Hi, everybody and welcome to a new Ergobits!
Today, we bring good news, and is that everything is making steady progress, and we can't believe we will say this: we're going to meet our goal of starting shipping in October!!
Raise 2 manufacturing
Let's start with the Raise 2 manufacturing, which is plowing along nicely. At the end of September, Arturo, one of our engineers, went to China to oversee the assembly of the first 50 keyboards.
That went quite well, although not perfect. That's why we haven't shipped them yet. We weren't completely satisfied with the quality and dimensions of other components, so we've asked for some changes and adjustments, and they are redoing them.
Since I know you like the nitty gritty of manufacturing, here are the adjustments we requested.
There were some aesthetic imperfections on the top panels, like color inconsistencies in the anodizing or micrometric scratches and dents.
We've established the quality standards, and those imperfections won't be accepted on the assembly line.
The anti-slip on the palm pads had small wrinkles. It was too thin, and the assembly was complicated, so we had to make it .4 mm thicker.
The 10º reverse tilting position still had a tiny wobble, so we adjusted the ramp on the base by 0.17mm. This means changing the mold, but fortunately, plastic injection is fast.
We've also adjusted the mold of the RF PCB support by 0.27 mm to improve the fitting of the Neuron under the keyboard.
Finally, we found a defect in the travel cases: some had the magnets installed incorrectly, so the pocket lid refused to close 😅
Of course, the IQC will reject those.
Manel, our Head Product Manager, is overseeing the adjustments in China. He's reviewing those first 50 units again and ensuring everything is ready to assemble the first 500 keyboards next week.
If that goes as planned, which it should, we'll start shipping the last week of October 🎉Then, assembly and shipping will ensue during November.
We will assemble and ship the keyboards in sub-batches of different configurations.
To keep you up-to-date with how manufacturing goes, once each configuration is assembled and ready to ship, we'll announce it on the "shipping-updates" channel at Dygma.com/discord.
Now let's talk about getting you ready for the Dygma Raise 2.
You need to do two things to prepare for your Dygma Raise 2.
The first one is to make sure that your shipping address is correct. We don't want to send your keyboard to someone else! We've sent an email with their shipping details to all pre-orders. Please double-check them; if you need to update them, the email will also include instructions on how to do so. If you have any problems, email support@dygma.com, and we'll gladly help you.
The second task is checking the online manual we prepared with love.
You'll find it by scanning the QR code on the small manual that comes with the keyboard, but since you don't have the keyboard yet, you can also go to dygma.com/myraise2 to check it out.
Some final touches are still pending, but that way, you'll be ready for your keyboard when it shows up on your doorstep. And while we're talking about being ready, let's address the elephant in the room:Are the firmware and the software ready?
The short answer is YES.
The 1.0 firmware for the Raise 2 and the 2.0 firmware for the Dygma Defy are almost ready. We've been doing private beta testing for the last few weeks and ironing out most of the little kinks. We plan to make this an open beta during the next two weeks.
This new firmware completely reworks how the different chips interact with each other to eliminate all connectivity inconsistencies. It's not perfect, but it's a solid foundation for working towards better battery life and focusing on improving things like superkeys and mouse keys.
It also has a long-awaited feature: more configuration options for dual-function keys. With the new minimum hold time setting, you'll be able to better tune when the hold function is triggered and avoid accidental triggers when rolling your keys.
These new settings can be configured on Bazecor, which we keep updating frequently. We recently released Bazecor 1.5.2, which includes several bug fixes for the layout and macro editors and improved text and tooltips across the board.
We also added compatibility for the additional Underglow segments of the Raise 2, which we added after we realized the DVT units were not bright enough 😅
Finally, we're working on adding the option to import your Raise 1 backups to the Raise 2. Something many of you with complex layouts will appreciate.
Layer of the Month
Let me introduce you to Driza's set of three layers with home-row modifiers, a navigation and number pad layer and a convenient symbols layer.
We think a symbols layer should be one of the first additions once you get accustomed to your new keyboard.
Thanks for sharing! If you want to see more layers, head over to the share-your-layer channel on dygma.com/discord.
Setup of the Month!
And finally, let's talk about the Setup of the Month. This month's it's no other than Toxic's multiscreen setup, which has a hidden gem.
He's made some small holes in the desk, and with the help of some 90º cable adaptors, he's been able to hide the cables to charge his Dygma Defy whenever needed!
And that's it!
We're excited to start shipping the Dygma Raise 2 and get your feedback. We're also looking forward to officially releasing the Defy 2.0 firmware that we've worked so hard on for the last several months.
It's going to be an exciting Autumn!!
