Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller

Jointly designed by Ableton and Novation, the Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller places Ableton Live at your fingertips. Whether you’re a DJ, performing musician or studio producer, Launchpad gives you all you need to truly ‘play' Live.

With a multi-colour 64-button grid and dedicated scene launch buttons, Launchpad is purpose built for triggering and manipulating clips in Live, it also offers a totally new way of controlling Ableton Live’s mixer. Launchpad's buttons can be used to sketch out beats with drum racks, and they can be assigned to other functions in Live using Ableton's 'Learn' mode.

The Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller ships with a dedicated ‘Launchpad edition’ of Ableton Live 8, but can control almost any other music software using Novation's award-winning 'Automap' control software.

Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller Features:
-Launchpad’s 64-button grid and dedicated scene launch buttons are ideal for launching and controlling your clips and scenes.
-Innovative control over your mix including volume, pans, sends, track arming, soloing and muting. Launchpad lets you jump to different
  levels across eight channels at once.
-Launchpad can be used to play drum racks, creating beats and triggering samples in real time.
-Launchpad can be used to control other functions using Ableton's 'Learn' mode. This includes Ableton's knobs and faders, which can be
  assigned to rows of buttons on Launchpad.
-Launchpad supports multiple unit operation. Connect up to 3 Launchpads at a time. Expand your grid with multiple Launchpads, or have
  one Launchpad dedicated to mixer mode, and the other to launching clips.
-Novation’s Automap-enabled controllers work seamlessly together – a ZeRO SL MkII to control the mix, whilst Launchpad triggers clips.
-Launchpad can also be used to control other DAWs and plug-ins using Novation's Automap control software. Automap can assign controls
  to software parameters on VST/AU/RTAS/TDM plug-ins by simply clicking on them, and touching a controller.
-Automap-enabled for instant, intelligent control over VST/AU/RTAS/TDM plug-ins and all MIDI compatible standalone software applications.
-Automap provides a customizable heads-up transparent display across your computer screen. Ideal for seeing at a glance samples that
  you're about to trigger.
-Automap PRO, an optional upgrade available to purchase from Novation's website, lets you assign almost any computer keyboard
  shortcut, and combinations thereof, to Launchpad's buttons.
-Utilising Automap, Launchpad can operate as a standard MIDI controller, creating custom MIDI maps with 72 of its buttons transmitting
  either CC or MIDI note data.
-Flexible trigger platform for Max MSP and Reaktor.  Programmers can utilise variable brightness and multi-colour LED states to their full
  advantage when designing new and innovative tools in Max MSP and Reaktor.

The Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller features a multi-color, 64-button grid for launching clips plus eight dedicated scene-launch buttons. The buttons are lit by LEDs displaying clip status so you can see at a glance what's loaded (orange), what's playing (green), and what's being recorded (red).  Despite the big grid, Launchpad is compact and portable: it'll fit in your bag for gigs and won't hog your desk space in the studio. It's slim, sturdy, weighs less than a hardback book and it's USB powered, so there's no power adapter to drag around.

It's not just about launching clips: as well as the Session Mode, Launchpad offers Mixer Mode—a unique way to control Ableton Live's mixer—and two fully-customizable User Modes.

In Mixer Mode, the rows and columns of the grid become virtual faders, sliders and knobs controlling track volume, pan, sends, mute, solo, Clip Stop Buttons and record arm, depending on the function selected. Use the scene launch/mixer function buttons to select the function you want to control.

The two fully-customizable User Modes transform the grid into a drum pad controller, DJ effect controller or anything else you can think of. The default state for User Mode 1 provides drum pad control for Live's Drum Racks—great for sketching out beats. Using Live's simple MIDI mapping, it's easy to create custom control environments, whatever devices you're using and however your Live Sets are configured.

The User Modes make Launchpad the ideal hardware counterpart for Max for Live. Launchpad is flexible enough to deal with even the most detailed Max for Live devices and can handle generic parameters and controls with ease. Eleven LED states provide visual feedback that's precise enough for complex devices. Launchpad users will soon be able to download a Max for Live step sequencer patch from Novation and more Max for Live patches are planned for the future.

Live and Launchpad are in a constant, two-way, hardware-software dialog. The back-lit grid buttons show what's happening in Live and Live, in turn, shows which section of the Session View is currently under Launchpad control: a red border around the current clip group let's you see where you are with a just a cursory glance at your screen.

Obviously, you're not limited to controlling only 64 clips. The arrow buttons move the grid up, down, left and right one track or scene at a time. Hold down the 'Session' button in Session Mode, and you can use the arrow keys to jump eight tracks or rows at a time—very useful for navigating around large, complex Live Sets.

Want more buttons? Launchpads are designed to work together, with up to six units at once. That's more than 400 assignable buttons! Launchpads running on the same system can run in different modes, so you can control the Session View, mixer and custom setups all at once, with one Launchpad for each.

Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller Specifications
-Physical controls and Indicators
  -64 (8x8 grid) square multi-colour back-lit buttons
  -8 round multi-colour back-lit system buttons (assignable)
  -8 round multi-colour back-lit function buttons (not assignable)
-Connectivity
  -L-shaped USB 1.1 connector.
-Dimensions
  -W = 240 mm / 9.45 “, H = 20 mm / 0.79 “, D = 240 mm / 9.45 “

Novation Launchpad Ableton Controller System Requirements
-Macintosh
  -OS: 10.4, or later recommended
  -Computer: G4 or faster / Intel Mac
  -Memory (RAM): 512 MB RAM / 1 GB recommended
  -Quicktime 6.5 or higher
  -DVD Rom Drive
-Windows
  -OS: Windows XP or Vista
  -Computer: 1.5 GHz or faster
  -Memory (RAM): 512 MB RAM / 1 GB recommended
  -Quicktime 6.5 or higher
  -DVD Rom Drive