Is it MIDI controller season? Following Arturia’s drop of the masterful KeyLab MK3 this week, Focusrite Novation has announced the Novation Launchkey MK4, updating the series from its powerful 2020 incarnation. What’s new? A lot, actually.
The Launchkey MK4 series comprises six MIDI keyboards, ranging from the dinky Launchkey Mini 25 up to the desk-filling Launchkey 61. Naturally, the number beside each model indicates the number of keys on each controller. The standout features include compatibility with all major DAWs, a generative arpeggiator, chord and scale modes, polyphonic aftertouch on each drum pad, high-quality keypads, and a step sequencer for Ableton Live. You’ll also get a bundle of plugins with each purchase — more on that shortly.
When looking for a new MIDI controller, you probably want one that feels authentic, not like a cheap keyboard that happens to connect to your laptop. Novation reckons it’s nailed that feeling, saying it looks, feels and plays like an instrument that you can truly get hands-on with. To keep your eyes off the laptop screen, the Launchkey MK4 comes with OLED displays to quickly reference the virtual instrument you’re using, plus endless encoders to exactly dial in your desired settings
Each keyboard boasts eight of these assignable encoders, with the 49 and 61 key models featuring an additional nine faders. This means you can tweak your DAW or plugins pretty easily; if you’re using a major DAW, you won’t need to set up your MIDI mapping either — it’s automatic. You can, of course, customise your MIDI maps to control any facet of your software with these controllers.
For more creative performances, you can use the 16 velocity-sensitive pads found on all models. These all feature polyphonic aftertouch, too, so it’s not just drums you can bang out on these — you can play rich, evolving chords from virtual instruments, or use them to trigger samples in grid-based software. Novation says that the pads are made with a “patented design that delivers increased responsiveness than standard FSR drum pads.”
You can let the Launchkey assist you in your performances, too. The generative arpeggiator is reportedly an improvement from the Launchkey MK3, and the Chord feature will help you deploy quick chords with Fixed Chord, User Chord and Chord Maps modes. There’s also a Chord Detector, which will show you the chord you’re playing on the OLED display, which seems quite useful. Scale mode, meanwhile, will lock notes on the keyboard to the selected scale so you’ll never play out of key.
OK — onto the software. You actually get a decent bundle with each purchase: Ableton Live 12 Lite, which is a stripped-back version of Ableton Live; Klevgrand plugins including LUXE R0verb and Slammer, which are all beloved for their quirkiness and creative potential; GForce Software’s Oberheim SEM, OB-EZ and AXXESS for some vintage synth flavours; Orchestral Tools’ Parallel Orchestral Bundle for those cinematic and classical sounds; and Melodics, which offers bespoke keyboard lessons for musicians of all levels to help you get to grips with the Launchkey.
One thing to note: there’s the Launchkey and the Launchkey Mini. The Mini keyboards are available in 37- and 25-key sizes, and the major differences include smaller synth-action keys, and touch strips that replace the mod and pitch wheels.
Not bad, right? Well, we’ll be publishing a review of the series in the next few days to tell you how it really performs, but if you’re convinced already, here’s the price of each model.
- Launchkey Mini 25: £110/$120/€110
- Launchkey Mini 37: £140/$150/€142
- Launchkey 25: £170/$180/€168
- Launchkey 37: £200/$210/€193
- Launchkey 49: £230/$250/€226
- Launchkey 61: £280/$300/€277
You can order the keyboards from Thomann, Zzounds and Novation now.
