Launchkey is our intuitive and fully integrated MIDI keyboard controller for making tracks in Ableton Live and with your external equipment. The Launchkey experience is designed for players of all types and abilities. With Launchkey, regardless of experience, you can create and play your music like never before. With its various musical creation features, all of which can be used standalone, Launchkey removes barriers to creativity, and expands the musical vocabulary of even the most talented keyboardists. Eight Scale modes guide you into new musical territory, by transposing keys played to notes in the scale selected. Simply choose your root note and your preferred scale, then play. Three Chord modes transform the keys and pads into an interactive surface of musical exploration, where every note played is tonally and harmonically linked. The arpeggiator lets you explore new melodies and find ideas quickly, while the mutate function reconstructs your patterns into exciting new forms. Custom Modes simplify the relationship between controller and software, with more power than ever in your hands. Programmable using the Novation Components browser-based tool, Custom Modes let you design the behaviour of your Launchkey, with control over control assignments, MIDI routing, pad colour and much more. Launchkey 25 [MK3] is equipped with a full-size five-pin MIDI DIN output, enabling simple connection to the universe of MIDI devices — new and old. Coupled with its immense standalone potential, Launchkey is now the centrepiece to your live or studio rig — computer or not.

The Launchkey platform has always been about flexibility, and the MK3 revision carries this mantra at its core. Larger, improved velocity-sensitive pads provide greater control over dynamics, and eight fixed rotary knobs bring your software to life at your fingertips. The integration with Ableton Live is truly seamless, with a dedicated button for activating the Capture MIDI function, plus track arm, quantise, click and loop controls, for flying around your Session faster than ever. Not an Ableton Live user? No problem, Launchkey also has full integration with Logic and Reason, plus out of the box functionality with other DAWs including Studio One, Cubase and Pro Tools, via HUI. Whether starting out or locked in a groove, Launchkey is the controller keyboard to take you further on your musical journey. With a collection of software instruments, including Ableton Live Lite, Spitfire Audio LABS Expressive Strings, XLN Audio Addictive Keys, Klevgrand R0Verb and DAW Cassette, and AAS Session Bundle, Launchkey 25 equips you with an amazing bundle of sounds. Launchkey now has deeper integration with Cubase 12 in the latest update from Steinberg. This update sees a significant improvement upon the previous HUI script, giving Launchkey seamless integration with Cubase. Get closer to your music with quick access to essential Cubase DAW controls, automatic set up and deeper mixer control. Get the perfect mix and tweak on-screen parameters straight from the hardware.

Key Features

• Designed for Ableton Live – Immediate access to all the controls you need.
• Create and play with feeling – Velocity-sensitive keyboard and 16 velocity-sensitive pads enable expressive and dynamic performance.
• Get creative with chords – Three chord modes (fixed, scale and user) let you trigger chords with one finger.
• Never hit a wrong note – Scale modes transpose keys and pads to notes in the selected scale.
• Capture MIDI – One-touch access to Ableton Live’s Capture MIDI feature means you’ll never lose an idea.
• Get melodies moving – Powerful arpeggiator takes you to new melodic, harmonic and rhythmic places.
• Control anything MIDI – Five-pin MIDI output works with any MIDI-compatible device.
• Easy-to-read screen – 16x2 character screen lets you easily see the state of what you’re controlling or selecting.
• Choose from four model sizes – 25-, 37-, 49- and 61-key variants let you pick the perfect controller for your setup.
• Make music immediately – Free software, including Ableton Live 10 Lite, virtual instruments, plugins and sample packs let you start creating straight away.
• Shape your sound – Tweak instruments and effects to perfection using eight rotary encoders and (on 49- and 61-key models) nine 45mm faders.
• Make Launchkey your own – Four Custom Modes enable you to create unique control setups for any performance or studio rig, using Novation Components.

v1.1 Firmware Update

The firmware v1.1 update introduces the new Strum Mode feature. Users can hold down notes and trigger Strum Mode by using the mod wheel on the Launchkey [MK3]. Strum Mode can also be used alongside other arpeggiator modes to really ramp up your musical imagination.

Warranty

Enjoy three years of warranty. Wherever you happen to be in the world, you can rely on a three-year warranty if any Novation hardware needs repairing or replacing due to a manufacturing fault.

Included Software

• Ableton Live Lite – Quickly organise and arrange your sounds and start making tracks with this staple electronic-music-making software.
• Spitfire Audio LABS-Expressive Strings – Made exclusively for Launchkey MK3 owners, Spitfire Audio have taken their world-class strings samples and created an instantly playable, highly reactive instrument, designed to spark your creativity.
• XLN Addictive Keys – Access one of four virtual keyboards when you register your first piece of Novation or Focusrite hardware.
• Klevgrand R0Verb and DAW Cassette – High quality reverb and tape deck emulation plug-ins, to add some space or take your sound back to the golden age of cassette tapes.
• AAS Session Bundle – Three synths for music makers, providing staple sounds for your tracks.

What's in the Box

• Novation Launchkey 25 [MK3]
• USB A to B type cable
• Safety information sheet