Usage
Now you can use the Moder97 a few different ways. The most common would be to just plug it in to your PC with the included USB cable. You can also use the included wireless receiver and use it wirelessly via 2.4 GHz or switch it into Bluetooth mode and connect it wirelessly that way. If you want to use the keyboard wirelessly I would suggest 2.4 GHz mode, but it is nice that you can connect it via Bluetooth for devices like tablets and others that may not have a USB port. I had no issues getting the Modern97 connected to my PC using the dongle or in Bluetooth mode.
I have been using the Modern97 as my daily driver for a couple of weeks now and I have really been enjoying it. If you are moving from a full-size keyboard there is not much of a change so it really shouldn’t take long to get used to. Many people are going to appreciate having a full number pad, arrow keys, and function row in a form factor that is smaller than most full-size keyboards. Since the MCR profile of the keycaps are close to the Cherry profile nothing really felt all that odd either.
Coming down to the switches as I mentioned we have Kailh Sonic53 mechanical key switches. These are a linear switch and are designed as a fast gaming switch. Overall I liked how these feel and their responsiveness. If you are wondering how this keyboard sounds with those switches below is an audio sample.
Software
Melgeek has a new software program for their keyboards called Hive. You can download Hive from the Melgeek website, it is supported on Windows, Mac, and even Linux. When you open up the software for the first time you’ll see all of your Melgeek connected devices. We see the Modern97 and we can see its battery level, how its connected, and we can change the mode (more on that in a bit).
Clicking on the Modern97 we can go into its settings. The first section is “Key Value” which allows you to remap your keys quite easily. For those wondering about macro’s you do get a full macro editor which is the 4th section in the settings.
The second section is “Key LED” which allows you to control the lighting on the keyboard. You can set both an effect as well as lighting here. Under “Shortcuts” you can see a list of shortcuts on the keyboard and you can even add your own.
The last section is “Setting”. Here you can see a very detailed section of information on the keyboard, how the keyboard is connected, which mode you are in, you can check for firmware updates, and you can factory reset the keyboard. Talking about modes there is a power saving mode which turns the lighting off and has a 125 Hz polling rate, the standard mode turns the lights on and has a polling rate of 250 Hz, performance mode also turns the lights on and has a polling rate of 1000 Hz.
Lighting
When it comes to the lighting on the keyboard since we have normal keycaps without see-through legends you are really only going to see lighting around the keys. I think with the colorway we have simple white lighting looks best. Here are some shots of the lighting on the keyboard.
