If you have a small home studio, there arent many keyboards that will let you fit full-size keys into such a small space. Novation has come up with a solution to this with their. It has sharper edges that not only make it look great but feel great too. Serv. Chord mode lets you play complex, preset chords without needing to know the fingering.
You can create Custom Modes that give the faders the right MIDI CC# to match your particular hardware synth or turn pads into program changes. Web:http://www.novationmusic.com/en/keys/launchkey, "Hollin Jones was classically trained as a piano player but found the lure of blues and jazz too much to resist. Its more refined than previous versions, with rotary encoders and faders that feel especially solid and have no discernible wobble. Its ability to function as a customisable standalone MIDI device is also great news for anyone wanting to being hardware into their setup, especially with the ability to split physical controls over multiple MIDI channels. The Novation Launchkey 25 Mk3 is undoubtedly best suited to Ableton users. This allows for a simple, streamlined workflow especially when quickly jotting down placeholder drum parts during the demo process. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. The main functions of Type, Rate, Octave and Rhythm are mapped out on the keyboard and accessible by holding the Shift key. Its bus powered and sends MIDI over USB, with a USB-A cable supplied, though no USB-C. Were still at a stage where the older USB port format is in widespread use and some manufacturers choose to bundle both cables, while others dont. Anyone using other DAWs will have better options, in our opinion. Above the pads, there are eight fully assignable rotary knobs, and to the right are some dedicated transport controls. Its full-size keys and well-placed rotary encoders and faders make it tactile and enjoyable to use, while the Arpeggiator, Scale and Chord modes make playing sensationally simple and rewarding, especially for beginners. Press Shift and the Scale chord pad to set the 16 pads to Scale Chord mode, for which every pad becomes a different chord in the chosen key, organised into rows covering triads, sevenths, ninths and sixth ninths. It seems the new, more compact/tight shape makes it a more robust unit with less flex in the plastic casing. The model under review is the largest in the range at 61 keys. The Launchkeys MIDI out functionality allows you to control hardware synthesisers, or any MIDI compatible device, making it an obvious option for performers running hybrid Ableton Live + hardware setups. The 37 key model - which I reviewed - is new, and an unusual configuration in the MIDI world. It has a small but very useful backlit LCD screen on the top left corner. This sounds a bit after-the-fact but it's a terribly useful confirmation that helps make the workflow more intuitive. As Novations Launchkey controller moves onto its third iteration, we see whether its substantial design changes unlock increased performance power or whether this lock is jammed.
Just hold a pad and play up to six notes to enter your chord. They transform a familiar function into something enormously fun and creative it can keep you entertained for hours. Cons: No USB A- USB-C cable in the box. NATIVE INSTRUMENTSKomplete Kontrol A series 119 199. Before we plug it into Ableton Live (for which it is largely designed) there are a number of useful standalone features baked into the controller that don't require a computer at all. The second row can double as a Stop, Solo or Mute for the clip above it. The 37 key version feels like a sweet spot for power versus portability, though if you want the faders youll have to look at the 49 or 61-key versions. Launchkey 25 MkIII 159.99, 37 MkIII 179.99, 49 MkIII 209.99, 61 MkIII 259.99. So, if you are a longtime Ableton user, its a no-brainer. Though this wouldnt be an issue were it sat flat on a desk with its protective rubber feet grounding its position. This brings me to one of my only complaints about the Launckey MkIII: Most computers keep the power on their USB ports even when turned off, so the only way to stop the glow of those pads is to pull the USB cable out. The sharp corners and matte finish are aesthetically pleasing and, although its lightweight, the feel of the full-size keys is satisfying too. What we look for are things like wiggle/movement in the rotary knobs, buttons, etc. It's at this point that you're wondering where you're going to get an extra finger to play a six-note chord with one hand, but you don't need to play a chord, just play the notes you want to appear in the chord one after another. Having a well-designed and flexible controller, therefore, is vital. Deviate does the same with rests dropping in all kinds of rhythms before hitting complete randomness. Providing far more than just a standard controller keyboard, the Launchkey MK3 is another win for Novation. Often, chord and key modes can be restrictive, and only work in a one-dimensional fashion.
But, the reality is that its a great controller, and if you use (or want to use) Ableton, we highly recommend it. It's no longer tied to your computer and can take on your hardware needs too. & Home App. Pros: Well designed. Powerful but easy to use. Perfect for young buzzing minds who dont like to play by the rules that sheet music expects you to follow. Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS. Novation has added a few new features this time around, and the two that stand out most are Chord modes and Mutate. Novation also offers a variety free software for beginners to start creating right away. This might be a good point to talk about another improvement, which is the screen. The Scale Lock function locks the keyboard into your chosen scale, forcing all the keys on the keyboard into a note from that scale, meaning you never have to play a wrong note again. Re: DI Guitar Recordings Covered In Noise, VSTBuzz: 80% off Dirty Modular by Samplephonics For Kontakt Player, Nutty Traxx - Hive 2 Soundset | Hardstyle, Trance & Techno. However, one thing the Launchkey 25 Mk3 has in its favor is full-size keys. Under that button is Device Lock which locks the controls to the currently selected device so you can keep on tweaking while wandering off to other devices or other tracks. The hardware has a poise to it that raises both a smile and your expectations. The Ableton integration is exceptional, and the integration with other DAWs via HUI is decent too. This isnt just regular stuff like recording, mixing and quantisation but also drum racks mapped to the pads, clip and scene launching and project navigation. Split physical controls to separate MIDI channels. But that's only for the top row. It's also worth mentioning that the Launchkey MkIII has scripts for enhanced functionality with both Reason and Logic, and there's also good old HUI support for all the other DAWs and you can get busy mapping the controls to whatever you want. Upon product registration, you get to choose one of XLNs Addictive Keys instruments, which are pretty high-quality. Please enable javascript for your best B&H experience. ), we compel you to consider the new Launchkey. When Novation revealed the Launchkey Mini MkIII last year you knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the Launchkey range followed suit. To access Lives Session mode, hold Shift and hit the Session pad, and youll be greeted by an 82 grid of the clips in the Session view, all of which are colour coded via the RGB lights and correspond with the clips to provide visual feedback. The Launchkey works with Ableton straight out of the box but can be easily set up with whatever DAW you run with offering an array of controls to navigate the DAW on the fly. Pads are now over on the left with faders in the middle, just off-centre, and only the transport controls on the right. It shows a significant improvement on previous builds. The build quality is solid but the controller itself lightweight enough to transport fairly easily.
But whats new? If youre compositionally jaded or have fallen out of love with your setup, launch the Launchkeys Chord and Arpeggiator modes, and youll soon be in full flight once more. Setting up Custom Modes in the Components software. This hardiness is not at the expense of portability though, with the Launchkey 49 proving light enough to be ferried from gig to gig or session to session.
Theres expanded support for other DAWs too. The faders have a similar feel and are now accompanied by RGB buttons which will no doubt make themselves useful. Switching attention between multiple stimuli, AKA multitasking, is the biggest killer of productivity in our day to day lives. For Logic Pro and Reason, there is full integration and auto-mapping. Its also simple to record, quantise, turn the metronome off and on, undo, and (with the 49 and 61-key models) arm and select different tracks. Create an account or login to get started! Its yet another fantastic function for less-skilled keyboard players. I wonder how much customer feedback went into agonising over that decision? The Impact LX25+ is cheaper, probably more versatile, and does most things that the Launchkey 25 Mk3 does. That said, we found that our featherweight LK49 review unit would slide about a bit on the keyboard stand. We like that there are 16 pads, too, because that speeds up any loop/clip-based production. There are eight scales to choose from, which quantise the notes on the keyboard. Having such a wealth of creative options that make solid musical sense is an obvious plus point. It's also a very neat way of zipping around the session clips to choose one to fire outside of the 2x8 pad window. You can now quickly navigate around all sorts of menus and parameters and select them. Create a B&H Account, America's Best Customer Service List-Newsweek, Prices, specifications, and images are subject to change without notice. The downside is that it only has eight pads, and that could be a deal-breaker. All told however, this is an excellent MIDI controller thats well built, well designed and suitable for a wide range of uses. The keys themselves have a relatively light, synthy feel. Once you are past all of that, having eight rotary knobs, 16 pads, and transport controls do give you a lot of control over your DAW/plugins. Its keys are incredible and the whole unit feels premium. Then, using the Chord mode, the pads can become instant scale-appropriate chord generators. US Dollar MAP: LK25 MK3 - $159.99 / LK37 MK3 - $179.99 / LK49 MK3 - $219.99 / LK61 MK3 - $259.99UK Pounds Inc VAT: LK25 MK3 - 159.99 / LK37 MK3 - 179.99 / LK49 MK3 - 209.99 / LK61 MK3 - 259.99Euros Ex VAT: LK25 MK3 - 147.05 / LK37 MK3 - 168.06 / LK49 MK3 - 193.27 / LK61 MK3 - 235.29. The intuitiveness and ease with which it interfaces with Ableton is a sight to behold, connecting with the host DAW directly out of the box. Keys on smaller keyboards can be tricky to get right but Novation has definitely nailed it here, and the three-octave range on the 37 key model I reviewed is quite a sweet spot for range vs. portability. But the Launchkey MK3s Scale, Chord and Arpeggiators modes are all terrifically powerful, and will undoubtedly inspire users. The Novation Launchkey 25 Mk3 is a 25-key MIDI controller with plenty of features. 'Capture MIDI' is the coolest new feature in Live that the MkIII has a dedicated button for and it brilliantly stuffs whatever you were playing into the nearest clip. To achieve this they moved the pitch and mod wheels to allow for the extra keys. Ask.Audio is your ultimate daily resource covering the latest news, reviews, tutorials and interviews for digital music makers, by digital music makers. The process of recording into clips, mixing, manipulating and moving on is really smooth. A strip of buttons to the right of the unit is home to play, stop, record and loop controls, each corresponding to those found in the Ableton GUI itself. You get a row of triads with inversions, a row of 7ths, 9ths and 6/9ths which you can reach via the up/down arrows. The huge positive for the Launchkey 25 Mk3 in this area is the full-size keys. Simply press Shift and then the Volume, Pan or Sends buttons grants control over their specific criteria. It's taken longer than expected, but everything that made the Mini MkIII a very cool little controller has been stretched out into the full-sized and infinitely more playable Launchkey MkIII. Theres easily accessible transposition and octave jump controls of course, but having more keys is always nice. The two rows of pads give you a colour-matched display of two rows of Session clips. A couple of additional buttons in the MkIII make this easier. Particularly interesting is the idea of assigning a bunch of chords to the pads while leaving the keys in normal mode, sort of giving you two lots of triggers at the same time. You can leave the computer behind and swap Modes whenever you need to. : Elec. The first four are self-explanatory. The black keys have the same matte finish as the body of the keyboard, which is a fantastic touch.
