Within the niche that is mechanical keyboard appreciation, there is the further niche of Ortholinear mechanical keyboards, including another niche yet of 40% size Ortholinear mechanical keyboard…
Here we find the OLKB Planck. I’m considering getting one.
Ortholinear means that all the keys are in a grid like a Deluge and there’s only 48 keys, so the firmware includes the use of layers for things like number keys.
The switches are also hot-swappable so you can change the feel without soldering, and the keys are remapable if you want to move them around.
There are cheaper compact keyboards, and one of the main uses I have in mind is sample titling on my MPC… hardly critical, given the cost.
Do I need one? No.
Do I need most of the synth gear I have? No.
Have I paid more for an eurorack module? Yes…
Anyone else into these Ortholinear boxes? Any advice?
@RustyRoses I have the Planck and love it, but not for a typing keyboard! You can program the keyboard with QMK firmware, which includes midi support. So I like to launch clips in bitwig, run program changes, etc. It’s a really nice tool for the studio! You can set many layers — 1 for program changes, 1 for your DAW, etc.
I have a Planck knock-off that can be customized with QMK firmware. It’s too small to be my daily driver, because I kept forgetting the button combos for many of the keys I rarely use but still need. I had fun customizing it though! Probably over engineered it with too many layers.
I’ve been tempted by the Kinesis Advantage, for ages. They’re ortholinear (I think) and split, and the keys line a well so your fingers drop into them. I’ve not tried one of these compact/layered keyboards. I fear their smaller size will cause my wrists to bend out even more than a standard keyboard. Does the ortholinear arrangement counteract that?
