If you want your keyboard to stop sounding clacky and make it sound better, deeper, cleaner, or maybe as silent as possible, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we’re going to condense our manufacturing knowledge on everything that affects your keyboard sound and show you the Top 10 mods to improve it, from the easiest to the most advanced.
And of course, there will be sound tests comparing the before and after.
Let’s get started.
There are two main things you want to get rid of in order to improve the sound of your keyboard: vibrations and unwanted reverberation.
Everything we are going to show you today is meant to prevent either of them.
1. Add O-Rings
Let’s begin with the easiest keyboard sound mod of them all: adding o-rings.
O-rings are small silicone rings that you add to your keycaps.
With them on, the keycap hits the silicone ring before the switch stem reaches the bottom of the case. This gives you a shorter total travel distance and a soft, cushioned bottom-out.
The silicone absorbs impact, reducing vibration and muting sound.
However, many people dislike the shorter travel distance and the “mushy” bottoming-out feel. And although this is an easy sound improvement method, we even include a set of o-rings with our keyboards, it is not very popular.
2. Change Your Keycaps
Now let’s move to something almost as easy: changing your keycaps.
Their material, thickness, and profile all contribute to the sound profile.
There are many, many different keycaps to choose from, but here are some of our favorite-sounding ones.
If you want to learn more about keycaps and sound, we’ve made multiple videos on the topic.
3. Change Your Switches
Finally, there are switches, which are by far the easiest way to drastically alter your keyboard’s sound.
There are almost infinite options out there, and of course, you can combine new keycaps and switches to tune the sound even further.
If you want to know how different switches sound, check out this other video.
4. Tape Mod Your Stabilizers
Let’s move on to more advanced keyboard sound mods now.
For example, tape modding your stabilizers.
Stabilizers are used on larger keys, such as Enter, Shift, or Backspace, on most keyboards.
In the case of the Dygma Defy, on the largest thumb key.
Adding painter’s tape prevents them from rattling, which can get on your nerves if you have fine hearing.
Just remove the key, the switch, and the stabilizer, and cover the stems with painter’s tape.
You can also put a little tape on the top panel and reassemble it.
It is a small improvement, but also relatively effortless, at least on the Dygma Raise 2.
It is trickier on the Dygma Defy, as you need to disassemble the whole keyboard to access the stabilizer. So, unless you use that key a lot, we would say it is not worth the effort.
All our stabilizers are factory-lubed, so there is no need to add lubricant.
5. Lube Your Switches
What you could lube is the switches, which reduces the friction between the different moving parts.
Unlike stabilizers, this is a labor-intensive process that requires opening every switch, lubing the stems and springs, and reassembling them.
Plus, most switches nowadays are factory-lubed, so it is not needed.
However, if your switches are not lubed or you’ve noticed that the factory lubrication is gone, it significantly affects how they sound.
If you’re interested in how to lube your switches, check out this video.
6. Switch Pads
The last thing you can do regarding switches is reduce the impact transmitted to the PCB when you press them.
To mitigate it, you can add a thin sheet of sound-absorbing material between the switch and the PCB.
They are normally sold as small pieces with the pre-cut holes for the switch, and you need to add one under each switch.
Of course, in order to do this, you need to remove your switches and keycaps and open the keyboard, so we’ll let you be the judge of its worthiness.
If you have a Dygma keyboard, don’t worry: we already include a 0.3 mm felt covering the whole PCB, so you’re good.
7. PCB EVA
Another feature our keyboards include to improve sound is a 3 mm EVA foam around the switches.
This fills the gap between the PCB and the top panel, reducing unwanted reverberations.
If your keyboard doesn’t have this, you can either custom-cut it from a pad of EVA foam or get pre-cut ones to place individually around switches.
Remember, both the Dygma Raise 2 and the Dygma Defy come with this EVA foam pre-installed.
8. Top-Plate Tape Mod
What our keyboards don’t have is a top-plate tape mod.
That means covering the bottom side of the top plate with painter’s tape to reduce vibrations and absorb sound.
As you can see, to do this, you’ll need to completely disassemble the keyboard.
But we would say this upgrade is worth it if you’re looking for the cleanest sound profile.
Especially if you combine it with the next mod, which is tape modding the PCB.
9. PCB Tape Mod
Tape-modding the PCB is pretty easy: just add a little painter’s tape to the bottom of the PCB. But be careful not to cover the large chips, the underglow connection, or the screw holes.
This will reduce vibrations and further absorb sound.
In other keyboards, you might be able to add a thicker foam pad underneath, but the Defy and Raise 2 are pretty packed and compact, so a thin layer is all that fits.
Let’s reassemble the keyboard and put all these mods to the test.
10. Use a Desk Mat
Here is the final sound test after the Top 10 mods to improve your keyboard's sound.
Although if you’ve been keeping count, we’ve only mentioned nine mods so far.
That’s because the last one isn't a mod to your keyboard but to your setup: get a desk mat.
A desk mat will absorb vibrations, greatly smoothing the sound your keyboard produces.
And that’s it.
What do you think? Are these keyboard sound modifications worth it? Which ones have you done to your keyboard?
We’ll be reading it!
Join the discussion on Reddit or Discord and share your thoughts.
See you there 💜
