muted", without resonance.

CodeOConductViolator OP t1_j6jfv8i wrote on January 30, 2023 at 7:35 PM

Do the flex-cuts noticeably change the feel in your experience?

Waruiiko t1_j6jhomv wrote on January 30, 2023 at 7:47 PM

I type lightly and didn't feel any difference, maybe for someone that uses more pressure.

ZulkarnaenRafif t1_j6kuhwi wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:08 AM

That trampoline typing feel is mostly good for novelty, for me at least.

From a practical standpoint, the bouncy typing feeling is not for everyone.

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Fluid_Stand9699 t1_j6j4j78 wrote on January 30, 2023 at 6:25 PM

Sound is subjective in my opinion. I would say you shouldn’t trust what people say about differences or similarities due to environmental factors like different setups, different mics used to record, different interpretations, …etc. Instead utilize mods to adjust sounds to your liking by applying a mod then testing it out. Worrying about sound differences between different PCBs when there are other factors that affect it more wouldn’t do you any good.

CodeOConductViolator OP t1_j6jjesr wrote on January 30, 2023 at 7:57 PM

I guess that’s fair. What about the feel? It seems like the effect of flex-cuts really depends on the plate material. For example you wouldn’t feel it on a steel plate but on a PC plate you might.

Fluid_Stand9699 t1_j6k3knn wrote on January 30, 2023 at 10:02 PM

Yes, what you said is exactly true. The plate material definitely affects flexibility. A PC plate will have greater flex than a steel plate. If you want greater flex, it is actually better to opt for a half plate or plateless build for maximum flex, but of course, you are sacrificing the stability of switches and sound. Of course, the mounting style also affects the flex. A gasket-mounted keyboard typically has greater flex than a traditional tray-mount keyboard. However, the plate material definitely affects it more.

Edit: Of course, I want to note that these assumptions are based upon the sources here: Ways to manipulate sound profile of keyboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N8k0u75eLQ&t=603s&ab_channel=Keybored

Methods determining flex: https://www.keyboard.university/200-courses/plate-materials-sizes-9yn46

https://www.keyboard.university/200-courses/keyboard-mounting-styles-4lpp7