Thought I'd post this as a picture set for anyone not already following the epic Granite and NovaTouch threads.
Finally, my
PBT Granite caps arrived! What better place for them to be than the
CM NovaTouch?
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This keyboard's a prototype NovaTouch I beta tested for CM. Apparently they are well
on the way to launch now.
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These caps are simply magnificent. Rough, pumice textured PBT (even the space bar) with the nicest legends I have ever seen.
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The macro lens does not lie. These are superb! Compared to the Amiga original:
I love these legends to bits. You can see all the work Matteo put into them, and it has paid off handsomely.
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Signed by the artist himself:
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Those icon mods! Oh man am I bowled over by these. They are pure art! I also went big on mono legends, which I think match icon mods even better. Getting them into this GB was a huge win:
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I have a mono § cap lined up, but one I forgot to argue to get into this GB entirely was single unit mono legend \ for ISO. You can see I'm using / for that key instead, but I slapped my forehead when I realised that we missed it! Sign me up for round 2…
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Speaking of ISO, the Return key — along with every other cap — works perfectly on the NovaTouch. I either lucked out, or this keyboard's more forgiving than some MX native models. The space bar is even straighter than my Ducky PBT version, in fact. I can't see any telltale PBT banana curve with it on the keyboard.
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Told you this blank ISO Return is perfect. I'm trading for an icon version so I'll have two eventually, so I still have a chance to play the ISO lottery!
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As for typing, this is my very first DSA set. (DSA Dolch came over for the ride, but it can wait for Granite!) The flat row profile does feel a bit different to the tall SA and OEM caps that I'm used to. I've only typed on this for an hour or two, so it's still early days, but I find there's pros and cons to DSA. It's great for swapping caps around the keyboard, of course. Every row is compatible. And, on the NovaTouch at least, the caps aren't super tight on the mounts and I'm just fine with my keypuller as always. They're barely any different to handle than SA, on this. I do miss my tall row 1, though. These low caps feel like a longer stretch when going up there. But the spherical surface is just as comfy as SA. In fact, I'm impressed, I thought DSA would be flatter. I like it more than I expected.
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The NovaTouch wears these caps just as elegantly as always. A very minimal, sleek, black keyboard goes well with everything. And just sparkles with Granite! I'm proud of them both, as you can tell.
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For more on this keyboard, check out the
Round 4 SPH set pictures here.
But let's finish on Granite:
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This set exceeded my highest hopes for it, and they were mighty! So pleased I got this one. Thanks again to Matteo! And SP, who did a sterling job with their first DSA dyesub GB.
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The best ! And Granite looks just perfect.
Daaaaamn son
