I really like my Logitech G613. Mechanical, wireless, pretty quiet for a mechanical keyboard, pretty low keys compared to some other mechanical keyboards and integrated palm rest, nice contrasting white labels that you can see even in a not very bright room, no annoying backlight/effects, replacable AA batteries that last forever… I use it for Renoise and other work on a Mac and for occasional gaming in Windows via bootcamp.
It did take some time for me to get used to the G-keys on the left, but I don’t even notice it anymore (I don’t use them, but it is possible to program various shortcuts or keystrokes on them, so they could be useful for some).
It’s hard to get good ergonomic keyboards that are prebuilt and below $200.
For traditional layouts, there is e.g. Vortexgear Cypher, which comes in both split and non-slit spacebar versions.
I have a Matias Ergo Pro which meets most of your requirements, but doesn’t have Cherry MX switches. I do recommend having a split spacebar, for me that’s a must-have. Though a list of gaming keyboards under $100 is also worth to watch following lists for affordable yet recommended gaming keyboards https://www.techlectual.com/best-gaming-keyboards-under-100/ https://www.reviewsed.com/best-gaming-keyboards-under-100/
It is wise to make a proper research and understand your requirements before going to have one.
The UHK looks good also, but is very expensive and outside the budget.
I have a mechanical keyboard but cannot use it for music production, because browsing / previewing samples with the keyboard makes me hear the click on top of the sample, extremely annoying for drums…
@antismap Ah sorry . I thought you were talking about the samples, not the scandalous noise of your mechanical keys.
A kit of rubber rings is sold, each ring to install under the head of each key. A mechanical key can produce 2 sounds:
Click when making the connection (signal emission), at half height. This can be very annoying depending on the type of switch.
Impact click at the base. When the key reaches the end of its travel it impacts on the plastic base. This is where those rubber rings work. In case it helps you.
If your keyboard is RGB LED lighting, I recommend translucent rings:
AFAIK, the best silent mechanical switches are the Cherry MX Silent. But few keyboards equip them. Which keyboard model do you use?
It uses switches from the Chinese brand Outemu. I think these types of rings are also compatible. There are two types of Outemu switches according to its shape:
Ok, not sure it will fix the issue since the noise comes from the half height switch activation. Even when pressing the keys very slowly I hear the tick with the same intensity.
Anyway, I’m happy with my basic office HP non mechanical keyboard with non-flat keys. I use this also at work and got super used to the touch.
This is a guide of switch types and brands. There is no Outemu, which is similar to the Kailh brand, and the Cherry MX Silent switches need not be mentioned.
For anyone who gets this far, before you buy a mechanical keyboard, carefully study what switches it has. There are many mechanical keyboards, and many work perfectly to use with Renoise.
There is no advice I can give here, any cheap junk will do the job.
For about 12 years I’m using this cheap Hama K410 keyboard (10 €) and it still works perfectly. If the day is coming where it won’t work anymore I still got the Cherry KC 6000 Slim which I bought 2 years ago. If it turns out that the flat keys suck I’ll buy another common junk keyboard for 10 € and use it at least for the next decade.
. I thought you were talking about the samples, not the scandalous noise of your mechanical keys.
