Lighting and Performance

The Drop CTRL supports N-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. It can be set to 6KRO with a custom firmware if need be, and a toggle switches between the two as well. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys, and as per usual for mechanical keyboards today, the R. Win key is replaced by an Fn key. This too can be changed via the online configurator or other means of QMK firmware customization.

When first connected, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave effect that is quite impressive to look at in combination with the side lighting. The 32 LEDs help a lot here, and the thicker diffuser adds to this by allowing for a far more uniform lighting effect relative to the more discrete LEDs we saw in the very similar Hexgears Gemini.


Seen above are a few other photos of the keyboard lit up from the top and along the side, wherein the discrete LEDs are more apparent. There are plenty of onboard effects to choose from using simple controls, and this is before the per-key lighting available with the configurator. Light bleed is certainly a thing, so be aware of this if you have a lot of contrasting colors next to each other. Color fidelity could also be better, and white has a pink hue to it. The onboard controls also allow for just backlighting, side lighting, or both in addition to some basic effect-specific settings, including brightness, direction, and speed.


Speaking of which, here are the two pre-programmed layers on the Drop CTRL keyboard, including the base layer, marked 0, which follows the keycap legends as the keyboard ships out of the box. These are as expected for a TKL keyboard in the US ANSI layout, and it is layer 1 with the Fn toggle where you find other handy functions for lighting control, volume, and media playback, as well as a couple of debug/NRKO toggles. There is plenty of room to add more functions, and each layer can be treated as a profile of sorts, too. Missing are means to automatically active the layers with programs, alongside the big omission in the Drop configurator of macro recording and execution. QMK does get around this, but for the sake of the review, I have to primarily focus on the first-party offering. This is otherwise a fairly standard wired keyboard for functionality, and the spare Type-C port is a neat feature to allow for a mouse to be plugged in, for example; USB source permitting, of course.



The keymap options in the Drop online configurator allow users to go with layouts other than QWERTY, and here, I used the source code from an older keyboard review in a layout tester (courtesy of Patrick Gillespie). The results above indicate that QWERTY is not even close to the most efficient layout for me, and very likely you as well. If you are willing, try out Colemak or Dvorak as they will result in lower finger travel and fatigue overall. As such, the software drivers offer a significant functional tool if you are willing to devote some time to adopting either Colemak or Dvorak. Here is the link to the full results if you are interested, including a detailed analysis on key presses and distances moved.


The Drop CTRL comes with several switch options, including from Kailh and Cherry MX. This sample uses one of two available Halo switch options, the Halo True now manufactured by Kailh for Drop. The Halo switches were the reason the collaboration between Drop and Input Club ended, and there are some Hako switches from Input Club as a result. All legal and political reasons aside, the Halo True is a tactile 3-pin mechanical switch that was designed to provide a typing experience similar to Topre keyboards. What that ultimately results in is a smoother force-travel curve with an early tactile bump at ~0.5 mm travel and ~60 gf force, with actuation slightly below at ~54 gf and ~1.9 mm travel, meaning it is a lot smoother than most such switches, including the Akko CS Blue we saw before. Things then get progressive with the spring providing more consistent resistance all the way to a total travel of 4.0 mm and a whopping ~100 gf peak force. This makes it quite easy to touch type as well. Generally, the Halo True is a medium-heavy tactile switch. Typing on the Drop CTRL with the Halo True will be divisive if you are expecting a Topre experience; while I understand the intent here, it doesn't come off as well in practice. The biggest difference is the pre-travel from 0 to 0.5 mm feeling far bumpier on the way to the big bump itself, but there is also no Topre dome collapse, if you will, past the actuation point. Note that this is not to say the Halo True feels better or worse than the Topre switch, just that it did not really come off feeling like one, which was to be expected given the mechanical design constraints. I personally think it's quite fine, and the lubed stem helps keep it smooth, but there are several other tactile switches I would rather use myself, particularly if their tactile feedback and actuation coincide.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the Drop CTRL sample at ~100 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Halo True RGB switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. The slimmer nature of the case helps avoid reverberations, and the lubed stabilizers and thicker PBT keycaps combination also results in a bassier response than usual. The main source of noise ends up being the switch bottoming out on the metal plate itself, which is quite easy to handle on these Halo True switches. I'd go so far as to say that this combination is one of the better-sounding keyboard experiences even today, certainly among pre-built options.