Not just vintage devices - MIDI controllers I've bought in the last 10 years from Ableton (Push 2) and Keith McMillen have that wretched rubber that starts sticky, gets goopier, and attracts every mote of dust & hair from the surrounding air. Disgusting and makes them harder to sell 2nd hand IMO.
I was hoping the linked article would provide meaningful solutions, "storing in open air or a bag with holes" - that's what I already do - and "don't clean it, that just makes it worse" are pretty useless coming from 'experts'...
Not just vintage devices - MIDI controllers I've bought in the last 10 years from Ableton (Push 2) and Keith McMillen have that wretched rubber that starts sticky, gets goopier, and attracts every mote of dust & hair from the surrounding air. Disgusting and makes them harder to sell 2nd hand IMO.
I was hoping the linked article would provide meaningful solutions, "storing in open air or a bag with holes" - that's what I already do - and "don't clean it, that just makes it worse" are pretty useless coming from 'experts'...
It's not reversible, unfortunately. The polyurethane breaks down through hydrolysis. Keeping it in a dry environment is the best you can do.
Apparently you can slow it down by driving the water out with heat, but that won't fix the already broken down PU.