Keyboard Noise Reduction: Possible Options

[manuleka 0]

If I sang good enough, I would not be sitting in front of my computer writing this post... Instead I would have been in the music industry.

lol but you would still be using your computer though wouldn't you?

[yordan 10]

If I sang good enough, I would not be sitting in front of my computer writing this post... Instead I would have been in the music industry.

I sing good enough. Simply my neighbours don't agree with this obvious fact.

[Ahsaniqbalkmc 0]

I sing good enough. Simply my neighbours don't agree with this obvious fact.

Its good to admire one's own self @yordan, but I think sometime other people's opinion about you matter a bit more.....

[manuleka 0]

I sing good enough. Simply my neighbours don't agree with this obvious fact.

hahaha we all do

[velma 6]

Wow, if I could give you a medal or a trophy, I really would. Firstly, I love the sound of the keys.. I know it sounds cooky but it is really pleasant to hear especially when I work alone. I like to pay attention to the rhythm the keys produce based on the words I am typing...

What I would like to emphasize is "posture" , you should in no way compromise the posture of your wrists, back and legs in the journey to noise reduction so placing the keyboard on your legs is a big no no. I think the idea of wearing gloves is funny rather than offensive I think I would do this just to annoy my mother, and gloves too could hamper the user experience since your fingers would sweat quicker or chances of increased typos...

Chiclet Keyboards Man, I also tried one of those rubber keyboards... So disappointing, it was as good as taking the hard cover off a Microsoft keyboard and using the rubber layer underneath.. They look so cool but are not as practical as they seem.. My cousin still vouches for them but I think it is because he paid a lot for it

But yes, very often people get tired of the typing sound.. I can silence an entire room once I start typing, My dad instantly regrets asking me to type out his emails.

Other things is covering your keyboard with a bag that you can fit your hands inside. This means noise should be capture inside of it and can only escape out where your hands are. Again, maybe over the top but I do like this topic.

I can hear it now, the rhythmic ** shick shick shlick ** sound of the bag.. I can't stop laughing at the thought of a person doing this...

Can you try typing with your fingers sticking to the keyboard? Sometimes, I type keeping my fingers stuck to the keyboard so that I am gently pressing a key instead of punching it in. And quite honestly, you don't lose as much speed as you'd think and with practice, you reach your old speeds quickly.

[manuleka 0]

haha interesting velma... never really thought key strokes can be perceived in a such rythmic way hehe

[velma 6]

haha interesting velma... never really thought key strokes can be perceived in a such rythmic way hehe

You should totally try it... The beauty of it is that the rhythm is controlled by your mood, your knowledge of the key placement and of course your hand gestures.. Nuances that you really did not think existed.

For instance, you might punch in one key "hammer style" (straight) while another would be punched in a parabolic motion irregardless of whether the key requires such physics or not. I hardly get to use the number pad so on occasions that I do, my fingers trot over the numbers because I am happy

So in a way, listening and observing how you type helps you reduce unnecessary force on keys.. Keys like the enter key or the space bar are routinely savaged by people, I know I savge them. Keeping your fingers stuck to the keyboard lets your fingers instinctively find a silent groove.. I know it sounds weird but if you associate each correct / silent punch as good, you can convince your brain into typing that way all the time.

Perhaps pass it along to your descendants too

Win / Win for all I guess, you get endorphins, people get their silence AT NO EXTRA COST!!! .. I wish I could add the "But WAIT!, There's more" line somewhere into my post

[yordan 10]

Wow, if I could give you a medal or a trophy, I really would. Firstly, I love the sound of the keys.. I know it sounds cooky but it is really pleasant to hear especially when I work alone. I like to pay attention to the rhythm the keys produce based on the words I am typing...

That's why I love listening to music while typing a long text. My keystokes follow the music tempo, which helps me sustaining a regular long-lasting typing. Rock-around-the-clock is really nice for having a good typing speed.
And of course the people around me are less disturbed by my typing if they are able to accept my music as long as my fingers follow the music tempo. Unfortunately, this is not possible with mp3 earphones, this needs mp3 subwoofers.

[Ahsaniqbalkmc 0]

Wow, if I could give you a medal or a trophy, I really would.

Well, you actually gave me a medal when you liked the post... It really is encouraging..

Firstly, I love the sound of the keys.. I know it sounds cooky but it is really pleasant to hear especially when I work alone. I like to pay attention to the rhythm the keys produce based on the words I am typing...

In my case, it depends more on the mood. Sometimes, I enjoy the NOISE of the keyboard, while at other times I would wish to type in a more silent way.. However, the real thing for which I tried to reduce my typing noise was not to disturb others. I may like the noise of typing (sometimes) but others would never like it because they are not involved in typing and its just some annoying noise for them. So the real goal of keyboard noise reduction for me is to reduce or cease (if possible) the annoyance caused by my typing especially during late hours.

What I would like to emphasize is "posture" , you should in no way compromise the posture of your wrists, back and legs in the journey to noise reduction so placing the keyboard on your legs is a big no no.

Actually, at times, I feel more comfortable with the keyboard placed on my legs. In my current setup, when I place the keyboard on the table, it is comfortable when I am sitting with my back straight. However, after an hour or so of sitting in this position, I really get tired. Then I would lean back a little and assume somewhat lying position on my chair. Now, in this position, typing with my keyboard placed on the table is not very comfortable. Instead, typing with my keyboard placed on my legs become more comfortable. That being said, I feel comfortable with the keyboard on my legs even when I am sitting straight. Maybe its because I have become accustomed to typing in such situation.....
I have to ask here that what is the best posture. I have this opinion that there is no such thing as BEST (like on thing for all). Instead everyone has his own BEST thing. And this might apply to the posture as well. One kind of posture that is best for one person might not be best for the other. So I think that it depends more on personal preferences.
But I would still like to know what is the best posture (in principle).

I think the idea of wearing gloves is funny rather than offensive I think I would do this just to annoy my mother, and gloves too could hamper the user experience since your fingers would sweat quicker or chances of increased typos...

As I have mentioned in the previous post, its quite impractical (at least for me) to wear gloves while typing. But hey.. its still an idea. And who knows... someone might find it useful in his special circumstances....

Chiclet Keyboards Man, I also tried one of those rubber keyboards... So disappointing, it was as good as taking the hard cover off a Microsoft keyboard and using the rubber layer underneath.. They look so cool but are not as practical as they seem.. My cousin still vouches for them but I think it is because he paid a lot for it

Rubber keyboards (at least the one I tried, or the ones similar to that one) don't have a good typing experience. And there is no comparison between them and the mechanical keyboards (the commonly used ones). However, I haven't have the chance of getting my hands on some high quality expensive rubber keyboards. Maybe they have a comparable overall experience. But I would like to stay with mechanical keyboards because I am used to it and I like typing on them....

But yes, very often people get tired of the typing sound.. I can silence an entire room once I start typing, My dad instantly regrets asking me to type out his emails.

Sometimes typing does really get loud. There was a keyboard with me many years ago (at the time when I didn't know how to touch type) and it was loud. The buttons had typewriter like sound to them. Imagine such a keyboard with a typist who types at about 60 wpm and who hits the keys hard (instead of just pressing them). This would be some considerable noise and it would surely silence an entire room. But fortunately, my current keyboard isn't that loud. However, I would still like to reduce the noise.....

I can hear it now, the rhythmic ** shick shick shlick ** sound of the bag.. I can't stop laughing at the thought of a person doing this...

Again, this isn't a very practical idea, as I have mentioned in my previous post... But I would say again that it is still an idea and someone might find it practical for his particular situation....

Can you try typing with your fingers sticking to the keyboard? Sometimes, I type keeping my fingers stuck to the keyboard so that I am gently pressing a key instead of punching it in. And quite honestly, you don't lose as much speed as you'd think and with practice, you reach your old speeds quickly.

This is what I do when someone is asleep in my room and I am still working. The biggest annoyance for me in this style of typing is that my attention is diverted. A significant part of my focus shifts to the movement of the fingers (i.e. it is not very natural for me). Typing speed is also not very good for me with this style of typing. Maybe I need to do some practice to get proficient with this style of typing...

You should totally try it... The beauty of it is that the rhythm is controlled by your mood, your knowledge of the key placement and of course your hand gestures.. Nuances that you really did not think existed.
For instance, you might punch in one key "hammer style" (straight) while another would be punched in a parabolic motion irregardless of whether the key requires such physics or not. I hardly get to use the number pad so on occasions that I do, my fingers trot over the numbers because I am happy

So in a way, listening and observing how you type helps you reduce unnecessary force on keys.. Keys like the enter key or the space bar are routinely savaged by people, I know I savge them. Keeping your fingers stuck to the keyboard lets your fingers instinctively find a silent groove.. I know it sounds weird but if you associate each correct / silent punch as good, you can convince your brain into typing that way all the time.

Well, this is getting over my head now... In my case, I don't feel any perceptible difference in the sound of different keys pressed (except maybe the sound of space key is different). Like it is the same “tuk” sound produced when I press the N key as when I press the S key (or most of the other keys for that matter). So I really don't understand the theory... Maybe you can explain it in a bit more detail @velma.

That's why I love listening to music while typing a long text. My keystokes follow the music tempo, which helps me sustaining a regular long-lasting typing. Rock-around-the-clock is really nice for having a good typing speed.And of course the people around me are less disturbed by my typing if they are able to accept my music as long as my fingers follow the music tempo. Unfortunately, this is not possible with mp3 earphones, this needs mp3 subwoofers.

Unfortunately, I can't play music on speakers (other than my headphones) when someone is asleep near me. It would be adding to the total disturbance caused by me. But it may work when people around me are not asleep but just doing their own stuff. At that time, the noise of the keyboard can be nulled by the louder sound of pleasant music...

[manuleka 0]

best choice is a keyboard replacement

[velma 6]

best choice is a keyboard replacement

 

Unfortunately, just a keyboard replacement is not an option since you would have already inferred from all the other posts that it isn't just the keyboard that is responsible for the sound. Factors like position, posture and style also influence the way sounds happen.

 

Which reminds me, where is your computer / keyboard located? I think we should also consider the shape / location of your room since sounds do behave differently in different locations.. Any physics enthusiast here who can add a little science to my shriveled scientific theory?

 

 

Actually, at times, I feel more comfortable with the keyboard placed on my legs. In my current setup, when I place the keyboard on the table, it is comfortable when I am sitting with my back straight. However, after an hour or so of sitting in this position, I really get tired. Then I would lean back a little and assume somewhat lying position on my chair. Now, in this position, typing with my keyboard placed on the table is not very comfortable. Instead, typing with my keyboard placed on my legs become more comfortable. That being said, I feel comfortable with the keyboard on my legs even when I am sitting straight. Maybe its because I have become accustomed to typing in such situation.....

I have to ask here that what is the best posture. I have this opinion that there is no such thing as BEST (like on thing for all). Instead everyone has his own BEST thing. And this might apply to the posture as well. One kind of posture that is best for one person might not be best for the other. So I think that it depends more on personal preferences.

But I would still like to know what is the best posture (in principle).

 

 

Posture is a very controversial topic in the I.T age , it saddens me to admit that our technology requires us to have bad posture so we learn to pose ourselves according to them rather than have the technology build around us. Since you are a medical aficionado, you would know best the natural posture for a human being. Just because you are comfortable does not mean that it is the correct posture... A person I know squats while using his computer, like he literally uses his computer in the frog pose.. He is comfortable but I doubt that it helps his back.

 

People hardly use the correct postures when working, my experience at the Vet clinic is proof of that, we often end up bending over a patient for extended periods especially at home visits since owners hardly have the infrastructure.. I'd rather have stubs for arms than have to hold a cat down for intravenous therapy >_< ... You end up as twisty as the cat itself and if the cat is especially sick, the drip is really slow .. So we end up looking like mangled pieces of steel rather than real people...

 

I have naturally bad knees and a bad back which means that I cannot hold a position for too long, I cannot run or climb stairs or stand too long since it wears me out.... And here is the thing, if I do use the stairs, I adopt such a bad posture to climb up (slouching and stomping) which ends up hurting me even more.. And if I try to focus on the steps, I end up losing track of my breathing...

 

We find sitting straight difficult BECAUSE we hardly do it anymore.. You don't use any mobile device with your back straight, you create a curve just to be able to comfortably see the screen... And if you use your phone / tablet / laptop a lot, your back adapts to the curve making the straight posture insanely difficult.. It is the same as working out / using muscles after a really long time..

 

It is really cruel to say but my bad knees and back showed me how important it is to maintain good posture whenever you can since sitting incorrectly makes it difficult for me to even get up for work the next day.. Winter is the worst XD

 

Since chairs & tables don't often come in pocket edition versions like me, I don't have the freedom of letting my feet touch the floor AND keep my arms in line with the keyboard rack... To keep my hands at the same level as the keyboard, I raise my chair at its full height (hands at keyboard level & eyes at monitor level).. I even added height to my monitor so that my neck can stay straight. But this leaves my feet dangling below

 

It is always a dilemma for me when it comes to sitting on my chair since the back support is too far, the floor is too far and you should never have to extend your arms, legs, neck while using the computer (you end up straining yourself)..

 

I cannot do the Lotus Pose so I use other versions of it but mostly I sit in a yoga posture called Virasana where you fold your legs backwards, since I can tuck my toes in the cushion of the chair, I can really hold it for long without it hurting But to make sure the blood flow is even, I keep changing the posture to a half lotus pose where I tuck one leg in while letting the other dangle for a few minutes and then change.

 

Another pose I sit in is a posture I cannot remember the name for, it is a modified version of the fish pose I think..

 

HA HA HA HA HA I just remembered almost being beaten to death by my Uncle.. A year or two ago, I had gone over to stay with them for the weekend and like any dutiful netizen, I worked in the dead of the night.. Night 1, I am typing away to glory, laptop on the kitchen counter and lights switched off.. The house is really spacious and is in the suburbs.. So I am assuming that my typing did not sound normal to the inhabitants.. Well, 30 minutes into my typing, I hear my uncle shout from his room upstairs, my great grand aunt was probably 50 feet away in her room fast asleep...

 

I let out a response loud enough to be heard (or so I think) but I did not want to disturb my Grand Aunt , I guess it sounded like garbled sound to him.. Silence ensues so I continue with my tippity tappity when all of a sudden my Uncle & Aunt come thundering down the stair case with huge sticks in their hand.. They could only see the glare on my glasses from where they were standing, I doubt that helped the situation.. And there I was, going "Oye Oye Oye" (because that is all I could think of) in hoping that someone would recognize my voice..

 

Long story short, I am not allowed to work in the dead of night unless I have some music playing.. Every night ever since, they would give me a playlist that I would have to play if I was to work that night..

 

As for the sound variations I was talking about, it is a really simple theory actually, start with one key at a time.. one that you use the most like the enter key.. Every time you press the enter key, observe how you tap it.. which finger you use, how forceful you are and think about how you'd like to tap it.. Keep focused on the enter key until you master it and then move onto the next key.. When you do one key, it becomes easier with the rest...

 

I sometimes believe that the most common typos I make are usually because of the rhythm the word makes, like when you play an instrument, you press certain keys to produce the rhythm, the same applies for when you use your keyboard... So my mind will hold onto the rhythm of certain words and apply it without me having to think for a second.. I would like to one day test my typing efficiency with music on and without the music.. See if the sound really has its part in typos

[manuleka 0]

you could findout if there's an app which could apply different tunes/notes to each key on keyboard... and everytime one strikes a key it makes certain sound/beep... kind of like the phone keys hehe

[Ahsaniqbalkmc 0]

best choice is a keyboard replacement file:///C:\Users\Ahsan\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png

It definitely is one of the more practical choices but as I have mentioned in my first post, you need to find a good keyboard first. Plus, only a good keyboard won’t do much good if you are still hammering the keys like ****. As it has been repeatedly mentioned, rubber keyboards are excellent for noise reduction but they don’t have a good typing experience. The only other option (other than the normal mechanical keyboards) that I can think of is virtual keyboard. But again, they don’t have a very good typing experience and one will have to sacrifice much speed and accuracy to use them.
So the only practical option would be to find a good mechanical keyboard with special features for noise reduction. Some ideas have been already mentioned like:
Rubber (or other soft material) coating on top of the keys to reduce the noise created by fingers hammering the keys
Rubber (or other soft material) padding beneath the keys to reduce the noise created by keys hitting the body of the keyboard.
Placing the keyboard on a surface that would dampen the sound
I have tried to search for available keyboards that would have these features for noise reduction, but I haven’t been able to find one. In fact, I was amazed at the very scanty amount of products available with noise reduction in mind. So maybe ultimately, I will have to mod my keyboard myself to achieve best results.
By the way @manu, you seem to be good at searching things, so why don’t you try to find a product and let as all know about it.

Unfortunately, just a keyboard replacement is not an option since you would have already inferred from all the other posts that it isn't just the keyboard that is responsible for the sound. Factors like position, posture and style also influence the way sounds happen.

Keyboard replacement is actually an option and a very good one, but only if you find a good to keyboard to replace with. And if you do find a good keyboard that does actually reduce the noise produced, and then you just change your typing style a bit so that you don’t hammer the keys….. I don’t think much else would be needed.

Which reminds me, where is your computer / keyboard located? I think we should also consider the shape / location of your room since sounds do behave differently in different locations.. Any physics enthusiast here who can add a little science to my shriveled scientific theory?

Wow… we are getting deep into the concept now. Come on physics people say something……

Posture is a very controversial topic in the I.T age , it saddens me to admit that our technology requires us to have bad posture so we learn to pose ourselves according to them rather than have the technology build around us. Since you are a medical aficionado, you would know best the natural posture for a human being. Just because you are comfortable does not mean that it is the correct posture... A person I know squats while using his computer, like he literally uses his computer in the frog pose.. He is comfortable but I doubt that it helps his back.

That frog example is a bit extreme and nobody can argue against what you said. But this is not what happens in more than 90 percent of the cases where there are issues of minor adjustments. I must say here that the region of our bodies that has suffered the most (because of technology) is the back. But I was more interested in the position of the wrist and that is what I want to talk about.
So the problem with defining one posture as the accurate one and then enforcing it on everybody is that every individual is structurally different. There are minor differences in the structures of the bones, the attachment of the muscles in individuals and these differences eventually translate into different positions of comfort for different individuals. And in some cases, the defined correct posture might prove to be damaging for some individuals.
So I think the bigger aspects of the posture should be defined but the minor adjustments should be left for the user himself to decide.

People hardly use the correct postures when working, my experience at the Vet clinic is proof of that, we often end up bending over a patient for extended periods especially at home visits since owners hardly have the infrastructure..

That’s true. But this is more common with sitting jobs. People in jobs involving physical work (where the body is used within its natural limits) don’t have much problems with their posture because there muscles are being used alright and their relative strength and size remains in balance.
On the other hand, jobs involving hours and hours of sitting cause severe posture problems because of the simple fact that human body is not meant to be in sitting state all the time. The problem gets even more sever when the person doesn’t take part in any physical activities at all. He goes to office and sits there. He uses the elevator to go up and down. He uses his car to move around (A typical case in western society).

We find sitting straight difficult BECAUSE we hardly do it anymore.. You don't use any mobile device with your back straight, you create a curve just to be able to comfortably see the screen... And if you use your phone / tablet / laptop a lot, your back adapts to the curve making the straight posture insanely difficult.. It is the same as working out / using muscles after a really long time..

My opinion is that people don’t sit straight when they sit in one place for long periods of time. And its natural. A normal healthy person cannot stand straight if made to stand for many hours. Even lying straight becomes difficult after many hours of lying. Our bodies need us to move about every now and then, change our position, do something physical. That’s our anatomy….
So yes technology has played a huge part in destroying our postures but the work load and certain kinds of jobs have helped technology implement its side effects.

It is always a dilemma for me when it comes to sitting on my chair since the back support is too far, the floor is too far and you should never have to extend your arms, legs, neck while using the computer (you end up straining yourself)..

I think you should get a setup that better suits you. During busy days (like during exams or when I need to do lots of work on my computer) I end up sitting like 10-14 hours on the same chair. But fortunately, my back is fine and my posture is on the better side too. Maybe because I play physical games (football, cricket) a lot… But yes, it becomes difficult and tiring sometimes to sit for so much time….
To biggest problem with me while sitting is that my buttocks start to burn after a couple of hours and then I have to stand up and not sit for some time. Other than that I don’t have any significant problem with sitting.
And I am more comfortable with the keyboard on my legs as compared to on the table. Maybe it has something to do with the height of my table or the way I am used to using the keyboard but that’s how it is. If I try to hard and type for long time with my keyboard on the table, my wrists start to burn and ache. But this doesn’t happen with the keyboard on my legs. So maybe the natural way for me to type is with the keyboard on my legs…. Or I have developed the wrong posture for my wrists… I don’t know…..

Another pose I sit in is a posture I cannot remember the name for, it is a modified version of the fish pose I think..

Man… She is flexible. Really flexible… There is a strange thing coming into my mind. Its kind of foolish but I want to say it………..
Would she be a great typist?? OR more properly…. Does flexibility have anything to do with typing speed???
I know that the flexibility of her legs or back or shoulders don’t have anything to do with typing but what about her wrists and fingers. They would also be more flexible than a normal person. Would this in anyway benefit her if she were a typist not a model…..???

As for the sound variations I was talking about, it is a really simple theory actually, start with one key at a time.. one that you use the most like the enter key.. Every time you press the enter key, observe how you tap it.. which finger you use, how forceful you are and think about how you'd like to tap it.. Keep focused on the enter key until you master it and then move onto the next key.. When you do one key, it becomes easier with the rest...

But that would not be “getting accustomed to the sound of the keys”. If would still be “getting used to the movement of your fingers and the fell of the keys”, which is what normally happens. But I agree that one key at a time is a good approach. Especially with keys that pose a problem and that have high error rates.

you could findout if there's an app which could apply different tunes/notes to each key on keyboard... and everytime one strikes a key it makes certain sound/beep... kind of like the phone keys hehe

Now this is a good idea to improve tying efficiency. It would be like learning to play the piano where the feedback of whether you have pressed the correct key doesn’t appear on screen in terms of an alphabet but is heard by your ears in terms of a specific kind of sound.
It is well known that learning through both eyes and ears is more efficient that learning only through eyes or learning only through ears. So that should help in improving the efficiency of LEARNING TO TYPE.
However, can it help in increasing the typing speed? I don’t think so. Because once you get used to your keyboard and reach a certain level of expertise, you top thinking about the keys and movements of your fingers. It happens naturally. You just think about the work and the fingers move automatically. Like they say “Your thoughts flow on the screen”. When the keys would produce a certain sound, it would also lead to the same level. In fact, at higher speeds, it might even get difficult to perceive the sound of individual keys correctly……
Your thoughts !....

[yordan 10]

Concerning the overall typing position, something simple has to been checked. How are you sitting in front of your chair? Do you wrist touch the table?They should. Just try a simple test. Try forcing your wrist to remain touching the table, only your fingers moving over the keyboard. You will see that this will drastically decrease the keyboard noise. Because just touching the keys with the fingers without moving the wrists will be enough for correctly pressing the keys, and will give rather low noise. The noise will increase as soon as your wrist will go off the table, and then the impact on the keys will come from your whole arm instead of coming only from your fingers.

[Ahsaniqbalkmc 0]

Concerning the overall typing position, something simple has to been checked. How are you sitting in front of your chair? Do you wrist touch the table?They should. Just try a simple test. Try forcing your wrist to remain touching the table, only your fingers moving over the keyboard. You will see that this will drastically decrease the keyboard noise. Because just touching the keys with the fingers without moving the wrists will be enough for correctly pressing the keys, and will give rather low noise. The noise will increase as soon as your wrist will go off the table, and then the impact on the keys will come from your whole arm instead of coming only from your fingers.

So, I checked my wrist while typing and it merely touches the table. The weight is not placed on the table. And when I try to type a little faster, then the wrists are in the air. And as you said, the force on the keys (while I press them) increases significantly when the wrists are elevated, as is evident from the enhancement in the noise produced.
On the other hand, while the keyboard is placed on my legs, the wrist firmly rest on the legs i.e. the weight of the wrists is on the legs. Even when I try to type faster, a significant portion of the weight is still on the legs.
This certainly contributes to less noise produced while typing with the keyboard placed on my legs. Furthermore, it might also contribute to the enhanced comfort level when the keyboard is on my legs as compared to when it is on the table.
Edited March 4, 2013 by Ahsaniqbal111 (see edit history)