Novation Launchkey Mk3

The original Novation Launchkey arrived
back in 2013, a solid and great value-for-
money controller for both desktop and iPad and
one which we concluded was, ‘possibly the best
controller keyboard in its price bracket’. The Mk
2 version came out in 2016 and – with 16 launch
pads corresponding in colour to those of the
clips in Ableton’s Session view – became a bit of
a steal for Live users. Now at Mk 3 stage, and
with ‘create and perform with Ableton Live’ writ
large on the box, Launchkey appears now to be
a Live-only controller.
Look a-Live
It’s not, of course – even the most dedicated
MIDI controllers will work, to varying degrees
with any DAW, and Novation conirm this by
saying “Launchkey also has full integration with
Logic and Reason, plus out of the box
functionality with other DAWs including Studio
One, Cubase and Pro Tools, via HUI”. But there’s
no getting away from the fact that integration
here with Live is, as they say, ‘deep’.
The keyboard comes in four sizes: 25, 27, 49
and 61 keys and we have the 37 on test here. (For
more on the range, see below.) The unit is light
but solid, bus-powered and features a very
playable full-sized keyboard. Power it up and
you’ll be directed to the Novation website to
register and download a good number of
freebies from the likes of AAS, XLN Audio,
Klevgrand and Spitire – top marks for the
bundle overall. Less than top marks for the
Getting Started process that took us to the odd
dead page, but thankfully the user instructions
PDF guides you nicely through things, and
setting up with Live is pretty straightforward.
Soon we are pretty quickly stepping through
tracks, launching clips and scenes, muting,
soloing and mixing levels faster than ever. We’re
not even in that deep yet and it’s become very
apparent that Launchkey and Live go hand-in-
hand like some kind of dream couple. Truly a
joyous combination to use.
Key to the castle
Pressing the Shift button allows you to switch
between diferent Launchkey modes. There are
some for mixing and one to put the ‘board in
Session view. Hit Shift and Drum and the pads
will turn into velocity-sensitive drum pads. Press
Shift and Scale Chord and Launchkey’s all-new
Scale mode comes to life and the pads become
diferent chords in whatever key you have
selected – very nicely implemented and a great
source of songwriting ideas. Two other Chord
modes plus the new Scale option allow you to
explore this further and are welcome additions
for players and non players alike, as is the
arpeggiator which is incredibly easy to use and,
like the previous modes, works well with the
small but clear screen.
Just time to try Launchkey with Logic – as it
comes with integration for Apple’s DAW too –
and we’re pleased to report that it does a decent
job although you have to download a Logic
Script installer for the DAW to pick Launchkey
up as a control surface.
The chord and scale extras alone make
Launchkey a far more creative tool than your
bog standard keyboard controller, and the
overall quality of the hardware, its brilliant Live
integration and decent software bundle make
this a great overall controller package with one
to suit every price and space.
Web novationmusic.com
Novation
Launchkey Mk3 £var
Novation’s third incarnation of the Launchkey has a lot going for it if
you are a Live user (and the smallest almost ofers the most)
Verdict
For Great Scale & Chord modes
Lovely Ableton Live partnership
(But does work with other DAWs despite
the claims!)
Great hardware build and soft bundle
Against Website page links missing
Price hike for the bigger models
Once you are up and running with
Launchkey and (particularly) Live it’s a
worklow marriage made in heaven
9/10
Alternatively
IK Multimedia iRig Keys Pro
€183
A cheap, 37-key controller with full-
sized keys. More compact, but far
fewer controls
Akai MPK range
£179-£353
A range with full-sized keys (25 to
61) and pads. Expensive but comes
with the excellent VIP software
Due to their size diferences, some of the
controllers in the Launchkey range will let
you do more things with your software than
others. “Duh, that’s obvious,” you might say
and, yes, those extra keys let you play more
octaves, but on an Ableton Live level, the
bigger keyboards ofer some added extras.
The LK49 and LK61, for example, both feature
track faders, an additional master volume
fader and track select buttons, all of which do
come in handy and aid Ableton worklow.
However, the Launchkey you choose will be
very much up to what space you have and
what budget – as the price diferences across
the board are quite marked. The 25, for
example, is currently streeting for just £94,
which is fantastic value for a full size key
controller of this power. You’re looking at a
big hike to £260 for the 61-note and £209 for
the 49. The 37, on test, is a reasonable £173
but whichever way you look at it, that 25
looks like easily the best value of the bunch.
Size differences
78 / COMPUTER MUSIC / October 2020
> reviews / novation launchkey mk3
CMU286.rev_novation_launchkey.indd 78 22/07/2020 15:27