A keyboard that doesn't rattle?

I have a really weird problem right now. My new sub woofer really rattles the keys on my keyboard to a point where it effects the smoothness of the bass. The keyboard doesn't rattle if I hold it in the air so this means that my table shakes which makes the keyboard rattle. So I put mouse pads below the keyboard and that did reduce the rattle quite a lot but still when the bass gets really heavy it starts rattling like crazy.

So what solution can you suggest me? Are more expensive keyboards resistant to this sort of thing?

I currently have the Logitech Media Keyboard, I think its around 5 years old.

Turn your bass down?

buy some suction cups

Here is a wonderful idea, buy some anti-vibration pads, and put them between your table, and keyboard. This should help.

Most decent speakers come with them anyway for this exact reason. It decouples the speakers from the surface area they are sitting on. Also it wouldn't hurt to put some on the sub itself (where it sits on the ground) As well as where the table you use comes in contact with the floor. This should reduce the vibration on your keyboard to a minimum.

That won't be fun you know. And its not like I am pumping so much bass that everything is flying off the wall, its just the keyboard that's giving me the problem.

The speakers have those pads at the bottom and they have no vibration problem. The sub is sitting flat on a wooden floor and it doesn't have rattling issue either.

Ya if the table doesn't vibrate then the keyboard won't either. The area where it comes in contact with the floor is pretty big about 2 feet on either side. What sort of a thing I can get that would also keep the table steady? Or should I get some pad for the keyboard? Can you give some link from amazon?

Is buying a more expensive/different keyboard not a solution?

Putting the pads on the sub will help, especially if it is sitting on a wooden floor. Wood carries resonance. Decoupling the sub from the floor is the first step you should take! As it will reduce the coloring your room will have on the low-end frequencies somewhat.

Here is a cheap solution for you at amazon. (its a starting point, and you can go from there) anti-vibration pads

I would first use it to decouple the sub from the floor, then the desk from the floor, then the keyboard from the desk. You can get multiple sheets, and cut it to fit.

A different keyboard may help (for the keyboard) depending on what keyboard you get. But if your keyboard is rattling, it is not the only thing rattling and coloring your low end. (just the closest one to you that you can identify)

If you are really interested in room acoustics, then I think you should learn about acoustic treatment, and how to apply it. Learn somewhat what nodes, and anti-nodes are, and Identify your direct reflection surfaces, and if you decide to acoustically treat your room. You will see a noticeable difference in tightness of low-end, and a much more natural frequency reproduction (by the time it hits your ears)

Buy a high end mechanical keyboard, it schould help and if not you have a keyboard that will outlive your PC...

What's the sub? Is it touching the desk? What's the floor made of?

I have a large (10" driver, 14.6" cube) Mordaunt Short sub and I don't have problems like this. I assume either the sub is touching the desk or the desk isn't stable.

@Gambler_3: hagaghhahahaha

But I am happy with the quality of the bass and the keyboard is really the only thing rattling as I tested this by disconnecting it entirely.

Proper room treatment requires a lot of effort and money but one day I do plan to do it.

No and the desk is stable.

The sub is just 7", here's a pic.

Does your keyboard rattle at the slightest slap to the desk? Mine does, is that normal for keyboards?

Either your keyboard has terrible build quality or your desk isn't stable.

@Gambler_3: Let me be clear, decoupling the sub from the floor will not reduce your bass from the sub. It will just reduce your room coloring of the bass. It might possibly make it less boomy (however by doing so it will also make it tighter/punchier)

Right now I am using an Eleven Rack (external soundcard) to a set of Event BAS 20/20 studio monitors. (sound fantastic), but I think just a little too large for my room. I am entertaining the thought of upgrading to a set of Presonus Sceptre s6 matched with a Presonus Temblor t10 subwoofer. I kinda miss having a sub. However I stated this just to say that once I get that sub it will undoubtedly be decoupled from the floor with some type of padding. Which will give a much more accurate representation of low-end frequencies.

Acoustic treatment is difficult to do decently, and can cost a pretty penny. I know from experience. I am about 1/3 of the way through acoustically treating my home studio. However, I can notice less convolution of low end frequencies from what I have already done.

Its a little difficult to tell by the picture, but is the front part of the desk (where the keyboard and mouse sit) actually connected to the back piece where your two speakers sit? Also is that back piece touching the wall? (or attached) Is your sub touching the wall at all?

No they are 2 different tables. The back one is mounted in the wall with no legs. No the sub cannot touch the wall because it got all its connections at the back.

@Gambler_3:

Ahh ok, hard to tell in the pic.

Some subs have heatsinks on them that stick out further than the connections do. Some housings (especially towards the bottom) can stick out far enough to touch the lip (where the floor and wall meet, I am not sure what it is called)

If your keyboard is really old, or just a cheapy, then upgrading wouldn't be a bad idea anyway. But I would still get some padding, and start decoupling the things I stated above until you don't experience the problem anymore.

Also wouldn't hurt to make sure all the screws are tight on the desk. Might help reduce vibration a little if one, or two weren't all that snug.

get a small floor rug and put it under the table\chair.

I moved the 2 tables a little apart from each other and that seems to have helped significantly. At first they were touching each other so maybe there was a problem with that.

Well there you go. Anything you do now will just further reduce the problem.

This?

I would get a small rug or piece of carpet under the sub anyway.

I thought carpet was bad for a sub? Guess I was wrong haha.

My advice would, go to a local store and see what they have for sale. Then discreetly give the keyboards you like a shoogle and see if they rattle or not. That way you get one you can afford , that you like and doesn't rattle too much :)

I think I might have narrowed down to the real culprit and its the space bar key on my keyboard. Its become really loose and wobbles at the slightest force.