Jointly designed by Ableton and Novation, Launchpad 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.

Launchpad 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.

Launchpad is ultra-portable. It is USB bus powered (no need for power sockets), and weights in at just 717gms (one third the weight of a macbook!).

• Launch clips and scenes
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.

• Sketch out beats
Launchpad can be used to play drum racks, creating beats and triggering samples in real time.

• Controlling other functions
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.


• Create your own control surfaces!
Set up user mode to activate or solo channels, play notes and control FX devices, all on one page. So you can create totally personalised ways of improvising with Live

1 GB of Loopmasters Samples courtesy of www.loopmasters.com

• Go Large!
Launchpad supports multiple unit operation. Connect up to 6 Launchpads at a time. Expand your grid with multiple Launchpads, or have one Launchpad dedicated to mixer mode, and the other to launching clips.

• Expand your Ableton control solution
Novation’s controllers work seamlessly together, a ZeRO SL MkII to control Live's mixer and devices, whilst Launchpad triggers clips! Novation's SL MkII controllers have now been fully integrated into Live by Ableton and Novation's development teams

Launchpad can also be 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! This works in almost any DAW, whether it has a 'Learn' function or not.


For example, Launchpad can be used to control Logic's Ultrabeat, Reason's Redrum and Pro Tools' Boom drum machine. Also, controlling 3rd party plug-ins like NI's Battery or Fxpansion's Guru with Launchpad is literally just one click and one button press away!


Novation's Automap control software includes an on screen edit page showing you exactly what is assigned to what. You can also use Launchpad as a standard MIDI controller transmitting CC and MIDI note data from its 72 buttons.

If you are a Reaktor or Max MSP user, Launchpad presents a new set of possibilities. Each button has three colours, and each colour has three different brightness states. Imagine how powerful this visual control surface could be when designing new tools in Reaktor or Max.

Launchpad and Max for Live

Max is a visual programming environment which allows you to custom build instruments and effects. Ableton announced 'Max for Live' when they launched Live 8. This means that Max and Ableton are now integrated, so you can build your own instruments (or tweak other people's) within Live.

Launchpad can be used to control these instruments. For example, parameters on Max for Live's step sequencer can be triggered using Launchpad's buttons. Launchpad gives you a huge amount of visual feedback. Multiple colours and brightnesses across different buttons display visual information about whether the note is on, the velocity, note length, pitch, and whatever else you want to see!

Download the Max for Live Step Sequencer here

More information about Max for Live can be found at www.ableton.com.

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.


Minimum Operational Requirements

Macintosh

• OS: 10.4, or later recommended
• Computer: G4 or faster / Intel Mac
• Memory (RAM): 512 MB RAM / 1 GB recommended

Windows

• OS: Windows XP or Vista
• Computer: 1.5 GHz or faster
• Memory (RAM): 512 MB RAM / 1 GB recommended


Dimensions

Unit: W = 240 mm / 9.45 “, H = 20 mm / 0.79 “, D = 240 mm / 9.45 “
Box: W = 308 mm / 12.13 “, H = 90 mm / 20.98 “, D = 320 mm / 12.6 “


Weights

unit weight: 717gms /unit
boxed weight: 1kg/unit

Watch the Official promo video

Watch the First user video