In this article I am going to share the steps of modifying Keychron Q1 so it sounds better (marble-y) with no ping or hollowness.

I have the one with phantom red switches.

Disclaimer: I am new to using mechanical keyboards and in fact, Q1 is the first board that I ever opened.

Things needed:

• Painter’s tape: I have seen some use masking tape but from what I researched, painter’s tape is better since it does not leave a residue behind. I purchased ScotchBlue one from Amazon.
• Cotton.

This only takes about half an hour and is totally worth it for the improved sound imo. You do not need to take out the switches.

TLDR; Did tape mod, force break and added some cotton. Removed the thicker case foam.

Sound tests:

Before:

After:

Step 1

Place the keyboard upside down on a soft cloth and unscrew the 8 screws using the Allen key tool that comes with the keyboard. You will find the allen key hidden, below the Quick Start Guide sheet in the Q1’s box.

Step 2

Remove the thicker case foam layer (the upper one) and put it aside.

Step 3

Stick one end of the painter’s tape on the one side of the PCB and extend it till the other end at the bottom. Press it down firmly with your fingers along its length.

Step 4

Stick another strip slightly overlapping the earlier one above it and cover the entire PCB going upwards incl. the little cable connecting the daughter board.

Repeat this 2 more times.

Give a gentle massage all over.

Step 5

Cut small pieces of the painter’s tape and stick it like in the below photo. Make all these double layered.

Step 6

Place some cotton (I had to tear it so it is not too thick) above the layers of tape on the PCB.

Step 7

Flip the bottom plate back up on the top one and join them together. You may have to apply a little force for the screw threads to get in contact. Do any two opposite corners first and then the others later.

That’s it!