I didn’t think Alps made any switches directly anymore but I might be wrong. Its a risk with any retooled or continuation line such as with the Matias that they aren’t as good. Even with a long running line like actual Cherry switches they quality went off as the molds got older, hence the (unwarranted) obsession from some quarters for vintage blacks.
Clickly switches are almost always tactile, especially the buckling spring. The feel that you describe as desirable is a (very nice) tactile bump, it just happens to be wrapped up in the click event as with most clicky switches. You have to get a good linear to completely avoid that bump, or dial it out with something softer. Buckling is known for being aggressive/strong, its what makes them feel like they do. MX you can turn up the tactile simply by changing the spring for a stiffer spring most of the time.
I hear you with Alps, they are painful to get hold of good ones. MX at least you can turn almost any board into hotswap by soldering mill-max hotswap sockets into the pins (as long as it is not too low profile), I have done it a few times and its pretty easy, easier than SMD by far. I know you wouldn’t want to solder yourself, but it would be cheap enough to find someone to do it for to online.
That Piantor Pro looks similar to the Corne, not sure if thats close enough to do what you need for testing. They are pretty cheap with a 3D printed base plate and can come ready soldered with kalih hotswap sockets already on them for you.
It is; the stagger is a more aggressive, especially on the weak side of the hand, and of course it has that additional column, but you can see the inspiration.
A Corne would work for testing switches, for sure. IIRC I could have ordered the Piantor with swappable, but I was seduced - seduced, I say! - by those beautiful Chocs. It’s my first non-mass-produced keyboard, and I didn’t know any better. ¯\(ツ)/¯
I didn’t think Alps made any switches directly anymore but I might be wrong. Its a risk with any retooled or continuation line such as with the Matias that they aren’t as good. Even with a long running line like actual Cherry switches they quality went off as the molds got older, hence the (unwarranted) obsession from some quarters for vintage blacks.
Clickly switches are almost always tactile, especially the buckling spring. The feel that you describe as desirable is a (very nice) tactile bump, it just happens to be wrapped up in the click event as with most clicky switches. You have to get a good linear to completely avoid that bump, or dial it out with something softer. Buckling is known for being aggressive/strong, its what makes them feel like they do. MX you can turn up the tactile simply by changing the spring for a stiffer spring most of the time.
I hear you with Alps, they are painful to get hold of good ones. MX at least you can turn almost any board into hotswap by soldering mill-max hotswap sockets into the pins (as long as it is not too low profile), I have done it a few times and its pretty easy, easier than SMD by far. I know you wouldn’t want to solder yourself, but it would be cheap enough to find someone to do it for to online.
That Piantor Pro looks similar to the Corne, not sure if thats close enough to do what you need for testing. They are pretty cheap with a 3D printed base plate and can come ready soldered with kalih hotswap sockets already on them for you.
It is; the stagger is a more aggressive, especially on the weak side of the hand, and of course it has that additional column, but you can see the inspiration.
A Corne would work for testing switches, for sure. IIRC I could have ordered the Piantor with swappable, but I was seduced - seduced, I say! - by those beautiful Chocs. It’s my first non-mass-produced keyboard, and I didn’t know any better. ¯\(ツ)/¯