The quest for the "perfect" midicontroller continous. This time its the well known keyboard/synthesizer manufacturer Novations turn to address themself to that issue.
Together with Ableton they annouced their upcomming midicontroller Launchpad on 1st october, which is a "monomesque" clipmatrix based controll-surface, build for Ableton Live.
Its the second midicontroller build especially for and in cooperation with Ableton . The first was Akai´s flagship controller, the APC40 (Ableton Performance Controller / 40- clip pads). The Apc40 got a 5 month headstart and got overly hyped by the Ableton community - but due to bad availability in some countrys, the high price-tag (469€ in europe !) and its unhandy size (its to bulky & heavy to be real "portable" & "club compatible") it wasnt as successful as it could have been.
So here is where the Launchpad really shines.
It is small, it is lightwight & it is cheap.
Specs:
• 8x8 grid (64 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)
• W = 240 mm / D = 240 mm
• 717grams
Pricing:
199.00 USD/199.00€
to get a impression of the controller in action - check out the video below.
For me this is definitely "the next big thing".
Combined with a second controller with real faders & rotarys ala Korg nanoKontroll it is my perfect mobile Ableton controller setup till now.
Cant wait to get my hands on one of these babys - Thanks Novation & Ableton !
www.novationmusic.com
www.Ableton.com
