Clean them with soap/diluted isopropyl alcohol.
This will get the grease and dirt off.
If none of this helps, you can also carefully rub off the top layer with a cloth using a little frictional heat.
Make sure that the cleaning is not too aggressive, otherwise the entire coating will come off.
Somewhere on the net there is also someone who offers newly painted knobs, but I can’t find it at the moment.
On Reddit, someone simply painted over his buttons. That could cause problems on the sides because of the gaps. But it’s said to have worked well.
I’ve also ordered black replacement buttons from Elektron because I don’t like the colored buttons on the Digitone.
That went quickly. Only the shipping was expensive.
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On my A4mk2 isopropyl also took off the coating.
It might work with light touch but harder cleaning is risky.
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Just wait a few years and maybe you’ll find out that you also have this special skin moisture composition that gets elektron buttons sticky.
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I usually have pretty dry fingers, don’t leave much fingerprints usually so I might get lucky, but yeah, you never know. I’d hate to damage the keys that way though. Funny that they continued to use that compound while they probably knew from former experiences this might happen in the long run. I DO like that soft finish, but having to choose either hard durable plastic or the ‘classy’ soft touch keys I’d go for the durable ones.
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Remove the failed knobs, buttons, send them back to Elektron.
It’s a failed part. Not suitable for use.
I recently bought a second hand Elektron device and the knobs were quite sticky. I put them all in a sink of soapy water gave them a good wash and they came up pretty good. That said before I did that I ordered replacements, and they were cheap and arrived quickly.
From my experience, this type of stickiness is caused by leaving your equipment in direct sunlight. Keep your stuff away from sunlight and you should be good.
Who would have thought a giant radioactive explosive fireball 100 times the size of the earth could slightly melt my synth knobs?
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I wish they would just move on from this coating and offer the option to buy a replacement set of non coated buttons. I’d buy in an instant.
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People need to stop arguing and pointing fingers at each other about this issue, and instead unite in taking manufactures to task over it.
It’s not a matter of washing your hands or keeping your gear away from heat or direct sunlight. Yes, those things do play a role in the degradation of various polymers. But the bottom line is, TPE and other similar compounds will eventually break down into a sticky, oily mess, regardless of their environment. And they will do so in a much shorter period of time than harder plastics.
If you keep your gear for long enough, it will happen to you, no matter how diligent you are.
At this point in time, we have plenty of perspective on this. It is a well-known and well-documented problem. Therefore, any manufacturer that persists in using these compounds in their products deserves the flak and ought to be held accountable.
Are you listening, Elektron?
Now, I’m off to repost this in @darenager’s thread as well.
Cheers!
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I’ve changed my vote because I’m now a sticky button boy. They’re not terrible, but it is starting to bug me a little.
I got the Syntakt at release and Okinawa is pretty warm and humid for reference. Also young kids around so it usually has a decksaver on top.
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Its almost as if I requested that very same thing in my OP …
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Isopropyl can diffuse into materials.
(I destroyed the display of an Electribe in this way - acrylic glass…)
Always dilute it with distilled water.
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With a quick googling I found this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1798502348/trapdog-custom-keysbuttons-for-elektron
I have not used them but seems legit to me.
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Wow I should have done a search. Never seen them mentioned. Those red keys looks great, would be interested in how they look on a st
The surface looks a bit bumpy when you zoom in though.
As long as they let me buy the DTII with the soft keys before switching, for a nicer match with the other devices. I can be a little bit OCD regarding those things 
That, and/or heat probably. Should’ve seen the ‘browning’ of the plastic on some vintage computer that I stored out of the sun but in a pretty hot container…
I saw this today. I dont know if its real. But if it is…
(I started this Poll almost 3 years ago. Now the numbers look like nearly half of people that voted have this problem with their units.)
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There’s also this:
https://www.elektronauts.com/t/winstons-wonderful-things/225763/94
Lots of photos in this thread, also black colour and other colours …
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even if its about hands washing, i only had problems with elektron mk2 buttons, no other gear had problems with my hands. ever
this has been explained several times - it is not due to hand washing - it happens due to the type of coating been used on the buttons that start melting because of humidity and change of temperature - my AR was in a box for several months unused and I suddenly found 3 buttons sticky and with the rubber coating peeled off - I have replaced those buttons but who knows until when the others will last.
I hope Elektron will offer the possibility to buy the new buttons via their webshop
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