I have a replacement button that was sent directly from Elektron that arrived sticky and mucky.
To be fair, UPS had it stuck in traffic for like a month. Doesn’t change the fact, though.
Main reason I don’t buy digis (up there along with no multiple outputs).
I am not sure if that’s true but I recall someone saying the issue is caused by the use of hand sanitisers that remains in the fingers.
Having said that, I have never used hand sanitisers and my Analog Rytm MK2 has this exact issue.
I have not used it for a couple of years, I left it on the desk uncovered and unused. When I returned to use it after 2 years, the buttons were sticky and the coating was deteriorating like if I had used it every day.
This made me think that the issue is not caused by dirt, dust or hand sanitiser or long use - it is just the chemical reaction of that particular rubber with temperature change of the place where the instrument is located.
Same, in fact I bought from Elektron an entire keycaps set for my A4mkII, wapping 87€ and came with a bunch of already sticky (degraded) caps!
Yeah as far as I can tell based on my limited research it can be due to a number of factors, heat and humidity are a big one, but also possibly UV light and exposure to chemicals present in other nearby materials. I’m guessing it probably depends on the exact composition on the material they’re using for these buttons.
I stand corrected!
I found this from a cookware manufacturer -
Dirty hands can definitely be one factor, but it seems like that plus other things like humidity are probably needed to really bring out the melt in this stuff. Also it’s worth remembering that these machines are intended to be lugged around sweaty clubs, played by sweaty jamming performers, hastily packed away, stuck in hot compartments in planes/trains/cars. So it’s just a hopelessly bad choice of material for this.
It’s honestly a bit of a mystery ay.
All I know is that it’s never happened to any device I own (and I’ve owned a fair few with this coating). I live in the UK which is basically a cool swamp. Even my phone case has this coating and is handled and mistreated daily.
I mention my car because it lives outside, is subject to frequent and rapid temperature changes and is constantly exposed to UV.
Maybe it happens when you don’t use it enough. A form of punishment for ignoring your musical toys. I say this in jest, but there does seem to be a recurring theme of ‘returning’ to the device after some time and it being in this condition. Even the info above seems to be addressing why this happens “after months of storage”.
I live in the UK too - none of my other music gear and non music electric equipments with rubber coating have had this issue-
all in perfect conditions even after 2 years of non use.
it is really this type of coating I think
I can’t quite stick my finger on why it happens… but I can stick my finger on the damn button and that’s enough for me to know!
Aren’t there topics about sticky buttons?
Back on topic: I would love if Elektron made some extra delay and reverb algo’s for all the machines.
Agreed. A couple of different algos for these would be great!
Well, the topic is quite broad “what’s next for Elektron?”
It’s fair to talk on anything Elektron might do in the future for their machines, including fixing the sticky buttons.
The thing is, we are on topic as much as you are with your reverb and delay algos.
It’s a shame that it isn’t possible to get the OT effects on the Digi boxes - I’m assuming they’re not speaking the same language.
That said I think that they’re very well crafted for send-duties, IF they can ever be inserted per-track then I would crave more ‘FX machines’ to be available.
Again, all I’m asking for is one box with all the engines from the ST/DT/DN. Give it to me in the MK1 OG boxes, with
Ill give them $3000
A collaboration between Elektron and Sean Costello (Valhalla DSP).
Elektron Elektro
An electro-mechanical keyboard ala Fender Rhodes with a built-in Elektron sequencer and FX section.
Basically a Korg Phase8…
… and liquid cooling
If they enabled Valhalla reverbs the same way Dreadbox has Sinevibes effects in their boxes, that would probably get a LOT more people buying elektron boxes. Would absolutely love Valhalla reverb on the Syntakt FX track, though I guess it’s more likely they’d put it in the AH+FX or Rytm or something.
Or userFX like on the Korg NTS1/logues?
Those are the best delay&reverb in my studio, I think.
I posted this in another thread:
It’s definitely humidity imo, not heat, light or finger oils like some people say (or maybe it’s all of the above). I live in a very dry area and we got a freakish amount of fog this year, like every day for months in a row. My studio has no heat or AC and it developed a mold problem for the first time in the over 20 years I’ve been here. And my Push 2 which was sitting unused in the dark is all gooey now.
