THE GK61 - The Entry Keyboard that COULD! O-Ring Mod+ for SOUND and Feel
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- Опубліковано 18 чер 2024
- Welcome to Keybored! THE GK61 - The Entry Keyboard that COULD! O-Ring Mod for Sound and Feel
Ever since the start of my channel, the one keyboard video that got the most amount of interest was how I O-Ring Modded the TOFU65 for that crisp and even sound and feel.
Since that TOFU65 video, there has been a lot of requests to visit the GK series of keyboards, and the GK61 especially for its ubiquitous presence in the entry keyboarding hobby. For good reason too! This is a very accessible 60% custom keyboard that provides many an opportunity to enter the keyboarding hobby. When I came back from a long keyboard hiatus, this was also one of the first keyboards I grabbed to check out what all the new "hype" was all about.
So you asked, and I did it! It's been a while since I had a GK61 in my hands, so I had to reach out to Banggood to send me a new GK61 Kit. Check out what happens to the GK61 once it gets some O-Ring Love, Plate and Case Dampening, Keybored Style!
Start - 0:00
Intro - 1:18
GK61 Review - 1:54
Stock Typing Test - 2:59
Lubed Typing Test - 3:48
Modification Start - 4:47
Modded Typing Test (Linears) - 11:10
Modded Typing Test (Tactiles) - 12:03
Links to Products Shown in the Video
Geek Customized GK61X GK61XS:
bit.ly/3vpIMPx
Coupon code: BGscottgk
Other Keycaps & Switches: bit.ly/3eAsJYu
Download Banggood APP to get an extra 10% off: banggood.app.link/ZQXD92VOMfb
KBDFANS (For Various Keyboard needs, Keycaps, switches, keyboard kits, etc.) - Including Switch Opener shown in video
kbdfans.com/r?id=gj29u8
Glorious GPBT Keycaps
www.pcgamingrace.com/products...
GMK Hennessey Keycaps
drop.com/buy/drop-mito-gmk-he...
Gateron Yellow switches / Krytox Lube
cannonkeys.com/?ref=keybored
Boba U4T Tactile Switches
ringerkeys.com/products/gazze...
Everglide Panda Stabilizers
kprepublic.com/products/everg...
Foam (Zip-N-Fit) - Different Color, but works the same
www.target.com/p/con-tact-18-...
Uxcell Silicone O-Rings
4mm x 1mm x 1.5mm and 4.5mm x 1.5mm x 1.5mm
amzn.to/2QkttZO
3mm x 1mm x 1mm
amzn.to/3eM2aAX
Noico 80 mil Sound Deadener
amzn.to/2OSZgjA
Oria Precision Screwdriver Set (Including Precision Socket for spacebar)
amzn.to/3kwuF7e
Jewelry / Precision File Set
amzn.to/2RCu8WB
Tweezers
amzn.to/37t82uO
Prong Tool / Holder
amzn.to/387VQA2
Shot on Sony A7 III + Sony FE35mm F1.8 and Fifine Condenser Mic
Sony A7 III
amzn.to/3cGUjma
Sony FE35mm F1.8
amzn.to/3bPHpTu
Fifine Condenser Mic
amzn.to/3eFbbfz
A Quick Disclaimer - Some links I have provided are affiliate links that generate a small commission to support this channel. It helps me buy more stuff to create content if you shop through those links at no cost to you! Thanks for the support! :) - Ігри
Any keyboard he touches becomes amazing
Thanks Matt! I appreciate it!
big facts.
So true he is really good and simple and particle but amazing mods and very informative in his videos.
I did not expect this to sound this good
Neither did I! I was first surprised with the GK87, and then now again with the GK61. When I had this back then, it was stock and I dismissed it as a cheap started board, but didn't realize it really had some potential.
Oh man, that's sounds amazing. Can't wait to build my first keyboard with your mods soon! ^^)/
Thank you so much Mark! I appreciate it and I hope your first keyboard works out great!
Did you ever get the board?
Was on the fence on this kit for the longest time, but I think you convinced me to just go and build it. Goes to show how understanding the way mechs work and doing the appropriate mods can sometimes yield better results than just always going for the expensive stuff. Great job, the final build sounds incredible!
Thank you so much Silentmelodies! I appreciate the comments, and I hope the video is helpful in building your own GK61! It's a decent kit stock, but really does transform when you mod it!
Been waiting a long time for this, great vid it sounds top notch
Thank you Usman! I hope the video was helpful!
This is really well done. I think it goes to show how even a barebones budget board can be made usable with some work.
Thank you! I think there are so many boards out there with great potential if someone is willing to put in the time and effort to figure it out.
I built a custom GK61 optical a couple years ago, and it's still going strong. GK61 optical barebones kit + lubed Gateron optical blacks + fully modded Zeal plate mount stabs + Razer shine through PBT keycaps. Sounds like butter! And the optical switches have more of a clacky sound, which I love.
i know this video is from 7 months ago, but thanks for making a video on this scott. this is one of the most popular go to wireless budget mechanical keyboards in the hobby, and im glad that you didnt skip on this for a sole review and mod video.
You're absolutely welcome Yaya! Glad to hear that the video was helpful and I know the GK61 is still going strong out there!
so detailed and many custom things, kudos your effort bro!
Thank you Stanley! I appreciate it!
"Back in the days, you got yourself a soldering iron." Back in the days 3 years ago yeah
Back in the day for me is prob 10+ lol
@@Keybored Lmao
@@Keybored you've been in this hobby for a decade? woah. most of the other keeb youtubers have only being doing it for a handful of years. you should def do a video on how the hobby has evolved over the years, I think your experience and perspective would be great to hear
@@nihalprakash8883 soldering iron can be used for things other than keyboards…
@@monke5198 he said it couldn't?
Keybored ur a legend for this mod my keyboard sounds so good
"Gasket mount" GK sounds so good especially that spacebar! I might build one like this if I ever be back at office after the pandemic, maybe with silent Alpaca tho.
You can't go wrong! It was fun building it as well! I think I enjoy trying different things and seeing what comes from it
This actually sounds insane for such a cheap price. Great build and mods. Definitely going to try this out on mine.
The GK boards surprised me quite a bit as well! Great performance out of such great priced boards!
You earned a sub haha can't get enough of that space bar! Sounds sooo nice, definitely going to do this with my GK61 coming soon! I'll be putting milky yellows, so stoked!
Thank you so much for the sub KaZuCAL! I really appreciate it! And the spacebar did turn out very crisp, especially with plate mount stabs! Good luck with your build!
You really worked some magic on this, makes me want to go back to mechs after being happy with the smoothness of EC!
:) Thank you! I've been working on some other crazy stuff... hope I can show it off soon!
after watching your video, o-ring modded my gk96s. a full southpaw keyboard with bluetooth is uncommon and being able to mod it to my preference has been amazing. thank you!
You're welcome Steven! Glad it worked out well and thank you for watching!
Great, clear tutorial as always man. The GK61 sounds great with the switches and keycaps that are more than triple its own price xD. Just did the Tofu 65 O-ring mod using your video as reference (I didn't do a perfect job). Keep it up!
Thank you Sebatech! I'm glad your Tofu turned out well! I have a few more of these mod videos coming up, so stay tuned!
@@Keybored I will!
straight up incredible
its pure talent how good you make your boards sound
Thank you ColdSauce! I think a lot of trial and error until finding what works is the fun part of all this :)
That is so beautiful I really love the keycaps that have the top solid white and the bottom portion clear frosted!
Thank you! GK is still a classic staple!
Just finished doing the o-ring mount mod on my GK96 and the difference is very noticeable, both in sound and feel. Ended up using 5 of the 9 screws (the side ones) with o-rings and even though it is not really flexible, it does feel less stiff. The biggest diffetence was sound wise, a lot more poppy and less reverb
This mod sounds so good, can't wait to try it on my first build! (gk96)
For the sound test when you tap the shift key, space bar and enter keys right before you start typing away, It reminds me of a conductor tapping his baton right before the orchestra goes nuts. lol! great video man
Haha, thanks for that comment! I appreciate the view and support!
Unbelievable. Well done. Bravo.
Thank you so much Soobin! I hope the video was helpful and entertaining! I wonder if similar results will be possible with all the other GK boards.
Gonna want to make this mod for my gk61x someday, but first I want to buy new switches for it. Gj on making this sound good and leaving links to the stuff used in the video.
Thank you! I feel like the durock Pom or one of the panda switches would have also sounded awesome on this
All I can say: bro, you're good at this. Greetings from Chile
Thank you Carlos! I appreciate it! Hope it's all great in Chile!
holy crap why does this modded plastic keyboard sound so effing GOOD ur a magician :o
Hi Matthew! I always dismissed plastic keyboards before, but lately I'm so proven wrong by what they are capable of these days!
You really elevated the keyboard, sounds lovely at the end.
Thank you so much Elysium! I have been getting surprised by these GK boards and how great they sound with mods!
Literally xD
11:20 OMG that spacebar sounds incredible! 🤤
Thank you so much Tamara! I hope the video was helpful!
Awesome and clean video! Love the content.
Thank you so much chrisdotdash! Hope it was helpful!
@@Keybored awesome. Do you think that these mods work with the GK64X as well?
Spacebar sounds amazing!
Thank you! It ended up so thocky and loud lol
Dude ur such i life saver a while ago i foam modded my gk and for some reason when i tried to screw in the space bar it did the same thing to you and got annoyed by it so i left it like that but i found the solution because of you thank you
:) glad it was helpful!
sounds great for the price! especially the price. I think this build could cater toward a certain audience.
also your description says "Liners" for the linear sound test. :)
Hi Sol! I just noticed that too! :( lol I knew I would make a spelling mistake eventually
YES, been waiting on this
I hope it's helpful! It turned out great in my opinion!
@@Keybored it sounds really good indeed, how's the flex?
@@gzrise5988 It doesn't flex like how the Bakeneko does, but it's similar to the Tofu now. The o-rings give a certain bounce, and feels very gentle when the keys bottom out :)
@@Keybored good to know thanks! will try it on the acrylic version when i get mine
Beautiful
Thank you!
So weird, I just stumbled upon this video a day after upgrading my white nk65 with boba u4t's and the gmk hennessy keycaps. So like the asthetic choice and the board sounds great!
Great choice! Check out my video on the NK65 mod if you're interested in seeing its potential as well!
this man has such good vids
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support!
Did the same, not exactly the same result but it made my GK64 with Glorious pandas feels like a premium keyboard. This is insane.
I would like to see something like this in the Anne Pro 2, great video btw dude, just subbed.
Thank you so much for the sub! I really appreciate it!
@@Keybored keep the good work man
My daily driver is Model M, but I do have GK and GMMK boards to hot swap some clicky kailh box switches. Because of Model M I am used to all the lovely rattling and pinging, but you made me reconsider modding my gk just to see what happens.
It'll be a good mod! These have good bones for modding
sounds amazing would love to see you work on the TM680 one day
I definitely have this on the board!
the video quality is SO GOOD
oh and the keyboard itself too sure
Thank you Jojo! I appreciate the comments!
I’m gonna do this thank you for this
You're welcome! Good luck!
Dude this is excellent. Going to try it on my GK68XS and will report back
Thank you Chris! I hope it turns out great! I do want to try this on the aluminum and the wood cases also!
Did this with the keychron k6 and because of this mod it’s a master piece
:) I have made a K2 like that for someone, and it turned out equally great!
so didnt want to spend more money than i had to. i used a free neoprene mousepad cut up to dampen the case. worked wonders!!!!! the gk61 is really what i was looking for. it is only as good as the amount of work and effort you put in. first keyboard in this hobby and i dont think i can ever buy one again.... it was too relaxing and fun.... usually i build a ton of pcs... this was a nice change. i still dont understand the 200 and 300 dollar builds some people do..... why bother if you can make something like this sound and feel this good? im amazed at what i made.
OH THIS GONNA BE A BANGER
Thank you, I hope it is helpful and entertaining! The keyboard turned out great!
@@Keybored i agree! its kinda shocking, because to me the fully modded gk61 has a sound signature thats like, in the ballpark of the kbd67 lite to my ears. i still dont regret joining r2, but imma need to do this to the 2 gk boards i have.
Sounds so good jesus
Thank you so much gref gref! I really appreciate it!
Amazing mod, need to try it on my gk64
Good luck! It should work the same as the GK61!
Yesss the gk61 is so nice for a beginner like me
It really is a great keyboard to get into this hobby! Reasonable price, and has some great potential!
through this and the tofu vid im sure modding my (in shipping) tofu will have great results too.
Yup! Follow the same process and your tofu will turn out very similar!
This is the king of all GK61s!
Thank you AGhostOfThePast! It definitely has a lot of stuff going on with it lol
dude i bought this thing and moded it and its SOOO good *first time i've ever moded btw*
Congrats! Glad to hear it turned out well!
Cool how you upgraded it with the different kind of mods. Which modifications do you recommend for a KBD75? Would also love to see a video about that in the future :)
Hi D.K.! From my experience with the KBD75, it's also a tray mount keyboard, albeit with a lot of stand-offs :) I would focus on controlling the case ping, and treat it similarly to the TOFU upgrade!
those boba's sound so crisp!
They feel crisp too! Really nice tactiles!
Holy shit that spacebar sounded like a musical instrument its so good
:) Thank you so much!
Dat space bar tho :O
It hits hard!
Hey Keybored, just discovered you the other day and your video quality and production is amazing. Can't wait to see more videos. I just have one question, is there switch interference when you switched to the GMK keycaps since its a north facing board? If anyone else can explain please do! Thank you.
Hi Kunia! Thank you for the comments! I appreciate the support :) in terms of the switch interference, I haven't found noticeable interference with the gmk caps with my batch of gateron yellows or the boba u4t. Some switches do a better job mitigating (long stems) this issue and it's not a blanket, all north facing has issues with cherry caps. I hope this helps!
Yeah soooo, I tried to remove the reverb from this case and let's just say that the usb port *decided* to fly away (literally It just broke off). After watching this video, I realised that what you did with the port cutout is so smart. I would never think of this soultion! Thank you :))
P.S If this ever happens to you, go to your nearest phone repair shop or any electronics reapair shop and ask them If they could fix it. I paid like 10$ for a new port and soldering (it took them about 20 minutes to fix)
:) Great advice! Yeah I noticed that the USB cutout is sooo small and tight, had to shave it larger haha
your fist stock typing test sounds exactly the same as my gk61x! i have some average pbt keycaps on it and unlubed akko rose reds and the sound is near identical. i could hear that hollow spacebar anywhere.
:) The signature GK sound!
AYY, HE DID DO A GK61 VIDEO!!! He didn’t forget my comment!
Of course not! I hope the info was helpful!
@@Keybored you’re a true chad keybored, such a chad. Sadly I broke my USB port trying to take out the pcb from the case but they gave me a full refund. But I was wondering. Do you know any 65-75% keyboard I should get for under $150? I’ve had experience with only the gk61 and it was a great learning experience
@@o.oswift181 NK65 Entry Edition? :3
the best gk61 i've ever heard
Thank you so much claudiu!
I do not under stand!!! You can give this man any keyboard, and he will make it sound awesome!
Thank you so much Mateo! I really appreciate the comments! :)
Love the intro. Must be nice to mod a keyboard on shrooms.
Very cute intro!
Haha, thank you!
Ye for first board it is quite awesome and it sounds quite good
It definitely is an amazing first board, and it have the potential to be a main board for a while with the mods!
Love it! Have you thought about trying this build with a half plate, or swapping it with another material plate?
I have another plate, but never had a chance to put it on! Brass and carbon fiber actually. But I feel the steel plate will be similar to the brass and CF is pretty clacky.
man that spacebar sounds so good also wanted to ask you if the o-ring mod worked with the optical gk61 prebuilt
Hi Wally! Thank you for the comments! The space bar almost sounds like an SA space bar! And you can also do the O-ring mod with the optical GK61 as well!
@@Keybored ok thank you, I might do it when I do my keyboard lubing stream
that space OMG
:) It hits HARD lol
GK61XS owner here (X for the split spacebar option and S for bluetooth).
I run mine with lubed+filmed Durock Dolphin switches and some cheap keycaps I bought from china, and it sounds amazing already. I dampened it using some cut up pieces of a cotton t-shirt I had laying around, but I might pour a silicon damper soon. Haven't O-ring modded mine and still running all the standoffs but I might try it soon, seems like there's some more improvement possible :D
To be fair though I feel like dampening + good switches does the most for this board, but I'll see if I notice improvement with O-ring and standoff removal
By the way: the stock stabilizers aren't that bad, I lubed mine and clipped the stems and they don't really rattle much anymore, even though my spacebar started rattling a bit on the left side a few days ago so I might have to look into that
:) Thank you for watching the mod, and I hope the information was useful! The O-Ring mod really does wonders for tray mount keyboards!
Crazy it actually doesn't sound bad haha
lol, the GK61 has some great potential!
this sounded so good that my headset broke :0
Lol probably that spacebar!
Interesting thing to note- if you buy the non-bluetooth version, the GK61X, it still comes with the exact same PCB (so it still has bluetooth functionality) just missing the battery. The battery connector & the spot in the case are both still there, so theoretically, you could buy an aftermarket battery and make it wireless down the track
Interesting observation! I'm sure this info will help some people out there! Thanks!
Is that for real?
most of us wont ever use the blue tooth... but nice to have.... makes dampening the case a little more difficult. just did mine... longest part was the dampening and cutting materials to size.
Try putting 0:00 as your starting in your timestamps, then it'll show in the progress bar. :D
Thank you for the suggestion!
You're welcome 🙂. I enjoy your videos. Keep it up. ⭐
Sound test stonkkkkss 📈
Lol thanks!
bought the GK61xs after watching this video :D
Hope it turns out great!
Have you tried any silent switches or plan to do any videos relating to them?
Love your content man, keep it up :)
Hi randy! I don't use too many silent switches (I like to make lots of noise when I type lol). But I have had a few builds that the user specifically wanted silents. Overall, I like a crisp and clean feel from my switches, and the dampening inside the silent switches made them feel mushy to me. However, doesn't mean I won't use them in a video in the future! I can try to do a build on a dead silent keyboard :) Maybe the GMMK pro will be a good fit with a silent switch, since that keyboard is just so oddly muted...
I feel you have some of the best keyboard content on UA-cam but for some reason when I recommend you to friends your channel doesn't turn up in their searches 🤔
Hi Benedict! I think it's the UA-cam spelling correction... When you type in "Keybored" it shows results for "keyboard" instead. You need to press "show results for Keybored" instead just below it, and it should show the channel!
Hey I was wondering if those keycaps that you used for the drop ctrl have any intererance with holy pandas on the gk87? Also love the vids!
holy pandas have long stem pole, so you wont have any interference on cherry profile keycaps
Wow, Boba U4T coming in with that thock
Dem Thocky Switches!
I’ve never found a board that sounds scary in the best way possible
Haha that is the most interesting thing I've heard
I got it as my second board (First one is Yankee KAtana crappy board). Ušed some packing foam between top plate and pcb, some foam inside, lubed everything with pure silicone, same type that you can get in spray and it is buttery smooth and thocks like crazy, the whole market with lubes is kinda nonsense, btw most of that stuff can be bought for RC cars and it has even bigger range of viscosity, etc. :D Lovely to atleast hear the difference, since i started unboxing with complete removal of everything. Already knew about hollow sound. Took me 1 hour to open and lube all switches, 20 minutes to put it back together with all the foam mods and precise cuts. I used the top plate as a guide and traced it on the foam. :) I will add the o-rings in future, they are on the way, somewhere in the shipping circle. :D
:) The O-Rings make a huge difference! Good luck with the modding!
@@Keybored Thank you so much, just added tape to the back on PCB, modded the stabs and it is sweet. It all started with: I need something less clicky and noisy than my old MX Blue Yenkee and here i go, using all available tools. :D I would recommend GK61 for every beginner to get used with assembly and disassembly etc. :)
I have a GK61XS and I can’t get a holee mod on the stabs and it’s frustrating. Those stabs sound AWESOME though and I have everything else done. This was a great and super helpful video.
Haha yeah the holee mod is definitely tricky the first time... The bandaid wants to stick to everything and not go where it needs to. But after a few tries, it definitely does get easier! Don't give up!
@@Keybored I know, I’m just getting into the hobbie! Thanks for replying, you really do help a lot btw!
Bro that spacebar is ughhhhhhhh
It hits hard lol
The video is amazing as always! Do you know switches that prevent north facing interference other than the holy pandas and box switches? Thanks!!
Hi miko! I noticed that the recent gateron yellows have been ok with it for the most part as well!
A little late to the party here but I just came across this very thing today.. the Gateron oil kings were made to work with N facing led + cherry profiles
I am typing this on the "before" version right now... just need a couple tools and some O-rings to be finally happy
I hope it turns out great! The keyboard has good bones to work with!
Same! Taking it apart again is gonna be such a hassle though.
I was thinking doing this mod to my gk61 after watching your oring mod tofu, so glad you did this video, I'm just curious since you mentioned the space bar were hard mount to the case, what if I put oring on the space bar mounting points too?
Hi ZL _! You definitely can do the o-ring mount under the spacebar also! It will help to dampen the sound a bit more and reduce that hard bottom out!
12:47 you're spitting FACTS
Yup! They are truly facts!
I wanna see this O-Ring mod for the GK87 sheeesh
Hi Sounak! Unfortunately, the GK87 has a different mounting system, but that keyboard turned out nice with some mods as well!
That spacebar is c l e a n
Thank you!
Oh I recently just built the gk61 with gat yellows but I didn't film or use o rings. This actually sounds amazing lol.
btw I think there is a typo at your 11:10 timestamp chapter (it says "liners" but i think you meant "linears")
Hi Anthony! Give this a try and you won't regret it! And I did notice the typo :( it was bound to happen eventually lol
My god, your modded gk61 sounds better than my modded gmmk pro
Thank you kai! These GK boards actually deliver some great sound!
Love your video! Just wondering if you can use 4mm on top and bottom with the easy method? Bit hard finding 3mm o rings and amazon shipping is expensive in my country.
Hi Brenn! That should work as well! Just make sure not to have the o-ring pop out, since the 4mm one may be slightly bigger than the screw hole and tightened down!
That spacebar made me nut 😩
Can you use both the bigger oring for the top and bottom, rather than having the smaller oring at the top?
Yup! You can use 1 size!
For some reason I liked the "hollow" sound since it kinda give "thock" vibe lol.
Hey, this hobby is all about preferences!
Lubed milk yellows sound really good and thoccy in this plastic case.
i prefer the opposite though its more expensive to get a clacky and not hollow sound but its all preference lol
you can make a pretty cheap hollow and thocky build with $60 geek customized gk61 from banggood, $14 gat yellow 68 pack from kbdfans, lube and cheap keycaps
@dezyy hey I'm trying to build my self a custom 87 tkl keyboard myself and I expect the budget to be under $70, one thing for sure I could learn and apply from this video is the part where keybored showed how to do o ring mount, plate mount, and how to file the hole for type c port. I'll update you when thr video finished and see if I can enjoy what you described as Clacky but not hollow sound.
@@reyzafany1992i didn’t say the build parts a mentioned sound clacky, i was just saying that was my preference, though i’m getting some akko cs switches ($10 for 45) soon and i’ll tell you if they’re clackier or more hollow on plastic case
this sound test i found uses a gk series keyboard and has a plastic case ua-cam.com/video/xGyHNei72tE/v-deo.html
O-rings save lives!
It's literally the life saver for tray mount keyboards for sure! Thanks for watching!
DEEEEEP THOCCCCCCCCC
Especially that spacebar lol
I really want to try this o-ring mod on my other board, I have the Havit 87key its a TKL size but has the numbpad on the side instead of the home,del, pgup,pgdn...etc and ill will do everything to it like in this video to see how it comes out. I do have to de-solder on the board though and make it a detachable cable but im sure it will come out great
I hope it works out great! Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
the gateway drug
Indeed! Right after I finished this, I thought... I wonder how the aluminum version with fr4 plate will turn out lol
Amazing video. I like your keyboard. What do you think of my video on TypeRacer?