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My unhealthy relationship with keyboards came to an end as soon as I bought my first Keychron keyboard with a knob (Q-series). After using this keyboard, I can

My unhealthy relationship with keyboards came to an end as soon as I bought my first Keychron keyboard with a knob (Q-series). After using this keyboard, I can't imagine ever buying another keyboard without a knob. It's really great to control your audio volume with an appropriate hardware control rather than pressing the same key 15 times in a row like an idiot or fiddling around with the mouse. You can configure the knob (or any key) to do different things with different key combinations, at the hardware level even (with the Via tool), so you don't have to configure multiple OSes one-by-one to do the same thing. I've configured Alt+Knob rotation to control my screen brightness, which I adjust multiple times per day. You can also configure it to control the zoom, or move the mouse, etc. The knob also functions as an additional key if you press it downwards. I think by default it is configured to mute (which makes sense, since by default a knob rotation without any other key combination controls the audio volume). When you go look for keyboards with a knob you won't find many, and the Keychron keyboards (Q-series and Q Pro-series, the latter being both wired and wireless), are really the best there is AFAIK (unless you create your own, perhaps).

gainda 3y ago
i use the gmmk pro myself and i really enjoy the knob. i ended up buying a second one just for work bc they weigh a ton and i wasn't going to constantly lug it around
- Night_Thastus 3y ago
  I liked Glorious, and bought 2 of their keyboards. But I feel REALLY burned by the original GMMK. * The metal shell has very sharp edges, which has damaged every surface it's been on. * The quality of the cord is very low, and is terribly frayed now * The silver accents on the edges appear to be very thin, and have worn off and made the whole thing look dingy I don't think I'll buy another of their products. Maybe the GMMK Pro is better, but it's also a lot more expensive.
  - gainda 3y ago
    totally understandable and if that happened to me i would also be very averse to trying the pro (but this is my first product with them). thankfully the quality hasn't let me down so far. my only mistake was trying a pre-lubed option on one just for the heck of it and it was def over-lubed.
- someplaceguy 3y ago
  You know what? I really didn't need to know that there are other high-quality mechanical keyboards with a knob... [just kidding obviously :)] Anyway, thanks for the info! Unfortunately the GMMK PRO doesn't seem to have the layouts I prefer, but I'll keep an eye on future products!
peepee1982 3y ago
Can you configure the knob to hold down the left mouse button when you turn it and move either up/right or down/left diagonally? If yes, it would be great for adjusting parameters in Audio Workstations. If not, well ... I guess I'm out, sadly.
- someplaceguy 3y ago
  I believe so, but I'm not 100% sure as I haven't tried that specific configuration. See this URL and search for "Programmable Knob": https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q6-qmk-custom-mechanical-keyboard?variant=39990023553113 https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q6-qmk-custom-mec... If you go down a bit, you'll see you can program a knob rotation (in one direction or the other) to perform a macro, including key combinations. I'm pretty sure there are also key designations for mouse movements. That said, you might not be able to adjust the granularity of the mouse movement very well (not sure, really).
  - peepee1982 3y ago
    Thanks a lot!
wing-_-nuts 3y ago
I'm seriously considering a QMK kb from them for their ability to hotswap caps in and out. Ideally, I'd like a mechanical kb with silent switches that are nice and quiet.
racl101 3y ago
Might I ask ... What other practical uses are there for knobs besides sound volume?
- steve_adams_86 3y ago
  You could use it to scrub through videos, scroll pages, zoom in or out, scroll through undo/redo history, etc.
- someplaceguy 3y ago
  Their own product page mentions "zooming in/out, adjusting screen brightness, brush size, volume, selecting video clips or photos, or backlight hue". Someone here mentioned adjusting parameters in audio software. I can add that it can also serve as a replacement for the mouse wheel in some cases. Another cool use is controlling the knobs in the MCP panels (i.e. the autopilot controls) of aircraft in flight simulators, if you don't already have better hardware. But really, in general, anything that would require pressing the same key a variable number of times in a row might benefit from a knob control, especially if it makes sense to do the same thing in some "opposite" direction. And especially if you do that multiple times per day. So it kind of depends on how you use your computer.
bjoli 3y ago
I have the same experience but with a razer huntsman v2 dampened reds. I modded it (silicone in the bottom, some extra weight (coins in the silicone), extra foam, some rubber, fixed the stabs, lube and force break mod). I never thought I would abandon my Matias quiet click (which is still the only tactile tactile switch being produced) but here I am typing on a friggin gaming keyboard. Whenever I move to a house where I can have my computer far away from my family my old 122 key model f will come out though. I spent so much time restoring it that I don't think I could not not use it.
hinkley 3y ago
My old speaker set had a knob so I didn't need one. Now my monitors have a knob but I'd have to fiddle a bunch of things to make those behave as a volume.
- fomine3 3y ago
  What I love for AirPods Max is that it has a knob for volume. Capacitive touch area on headphone is a terrible idea.

gainda 3y ago

i use the gmmk pro myself and i really enjoy the knob. i ended up buying a second one just for work bc they weigh a ton and i wasn't going to constantly lug it around

Night_Thastus 3y ago
I liked Glorious, and bought 2 of their keyboards. But I feel REALLY burned by the original GMMK. * The metal shell has very sharp edges, which has damaged every surface it's been on. * The quality of the cord is very low, and is terribly frayed now * The silver accents on the edges appear to be very thin, and have worn off and made the whole thing look dingy I don't think I'll buy another of their products. Maybe the GMMK Pro is better, but it's also a lot more expensive.
- gainda 3y ago
  totally understandable and if that happened to me i would also be very averse to trying the pro (but this is my first product with them). thankfully the quality hasn't let me down so far. my only mistake was trying a pre-lubed option on one just for the heck of it and it was def over-lubed.
someplaceguy 3y ago
You know what? I really didn't need to know that there are other high-quality mechanical keyboards with a knob... [just kidding obviously :)] Anyway, thanks for the info! Unfortunately the GMMK PRO doesn't seem to have the layouts I prefer, but I'll keep an eye on future products!

peepee1982 3y ago

Can you configure the knob to hold down the left mouse button when you turn it and move either up/right or down/left diagonally? If yes, it would be great for adjusting parameters in Audio Workstations. If not, well ... I guess I'm out, sadly.

someplaceguy 3y ago
I believe so, but I'm not 100% sure as I haven't tried that specific configuration. See this URL and search for "Programmable Knob": https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q6-qmk-custom-mechanical-keyboard?variant=39990023553113 https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q6-qmk-custom-mec... If you go down a bit, you'll see you can program a knob rotation (in one direction or the other) to perform a macro, including key combinations. I'm pretty sure there are also key designations for mouse movements. That said, you might not be able to adjust the granularity of the mouse movement very well (not sure, really).
- peepee1982 3y ago
  Thanks a lot!

wing-_-nuts 3y ago

I'm seriously considering a QMK kb from them for their ability to hotswap caps in and out. Ideally, I'd like a mechanical kb with silent switches that are nice and quiet.

racl101 3y ago

Might I ask ... What other practical uses are there for knobs besides sound volume?

steve_adams_86 3y ago
You could use it to scrub through videos, scroll pages, zoom in or out, scroll through undo/redo history, etc.
someplaceguy 3y ago
Their own product page mentions "zooming in/out, adjusting screen brightness, brush size, volume, selecting video clips or photos, or backlight hue". Someone here mentioned adjusting parameters in audio software. I can add that it can also serve as a replacement for the mouse wheel in some cases. Another cool use is controlling the knobs in the MCP panels (i.e. the autopilot controls) of aircraft in flight simulators, if you don't already have better hardware. But really, in general, anything that would require pressing the same key a variable number of times in a row might benefit from a knob control, especially if it makes sense to do the same thing in some "opposite" direction. And especially if you do that multiple times per day. So it kind of depends on how you use your computer.

bjoli 3y ago

I have the same experience but with a razer huntsman v2 dampened reds. I modded it (silicone in the bottom, some extra weight (coins in the silicone), extra foam, some rubber, fixed the stabs, lube and force break mod). I never thought I would abandon my Matias quiet click (which is still the only tactile tactile switch being produced) but here I am typing on a friggin gaming keyboard. Whenever I move to a house where I can have my computer far away from my family my old 122 key model f will come out though. I spent so much time restoring it that I don't think I could not not use it.

hinkley 3y ago

My old speaker set had a knob so I didn't need one. Now my monitors have a knob but I'd have to fiddle a bunch of things to make those behave as a volume.

fomine3 3y ago
What I love for AirPods Max is that it has a knob for volume. Capacitive touch area on headphone is a terrible idea.