Rubber Coating on Buttons

[Dr.K]

The coating/paint looks quite uneven on the buttons.

[Riuozami]

yeah no alcohol will ruin them.

you need to rub very patiently - I spent 1 hour for each button…I know it is a lot but they are no longer sticky -

[Dr.K]

Yeah, too late for me. Maybe next time…

[Riuozami]

the Etsy ones are not bad - the price is high, higher than elektron ones. but the downside is that the Elektron will deteriorate at some point any way -

[mfk]

The same topic over and over again in the same 5 chats with the same 5 participants.
Some complain, others explain the causes, others provide one of the 5 solutions.
Would be ok for me and probably others if the admin closes these topics and forwards a link to an article with a summary of the facts and feasible options.

[chapelierfou]

Yeah, but as crazy as it sounds, after reading almost every topic I still don’t know how to cure my sticky OTMKII buttons

[mfk]

Poll: Elektron coated buttons

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…

Poll: Elektron coated buttons

Isopropyl can diffuse into materials. (I destroyed the display of an Electribe in this way - acrylic glass…) Always dilute it with distilled water.

Please don’t feel provoked:
A good solution is: wash your hands before you make music.
(I agree that a different coating would be far better. But we have the product now and it will not change unless it is worthwhile for Elektron to offer an alternative set of keys)

2nd solution: Order a set of new buttons. They don’t cost much. But the postage is incredibly expensive. So it’s better to order more right away.
If necessary, apply a thin coat of varnish to the new keys.

Prevention: Avoid humid, warm air if geographically possible. Do not cover closed - a thin cloth is better than a plastic cover. Do not smoke in the room.

[chapelierfou]

@mfk

Please don’t feel provoked:
A good solution is: wash your hands before you make music.

Actually, this happened on a unit (I own two) that I lent to a friend whose unit was broken and needed an urgent replacement for a gig.
He made the gig, gave the OT back in its box. Then a few months after, I unboxed it and discover that the buttons were sticky.

[Dr.K]

You know you can mute threads?

[xxxsanrioxxx]

I would give them another go. They answered my tocket promptly and sent a new button set for the cost of postage.

[Dr.K]

Was your device still under warranty? I have to pay 39€ for new buttons + shipping.

[elsewhere]

i’m on my SECOND set of buttons and they are now sticky after a year. it’s gross. somewhat disappointed. i’m considering the sandpaper method. I live really close to saltwater and wonder if that’s what is causing them to get gooey. I rarely open windows though and the AC runs 95% of the time in a 24 hour period.

[mfk]

check

Kebu

[elsewhere]

Thanks @mfk i’ll chk it out.
wow. from citronella oil, to isopropyl alcohol, to baking soda, to clear spraypaint to neutrogena wipes. something should work!

[Riuozami]

I think it has to due with the sweat from the fingers - the chemical reaction between the acid of the sweat and rubber coating.

I removed all the rubber coating with a cloth, just rubbing gently towards the button without using any solvent, alcohol, soap or water.

Once the coating has been fully removed, that stickiness goes away and the button become glossy a bit like the one on the MacBook Air

I much prefer them to be honest, but I think Elektron love the rubber coating and they will continue to use them in their machine,

It would be amazing if they could offer an option to buy the glossy buttons instead of the rubber coated one…

[xxxsanrioxxx]

I tried using water, dish detergent and rubbing with a cotton cloth, way too labor intensive. This is the first I’ve heard of baking soda, will give it a shot.

[h3n6]

To reiterate the advice already in this thread/forum: Use Goo Gone and scrub with an old T-Shirt. I’ve done this successfully for a few buttons now, the color stays on and the surface remains smooth.

If the coating is already somewhat degraded, i.e. when dust noticeably starts sticking to the button, it will come off easily within minutes.

However, I cleaned one button that was still in good condition and found it extremely tedious. My approach has been to only clean when necessary.

Good luck!

[Riuozami]

yes - but goo gone is quite toxic as it includes petroleum distillates.

[cirklown]

I just don’t like carcinogens on the fingers I eat with. I echo the cotton shirt method. I got my digitakt all sticky, so much so that the guy returned 100 dollars from the sold price as it was ridiculous to call that excellent condition.
It takes a lot of time but the result is what it should be in the first place. A hard, perfectly smooth and clicky surface. I have to get to work and finish all of my keys someday. Let’s go elektron, you can tell the vendor to not finish with that coat, or can’t you?

[KidYoshi]

Holy crap, €60? WTF!?