Nektar soft touch: buyer beware

[JiggeryPokery]

More Nektar Panorama disappointment, sadly.

Turns out they used damn soft-touch plastic, which, as soft touch plastics always do, has started turning to a sticky mush. Why do companies continue to use this crap? It must be intentional, because the degradation of it is well known. And the worse part of this on the Nektar, it never felt particularly soft either. I didn't even realise it was that nasty rubbish. All the knobs are the same or similar material too, and I can now feel they're getting sticky too.



And you know what's especially maddening? This is my third. The first Nektar replaced under warranty because I think it was the pitch wheel stopped working. Then—to be fair—they really very generously replaced that long out of warranty due to issues with the key plastic yellowing. So this is a model from 2017. And credit where it's due: the keys are still sparkling white! And the keys (while still a little heavy for my taste) has no triggering issues. So the keybed seems reliable enough.

I'm not cheekily angling for a third replacement, but Tim @ nektar, love you, man, you're a top geezer, but holy pissing jesus balls, the Panorama. Panodrama more like

Nektar Panodrama P6.jpg (429.98 KiB) Viewed 600 times

[deeplink]

Had the same thing happen to my nektar impact. Knobs and wheels all turned into mush.

If I recall, they are well aware of the issue and can provide replacement knobs etc.(not too sure of the wheel).

If you don't go that route, use some rubbing alchohol which tends to sort it out quite well. Makes them more plastic, but atleast not sticky.

[JiggeryPokery]

Had the same thing happen to my nektar impact. Knobs and wheels all turned into mush.

If I recall, they are well aware of the issue and can provide replacement knobs etc.(not too sure of the wheel).

If you don't go that route, use some rubbing alchohol which tends to sort it out quite well. Makes them more plastic, but atleast not sticky.

Yeah, thanks I will give alchohol a try on the tops of the wheels at least, I was just reading about same on iFixit, but only the fader handles can be removed without disassembly afaict, and I'm loathe to go that route. I'm very proficient at disassembly I'm not sure how deep the coating is. Is it just a surface coating can be cleaned off, or is the soft-touch material effectively that whole block of black on the wheels?

The particular weirdness with soft-touch is the suddeness of failure. Fine a month ago, today... an icky blegh

[deeplink]

Is it just a surface coating can be cleaned off, or is the soft-touch material effectively that whole block of black on the wheels?

On my Impact, it was just the surface of both the wheels and knobs - so wasn't a difficult job at all.

But can't speak to the Panarama though, as those wheels are certainly different.

Perhaps to a test run the wheel you use the least

[phobic]

I had the same issue with the propellerhead balance. One day it was fine and the next time I opened it to use it, it was tacky. I have a number of Nektar boards so I fully expect it to happen to those too.
It's not a solution but as the balance was old and had long been replaced, I stopped the surface decaying by applying a talcum powder substitute which seemed to take the tackiness away and bring back the touch and feel of the original surface. Obviously putting a fine powder onto pots is probably a bad idea as I'm introducing something so fine that can cause connection issues and crackling, but it seemed to work. I've seen people have success by stripping the surface of the soft touch material with isopropyl alcohol. (I'm sure there's some YouTube videos knocking about on the subject). This wasn't really an option with the balance as there was text actually printed onto the surface.
Anyway, hope that may be of some help to you

[Loque]

Wow...bad to hear that and this clearly leaves no confidence in any new products and some companies.

Glad, i still have the same old Evolution MIDI controler, which still works after >20 years. No dirt, not dust, nothing can hold this thing up on continiouing its work and on top it was damn cheap back in the time!

[challism]

My Nektar Panorama did the same thing after about 9 months out of the box. I chalked it up to me living in the tropics, but I think you live in jolly old England, dont you Matt? Not too humid there unless it's falling out of the sky. Anyway, rubbing alcohol did the trick for me; not sticky anymore.

[DaveyG]

IsoProp has worked for me on several things, including my 12 year old Suzuki car controls. Yeah, thanks for that Suzuki.

[miyaru]

I have it on my Push2 from Ableton too, as well as on the doorhandles of my car, a BMW 325i.

For my Push2, I have to see what to do, for my BMW I have bought replacement parts from Amazon, which are ordinary plastic, not the soft touch ones anymore. Have to dissemble the inner door panels for this to replace it, but he, can be done on a sunny day though…….

[rudiarii]

It's how they roll...with a bit of work you can make it unique
viewtopic.php?p=535062#p535062

[wendylou]

FYI this is an applied soft touch velvety coating over the hard plastic. Propellerhead's Balance had the same coating and the same sticky degradation issues. I got aggressive with my old Balance and stipped the sticky coating off in places down to the shiny plastic base and it looked awful until I bought a replacement. My Panorama P6 has mostly sticky wheels but isoproply seems to help a bit. I agree that manufacturers need to stop using this crap. That velvety feel is cool initially but destined to become goo as it breaks down.

[miyaru]

FYI this is an applied soft touch velvety coating over the hard plastic. Propellerhead's Balance had the same coating and the same sticky degradation issues. I got aggressive with my old Balance and stipped the sticky coating off in places down to the shiny plastic base and it looked awful until I bought a replacement. My Panorama P6 has mostly sticky wheels but isoproply seems to help a bit. I agree that manufacturers need to stop using this crap. That velvety feel is cool initially but destined to become goo as it breaks down.

Sure they do need to stop to use products like this. But maybe it is a way of earning money too…….
If you do like working of a product, but not the stickiness, you want to buy a new one maybe.

I have to say, I don’t like the feel at all, even when it is new and non sticking. But that is me, just an old bloke LOL.

[spacepluk]

Oh wow! that looks nasty hahaha
I hope the alcohol trick works out!