Ableton Forum

I had the same problem with the original Arturia Minibrute and I solved it by gently rubbing a wet sponge with neutral soap throughout the rubberised surface. The rubberised feel is gone, but the product looks new again. Now I have this problem with my Push 2 and II was just wondering if there any other clever solutions out there, because mine took some time and was a delicate operation to prevent any water from entering the instrument...

fishmonkey wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:42 pm

it took i while but i successfully removed all the rubberised coating with alcohol wipes. lots of alcohol wipes...

I did the same. I've had the same issue with the knobs on my Focusrite Scarlett and even my Skiing helmet.
Using microfiber cloths drenched in Isopropyl alcohol got them all clean.

I just ordered Push 2 but due to a supply shortage it'll be a while before I receive it. Now I'm seeing all these reports that Push 2 is TPE-coated. I mean, seriously Ableton?? It's bloody 2021, it should be abundantly clear to manufacturers by now that this garbage goes sticky after a while. It's literally happened to every single TPE-coated piece of gear I've ever owned and now I basically reject anything that's TPE-coated, I just didn't know Push 2 was also TPE-coated. This is clearly a case of planned obsolescence. A tough raw plastic finish, as used in power tools and old Lenovos, would have been much more durable and actually nicer to touch. I'm cancelling my order. Way to go Ableton...

I first cleaned with rubbing alcohol after about two years of use and only during that application did I notice it begin to feel sticky. I have noticed this effect on other gear with a similar coating when using alcohol in the past so I stopped, but it was too late. In the few years since that time, my Push2's stickiness has gradually gotten worse.

I feel like the alcohol application itself might have activated or denatured the coating. For this reason, I feel like there could be some chemical solution or process to restore or stabilize the coating.

I really didn't need to use alcohol, and had only dusted with a damp paper towel prior to that which worked fine. I think I will be much more cautious cleaning with alcohol in the future.

Yep, alcohol seems to be a catalyst in my experience too, as is sweat. For removing oil smudges l use household ammonia diluted in water and a lint free microfiber cloth. In fact, I keep s spray bottle with the solution ready to go. This gets rid of any finger grease stains target effectively and doesn't damage the coating, though always play it safe by testing on a spmall area that can't be seen.

Still, I condemn Ableton for using this crap on such an expensive and otherwise excellent product. Push 1 was reported to suffer from the sticky coating and Ableton knew it, and yet they deliberately continued to use it on Push 2. We must stop buying rubber-coated stuff to signal manufacturers that we don't want it.

Seems like a lot of manufacturers are starting to steer away from it. KMI just released a new Qunexus that no longer uses it, thankfully. My Push 2 is sticky enough now that I don't enjoy using it as much, but my first gen Qunexus was on a whole other level in terms of nasty, greasy, sticky goo.

I ended up getting the gunk of with some solvent we use at work, then covered it all up with a skin from stylfip, I'll be keeping the push long term so I really dont mind it being shabby underneath the skin..

I was wondering why the Push Decksaver goes all the way down on the sides, as opposed to just covering the top like the others.
It may have to do with this.

Chancery wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 11:59 am

I was wondering why the Push Decksaver goes all the way down on the sides, as opposed to just covering the top like the others.
It may have to do with this.

I think that's so that it doesn't scratch the top should any dust or grit particles find their way in between the deck saver and the Push 2 top face. If you don't want it to touch the table surface, which has some advantages (e.g. it makes the deck saver easier to pick up as you can slide your fingers under it), just stick 4 transparent rubber feet near the corners to create a bit of clearance.

Scoox wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 12:13 pm

I think that's so that it doesn't scratch the top should any dust or grit particles find their way in between the deck saver and the Push 2 top face. If you don't want it to touch the table surface, which has some advantages (e.g. it makes the deck saver easier to pick up as you can slide your fingers under it), just stick 4 transparent rubber feet near the corners to create a bit of clearance.

Thanks Scoox. No it doesn't bother me at all. I was just wondering why it's different from all the other Decksavers I've got, which don't cover the sides.
This thread got me a little paranoid as I only recently bought my Push 2 and I happen to live in a considerably hot region.

Chancery wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 5:51 am

Scoox wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 12:13 pm

I think that's so that it doesn't scratch the top should any dust or grit particles find their way in between the deck saver and the Push 2 top face. If you don't want it to touch the table surface, which has some advantages (e.g. it makes the deck saver easier to pick up as you can slide your fingers under it), just stick 4 transparent rubber feet near the corners to create a bit of clearance.

Thanks Scoox. No it doesn't bother me at all. I was just wondering why it's different from all the other Decksavers I've got, which don't cover the sides.
This thread got me a little paranoid as I only recently bought my Push 2 and I happen to live in a considerably hot region.

From my experience cleaning the coating with alcohol or alcohol-containing products is the quickest way to screw up the coating. My year 2013 laptop, which I'm using to type this, has a rubber-coated palm rest. I've always wiped it with the microfibre cloth and household ammonia solution (see my earlier post). Sure, it doesn't look as good as it did brand-new due to general wear-and-tear but it has not gone sticky, despite years of daily use in the hot weather of Southern Asia while I was working there. If you keep your Push 2 away from direct sunlight, use it with clean hands and don't use weird stuff to clean it, it should last you long(er).

Scoox wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 7:57 am

Chancery wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 5:51 am

Scoox wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 12:13 pm

I think that's so that it doesn't scratch the top should any dust or grit particles find their way in between the deck saver and the Push 2 top face. If you don't want it to touch the table surface, which has some advantages (e.g. it makes the deck saver easier to pick up as you can slide your fingers under it), just stick 4 transparent rubber feet near the corners to create a bit of clearance.

Thanks Scoox. No it doesn't bother me at all. I was just wondering why it's different from all the other Decksavers I've got, which don't cover the sides.
This thread got me a little paranoid as I only recently bought my Push 2 and I happen to live in a considerably hot region.

From my experience cleaning the coating with alcohol or alcohol-containing products is the quickest way to screw up the coating. My year 2013 laptop, which I'm using to type this, has a rubber-coated palm rest. I've always wiped it with the microfibre cloth and household ammonia solution (see my earlier post). Sure, it doesn't look as good as it did brand-new due to general wear-and-tear but it has not gone sticky, despite years of daily use in the hot weather of Southern Asia while I was working there. If you keep your Push 2 away from direct sunlight, use it with clean hands and don't use weird stuff to clean it, it should last you long.

Yes alcohol ruins it, but i went full on ahead and just used a lot of alcohol and a credit card to remove the coating, much better now

login wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 14, 2022 5:50 pm

Scoox wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 7:57 am

Chancery wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 5:51 am

Thanks Scoox. No it doesn't bother me at all. I was just wondering why it's different from all the other Decksavers I've got, which don't cover the sides.
This thread got me a little paranoid as I only recently bought my Push 2 and I happen to live in a considerably hot region.

From my experience cleaning the coating with alcohol or alcohol-containing products is the quickest way to screw up the coating. My year 2013 laptop, which I'm using to type this, has a rubber-coated palm rest. I've always wiped it with the microfibre cloth and household ammonia solution (see my earlier post). Sure, it doesn't look as good as it did brand-new due to general wear-and-tear but it has not gone sticky, despite years of daily use in the hot weather of Southern Asia while I was working there. If you keep your Push 2 away from direct sunlight, use it with clean hands and don't use weird stuff to clean it, it should last you long.

Yes alcohol ruins it, but i went full on ahead and just used a lot of alcohol and a credit card to remove the coating, much better now

I did just that with another bit of gear. I unscrewed all the bits on it and literally dunked the plastic shell in a tray filled with alcohol for a few hours. It Came off really easily. The only thing is the finish of the underlying plastic wasn't aesthetically all that pleasant, basically because these things are designed rely on the coating to look good.

It's sad this stuff is still used in this day and age. The industrial look of unpainted, tough, matte plastic is stunning, doesn't show fingerprints and is much easier to keep clean. Oh, and rounded corners are better than sharp ones. The Push is basically designed to deteriorate very quickly unless you use it on a bed of feathers with latex gloves. Hopefully Ableton will take these suggestions onboard for Push 3.

The price and the low quality are the main reason why I never bought one. It seems so expensive for what it is. It basically costs £550 to see if you like this particular controller, then theres this issue with perishing surface. I know so many people (with lots of income) who have them on shelves collecting dust. Thats pretty off putting for such a big outlay.

Meanwhile despite me having Live for over 10 years Ive never played one. I went to an Ableton event where a dude told me how great it was, etc.erc. but the event ended before anyone could try it. So to test it would cost me £550 and if I don't sell it immediately apparently they rot away. It still seems mad to me. I know that some people love them, but the closest competitor is less than half the price.