#NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 49 MK2 REVIEW MOD#
#NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 49 MK2 REVIEW PRO#
#NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 49 MK2 REVIEW PLUS#

'Older Novation MIDI keyboards felt a little flimsy and cheap in my honest opinion. But the Launchkey MK3вЂ™s Scale, Chord and Arpeggiators modes are all terrifically powerful, and will undoubtedly inspire users.' Often, chord and key modes can be restrictive, and only work in a one-dimensional fashion.

#NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 49 MK2 REVIEW PLUS#

'Having such a wealth of creative options that make solid musical sense is an obvious plus point. MusicRadar verdict: A well-built, well-designed keyboard thatвЂ™s great with Ableton Live, but handy for hardware control too.

#NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 49 MK2 REVIEW PRO#

While, perhaps, the Launchkey range doesnвЂ™t have an instant USP like the Launchpad Pro with its multitrack sequencer, the CV-equipped SL range or the tiny, ultra-portable Launchkey Mini, youвЂ™ll be hard-pushed to find a better Live-centric keyboard, and thereвЂ™s little here not to recommend. In all, this is a very well-designed and well-priced mid-level controller. As well as allowing custom MIDI mappings, this lets the Launchkeys send CC and program change messages for more advanced control of external hardware. ThereвЂ™s a decent level of control offered here for Logic Pro X too, as well as access to NovationвЂ™s flexible Custom modes, which can be set up through the companyвЂ™s Components software. The Launchkeys are primarily aimed at Ableton Live users, and itвЂ™s hard to fault the seamless compatibility here, allowing for tight navigation and hands-on control of plenty of the DAWвЂ™s features.ДЄbletonвЂ™s own Push controller is still only available in clip launcher/pad form, so the Launchkey is as close as youвЂ™re likely to get to a definitive keyboard controller for Live. With lots of functionality and flexibility packed into a convenient and affordable package, the KeyStep gets a big thumbs-up.Д«oth the pads and the keyboards themselves have been upgraded for this generation, and both feel great with decent velocity response (although no aftertouch). A tidy free plugin bundle sweetens the deal for beginner producers, while more experienced users will appreciate this as a great tool for production on the go. The Launchkey Mini is an excellent compact controller, whether it's used with Ableton Live or not.

Other than that, all the Mk3 Launchkeys are similarly equipped with 16 backlit, velocity-sensitive pads, eight rotaries, a compact parameter screen and a decent crop of buttons for browsing and transport control. The Launchkeys are primarily aimed at Ableton Live users, and itвЂ™s hard to fault the seamless compatibility here, allowing for tight navigation and hands-on controlДЄside from the number of keys, the only difference between the 37 and 25 and their larger counterparts is the presence of eight channel faders on the top-end controllers. This might irritate some players, but overall it seems like a smart design concession.

#NOVATION LAUNCHKEY 49 MK2 REVIEW MOD#

Here Novation have moved the pitch and mod wheels to sit above the keyboard, rather than beside it, cutting the overall length of the hardware itself. ItвЂ™s a smart move the Launchkey 37 is compact and convenient but doesnвЂ™t feel as limited as a 25-note keyboard. New for the Mk3 Launchkeys is a 37-note version, on review here, adding a fourth option to the range alongside the 25, 49 and 61-key variants. (Image credit: Future) Performance and verdict

Novation launchkey 49 mk2 review