Arturia MiniBrute v1 - The Second Time Around...

[FilterFunk]

I had one of these once and loved it, but I wasn't using it enough so I sold it to help fund other gear. I missed having it so much that I recently got another one - excellent condition with box and everything - but unfortunately "everything" included sticky stuff on the knobs, sliders, wheels and side panels (Google "Arturia MiniBrute sticky" if you're unfamiliar). My first MiniBrute just felt a little tacky, but this one was full-on nasty! I spent a few hours thoroughly cleaning all the degraded rubberized coating off, and now it's just hard plastic with not even a hint of tacky feel left.

Which brings me to the demo! These are just a few sounds I've coaxed out of the MiniBrute so far - I've barely scratched the surface of what this beast...excuse me, brute...can do. BTW, this is all MiniBrute - no processing whatsoever, not even EQ - just MiniBrute directly into my 16-track hardware recorder. See if you can name all the songs I'm playing in this demo:

 

[erdyland]

How do you get rid of that sticky knob problem? I have them too.

 

[DirtDog]

Noice! I bought the V2 version of that during the pandemic. Farted around with it for bit and let it sit. Dusting it off to try again. Bought the DrumBrute yesterday and hooking it up today. Hopefully I can start creating some new interesting grooves this time around - instead of random noises!

My band is working on some new material and I hope to incorporate this into it.

 

[FilterFunk]

How do you get rid of that sticky knob problem? I have them too.

I removed the knobs and sliders and soaked them in 70% isopropyl alcohol for about 5 hours in the sun, then used Q-Tips dipped in alcohol to make sure they were completely rid of the sticky residue. Then I used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge (plain, no cleanser) dipped in alcohol and carefully scrubbed the side panels, being especially careful to keep the alcohol from any areas that might drip into the synth's circuitry. The Magic Eraser does a great job of soaking up the alcohol and getting damp without dripping. I even used it to very carefully wipe the mod and pitch wheels without needing to remove them.

It was a lot of work, but absolutely worth it. I've read online that if you don't completely remove the residue, it could come back just as bad as before.

 

[erdyland]

I wiped them with some sort of wet towels but it didn't work. Thank you, sir!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

View attachment 7471763
I had one of these once and loved it, but I wasn't using it enough so I sold it to help fund other gear. I missed having it so much that I recently got another one - excellent condition with box and everything - but unfortunately "everything" included sticky stuff on the knobs, sliders, wheels and side panels (Google "Arturia MiniBrute sticky" if you're unfamiliar). My first MiniBrute just felt a little tacky, but this one was full-on nasty! I spent a few hours thoroughly cleaning all the degraded rubberized coating off, and now it's just hard plastic with not even a hint of tacky feel left.

Which brings me to the demo! These are just a few sounds I've coaxed out of the MiniBrute so far - I've barely scratched the surface of what this beast...excuse me, brute...can do. BTW, this is all MiniBrute - no processing whatsoever, not even EQ - just MiniBrute directly into my 16-track hardware recorder. See if you can name all the songs I'm playing in this demo:

Sounds great and did some nice synth bass playing too.

 

[FilterFunk]

How do you get rid of that sticky knob problem? I have them too.

I removed the knobs and sliders and soaked them in 70% isopropyl alcohol for about 5 hours in the sun, then used Q-Tips dipped in alcohol to make sure they were completely rid of the sticky residue. Then I used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge (plain, no cleanser) dipped in alcohol and carefully scrubbed the side panels, being especially careful to keep the alcohol from any areas that might drip into the synth's circuitry. The Magic Eraser does a great job of soaking up the alcohol and getting damp without dripping. I even used it to very carefully wipe the mod and pitch wheels without needing to remove them.

It was a lot of work, but absolutely worth it. I've read online that if you don't completely remove the residue, it could come back just as bad as before.

I wiped them with some sort of wet towels but it didn't work. Thank you, sir!

@erdyland , I did want to inform you (in case you haven't already tried my de-stickifying method; sorry I didn't mention it sooner!) that it may discolor the knobs/sliders/wheels/side panels to a degree. Parts of them may end up looking kind of bleached with an uneven tone. It happened to mine, but not to any great degree. Personally, it doesn't bother me a bit because I just wanted the nasty stuff gone, and I have no intention of selling my MiniBrute, so I don't have to worry about any picky buyers complaining. I'm just happy to have a perfectly functioning, awesome analog monosynth!