Novation Launchkey 49 [MK3] MIDI Keyboard Controller — Seamless Ableton Live Integration. Chord Mode, Scale Mode, and Arpeggiator. All the software you need for Music Production.

I've just set up the Novation Launchkey 49 MK 3, and I can't get over how great it is! I upgraded from my M-Audio Oxygen 49. My old MIDI keyboard was a faff to get integrated with Ableton, so I wasn't really making use of the features outside the actual piano keys. The difference is like night & day, this really feels like an upgrade. Firstly, the Launchkey is class-compliant, which means you can truly plug & play. Ableton automatically detected the Launchkey and set it up, so no fiddling around in Ableton's settings. The first thing I did was register on the Novation website and watch a couple of tutorials. These explained how to make the most of your Launchkey. How the different menu functions work, the pads and the faders, how to use the pads for launching in session view, how to drum with the pads and to record MIDI musical parts. For me, the menu system will take some getting used to, but I can tell that when I've got my workflow sorted, it will become pretty easy. There are a few features for those who aren't skilled piano/keyboard players. From within the Launchkey, you can select a type of scale (F Minor for instance), and the keyboard will 'help' your playing so that you don't play any wrong notes. Great for a novice like me. There are also chord and arp functions, which are especially handy for those making electronic or house music. The product itself feels good quality, looks professional, and has so many features that I'm sure I'll still be learning new stuff in a month. If you buy this I really recommend watching the tutorials on the Novation website to get used to it, and you can really unlock the power of this keyboard. The Launchkey will work with other DAWs such as FL Studio, Cubase, etc, but I have not tested it on those so I could not comment on how well it integrates. But it is important to note that the Launchkey was designed for use with Ableton. I'm fairly sure you can map it to any DAW, as is usual these days, but it won't be as quick to use out of the box. Two Thumbs Fresh! System Requirements: Windows 10 or higher Ableton 10 or higher (Intro, Standard or Suite)

I bought this keyboard because my long-time Roland PC-150, though it still works, is a pain to tie into a modern USB-driven MIDI world. The Launchkey 37 mk3 is small enough to fit happily on my desk/workstation, being one octave shorter than the Roland, and only a small amount deeper (back to front) to house drum pads, pitch/mod wheels, rotary pots (fixed range, not infinite encoders) and some other buttons for assorted purposes. Main thing is, it plugged in and worked first time with Windows 10, without needing any additional drivers. I'm using it for note entry into notation software (Finale 2005, and soon-to-be, Dorico Pro 4). So I am not currently using or needing some of the DAW automation buttons. Having said which, once I learn how to set this up, I will be assigning them direct access to much needed features in my scoring software. I've bought, hated, and ultimately thrown away (literally!!) several "short" MIDI keyboards over the years. This one is the FIRST of them all, that I actually feel (as a trained pianist and organist) I can PLAY. Textured black keys, a firmly but evenly sprung action, and even a pivot point (SO important) slightly behind the "fall", so keys can be played along their entire length. In short, this is QUALITY. Could even be tempted to buy one of the longer ones (61 note?) for rehearsals and gigging. Good work Novation, this is one lovely controller!

This is a very good keyboard and MIDI controller it is well built and very conveniently sized and hardly takes any room up on my desktop it is powered by the USB socket on your PC so no extra cables needed to power it and you get quite a lot of software included in the purchase and the controller is immediately recognised by the DAW software that is supplied so is easy to play and record music the drum pads feel very nice to use and they can be assigned to a number of your own presets as can the 8 rotary knobs very reasonable price for what you get I would stress that you take a look at the user manual as this keyboard has many surprises that you will want no know about

I was looking for a small portable MIDI keyboard controller to use with a laptop and Abelton Live. I already own it’s bigger brother so was confident that Novation would work OK for this and I wasn’t wrong! The Novation Launchkey Mini fits in my laptop case along with my laptop and leads to provide a perfect portable solution for going to jams and recording sessions. It’s made of sturdy plastic and the keys/controls seem tough enough to withstand normal use. The device integrates perfectly with Abelton and connects instantly with the provided USB lead. It’s packed with functionality including coloured light up clip launch buttons & a cool arpeggiator. There’s a lot going on in this little keyboard so its worth looking up some tutorials on YouTube to get the best out of it.

This is little midi is quality in a compact form. Its easy to use and connects automatically with Ableton and Reason. The keys and pads are velocity touched sensative so will have to apply a little pressure for a deep or sharp sound and plays in real time. Worth the money for a professional experience towards music production, plus you can find tons of tutorials on YouTube about the performance of this controller.

Quite sturdy and has lots of features for the price. Integrates very well with Ableton Live, but definitely give the user guide a good read beforehand, as the various options are not overly obvious at a glance. Note that it ships with a USB-B to USB-A cable, so if using on a recent Mac you'll need to purchase a separate USB-B to USB-C cable as well. Overall, very happy with this item.

As a USB keyboard, this one has quite a few crazy, unusual features (chord and arp, for instance) but it does not come with the midi cable (remember, here its not a straight normal din to din midi cable- its some wacko mole 3.5 to midi thing, so it should be supplied with it no questions asked). what i am saying is it is a mixed bag... it needs to have the specialist midi cable with it cos trust me, its still not obvious what it uses. also, i dunno if thats the prob, or something else. i do like how it sorta has its own id key or whatever stuck to it, so there is a bit less nonsense registering it, but it needs its midi cable thing sold with it! its not rocket science, novation- just think of the buyers you wanna sell your stuff to. not a strange idea at all, just make sure it works out of the box, without any bizarre glitches or need for software or firmware edits or anything.

I'm a long-time rock guitarist but very much a beginner when it comes to home recording. I'm currently learning how to use Ableton and a bunch of plugins such as EZ Drummer. While I'm pleased with the results I'm getting so far, I wanted to start adding some drum patterns of my own. After some research it seemed that the Launchkey Mini should fit the bill and also allow me to add some keyboard sounds too. Still early days, but I was massively impressed that with Ableton, there's no setting up at all. I just plugged it in, brought up my EZ Drummer and it was on the pads already. Same with the Addictive Keys plugin that was part of the software bundle. I know that most people who purchase the Launchkey Mini will be using it in a very different way, but for my purposes, it works brilliantly.