When crafting the perfect keyboard sound, most turn to choosing the right switch. In truth, however, the sound of your keyboard cannot be reduced to a single element but rather comes about as a product of everything working together - the board, the foams, the switches, and, yes, the keycaps. 

So here's a short guide to things you might want to consider when choosing the right keycap for you. The best thing is that you'll find that you don't always need the most expensive, top-of-the-line set to get your desired sound at all!

--- (1) Material ---

Some materials lend themselves easier to a thocky sound. The most low-pitches  board I've even built had those fancy ceramic keycaps from Cerakey - if you're going for a nice low thock, these are a good premium option. 

Me, I had hoped that the sound would resemble typing on glass or the clicking of ceramic, so Cerakeys actually turned out to be the worst choice. In fact, some of my favorite sounds have come from quite cheap single-shot ABS plastic, because it lent itself to a high-pitched, poppier kind of sound.

Most people prefer the sound of PBT over ABS, especially in thocky builds, but in my experience this comes down to the thickness of the key, not the kind of plastic it uses. 

Generally, I've found that single-shot PBT will be much thicker than single-shot ABS. This accounts for why many feel that PBT just thocks better than ABS.

So: if you want a really deep sound (and do not mind parting with some 200 pounds), consider ceramic. Otherwise, the choice between ABS and PBT comes down to which feel you prefer.

--- (2) Thickness ---

Generally, thicker keycaps will be better in terms of feel - especially if they're double-shot. Most of the time you'll find double-shot PBT, which are always a good option for creamy and thocky sounds (except GMK keycaps, which are double-shot ABS). 

Thinner keycaps will tend to produce a higher sound but depending on which ones you buy this might mean you'll compromise on quality of feel, especially if the material is cheap.

--- (3) Profile ---

Taller profiles produce lower-pitched sound - so OEM will be lower-pitched than cherry, provided that the material and thickness are the same. 

Inversely, lower profiles produce higher-pitched sound.

--- (4) Combining ---

Thickness and profile can be used to complement each other, depending on your preference. If you want a thocky keyboard but prefer cherry profile keys for comfort, opt for a thicker key - thick PBT or double-shot ABS, for example. If you can't type of anything shorter than SA but want a poppy board, consider going for a thinner key - single-shot ABS, for example.

--- Outro ---

So hopefully this post has given you a nice first idea of what kind of keycap you might want for your keyboard. 

In my Etsy shop (KeycapHeavenUK), you'll find multiple profile heights available (Cherry, OEM, MA and more) and mostly single-shot PBT keycaps (although there are some ABS and double-shot PBT ones in stock so far).