Novation Launchkey 88 [MK3] - premium 88-note MIDI keyboard for expressive music creation

The Launchkey Mini is a solid, compact MIDI controller that I’ve really enjoyed using. It’s small, lightweight, and surprisingly versatile for its size. The 25 keys have a decent feel, and while they’re not as big as a full-sized keyboard, they’re still responsive and comfortable enough for playing melodies or chords. The velocity-sensitive keys work well, and there’s a nice balance between portability and functionality. The pads are responsive and great for triggering drum sounds or loops, and the sliders and knobs provide good tactile control when tweaking your DAW settings or mixing. I particularly like how easily it integrates with software like Ableton Live—once it’s plugged in, it’s ready to go, which saves time during setup. One of the best things about the Launchkey Mini is how portable it is. It’s small enough to toss into a bag, and I’ve found it super useful for mobile music production or when I don’t have a lot of space on my desk. It’s USB-powered, which is convenient since I don’t need an extra power supply or cables. Overall, it’s a great little MIDI controller for producers who want something compact but still capable. It doesn’t have the full range of a larger controller, but for what it’s meant to do, it does a great job. Would definitely recommend it if you need something portable and functional.

I had the Akai MPK mini mk2 for several years and it was ok but I was never fully satisfied with it. I hesitated to even consider the Launchkey because I wasn't really familiar with Novation and personally didn't know anyone with any of their gear. I decided to take a chance on this and WOW... I wish I had this years ago... Everything about this feels better than the MPK. The build quality is better and feels more like a premium product. The keys don't feel as cheap and toy-like. 16 pads instead of 8 like most of the boards of this size. Pitch and modulation touch sliders instead of wheels which I love. The knobs have a nice resistance to them and make small adjustments easy. And on top of all that this has top notch Ableton Live integration, something the MPK lacked entirely. I love Live's session mode and the Launchkey has made it easy to work in Ableton without having to jump back to my keyboard and mouse. I'm not at the level where I'm performing live but I can already see how the integration can make live performances possible and fairly easy. The layout is intuitive while retaining a ton of built in functions and settings. Overall I'm very impressed with this. At the same price as the MPK mini, this seems like the better buy, even if you're not an Ableton user and if you are then this is the obvious choice.

I love these little controllers and this is one of the best in my opinion for portability. I ultimately decided to return it because I didn’t need the portability as much as I needed more keys… so I went up to the 37 key. But the functionality is mostly the same. If you are someone who plays mostly synth, looping, simple piano chords… this is perfect. If you are a bit more advanced on the piano and want a sustain pedal and have both hands on the keys… you may want to look at some of the bigger boards in this lineup. WORKS FLAWLESSLY WITH ABLETON. I was very resistant to ableton at first since I had already learned a couple of other DAWs, why move? well… for live looping, it’s hard to beat. And the integration with these notation products is just amazing. I have not ended up with a launchpad and launch key 37 as a result. So if you’re using ableton.. these notation keyboards are GREAT. I can’t speak to other daw integration because I don’t use them when I’m working in my other DAWs… I only use these products during live performances… not during production.

I love this device and I want to give it 5 stars, but there are some issues that you should know about before purchasing. The keys feel a bit like toy keyboard keys. I don't mean smaller versions of standard keyboard keys - I mean it really does feel toylike. However, after using the keyboard I fell in love with the low travel and the pressure response actually works very well. But you MUST expect a "toylike" key feel when you first get it. This keyboard has no control for velocity curve at the hardware level. If you use FL Studio that's fine, just set it there. But if you use an application like Reaper which has no global velocity curve, you're stuck with keys that sound a bit quiet unless you press them harder than you probably want to. The firmware is easy to update and the keyboard has performed reliably once I addressed an issue --- if you find the keyboard to disconnect or seem like it crashes, it is most likely it's not getting enough USB power. This is a known issue with devices powered by USB, so if that happens just connect it to a powered HUB. I mention it though because I have two computers - one of which is a laptop - where there wasn't enough USB to power both my Focusrite Scarlett Solo AND the keyboard. The pads feel amazing. They are incredibly responsive. The ribbon controllers feel good. The knobs feel good. You also get some free software at the Focusrite website, which is nice. All in all it's an excellent product, but the lack of velocity adjustment is unfortunate because it's a little unpleasant in software that doesn't have a global velocity setting. PS. It lights up in glorious dancing rainbow colors after a few minutes of inactivity. It looks cool, but if you find it distracting you can turn it off. It's called "Vegas mode" and you can find out how online.

I admit this is my second keyboard from Novation I’ve purchased. The first was a 25 key which worked quite well with Ableton Live. I still use it and wanted a full size keyboard for more dynamic musical pieces. This Novation Launchkey 88 [MK3] MIDI Keyboard Controller for Ableton Live is a true powerhouse of integration and performance. I finally own a solid keyboard with 88 velocity-sensitive keys, intuitive controls, and RGB backlit pads, and specifically, seamless control over Ableton Live's session view, mixer, and instruments. Its sturdy build, versatile connectivity, and sleek design make it a must-have for amateurs like myself, performers, and producers seeking professional-grade functionality.

I spent a lot of time researching this and comparing to other beginner mini keyboards- specifically the akai MPK mini II. The quality is amazing, the keys and drum pads are very touch-sensitive and there is no noticeable delay for sound production when you press keys. Drum pads are velocity sensitive, and you can program your own colors. ( i did rainbow). I also like that the dials do not spin indefinitely, there is set scales so you can easily control pitch, modulation, and several other settings. This product is not cheaply made, and you can also set up with any software AND has an audio output to use with other devices, where the AKAI MPK does not. Only star I retract would be for beginner use. This product comes with ableton lite software license, which is great, but difficult to learn for beginner and novice musicians. I recommend using skillshare if you are new, there are tons of videos on how to use ableton. As I said earlier, this can be programmed with any digital audio software. For a gift for a beginner, this is a huge bang for your buck, and is portable.

I'm pretty new to using DAW's (I was a Recording Engineer in the 1970's and 80's, we used Tape Machines, LOL). I'm building a new Music Workstation in my home and wanted a small, simple Controller with enough features for Drums as well as ARP and Sequencing to use with a DAW. (I already own a Arturia KeyStep 37 for my Modular Synths). I looked at quite a few YouTube Reviews and this LaunchKey Mini MK3 always stood out. It was designed to really work with Ableton but also integrates fairly well with Logic Pro which is what I thought I would use it with. After having it for a few weeks now I can say that yes it works pretty well with Logic Pro but really integrates even better with Ableton, so much so I have decided to make Ableton my DAW of choice. The learning curve for me was pretty easy being new to all of this and there are lots of good online tutorials. Overall this little beast is packed with a full range of great features. The build quality is ok, not great but not bad, it’s plastic but the Knobs Buttons and Pads have a solid feel. Just treat it well and it will be just fine! The Keyboard is not meant for a “virtuoso” but for me who is a hunt and peck keyboardist (I am a drummer) it works and I like the small size. Hey, you can’t beat the price for this much technical power. Setup was very easy using the Novation WebSite. The only thing I’m still confused about is setting up my own Custom Mode but I’ll figure it out. As for the person that complained about the lack of a MIDI Cable being included and then buying the wrong ones, that is just “USER” error. All he had to do is contact Novation/Focusrite Customer Support like I did, within an hour they got back to me and sent a Link to where to buy the correct cable. That says a lot about Novation Support! Bottom line, if you want a nice, compact Controller that’s full of features at a great price…. THIS IS IT

Been using the Launchkey Mini for about a year. I mostly use it for the drum pads, but it also has great tools like the arpeggiator built in. I personally don't use the fixed chord setting by itself but fixed chord + arpeggio is pretty good. It's easy to use, might take a video or two to figure out the UI, then it's a blast to use. Been watching a lot of live sets people play with the mini and they're really inspirational. Hoping to get into that realm soon. TL;DR: Great product, very affordable and versatile, no issues.

Além de ser um produto de MUITA qualidade e ter chegado antes do esperado, ganhei vários "brindes", como uma cópia do Ableton Live Lite e alguns plugins por ter comprado o controlador.

Un prodotto molto interessante e completo sotto il punto di vista delle funzioni ma anche controverso, e cercherò di spiegarne i perché in modo che altri utenti non si trovino nelle stesse difficoltà che ho incontrato io. Partiamo innanzitutto col dire che la tastiera dovrebbe essere plug'n'play con il programma Ableton: in realtà non è così. Infatti viene sì riconosciuta dal programma ma non vengono attivate tutte le porte midi tanto è vero che la tastierina non funziona e non invia alcuna nota: deve essere impostata 'a mano' dall'utente nelle Preferenze di Live. Poi, all'inizio, ho riscontrato alcuni problemi, il tasto Arp che rimaneva illuminato fisso così come il tasto Fixed Chords che a volte funzionava e a volte no. Ho scaricato il programma Novation Components dal sito del produttore ed ho aggiornato il firmware della tastiera e adesso il tutto sembra funzionare a dovere. C'è da dire, comunque, che, talvolta, il funzionamento della la tastiera è un po' imprevedibile: ad esempio è sufficiente sfiorare i tasti affinché attivino una qualche funzione mentre, talvolta, capita che la tastiera non comunichi correttamente con Ableton e che quindi si renda necessario chiudere il programma e riavviarlo affinché tutto torni a funzionare normalmente. C'è un ulteriore particolare che ha destato la mia curiosità... Gli ultimi tre tasti della tastierina contengono tre simboli che dovrebbero attivare una qualche funzione tramite la pressione del tasto shift... In realtà, non attivano proprio un bel niente così come mi hanno confermato anche dal supporto di Novation. Forse, in futuro, serviranno a qualcosa, magari dopo un nuovo aggiornamento del firmware! Bene, se siete arrivati a leggere fin qui vi sarete chiesti perché non ho effettuato il reso del prodotto.... Sinceramente, se avessi dovuto farmi fare un controller per Live su misura, probabilmente mi sarei fatto fare proprio un prodotto del genere; per quanto riguarda le sue funzioni e per come sono state organizzate, visto anche dimensioni, costruzione e prezzo, per me è semplicemente il controller ideale. Ecco perché nonostante i difetti che ho elencato lo ritengo un prodotto davvero valido da utilizzare con il programma di Ableton. In quanto a funzioni, non gli manca davvero nulla. Probabilmente il prodotto soffre ancora di difetti di "gioventù" dovuti a un firmware non proprio ottimizzato. Spero in futuro Novation provveda in merito, essendo io in possesso di più di un controller, vi posso dire che questo i suoi soldi li vale tutti... Due parole anche sui software dotazione: anche se bisogna districarsi con le solite prassi di registrazione presso vari siti il tutto è reso semplice dal fatto che non appena si collega la tastiera al computer si apre un file che permette un collegamento al sito Novation dove ci si può registrare e da lì scaricare il software. Il pezzo forte è il già citato Components che è sopratutto un vero e proprio editor, poi ci sono vari plugin e, ovviamente, l'immancabile Ableton Live Lite (versione rigorosamente 10, pena il non funzionamento del controller). Consigliatissimo quindi a chi già utilizza Live, conosce il programma e sà come districarsi nell'utilizzo e nel risolvere i problemi che si possono incontrare con questi controller; non lo consiglierei affatto a chi vuole iniziare ad usare un controller midi con il programma di Ableton ma non ha le dovute conoscenze e la necessaria esperienza. Meglio allora altri prodotti come quelli di Akai che fanno poco ma lo fanno bene e da subito... Aggiornamento al 18/12: con l'ultima versione di Live, vengono risolti alcuni bug con questo modello ed aggiunta una nuova utile funzione (vedere sul sito Ableton le info). Aggiungo, pertanto, la quinta stella 👍🏻

Great midi keyboard for the price. Syncs so well with ableton and keys and buttons and knobs are really good and feel easy to play.

Een van de beste aankopen van dit jaar. Twijfel je nog? Niet doen, meteen bestellen. Het toetsenbord voelt degelijk en is toch handig om snel solo's te spelen. Maar met een programma midi mapper als Divisimate is het mogelijk om een hele band of orkest te bedienen dankzij de snelle transpose mogelijkehden en voor diverse DAW's zijn er scripts beschikbaar. Zelf gebruik ik Bitwig en dat werkt goed. De pads zijn ook gevoelig en zeer degelijk. Hiervoor heb ik Roland en Arturia gehad en ik geef toch de voorkeur aan deze. Handig dat pads en keyboard apart worden herkent en zo los van elkaar te mappen zijn in je studio. Als bij elkaar echt een aanrader. Qua software heb ik de piano geprobeerd, maar deze kon mij niet echt overtuigen, maar als je net begint heb je toch een redelijk arsenaal aan mogelijkheden.

Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 är en kompakt och prisvärd MIDI-kontroller som har fått en imponerande uppdatering. Dess lilla storlek gör den perfekt för musiker på språng, och den robusta konstruktionen innebär att den tål resandets påfrestningar. Med en uppsättning av de mest responsiva tangenter jag har provat på en kontroller av denna storlek, är det en fröjd att spela på den. De 16 hastighetskänsliga trumdynorna är perfekt placerade för att knacka ut trumrytmer, och de åtta roterande reglagen känns allt annat än trånga, trots enhetens kompakta design. Med tanke på Ableton Live-användare, erbjuder Launchkey Mini plug-and-play-kontroll över ett brett urval av DAW:ens funktioner, vilket gör det till ett utmärkt val för både nybörjare och erfarna producenter. De inbyggda arpeggiator- och ackordlägena är särskilt imponerande och ger en kreativ boost när du komponerar eller uppträder live. Sammantaget är Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 en fantastisk liten kontroller som levererar stort på funktionalitet och spelbarhet.