Redragon K580 VATA RGB LED Mechanical Keyboard

In the office, I have a Logitech G710 (with Cherry blue keys). At my home, I used to have a Corsair K95 RGB (the version with 18 macro keys, key hardware is cherry reds) hooked to both my home PC and my work laptop. I'm a software engineer and play video games, so I have a reasonable experience with my two different mechanical keyboards. I recently switched my desk setup so that my office space is segregated off on its own and now needs its own keyboard. My goals in a new keyboard were: 1 - mechanical keys, similar to my cherry reds in the K95. 2 - basic backlighting 3 - one USB connection, or one USB-C connection. My work laptop is a Surface 3 mated to a Surface Hub, so there's a limited supply of USB-A connections 4 - at minimum, a dedicated media key for volume. 5 - if possible, on-the-fly macro recording without software assistance. On paper, the Redragon K580 PRO (or maybe it's called a VATA PRO? The box said VATA PRO...) would achieve all my needs and more. However, it's a bit of a "jack of all trades, master of none" situation: PROS: - The lighting is very good. Coloring is on par with leading brands. Lighting does not bleed on to other keys, nor on to the blank spaces around the edges of the keys (such as the space above the arrow keys). Keys are nice and bright - the process of programming custom colors is reasonably straightforward and can be done at a per-key level. I prefer a fairly basic two or three-color design, which I can set up in just a few seconds - the keyboard feels well built, and has a heft of around 1100 grams. In comparison, my big K95 weighs around 1300 - a difference of 1 cup of sugar to give you an idea. - USB-C connection helps future proof. Included cable is a USB-C to USB-A, but I'm sure I could use a C-to-C connection if I wasn't too lazy at the moment to go looking. - Connection is at the top, slightly left of center (directly above F5 key). It is only slightly recessed, so you should be able to use any aftermarket cable - support for 3 Bluetooth connections, wired connection, and wireless 2.4GHz. - hotkey support to set up your wireless/BT connections (just press and hold the FN key plus 1,2,3, or 4 for three seconds). - Mac and Windows support if that's something you need - volume roller -FN key + various keys do a plethora of things. Setting lighting, volume, track skipping, screen brightness, search, voice command - rechargable battery - FN+ right shift gives a battery meter - you can turn off the side lights if you don't like them - dedicated charging light near the volume scroller (red = charging, green = full charge) - wireless USB connector is safely stored on the underside of the keyboard when not in use - macro recording does not require software. This is a big bonus over my K95 and G710, which both require software support - macro keys only light up if there is a macro stored on them CONS: - My biggest gripe is the key feel. A few years back, I bought a basic Redragon mechanical keyboard that did nothing special except have blue backlighting and have blue switches. I knew the switches were made by Oetemu, which are 'not as good', but I really couldn't tell a difference between them and the cherry blues in my G710. I decided to take a chance with this Redragon keyboard, thinking it would at least feel SOMEwhat similar to my K95... unfortunately, the Redragon Oetemu red switches feel very thick. My K95 has a very uniform feel between any key you press, whereas this K580 has a significant difference between the alphabetic keys (which feel sort of like cherry browns with a rubber bumper) and the backspace/enter/numpad +/space keys (which feel VERY much like a membrane keyboard). With how much I'm typing each day, this is too much to stomach. - dedicated media keys only light up when you press them. Otherwise, they are very dark and you have to guess what you pressed - There are four indicator lights between the dedicated media keys and the volume scroller. They are for num lock, caps lock, scroll lock, and battery (red = charging, green = full charge). The indication of what they are is etched into the plastic and is unreadable unless you are inches from the keyboard. On my other keyboards, the indication is printed in white paint and easily readable. For those of you who keep this keyboard, I suggest applying some nail polish to achieve the same effect. - If you set a custom color pattern, the FN key is unlit. I couldn't find any way to set it to a color. It only becomes lit on one of the 12 preset RGB patterns - If you change from your custom color pattern to one of the preset patterns, it wipes out your customization - There is a switch on the bottom side that puts the keyboard in Bluetooth OR wired OR wireless. I thought you could switch between all the connections on the fly. The good news is that if you decide to use Bluetooth, you at least have access to 3 connections you can swap on the fly. - All on-the-fly macro recording also records your pauses between keystrokes. This is very annoying, especially if you want the macro to type out a phrase quickly. One reviewer said they had luck hitting REC twice before starting their macro, but I didn't see where this worked - FN + ESC is supposed to perform some sort of 'reset'. I couldn't figure out what it did - the manual is in very broken English - pressing the dedicated key marked with a speaker/light on it makes the volume roller switch between volume control and lighting brightness. What is the point in this?? Why isn't that button instead a mute button instead of making the user have to find FN+F10?? We already have it where FN + Print Screen turns brightness on and off, FN + up/down arrows manage key brightness.... Oddities and other mentions: - FN+F3 is supposed to invoke the Windows task switcher (same as typing ALT + Tab). However, there's a quirk: When you type ALT+Tab and release only the Tab key, the task switcher remains open. You can keep hitting the Tab key to swap apps one by one. In comparison, pressing FN+F3 is like holding down ALT + Tab, where it rapidly selects between apps. As soon as you release one of the keys, the operating system switches to whatever task your land on, sort of like playing slot machines at a casino. Overall, the keyboard shows promise in design, but needs help in the function. For a little bit more, I can get a Corsair K70 RGB PRO ($100) or a Ducky One 3 ($90), both of which are top-tier companies that supply cherry MX keys. They might do a bit less, but will do precisely what they advertise very, very well.