Novation Mk3

N
ovation’s
Launchkey
controller
keyboards have
been very
successful. Now at
version 3, they
continue to provide a good balance
of price and features, and on the
bench I have the new 88-key model.
Novation pitch Launchkey as a
DAW-ready device that provides
keyboard, keypad and DAW control.
It has a pretty decent set of onboard
standalone features and, in addition
to a USB port for connection and
powering, there’s a regular MIDI out
and sustain pedal input. It supports
the HUI protocol, so you can use it
with any suitably-equipped DAW.
That said, custom scripting means it
integrates best with Ableton Live. It
also gets extended support in Cubase
12 via a pre-installed script, and
there are user installable scripts for
Logic Pro and Reason.
But fi rst let’s have a quick look at
the physical features. Like most
88-key keyboards the layout differs a
bit from the smaller models, with the
mod and pitch wheels on the top
panel, and the controls spread out a
little bit more. Nevertheless, you’ve
still got the Launchkey core feature
set of 16 backlit velocity sensitive
pads with selectable polyphonic
aftertouch, four Ableton Live
navigation pads, eight pots, nine
sliders with accompanying buttons, a
small LCD display and transport
controls. The keyboard itself
combines gloss fi nish white keys
with contrasting satin fi nish black
keys, and the semi-weighted keybed
is a different design to the other
Novation’s Components application
(download or browser version).
I found using the Launchkey 88
in Ableton Live and Cubase 12 more
rewarding than via the HUI protocol
in other DAWs. Scripting in Live, you
can easily trigger clips and scenes,
control devices and navigate around
your session. Meanwhile scripting in
Cubase provides different modes
that make use of the main pad bank
for track select, record arm, mute
and solo, or faders and pots for track
volume, pan and sends A and B.
Overall, Launchkey 88 Mk3 is a
solid update. It offers a great set of
features for the price and is
particularly attractive for those using
the script-supported DAWs.
Launchkeys. The action is fast and
positive, and with no aftertouch,
when you hit the keys with medium
to hard velocity, you get a welcoming
solid thump. In terms of physical
noise there is some inconsistency
between keys, but this isn’t
particularly obvious. At over 8kg the
keyboard is heavy but manageable
by one person, and the overall
dimensions are reasonably slimline
for an 88-key format.
As mentioned, Launchkey 88 has
a regular MIDI output and plenty of
onboard features, making it an ideal
standalone controller. The most
powerful is its arpeggiator, which
uses a combination of the keyboard
keys and pots to help you sculpt your
ideal part. In strum mode you can
even play through your arp using the
mod wheel. The 2x8 pad matrix
defaults to regular drum pad mode,
but can also be used to trigger loads
of predefi ned chords (scale chord
mode), or user specifi ed chords (user
chord mode). Further pad options
include CC switches and MIDI
program selection. For the keyboard
itself you can select a specifi c scale
and also specify fi xed chords that
you trigger from the root note. But
beyond this and to actually
customise things such as pad
colours and behaviours you’ll need
THE PROS & CONS
+
Semi-weighted
keybed with good
quality action
Velocity sensitive
backlit pads with
selectable aftertouch
Specialist script
support for
some DAWs
Extensive onboard
features including
arpeggiator and
selectable scale
Good value
-
Scripting support
currently limited to
four specifi c DAWs
FM VERDICT
9.0
Launchkey 88 is a solid
performer that makes a great
standalone controller but is
best coupled with one of the
script-supported DAWs
Novation pitch it as a DAW-
ready device with keyboard,
keypad and DAW control
Novation Launchkey 88 Mk3 | Reviews
71
FMU386.rev_novation.indd 71FMU386.rev_novation.indd 71 07/07/2022 17:2707/07/2022 17:27