Novation

Launched back in 2009, Novations original
Launchpad helped set the standard for
today’s grid-based MIDI controllers. It can
therefore take a chunk of the credit – at the very
least – for introducing a totally new way of
programming and composing music with
technology. Along with Akai’s APC40,
Launchpad then paved the way for a lood of
similar clip controllers and launchers, such as
Ableton’s Push, Livid’s Base and Akai’s Force.
However, things in this controller market have
clearly moved on a lot since then, so how does
the new Launchpad X measure up to the current
crop of competitors?
The range
The Launchpad X sits in the middle of the
current Novation Launchpad range, lanked by
the already-established, pricier and more
feature-rich Launchpad Pro, and the smaller,
more basic Launchpad Mini, itself launched
alongside the X as a cheaper alternative. The big
news with this model is that the X features full-
colour RGB pads, which are both velocity and
pressure sensitive and exhibit true polyphonic
aftertouch, which was inherited from the Pro.
The unit can now also be conigured to function
as a fully-customisable MIDI controller capable
of storing and recalling four diferent controller
Novation
Launchpad X £179
Novations Live controller is back on the block with a new name, some
new tricks and a fresh new look for 2020
The Launchpad can
take some credit for
introducing a new way
of programming and
composing music”
layouts across the pads, so has a couple of ace
cards up its colourful sleeves.
Nice pad(s)
At a mere 18mm high, the Launchpad X’s proile
is satisfyingly slim and the build quality
reassuringly solid – it seems like the unit should
easily be able to stand up to the punishment of
prolonged, enthusiastic inger drumming.
The 8 x 8 grid of 64 brightly-lit pads – which
dominates Launchpad X’s surface – is
unsurprisingly designed for viewing and
controlling Ableton Live’s Session View, with
each pad’s colour matched to the corresponding
onscreen clip. Pads aside, the buttons that lank
the top and the right hand side have a
satisfyingly squishy resilience.
One of the major diferences between the X
and the Launchpad Pro is that the former lacks
the Pro’s extra row of buttons down the left and
across the bottom of the grid. It also has no
92  / COMPUTER MUSIC / February 2020
> reviews / novation launchpad x
CMU278.rev_launchpadx.indd 92 04/12/2019 10:24

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