DSS 6104 - Moving to DSA profile instead; new IC eventually

DSS 6104
June 2025: I've decided to change this to DSA profile based on the feedback responses, and change the colors to be brighter and less muddy, though slightly less historically accurate. I'll run a new IC eventually when this is ready. For now this is on hold.

IC Feedback Form





Vendors
TBD
I'm hoping to offer this once again through the SPKeyboards storefront, and their growing network of international partners. SP has been partnering with proxies in the EU, UK, and other locales to make overseas purchases easier.


Inspiration
DSS 6104 is based on the vintage Raytheon 6104 keyboards of the late 1970's and early 1980's, manufactured by Cortron (mainly, the 6104-06 model). The 6104 series was very much a product of its time; which is to say, kind of butt-ugly. But in a charming, retro way. With its brown alphas and mustard-colored mod keys, it fit right into the wood-paneled offices of 1979. 6104 models were used in banks, police departments, insurance companies, and travel agencies, as well as Raytheon's own facilities.

Some photos of the 6104-04 model.

The lone red accent key harkens back to the single red key present on some Raytheon boards.

While the original's keys were closer to the modern SA profile, DSS is a vintage profile from that period that I haven't worked with before, and one that intrigues me. DSS was designed as a sculpted variation of DSA by Comptec in 1982, but it soon fell by the wayside. In 2018, it was revived by Comptec's successor, Signature Plastics. Height-wise, it falls midway in between DSA and SA.





Design and Kitting Notes
Due to the comparatively sharp edges of DSS R4, this set uses DSA for its bottom row, as well as DSA spacebars. (Convex DSS small bars don't exist yet, although SP has announced plans to introduce them after they finish adding convex bars to DCS.)





Signature Plastics has also asked designers to present their kitting as both a large monokit (a la Macrodata Refinement Round 1), and individual split kits (like DCS SMRT) going forward, with the goal of running both versions. So I have designed this set both ways.


Colors
All colors are Signature Plastics stock resins.

Alphas are TBN brown
Modifiers are YCZ mustard yellow
Accents are RA red
Legends are WFK white

I own all of SP's brown, yellow, red, and white color chips, and the colors I've chosen for this are a really great match for the original 6104 boards in their unfaded, out-of-the-box glory.



Pic taken in indirect light, in a bright east-facing sunlit room in the morning.


Dates
TBD, but probably shipping about 2-3 months after going on presale, given how long recent sets have taken to produce.


Pricing
Monokit: TBD

Alphas: TBD
Yellow Mods: TBD
Brown Mods: TBD
Numpad: TBD
40s/Ortho: TBD
Spacebars: TBD
Norde: TBD


Kitting
Bundle


Alphas Kit

Includes UK support.

Yellow Raytheon-style Mods


Brown Monotone Mods


Numpad Kit


Norde Kit


40s/Ortho Kit


Spacebars Kit



Additional Renders