KeyslamButterfly · sound test
MacBook keyboard sound test: the 2018 butterfly keyboard
A 2018 MacBook Pro keyboard recorded close up by khenshom with a Sennheiser MKE600 on a Zoom H5. It sounds like a short, flat tap instead of a mechanical clack.
Updated
Short answer: a 2018 MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard sounds like a short, soft, flat tap with very little ring, duller than the mechanical switches in the other packs. This pack is a close-up recording of one, made by khenshom with a Sennheiser MKE600 microphone on a Zoom H5 and released as CC0. Its soft-to-slam spread is 16.6 dB, the widest of the 15 packs.
MacBook keyboard sound test
Each button plays real strikes from one strength band of this recording. Natural mix lets every key vary, like normal typing. Headphones help.
Press a band to hear “macbook keys” typed on Laptop strikes from that band, then type below.
About this recording
- Keyboard
- Apple MacBook Pro (2018), built-in
- Switches
- Third-generation butterfly
- Keycaps
- Built-in
- Recorded by
- khenshom on Freesound
- Uploaded
- March 31, 2021
- Original file
- WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz, mono, 0:53
- Microphone
- Sennheiser MKE600 microphone on a Zoom H5 recorder
- License
- CC0 1.0 (public domain)
- In Keyslam
- 39 takes, 5 of them key-up
“Close up, multiple keystrokes, single clicks in different speeds.” — khenshom, on the Freesound page (checked November 2, 2026)
The butterfly keyboard
Apple introduced the butterfly mechanism in the 12-inch MacBook in 2015 and used it in MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models until 2019 and 2020, when it went back to scissor switches under the name Magic Keyboard. Butterfly keys move far less than a mechanical switch, so there's no long travel to make noise, just the cap tapping down onto the frame.
The 2018 MacBook Pro has the third generation, which Apple described as quieter than earlier butterfly keyboards; a thin membrane sits under each key. That is what you hear here: a short, damped tap. For a membrane-vs-mechanical A/B, the keyboard sound test page compares this pack with MX Brown.
Measured from the app's pack files
What the MacBook butterfly keyboard pack contains, band by band. Peak is the median take's loudest sample; audible length is how long it stays within 30 dB of that peak. Soft to slam spans 16.6 dB. How the bands are made.
| Band | Percentile of strikes | Regular-key takes | Space, Return, Delete | Median peak | Audible length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft | 8th–30th | 6 | 2 | −17.0 dBFS | 65 ms |
| Medium | 38th–62nd | 6 | 3 | −10.5 dBFS | 55 ms |
| Hard | 70th–88th | 6 | 3 | −7.1 dBFS | 64 ms |
| Slam | 92nd–100th | 6 | 2 | −0.4 dBFS | 39 ms |
Butterfly or scissor: which MacBook keyboard do you have?
If your MacBook is on the butterfly list, this pack is the same kind of keyboard as yours, recorded close up. If it's on the scissor list, your keys travel further, so they won't sound quite like this.
| MacBook | Keyboard |
|---|---|
| 12-inch MacBook (2015–2017) | Butterfly |
| MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch (2016–2019) | Butterfly |
| MacBook Air (2018–2019) | Butterfly |
| MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019) | Scissor (Magic Keyboard) |
| MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020 Intel) | Scissor (Magic Keyboard) |
| All Apple silicon MacBooks | Scissor (Magic Keyboard) |
What this recording adds
The uploader recorded “various typings” close up: multiple keystrokes and single clicks at different speeds, 53 seconds as a 24-bit, 48 kHz mono WAV. A shotgun microphone this close turns a quiet keyboard into a clear, usable sound. Keyslam kept six regular-key takes per band, 2–3 per band for Space, Return and Delete, and 5 key-up takes.
Because the source is mono, the stereo spread in the app comes from Keyslam placing each key by its position.
MacBook keys vs Topre and MX Brown
Two keyboard switches to hear next to the laptop keys.
- Topre: a soft, rounded switch sound, but deeper than a butterfly tap.
- MX Brown: a typical mechanical tactile switch, for the laptop-vs-mechanical contrast.
Who it suits
Pick Laptop for shared rooms and late nights (with the volume down), or if you want gentle confirmation of each keystroke without pretending to have a different keyboard.
Pick something else if you want your MacBook to sound mechanical: MX Brown for a classic tactile, Topre for something soft but deep.
MacBook butterfly keyboard: questions
Is this the sound of a current MacBook keyboard?
No, it's the 2018 butterfly keyboard. Apple silicon MacBooks use scissor keys (Apple's Magic Keyboard), which travel further, so they sound different. Keyslam doesn't have a scissor-key pack.
Was this recorded with the MacBook's own microphone?
No. khenshom used an external Sennheiser MKE600 shotgun microphone on a Zoom H5 recorder, close up, per the Freesound page.
Why add a laptop keyboard sound to a laptop?
Built-in keys are quiet, and some people type more confidently with audible feedback. This pack adds it without sounding like a different keyboard. In the app it plays at the same loudness as every other pack, so set the volume low if you want it subtle.
Keep exploring
Hear the MacBook butterfly keyboard on every keystroke.
$3.99 once after a 7-day free trial. On MacBooks with the motion sensor it follows how hard you type; on other Macs you pick the strength.