The customized mechanical keyboard interest has expanded tremendously over the previous couple of years, however one staple has remained the identical: the most effective keyboards are virtually at all times locked behind the group purchase mannequin, forcing you to pay typically upwards of a 12 months upfront. Mode Designs has bucked that development with its on-line configurator, changing these prolonged wait occasions with a (principally) ready-to-ship operation, extra customization choices, and a stage of high quality that competes with the perfect customized keyboards.
The Sonnet may be Mode’s most beloved keyboard. First launching in mid-2022, it has made the rounds on r/mechanicalkeyboards and has had its praises sung far and huge by outstanding keyboard influencers. After attempting it for myself, it’s no marvel why. Not solely does it look nice absolutely constructed on a desk, the extent of refinement in all the things from its building to its typing expertise is nothing in need of class-leading for a (principally) available customized keyboard.
Costs begin at $299 and escalating rapidly. Our assessment unit is near the costliest configuration and is available in at $661, assuming you present your individual switches, keycaps and stabilizers. If you happen to purchase these with the keyboard, Mode supplies a $35 low cost, however the complete price involves $781. You actually don’t have to put money into all the most costly choices, nevertheless, and the typical Sonnet ought to are available in round $400 to $450. The Sonnet isn’t low cost, nevertheless it nonetheless manages to really feel like a superb worth in most configurations — particularly should you’re itching to raise your typing expertise and desk aesthetic in a method that feels secure and lacks the dramatic wait occasions. Simply be ready to pay for its customization choices.
Mode Sonnet Specs
| Switches | Not included (non-compulsory add-on) |
| Lighting | None |
| Onboard Storage | 4 layers of programmability |
| Media Keys | Programmable |
| Connectivity | USB Sort-A |
| Cable | 6 toes, braided |
| Supplies | Aluminum or polycarbonate high; aluminum, brass, copper, stainless-steel, polycarbonate backside; aluminum, brass, copper, stainless-steel, or walnut accent |
| Swap Plate | FR4, carbon fiber, polycarbonate, brass copper, or aluminum full plates; FR4, polycarbonate, or aluminum half plates |
| Keycaps | Not included (non-compulsory add-on) |
| Software program | QMK/VIA |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 143mm x 315mm x 19mm (5.62 x 12.4 x 0.75 inches) |
| Weight | 3 – 7.5 kilos absolutely assembled |
Design of the Mode Sonnet
The Mode Sonnet is all about aesthetics. It’s the very first thing you’ll respect whenever you take a tour of its on-line configurator. The keyboard makes use of a compact 75-percent structure, which implies it has arrow keys, a operate row, and a single navigation and modifying column however lacks a numpad. However from there, the design particulars take over.
The keyboard makes use of a three-part design for its case, every of which may be combined and maxed to style. You’ve the aluminum high case, which is accessible in 9 completely different colours (black, lavender, inexperienced, silver, grey, white, navy, crema, and ice blue). An accent bar runs alongside the highest edge and is accessible in 11 colours, together with completely different supplies like brass, copper, and even walnut. The underside is available in eight colours and 5 supplies: aluminum (black, grey, gold, and white), brass, copper, and polycarbonate.
Utilizing the configurator, you possibly can combine and match colours and supplies to design your good match and see the way it seems in real-time. Our assessment pattern was despatched with a navy high with a copper accent and backside. The outcomes look even higher in individual. The accent bar looks like a small element on paper however, sitting in entrance of you, actually makes the design pop. There’s additionally some very nice contouring alongside the perimeters, the place the underside colour is seen when seen at an angle, which seems good and makes the keyboard simpler to choose up and reposition.
These decisions influence extra than simply the keyboard’s aesthetics. Your selection of fabric will immediately influence its sound. Denser supplies, like brass or copper, will result in higher-pitched keystrokes, whereas softer supplies like polycarbonate will sound deeper.
That is additionally true for the opposite configuration choices. Through the design course of, you’re offered with choices to your change mounting plate (FR4, carbon fiber, aluminum, brass, polycarbonate, POM, or copper), and might even select to make use of a “half-plate” to extend flex. This feature leaves a big cut-out across the alpha keys for essentially the most flex, although is extremely advisable for a soldered construct so the switches don’t wobble of their sockets — a soldered and hot-swap PCB is another choice at check-out.
You’ll additionally select your inside weight and whether or not you’d prefer to have a silicone base for a second construct possibility. The load has much less of an influence on sound and is extra about giving the keyboard heft and solidity. Altering supplies from the underside case also can assist mitigate any ringing noises or reverberations when typing.
The bottom, then again, is immediately tied to the keyboard’s mounting choices. The Sonnet may be inbuilt two methods: stack mount or remoted high mount. Stack mount includes including a silicone insert into the underside of the case, which the PCB and switches “stack” on high of. Remoted high mount leaves out the bottom and as a substitute screws the PCB into the highest case with silicone tabs to isolate your keystrokes and improve its acoustics. There isn’t a proper or incorrect, and I’d encourage anybody contemplating the Sonnet to purchase the bottom so that they have the choice. Stack mount has a extra muted sound profile and fewer flex, whereas remoted high mount is extra pronounced and is barely softer underneath the fingers.
Mode additionally affords the choice of buying all the things you’ll want unexpectedly — one other good characteristic for builders that don’t need to cobble collectively their keeb from a number of websites. You’ll be able to select so as to add switches, keycaps, stabilizers, and even lubricant, although the latter is accessible elsewhere on the location. The keycaps are additionally used within the renders on the configurator, so you possibly can obtain that precise look you are going for.
Costs for the Sonnet start at $299 however they go up rapidly. Selecting any colour aside from black for the highest and backside case provides $10 to $50. Another inside weight is $50. Alternate plates run anyplace from $5 to $45. A hot-swap PCB as a substitute of solder is $10. That silicone base? $15, and if you would like a foam package to tune its acoustics (one thing often constructed into the worth of customized keyboards), that’ll be one other $12. The most costly configuration tops out at $736. Add switches, keycaps, and stabilizers to that and also you’re upwards of $850. It’s fairly a variety.
This isn’t to say that the Sonnet is exorbitant. It can be, nevertheless it doesn’t need to be. Very similar to the keyboard itself, Mode supplies an array of choices to cater to a large swath of shoppers. If you happen to’re a devoted keyboard fanatic who desires fancy, Mode has choices for that. If you happen to’re new to the interest and need one thing secure (Mode isn’t a fly-by-night firm) and that you understand can be good, the starter $299 configuration is a superb basis to construct on.
After I unboxed our pattern, I used to be struck by how good it regarded. Mode despatched ours absolutely constructed with its personal Obscura Linear switches and Anthracite keycaps. There’s a seductiveness to its minimalism, one thing that pulls you in for a better examination. It doesn’t have per-key RGB and it doesn’t want it. It’s refined and stylish in a method I haven’t seen on another keyboard. It’s additionally clearly a “Mode” keyboard. The design language is exclusive sufficient that, if you understand keyboards, you possibly can have a look at it and inform: that’s a Mode.
Typing Expertise of the Mode Sonnet
Like all customized keyboards, the precise typing expertise will depend upon the way you select to construct it. My pattern was despatched with Mode Obscura linear switches and Anthracite keycaps. The switches are long-pole, pre-lubed linears, with no tactile bump or click on all through the important thing press. The keycaps are created from a mix of PBT and ABS plastic for enhanced sturdiness and use doubleshot legends for crispness and longevity.
Merely put, I used to be blown away by the standard of the typing expertise. My final expertise with a Mode keyboard was the Sixty-5 again in 2021 and the corporate has made leaps since that point. Whereas the Sixty-5 was excellent, the Sonnet is noticeably higher with Mode’s Obscura switches. Keystrokes are clean with simply sufficient give to really feel tender and non-fatiguing whereas nonetheless providing a crisp and pronounced sound profile.
There’s a basic long-pole sound from these switches. Lengthy pole switches have an extended heart stem than conventional switches like Cherry’s MX line. Somewhat than having the rails on both aspect of the change backside out, the Obscura’s heart pole hits first, giving every press a extra crisp, poppy sound profile, even with out PE foam.
Attempting each remoted high mount and stack mount, it is clear to me that every type may have its followers. The firmer, extra muted sound profile of the stack mount could also be a greater match for the workplace, however the remoted high mount felt and sounded higher to me general. Neither possibility is particularly flexy underneath the fingertips, so it comes down as to whether you favor iso-top’s extra open sound profile.
One of many issues I’ve to offer Mode credit score for is designing a case that may sound good in a number of configurations. Many keyboards, particularly these purchased outdoors of the group purchase mannequin, depend on foam to sound good. Designing a case construction that doesn’t have hollowness or reverberation and might deliver out the most effective in switches is a way more intricate course of than it first appears. However that’s what Mode has executed right here. I examined it with a number of switches and configurations, and there wasn’t a single one which didn’t sound good. That signifies that irrespective of the way you select to construct it, you may be assured that you just’ll have an finish product you may be pleased with.
Gaming Expertise of the Mode Sonnet
The Sonnet isn’t designed to be a gaming keyboard nevertheless it works completely properly for it. You sacrifice a few of the superior programmability of gaming apps like Razer Synapse, nevertheless it’s responsive sufficient for all the things from single-player RPGs to aggressive shooters. It’s additionally price noting that you just can nonetheless program key remaps, a number of layers (just like profiles on many gaming keyboards), and easy textual content macros, so it’s attainable you could not even discover it missing considerably relying in your programming wants.
Since this can be a keyboard you customise from the bottom up, it’s additionally seemingly that you just’ll derive extra satisfaction from gaming with it than a run-of-the-mill gaming keyboard. Past fundamental responsiveness and programming, it comes right down to how good the keyboard is to make use of, and the Sonnet is superb, and caters to your explicit tastes in a method conventional mechanical keyboards can’t be.
Over my testing interval, I performed all the things from Battlefield 2042 to Baldur’s Gate 3 and even dabbled in Alan Wake 3. I don’t use difficult macros for gaming, however I do prefer to hold a number of profiles so I’ve keymaps proper readily available. The Sonnet labored completely for that. The structure can be a boon to gaming, leaving extra space for the mouse hand in first-person shooters.
Software program for the Mode Sonnet
The Sonnet doesn’t have software program of its personal and as a substitute makes use of VIA for all of its programming choices. VIA is an open-source configurator that now has a useful on-line instrument that may immediately detect the keyboard with out the necessity to load a JSON file like most different customized keyboards. As soon as it does, remapping keys is as easy and easy as keyboard software program comes.
VIA works by supplying you with a visible structure of your keyboard with all the present keymaps. Under this diagram are all the potential choices you possibly can place there as a substitute, damaged into tabs for various capabilities. You merely click on the important thing you’d like to alter and click on what you’d like there as a substitute. Modifications are saved routinely and can work on any PC, no matter OS or IT safety coverage.
The Sonnet helps as much as 4 layers of keymaps. Consider these like complete further key units that may be accessed by tapping or holding a operate button — not in contrast to Razer HyperShift, besides you’re not restricted to a single layer. This lets you map media controls, buttons for particular apps or video games, lighting controls, and macros with out shedding the performance of any key in your high, bodily layer.
What’s great about VIA is that it means that you can get inventive with the way you entry these layers. You’ll be able to faucet and maintain a operate key, faucet it as soon as to activate that layer, activate it just for a single keystroke, and extra. My favourite operate is Layer Faucet (which doesn’t have its personal button however can nonetheless be utilized utilizing the “any” possibility), the place your operate key solely prompts when held, however when it’s tapped, will nonetheless work as the usual key. Caps Lock turns into the proper operate key on this case, supplying you with immediate entry to a different layer of keys together with your pinky whereas nonetheless working like regular when tapped and re-tapped.
Utilizing this, have separate layouts for various video games or purposes that may be swapped on the fly. You’ll be able to have as much as 4 instructions tied to a single key. Or, returning to my Layer Faucet instance, have your entire arrows, navigation buttons, media and lighting controls, and extra positioned immediately round Residence Row, making the complete keyboard really feel extra environment friendly.
The most important draw back to VIA is that macro performance is extra restricted than you’ll discover on the greatest gaming keyboards. As a result of the software program is designed to work identically with tons of of various keyboards, superior capabilities like record-buttons macros are out. You’ll be able to enter textual content strings however even key combos (Alt+F4, for instance) require typing in keycodes. It’s technically attainable, however should you’re something like me, you’ll discover instruments like Bartel’s Macro Recorder Professional to be a lot simpler and extra environment friendly.
Backside Line
The Mode Sonnet is actually one thing particular within the customized mechanical keyboard world. It’s far more available than nearly all of its rivals and the ultimate product is simply as high-quality and well-designed as the perfect choices on this interest. The web configurator makes designing your good keyboard straightforward and its case will hold your keys sounding good it doesn’t matter what you construct it with.
There’s no method round its worth creep, although. The Keychron Q1 doesn’t have the identical refined look or really feel because the Sonnet, however at $179.99, it’s nonetheless a compelling different. If gaming keyboards are extra your pace, the Azoth ROG Azoth affords class-leading keys and glorious wi-fi connectivity.
However should you’re searching for a keyboard with grown-up seems and a fair higher sound and really feel, the Mode Sonnet is just top-of-the-line decisions accessible as we speak. It’s an enormous step ahead from the Sixty-5 and, even now, a 12 months after launch, nonetheless has classes to show the mechanical keyboard trade. It will get costly quick with add-ons, nevertheless it’s a winner even in its most elementary configuration.
MORE: Finest Gaming Keyboards
MORE: Learn how to Choose Keycaps for Your Mechanical Keyboard
MORE: Learn how to Construct a Customized Mechanical Keyboard
