What to do after getting your first Ortholinear Keyboard

Congratulations! You just purchased your first ortholinear keyboard and you're looking for the next the steps in your keyboard journey. A lot of these recommendations also translate to mechanical keyboards and can be resued in any other builds. Be warned, once you start getting into this hobby, it's hard to get out!

Carrying your keyboard with style

The smaller form factor of the a 40% keyboard probably drawn you to buying one. Though not many people are commuting to work anymore, it's still nice to be able to bring your keyboard with you when you go over to a family member's or friend's house. A carrying case is must since you'll want to protect your keyboard in your bag.

ProCase Stethoscope Hard Carrying Case

Not what you expected right? However, the online community has found that stethoscope carrying cases are the perfect dimensions for your keyboard. Measuring 11.2"×4.6"×2.4, the case will fit your Planck keyboard perfectly. The Preonic will also fit but will just a tad snug. There also is a handy compartment where you can put your coiled usb cable (more on that later) and other accesssories you'd want to store while traveling with your keyboard.

Drop OLKB Preonic Carrying Case

The official Drop OLKB Preonic carrying case is a solid choice if you'd rather keep things minimal. The material is a soft cloth with a velcro flap keeping the keyboard in place. It's also a solid price at around ~$20 and you can order it while purchasing your Preonic at the same time.

Get some fancy cables

The fun of mechanical keyboards is that everything is customizable. That doesn't exclude the usb cable that connects your keyboard to your computer! There are many different options for purchasing a cable such as the cable connectors, paracord color and design, and outside sleeving. Here are a couple options to acheive the aesthetic that you want:

Kraken Keyboards Double Sleeved Keyboard Cable

These cables come in a plethora of colors and include USB-C, Mini USB, and Micro USB attachments to connect to any keyboard connector. They are double sleeved for durability and use the cool looking aviator connector for the three usb attachments.

Asceny Coiled & Double-Sleeved Mechanical Keyboard Cable

Coiled cables are all the rage in the keyboard communtiy for their aesthetic and for keeping the cable compact but still able to stretch if you need your keyboard a little farther away. These are PET double sleeved and are 4.9" long with a super flexible 6" tight coil.

Try new switches

Believe or not, there are a million different keyboard switches out there other than Cherry MX switches. The switch community agrees that Cherry switches are the bare minimum when starting off with mechanical keyboards. Some switches are tooled for a specific feel while others are a frankenstein of different parts from different switches. Whatever your flavor, you're bound to want to try some new switches and here are our recommendations below:

Drop + Invr Holy Panda Mechanical Switches

These switches are highly popular and very sought after. The Holy Pandas are tactile swtiches made from the stems of Halo switches and the housing on Invyr Pandad switches. Many keyboard enthusiasts use Holy Pandas as a benchmark for other switches for good reason. If you like Cherry MX browns, once you try Holy Pandas, you're never going back.

Drop Halo Clear or True Keyboard Switches

There's a good chance that you already ordered you Planck or Preonic with halo swtiches from Drop. In case you didn't, these are still worth a try. Though not as tactile as Holy Pandas, the Halo Clears and Trues are a lot quieter with the tactile bump right at the top. The Clears are a heavier switch while the Trues are lighter. If you're trying to practice not bottoming out on your keystroke, go for the Clears, you won't regret it.

Lube your switches

Lubing your switches is a sort of initiation in the custom keyboard community and frankly shows how deep you've gone down the rabbit hole. However, once you try lubed switches, then you can't ever go back. By opening your switches, and hand lubing the internal components of the switch you can get a better sound signature from typing on your keyboard and smoother feel for each of your keys. Here are a couple accessories that can help you do that. Here is also a great video from TaehaTypes on how to lube your switches.

Krytox 205g0 Lube

This is the standard for lubing your switches and if you're unsure what type of lube to get, then this is the one you should get. The lube will remove scratchiness from your switches a deeper thocc sound to make you enjoy your keyboard even more.

30 Switch DIY Lube Station

Making it a lot easier to lube your keycaps by giving them a place to rest upright can save you a lot of time and make your lubing much more consistent. This kit also contains a bunch of useful tools for opening your switches, pullling your switches, and holding you switch steady when lubing.

Summary

As you can see, there are a lot of different mods you can do with your new ortholinear keyboard. These are only just a taste of the different ones and we will visit more of these mods in depth in future posts. Keep a look out!