Hello, Damsuu here. Long time keyboard enjoyer and longtime lurker. I’ve been designing boards in the darkness of my little workshop, and I believe it is finally time I come out of the shadows with my first public showing.
I wanted to present a new board that I've been working on: the Zera60 or Zera. Named after the Japanese word for gelatin- Zerachin, which I got the idea for after looking at the polycarbonate reminding me of agar, a food additive that I have used extensively when making some of my favorite snacks such as coffee jelly.
It's my version of the classic o-ring mounted style with a few changes that give it a bit of flare.
[Prototype photos]https://imgur.com/a/34R8L3gwhy another o-ring board?
To put it as simply as possible- I just really like o-ring boards. The sound is something I enjoy and the build process is super easy, super painless, and is fun to rebuild.
So why the Unikorn style backplate and db placement? Allow me to explain-
I like angled db… looks good.
In regard to the backplate it has more to do with sound than aesthetic. Sure, it looks nice but the difference in sound between a solid frame versus one with a large dense piece breaking up the sound is night and day. It also helps in creating a bit of heft to the board which is something I have always been a big fan of.
Then what sets the board apart from the others?
Simple and subtle design.
-It's definitely not for everyone but the side profile is unique with the stepped chamfer effect, and I think it creates a really interesting look with the underglow.
-The mounting points are in such a way that the bottom row is nice and bouncy while maintaining an all around comfortable typing experience. The 4:2 style gives a nice solid feel to the board without compromising the structure or sound.
Most importantly the price.
I know the struggles of wanting a board but not having enough money to drop on a rectangle. It’s a real struggle especially for the broke college student such as myself. Which is why I made it a goal to create a board that has the sound profile I was looking for without decimating my pockets. I know the price isn’t some kind of game changer like the Cannonkeys Bakeneko but it still does reach a price that I would be (as a keyboard addict) okay with paying for a board of this type.
Originally it was going to be a private buy for just my friends and myself, but over time the plan changed. My friends and I loved the way it turned out and wanted to share it with more people.
TL; DR – It’s an o-ring board with the aim of great sound and feel without compromising on the aesthetics and price
Specs
- 60%
- o-ring mount
-Dimensions
294mm x 108mm
19mm front height
6 degree typing angle
-Silver PVD backplate/coated brass
-Will only be running in Polycarbonate to stay on theme- Clear frosted and (fingers crossed) black poly
-Weight is approximately 700g unbuilt or 1.54 lbs
-QMK/VIA compatible PCB with RGB underglow
Plate options:
Alu full/half
POM full/half
Price range
At the time of the IC the plan is to run the board at a price of ~200-250 USD which would include the case, pcb, and accessories*
Quantity
About 100-200 (soft cap)
Vendors
Keyspensory (US)
Want to shoot for somewhere in July for the GB start
and I'm not entirely sure I want to run it outside of the US so that I can quality check everything myself but that’s what ICs are here for-
I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this and comment. Feedback is more than appreciated and I’m excited to continue this journey with everyone.
Special thanks to Freather of Keyspensory and CMM for helping me with the PCB :^)
As well as OnlyJuice for support through helping by buying a proto. Love u bb <3
Please consider following socials and discord for further updates! Thank you!
https://discord.gg/GDU6MZFncYhttps://www.instagram.com/dokkeybi/
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