The ModeSixtyFive is a keyboard that I was really excited for. I liked the clean look. I liked the customization. There were so many different options for colors, case materials, plates, mounting styles, etc. I really wanted to try this thing out. So I ordered one. Waited the three or so months for the first group buy to ship. I received while in the hospital and decided the build it the day I got home.
The Build
I opted for the polycarbonate top and bottom case, black back piece (I wish I had gotten a different color), an FR4 half plate, and all the mounting style options so I could figure out which I liked best.
For switches I decided to go with Durock Lavender’s from Cannon Keys. I lubed them with Krytox 205g0 and filmed them with Deskeys Films. I have to say, these are one of my favorite switches that I’ve tried so far. They have a really nice, deep sound signature and they are just so damn smooth. They are also a cute color. Purple is my favorite color so these switches are right up my alley. I cannot say enough good things about them. I honestly love this switch. I know that some others have had quality issues with them in the past but I believe that Durock has addressed these issues as they do not seem present in the batch I received.
I also purchased matching Lavender stabilizers from Cannon Keys and topped off the whole build with JTK Purple on White/White on Purple to really bring the lavender/purple theme together.
Mounting Styles
The ModeSixtyFive has three mounting styles
- Top Mount
- Isolated Top Mount
- Stack Mount
The first two options are basically the same thing in my opinion. I didn’t even bother with regular top mount with this keyboard. I did however try both Isolated Top Mount and Stack Mount.
Isolated Top Mount
Holy flex! Iso Top Mount mixed with the half plate on this board makes it the most flexible typing experience I have ever tried. The flex cuts in the PCB are long and almost go all the way across the PCB. There is so much bounce to the keyboard when setup like this. It’s a really cool feeling and it sounds really nice. It is unlike any keyboard I have ever used. That being said, it’s not my favorite.
Stack Mount
I don’t know why, but the stack mount is my favorite mounting configuration for the ModeSixtyFive. The Stack Mount involves adding a silicone base to the bottom case of the keyboard and resting the PCB on top of said pad. Now this gets rid of a lot of the flex of this board but for some reason I like this experience the most. Maybe I just don’t like the massive flex cuts? Maybe the half plate makes it feel softer? I’m not really sure. But for me, Stack Mount is the way to go.
Sound
I love the way this sounds. It’s kind of muted but not to the point where it doesn’t really make any noise. It’s a deep sound, still a little clacky but not much. I love the way the space bar sounds in this build. It’s easily one of my favorite parts of this build. I’m really proud of the way this sounds.
Closing Thoughts
I’ll be real, I love this keyboard. It’s one of my favorite builds to date. I think the polycarbonate case is beautiful. I think the sound signature is great. I’m really happy with this keyboard. From the looks to performance, I love it. Mode is also planning to keep this group buy open indefinitely by making it a preorderable item on their website. If you want my exact configuration (minus switches, stabs, and keycaps of course) you can use the code 1G2G3A4P5A6A7A8A
on the configuration page. I hope this was useful to you guys out there.