NOVATION LAUNCHPAD PRO MK3
In a hotly-anticipated update, Novation’s top-of-the-range Launchpad finally gets the ‘Mk3’ treatment, but is it ready for lift-off?
Novation’s Launchpad range of controllers for Ableton Live have been a well-deserved success, bundling smart looks and impressive functionality into robust, versatile and affordable packages. Hot on the heels of the significant recent ‘Mk3’ updates to the Launchpad Mini and Launchpad X, the rangetopping Launchpad Pro has now had a refresh of its own. There’s a bunch of new functions and features, but what exactly is it that sets this machine apart, and is that ‘Pro’ moniker worth the extra investment?
Good form
The new Launchpad Pro Mk 3 is much more than just a face-lifted version.
Totally redesigned, the Pro now conforms to the aesthetic of the other two Launchpads, with a flatter, slightly wider profile, 11mm shallower and 8mm wider than its predecessor. This reinforces the sense of solidity and rugged build quality that you get when you’re first unboxing the device – it feels like a pro item right from the get-go.
The top panel sports the now-familiar 8x8 grid of 64 illuminated pads, surrounded on all four sides by a clutch of squared-off, satisfyingly squidgy buttons. This is one area where the Pro model differs from its siblings, which only have buttons along two sides of the grid. The brightly illuminated, full-colour RGB pads are the same size as those on the X and previous Pro model, and are both pressure and velocity sensitive, allowing for great expression while programming and playing. They’re also capable of transmitting polyphonic aftertouch, a real bonus when hooking up hardware that responds to it, like Novation’s Peak synth.
The back panel contains a single USB-C connector for power and data transmission – there’s no separate power supply socket. Across the other side, Novation have obviously thought hard about the environment in which this device will be used and generously provided not one, but two MIDI Outs, one of which doubles up as a MIDI Thru port. These can be employed to connect to external synths and drum machines
“Novation have obviously thought hard about the environment in which this device will be used”
using the three minijack-5-pin DIN adapter cables provided.
Live and direct
The Pro’s integration with Ableton Live, which has always been great, has been improved still further. The Capture MIDI function first implemented on the Launchpad X – which captures whatever you last played as a MIDI clip, even if you weren’t in record at the time – is present and correct, and is augmented by the addition of dedicated Track Select buttons.
Custom Controller Layouts was a welcome addition to the X and the Mini Mk3, allowing user-configurable layouts of MIDI controllers to be stored across the pad grid, so the Pro Mk3 duly follows suit. Where the X and Mini offer four and three custom layouts respectively, the Pro can store up to eight. These are accessed via the Custom button and can be created and edited using Novation’s free Components app, an intuitive editor that makes it a breeze to assign preset widgets like faders or custom note layouts to the pads. Need a couple of faders to control expression and dynamics when recording string parts? Just drag the appropriate widgets onto the grid, position them accordingly and transmit the layout to the device with a click – bingo!
Pro vs X vs Mini
Another feature that differentiates the Pro from its siblings is the transport section. You’ll find a dedicated button for Play/Stop and Continue, which is a real bonus when using the device with Live, make it seem like a more complete solution as a controller for the software as a whole.
Meanwhile, a big plus in the Pro’s favour is its all-new Chord mode, which allows you to construct and save different chord shapes that you can then play back by hitting a pad of your choice. You can store up to 14 chords in a bank for instant playback, and with the Chord Lock function you can hold down a chord and play a complementary melody over the top, which is a great way to spark new track ideas.
To sum up, the Launchpad as a device is a brilliantly executed concept, not just for use with Live but for use as a generic controller for other DAWs – it’ll also play nicely with the likes of Logic, Cubase et al, particularly since it now features transport controls. If you’ve never used one before, you’ll find the grid-based interface and various note input modes nothing short of inspirational. The Pro’s extra buttons successfully elevate its usefulness above the X and the Mini, and the addition of an excellent MIDI sequencer broadens its appeal still further to non-Ableton users and anyone with hardware gear. Writing, arranging and recording on hardware has a totally different feel to using a DAW – there’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you know what all the flashing lights mean, it can really take your production sessions to new heights. In this case, we’d assert that the Pro tag is fully justified.
Alternatively
Novation Launchpad Mini Mk3 £99.99
Smaller footprint, fewer features and non-velocity sensitive pads make a nifty budget Launchpad
Novation Launchpad X cm278 >> £179.99>> 9/10
More affordable, but lacks the sequencer, Chord mode and half the dedicated buttons of the Pro
Verdict
For Flexible and powerful sequencer
Hardware MIDI In/Out/Thru Velocity/pressure sensitive RGB pads with poly aftertouch
DAW transport controls
Against Slightly steep learning curve
Sequencer only has four tracks Improved pro-standard controller for Live that now doubles as a powerful standalone hardware sequencer
“A brilliantly executed concept, not just for use with Live, but for use as a generic controller for other DAWs”