Since 2009, the Novation Launchpad has been the iconic grid instrument for Ableton Live. You only have to search YouTube for ‘Launchpad performances’ to understand its ubiquity. Its 8 x 8 grid of pads can be seen on the desks and live rigs of countless electronic musicians.
Now, Novation take their innovation one step further with the Launchpad Pro: a simple new way to create dynamic, expressive musical performances.
This new professional grid instrument gives the classic Launchpad a total overhaul. Enhanced with RGB LED feedback (to reflect the colour of clips in Ableton Live), and velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, Launchpad Pro gives you the tools for even greater expression and creativity in your music. It has also been specifically designed to keep you focused on your performance: easily and immediately apply effects, dip in and out of specific mixer controls at the touch of a button, and switch between four key modes.
- Session Mode: immediately trigger and combine your clips.
- Note Mode: create dynamic beats and play the grid just like an instrument.
- Device Mode: easily apply effects to your performance.
- User Mode: create unique custom performances and layouts
New Performance Controls
This is an instrument designed for live performance. The new RGB pads light up to match the color of your clips in Ableton Live, so you can see at a glance, which clips are playing. In Note Mode, Launchpad Pro automatically switches the layout for drum or instrument devices. With drums, all your sounds are available, spread across the whole 8 x 8 grid. With instruments, the grid illuminates as a chromatic keyboard, enabling you to easily play notes, melodies, and chords.
You can use the grid to play any of your music software and external hardware too - with Standalone Mode. It doesn't matter which software you are using: plug it straight into Logic Pro, for example, and play it like a keyboard; connect the MIDI ports to your Bass Station II and play riffs on your grid. The possibilities are endless.
Quick Switching
Launchpad Pro is more than an instrument. It also gives you slick, immediate access to all your mixer controls mid-performance, so you stay in your flow. There’s no need to enter a separate mixer mode – simply press and hold a mixer function button (like mute or volume), make a change, and then release the button to drop straight back into your performance.
You can control any effect or instrument mid-performance to add expressive effects like reverb, beat repeats and filters. For super smooth effect transitions, the button grid also turns into eight velocity-sensitive vertical faders, with LED feedback - the harder you hit the pad, the faster the transition.
Part of the family
Launchpad Pro is just as sleek, lightweight, and tough as the rest of the Novation Launch range. Plus, it can be chained to multiple other Launch products, or connected to the rest of your studio or live setup.
It comes with everything you need to get started, including cables and software, and can be bus-powered over USB. It’s also class compliant and doesn’t need any drivers; just install the software, plug in and start performing.
Launchpad Pro will be available Spring 2015, with a US MAP of $299.99 and a UK retail price of £229.
