Official FFR Keyboard Review/Discussion Thread

[popsicle_3000]

after playing on a crappy internet cafe keyboard, i realized that my speed can increase so much using a different keyboard. I'm using mac keyboard, which I love to type on, but I'll go look for a mechanical tomorrow.
The only mechanical keyboard it seems at my nearby store. Yes i know, it's super $$$ (it's Australia after all...)

Any ideas about this one anyone? from looking it up it seems like this one has blue switches

http://www.jw.com.au/razer-blackwido...dition-p-13318

or the mac version of ultimate
http://www.jw.com.au/razer-blackwido...layout-p-10603

[EzExZeRo7497]

Razer keyboards tend to be infamous for their terrible build quality. If you tap softly on them that'll be fine, but you'd usually be slamming your keys anyway.

[popsicle_3000]

o...
well then...

[Arkuski]

lol I'm on a laptop and I love it

[i will pwn u]

I had the black widow ultimate and I liked it pop.. I didnt have it for too long but it increased my pa alot right away from the shitty dell kb I was using.. cant say much about durability other then the thing weighed like 8 lbs and seemed to be decently constructed.

[CZarkou II]

I'm currently using 'logitech illuminated' and it's very good keyboard for everything patterns imo. Keys similar to the laptop keys so for me it's very comfortable.

But this keyboard isn't durable and this is the most weakness imo, keys are break so fast (or just I'm mashing too hard,lol) and it's very, VERY big weakness.

My personal looks like shit after only a few months
and at this moment I seriously think about what will be next

personal rating: 7/10

[Jonlovesddr]

Logitech K120 master race

[popsicle_3000]

Originally Posted by i will pwn u

I had the black widow ultimate and I liked it pop.. I didnt have it for too long but it increased my pa alot right away from the shitty dell kb I was using.. cant say much about durability other then the thing weighed like 8 lbs and seemed to be decently constructed.

good to know thx!
i think i'll get it, and see. might do a proper review of it later

[_Fluttershy_]

Originally Posted by Jonlovesddr

Logitech K120 master race

Dude, that's my keyboard. I love it so much! That's a recommendation Popsicle. I mean it was lucky I got it for £9.99, but if it's relatively cheap I would honestly recommend it! :P

[popsicle_3000]

WOW.... couldn't get the mac version (i might still order it in, cuz the windows version is annoying) but holy crap, got the base blackwidow, and it's so much better!!! watch out ffr, i'm gonna be boosting

[shenjoku]

Just bought myself a Das keyboard. Here's hoping it's good.

My current one is starting to stick on various keys when I hit them at certain angles and it's fucking me up so I finally caved and got a mechanical one. :P

[ScylaX]

I'd like to point out something very important upon Logitech Illuminated keyboards : Yes they're fucking sweet to use, pretty silent (and I hadn't personnally any issues with jacks, gameplay-wise), handsome-looking, the scissor-switch makes it all very pleasant to use etc etc.

But good God this is one of the most unreliable keyboard ever when it comes to durability. I broke the first one after roughly 7 months of use (space bar, and other keys), bought one again thinking I was just being unlucky and now after 1.5 years of use :
- The enter key is unstable
- The "1" key on the numeric pad broke (so I had to replace it with an unused key of the pad)
- Sometimes my space bar is getting stuck
Slowly this is all tearing apart :'(

However the keys I use/destroy on a recurrent basis for Stepmania are perfectly intact.
But I really want to point out that even though it's an excellent keyboard, it's fragile like glass and can break in a short time if you're unlucky.

[Wayward Vagabond]

I wonder how many strokes that keyboard is rated for. I also wonder how heavy a typer you are

[Toxophilis]

R8 keyboard here

[Deidara837]

Going on 3 years of smashing and my laptop is still doing great

Huzzah

[ScylaX]

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

I wonder how many strokes that keyboard is rated for. I also wonder how heavy a typer you are

I write really fast so I'm not hitting the keys too hard (it's why I like flat keyboards anyway : the touch is softier). However since I use my PC a lot, I guess I use the keyboard a lot, too ??? I don't know how many characters I write daily actually. I just know I use it mainly to chat, comment and post, so.

EDIT : OK WAIT I guess I'm making this a review, then??

CHERRY STRAIT BLACK KEYBOARD (also comes out in white coloris !! which looks a bit more like Apple keyboards, with plastic instead of alluminium)
Price : Around 36.60 ~ 51€ (I can't find dollar price anywhere, but I put it there in euro since I have them within easy reach, I guess it may give you an idea) / I could find this in a keyboard+mouse pack for around 29€ too, so it can highly vary and isn't *that* expensive if you look well at it.

I'm currently using a Cherry Strait Corded Black Keyboard and it's working just fine, since the keys aren't lying on scissor switches, I think it will be stronger and SOLIDER than my old Logitech Illuminated.
The touch is very soft too, it's different from Illuminated's but quality-wise it's pretty similar to my mind, maybe is it just a bit more comfortable on the Illuminated?? i wonder....
I read some negative reviews upon that keyboard : the keys aren't very comfortable, the Enter key doesn't work if you don't press it right in the middle (something not true, I verified), the industrial finishing isn't really *super refined* so there may be some random technical infirmity if you're unlucky etc etc.
What I was mainly interested in was the softness of the touch on a sturdier and cheaper keyboard (Illuminated's price is higher in Europe than in America, the backlight is to blame for the high cost too), so I was a bit worried that my expectations wouldn't be met, I feared to get a super super cheap keyboard with hard keys or whatever hahaha.

Also, it's a minor critic but, when it comes to layout, the "inser - suppr - impr - page up - page end - home - up" pad is asperger worthy tho, I just don't know why they wanted to make it SO different, I cannot detect the logic behind it : it can be very very disorienting at the first time, may get you a week to get used to (personally I'm not having much issues with that but I know how confusing it may be for others) :

That's how it looks like, you better get used to it.

Except that minor aspect, EVERYTHING UNFOLDED ALRIGHT!! If you know how Apple keyboards feel, Cherry Strait is pretty similar, the touch softly differs but it really isn't a question of quality, so you may find Cherry Strait's touch to be better than Apple's one.

So, talking about playing, the difference requires a (very) short time of adaptation : just play a decent amount of time for one day and you'll be fixed. I don't have any issue for jacks or very rapid streams with that keyboard moreover. It's decently accurate.

The flat keys always offer a very comfortable playability, even though that also can turn out to be painful for your fingers if you hit them too hard (when I was using the Illuminated, my left index occasionally had a little pain due to the short depth of the keys, which compelled me to stop playing for the moment) - what I'm saying there is that a mechanical keyboard with deep keys may ease it. I'm saying all of this because I read on many reviews wrote by people used to mechanical keyboards that flat keys were painful, especially for playing... so especially for FFR/Stepmania where the MAIN point is to smash keys. Cherry Strait's keys are clearly flat and short, so don't mind choosing it if you had issues with flat keyboards in the past when it come to the comfort of your precious fingers or if you're the kind of person to deeply HIT the keys to their bitter end.

Apart from that, I think it's perfectly appropriate for HiGh-LeVeL performances. I don't have any rebuke that may upset your performance, game-wise.

Now I just hope this will be sturdier and more enduring than my two old Logitech Illuminated. I saw a lot of negative reviews upon the Illuminated's fragile keys but none for the Cherry Strait ; the only negative point related to usury was about the stickers that allow you to identify each key that had the tendency to rapidly wear out. But it's not related to the ergonomy and technical efficacity of it all, right?

[Wayward Vagabond]

that looks like a nice keyboard. i dont know anyone who uses it personally but it looks like it might last.


ALSO i got my mech keyboard a little while ago and i love it wow. mech keyboards are amazing

Keycool 87 w/brown switches is great and awesome so far. i'll give a better review after a month of using it

[RARAWR]

Planning on buying a new keyboard. Want to see how you all think about this one
Corsair Vengeance K70
I may or may not be purchasing it primarily so I can back light my ffr set up... RAWR!
-RARAWR

EDIT: Appreciate the feedback! I bought it and should get it within the week (SHOULD). I'll write up a review on here after I start key smashing on it for a bit.

[Wayward Vagabond]

im not a fan of full keyed keyboards but it looks nice.

[.Layne.]

Originally Posted by RARAWR

Planning on buying a new keyboard. Want to see how you all think about this one
Corsair Vengeance K70
I may or may not be purchasing it primarily so I can back light my ffr set up... RAWR!
-RARAWR

yeah this keyboard is good.

edit: nvm bout my second comment