Feedback and photos from Dygma Raise testers
Everyone has been extremely helpful in providing their feedback, we were flattered with the positive ones. And we were thrilled to read about the different ideas people suggested!
Their impressions:
“Configuration software allowing to both lock or shift to different layers with their unique color maps gives this keyboard the ultimate customization power. It takes some getting used to since it's new muscle memory but it makes this keyboard 10 times more powerful than keyboards double the size.”
“The small form factor is actually awesome and frees up so much space on my desk. Using it also makes the distance between both wrists much more ergonomic and natural when gaming using the left half of the Raise and a mouse. Normal full size keyboards usually force you to have your wrists further apart and at an angle.”
“Ergonomics, both when Raise is together and when separated, are great. Found that with the shape of the keys, different keys are actually more ergonomic/easier to reach when gaming compared to other full size keyboards.”
“Seems to have near 0 latency, much faster than the Corsair K70 RGB I was previously using (had to often turn off LEDs to shorten latency)”
“The quick response time and unique layout combined with the full customization also makes it an amazing experience for gaming.”
“I have to add - a big huge thank you for adding the switch PCB mount holes, it was so nice not having to cut off the two stems from every switch!”
“The unboxing experience of the keyboard in the carry case was really superb and I think it's something every Dygma owner needs to experience.”
PUBG Pro League in Berlin
One of our backers, Riccardo, was also able to use the Raise in a PUBG Pro League in Berlin. He gave us some detailed feedback about his experience.
Travel case
“The bag is made of hard and durable material so I’m not scared to lose keycaps. I don't need to worry that I might break something. So I would rate the bag 10/10. It's not too small, so you have space for cables, etc, and not too big to take more space than needed. The protection provided from that bag is the best feature. Most of the time, even if you have a good keyboard bag and a backpack you lose keycaps and other stuff. Also, all the other keyboard bags are made from 3rd party vendors that produce certain product to fit most of the keyboards on the market based on the length. Yours is only made for the Dygma, so it's beating everything else.”
Form factor
“Gaming: I was playing the PUBG Pro League in Berlin so as every other major event you have so much space on the table at your disposal. For this reason, the Dygma’s minimal design didn't get any points over any other keyboard. BUT I would say that 90% of LAN events in every esports, you don't have so much space at your disposal, so your keyboard will become the go-to, to save space and be as comfy as you can."
Split design
"I would say that it's a really good point in favour of the keyboard, having only to care about the left part of the keyboard (even from a visual perspective) is better than playing with a "normal" keyboard."
The BEST feature for LAN setups:
"The BEST feature that beats everything else when it comes to a LAN setup is this: no driver needed and onboard memory to have all the profiles and colors that you need. This is by far the best one compared to every other keyboard.”
Besides the positive feedback, we also received some cool ideas:
“Having a layer for gamers” -- We’ve been planning on creating custom layers specified for certain FPS, RPG, and MOBA. This will be in the future version of the software!
“Have WASD keycaps with a rubber material on it to have more grip.” -- This can be an option we will offer in the future!
Programming the time the keyboard turns off after computer has been shut down. -- While inactive, the light of the Raise keyboard automatically turns off after 10 minutes. A user suggested that there be an option to modify the duration.
Create different options for the palm pads - in height and hardness. -- This is also something we are planning to offer in the future!
“Would be nice to have an indicator light on the caps lock key to show when caps lock is on, or have some way to change Caps lock LED color when it's on (there might be a way I haven't found yet, still experimenting ;)" -- There were many more suggestions and they have all been added to our list!
Issues:
The most important feedback we wanted from our testers were the issues they encountered, so we can continue on improving the Raise for mass production.
1. Stabilizers
Two backers, Rafa and Jordan, pointed out that there was a wiggle or rattle when pressing the bigger keys, (enter, shift, backspace). We were worried that it might have been from the stamping mold of the top panel. But we found out that this had to do with the stabilizers that we used.
We didn’t notice this in the beginning but after one backer sent us a video comparing our stabilizer to the Cherry MX stabilizer, we saw the difference. It’s mostly only noticeable when you press down the key straight or when you intentionally wiggle it. But we realized that this might be important to some people. We would need to change suppliers and get more rigid stabilizers for mass production but we can’t guarantee that we'll find a new supplier in such a short time. For sure it will be implemented in future production runs.
2. Configurator software
Riccardo had issues with the Caps Lock key. Pressing it would restart the keyboard. After a few seconds, it would turn on again. This would only happen when he turned on the PC and pressed Caps Lock. After a few tries, it wouldn't happen again.
We still don’t know the reason behind this, whether it's a software or electronics issue. We have asked for him to send the Raise back to us once we send him a replacement. This way, we can check if the problem is in the electronics.
Another case was when one backer, Shay, changed the color of a key in the configurator software, the LEDs flashed as if it were reset.
The good news is that these issues aren’t happening to the other units. We think these bugs can be fixed when we update the software.
3. Firmware
Issues regarding the functionality of certain keys were also mentioned. Some keys on the Raise were recognized differently to the same key on another keyboard. This occurred when Jordan used an audio editing program. The period in the Raise and in the audio software was recognized as 2 different keys. So when he configured the period in the key and pressed that key in the audio program, it didn't work. He had to reconfigure the audio program key.
Another issue was that sometimes the Raise wouldn't illuminate right away when plugged to the Neuron(Huble). They would need to replug the Raise until it electronically connects with the Neuron. This was a common feedback from the testers.
We have taken all these issues on board and we are working on improving them when we update the firmware.
4. White RGB LEDs
The white LED color has a slight red tint. This is something that is common in other keyboards but we are still working on how to improve this. This has to do with the material of the plastic and how the light works.
Another minimal observation is that some of the backlight colors appear to be more intense than the others. We will try to adjust the intensity for mass production.
5. Palm pads
The palm pads also had some issues. The first version of the white palm pads looked a little yellow, and we wanted it to look more like pearl white, similar to the color of the keycaps.
The edges of the palm pads would also rise slightly after prolonged use and pressure. So we told the supplier to remove the PVC inside the palm pads to make it less rigid.
Just the other day, we received samples of the newest version. The color of the white palm pads look way better than the previous version and the PVC inside has been removed so it sticks better to the keyboard.
Backer visits the Dygma office
We welcomed one of our backers and his friend as they visited us in our office at the University of Politecnica Valencia.
Borja and Silvia meet the team
They met us at the office and tested the Raise in the office. They were super impressed with the quality of the product. Borja said that it was even better than he expected. He was amazed with the technicalities of the Raise and said that he loves our updates. :)
He offered himself to test any of our products during their development (and we accepted his offer).
He is studying programming and he's a gamer. He bought 2 keyboards in KS (one for a friend) and after the visit, he was so impressed that he bought another one, along with extra keycaps and switches!
He has been following our project since we started with the Shortcut. It was such a humbling feeling meeting a backer who is such a fan of our product.
Number #1 backer fan gets a Raise
We also sent out another silver Dygma Raise to our #1 fan, Jake Nelson! He has been unfailingly commenting on all our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube since day 1. He has also received the award of being Top Fan on Facebook. ;) Congrats and thank you Jake!
We really appreciate the positive comments from all our followers. We feel guilty for the delay and for many months we have been struggling with constant problems. But it makes us feel great when we see the support of our backers.
So as a "thank you surprise", we decided to send him one of the Dygma Raise units for him to test out!
To our testers, thank you for your feedback!
Thank you for helping us create the most advanced ergonomic mechanical gaming keyboard in the world! And thank you for making us a better company!
