Novation Launchkey 49 MK3 Manual
Novation
Midi-keyboard
Launchkey 49 MK3
Læs gratis den danske manual til Novation Launchkey 49 MK3 (55 sider) i kategorien Midi-keyboard. Denne vejledning er vurderet som hjælpsom af 25 personer og har en gennemsnitlig bedømmelse på 4.7 stjerner ud af 13 anmeldelser. Har du et spørgsmål om Novation Launchkey 49 MK3, eller vil du spørge andre brugere om produktet?
Side 1/55

Version 6
User Guide

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Contents
Introduction 5 ..............................................................................................................................
Key Features 5 ...................................................................................................................................
Box Contents 6 ..................................................................................................................................
Getting Started 6 ..............................................................................................................................
Troubleshooting and Support 7 ........................................................................................................
Model Specific Features 7 .................................................................................................................
Semi-Weighted Keybed (Launchkey 88 only)..............................................................................7
Hardware Overview 8 ........................................................................................................................
Getting Connected 10 ......................................................................................................................
Connecting Launchkey with a Computer 10 ..................................................................................
Connecting Launchkey with External MIDI Enabled Instruments 10 .............................................
Working with Ableton Live 11 .....................................................................................................
Installation 11 ....................................................................................................................................
Setup 11 ............................................................................................................................................
Session Mode 13 ...............................................................................................................................
Launching Clips 15 ........................................................................................................................
Launching Scenes 16 .....................................................................................................................
Stop, Solo, Mute 16 ......................................................................................................................
Record 17 .......................................................................................................................................
Capture MIDI 17 .............................................................................................................................
Quantise 17 ....................................................................................................................................
Click 17 ...........................................................................................................................................
Undo..........................................................................................................................................17
Arm/Select (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only) 18 .....................................................................................
Drum Mode - Playing and Recording Drums 18 .....................................................................................
Using Ableton Live’s Mixer 19 ..........................................................................................................
Pots 19 ...........................................................................................................................................
Faders (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only) 20 ............................................................................................
Device Mode - Navigating and Controlling Devices 21 .........................................................................
Device Select.............................................................................................................................22
Device Lock 22 ...............................................................................................................................
Transport Functions 23 ......................................................................................................................

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Working with Cubase 24 .............................................................................................................
Setup 24 ............................................................................................................................................
Pot Modes and Fader Modes (49, 61, 88 key) 25 .............................................................................
Device mode 25 .............................................................................................................................
Volume mode 25 ............................................................................................................................
Pans Mode 25 ................................................................................................................................
Sends (Sends A and B) 25 ..............................................................................................................
Pad Mode 26 .....................................................................................................................................
Session Mode 26 ............................................................................................................................
Fader Buttons (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only) 26 ............................................................................
Select Mode 26 ..............................................................................................................................
Arm Mode 26 .................................................................................................................................
Transport Controls 27 ........................................................................................................................
Track ◄ ► Buttons ..................................................................................................................27
> Pad (Scene Launch) 27 ................................................................................................................
Standalone Features 28 ...............................................................................................................
Grid 28 ..............................................................................................................................................
Drum Mode 28 ...............................................................................................................................
Scale Chord Mode 28 ....................................................................................................................
User Chord Mode 30 ......................................................................................................................
Fixed Chord...............................................................................................................................31
Scale Mode 33 ..................................................................................................................................
Custom Modes 34 .............................................................................................................................
Pads 34 ...........................................................................................................................................
Pots 35 ...........................................................................................................................................
Faders (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only) 35 ............................................................................................
Arpeggiator 35 ..................................................................................................................................
Arpeggiator Pot Controls 36 ..........................................................................................................
Arp Modes 37 ................................................................................................................................
Arp Rates 38 ..................................................................................................................................
Arp Rhythms 39 .............................................................................................................................
Latch 39 .........................................................................................................................................
Arp Control Lock 40 ......................................................................................................................
Octave Buttons.............................................................................................................................40
Settings 41 ........................................................................................................................................
Pot Pickup 41 ....................................................................................................................................
Navigation Mode - ([...] Button) 42 ..........................................................................................................
Strum Mode 42 .................................................................................................................................
Arp Controls in Strum Mode 43 .....................................................................................................

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Working with Other DAWs 44 ....................................................................................................
Logic 44 .............................................................................................................................................
Setup 44 .........................................................................................................................................
Session Mode 45 ............................................................................................................................
Pots 47 ...........................................................................................................................................
Faders (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only) 48 ............................................................................................
Arm/Select (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only) 48 .....................................................................................
Transport Functions 49 ...................................................................................................................
Navigation 49 .................................................................................................................................
Reason 50 ..........................................................................................................................................
Setup 50 .........................................................................................................................................
Transport Control 50 ......................................................................................................................
Pots 51 ...........................................................................................................................................
Pads Session Mode 51 ...................................................................................................................
Navigation 51 .................................................................................................................................
Preset Browsing 51 .........................................................................................................................
Working with HUI (Pro Tools, Studio One etc.) 52 ..................................................................................
Setup 52 ........................................................................................................................................
Pro Tools 52 ....................................................................................................................................
Studio One ............................................................................................................................... 52
Pad Session Mode 52 .....................................................................................................................
Navigation 52 ................................................................................................................................
Controlling the Mixer 52 ................................................................................................................
Faders and Fader Buttons (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only)............................................................53
The faders always control track volumes for the selected bank of tracks. 53 ................................
Transport Buttons 53 ......................................................................................................................
The transport buttons listed below will function as described when used with HUI. 53 ................
Physical Characteristics 54 ...........................................................................................................
Weight and Dimensions 54 ...............................................................................................................
Custom Modes and Components ...........................................................................................54

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Introduction
Launchkey [MK3] is Novation’s intuitive and fully integrated MIDI keyboard controller for making tracks
in Ableton Live and Steinberg’s Cubase. Designed to give you everything you need to create and play
your music. Made for creators of all abilities, Launchkey gives you inspirational tools to expand your
musical vocabulary.
Launchkey gives you unrivalled access to Ableton Live’s functions, including Capture MIDI, track
arm, quantise, click and loop controls. Not using Ableton Live? No problem, Launchkey also has
full integration with Cubase, Logic and Reason, plus out of the box functionality with other DAWs
including Studio One and Pro Tools, via HUI.
Inspirational features include Scale, Chord and Strum modes and a powerful arpeggiator, which
together extend your musical capabilities and let you create in new ways. Scale Mode transposes keys
and pads played to notes in the scale selected; chord modes let you trigger complex chords with one
finger, while the arpeggiator gives your melodies movement.
Launchkey also works in standalone; the full-size five-pin MIDI output works with any MIDI-compatible
device. Use to update firmware and configure Custom Modes. We recommend Novation Components
updating the firmware right away so your Launchkey is up to date and fully featured.
Key Features
• Designed for Ableton Live: immediate
access to all the controls you need.
• Additional DAW support: Full integration
with Cubase, Logic and Reason, out of
the box functionality with Studio One,
Pro Tools and more via HUI.
• Produce and perform: 25, 37, 49, 61 or
88-note velocity sensitive keyboard and
16 velocity sensitive RGB backlit pads
• Shape your sound: tweak instruments and
effects to perfection using eight rotary
encoders - and 9 faders (Launchkey 49,
61 and 88 only)
• Automatically map scales to the keys:
never hit a wrong note
• Get creative: three chord modes allow
you to trigger chords with one finger,
the powerful arpeggiator gets melodies
moving
• Transport and mixer control: directly
operate playback, recording, pans, mutes
and sends
• Connect to your hardware: 5-pin MIDI Out
works with any MIDI-compatible device
• Control anything MIDI: create custom
mappings for any performance or studio
rig using Novation Components
• Make music immediately: Ableton Live
Lite, virtual instruments and effects
plugins and sample packs included

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Box Contents
• Launchkey 25, 37, 49, 61 or 88
• USB Type-A to B cable (1.5 meters)
• Safety Instructions
Getting Started
The ‘Easy Start Tool’ provides a step-by-step guide to setting up your Launchkey. This online tool
guides you through the process of registering your Launchkey and accessing the software bundle.
When connecting Launchkey to your computer, it will appear as a Mass Storage Device (MSD), like a
USB drive. Open the drive and open ‘Click Here to Get Started.url’. This will open the Easy Start tool
in your web browser.
Alternatively, visit our to register your Launchkey and access the software bundle.website

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Troubleshooting and Support
For help getting started with your Launchkey, please visit:
novationmusic.com/get-started
If you have any questions or need any help at any time with your Launchkey, please visit our Help
Centre.
Here you can also contact our support team:
support.novationmusic.com
Model Specific Features
There are 25, 37, 49, 61 and 88 key versions of Launchkey. The differences between the devices are
outlined below and model specific features are noted throughout this guide.
Model Launchkey 25 Launchkey 37 Launchkey 49 Launchkey 88Launchkey 61
Velocity Sensitive keys 25 37 49 61 88
Faders - - 9 9 9
Fader/Track Buttons - - 9 9 9
Arm/Select Button - -
Semi-Weighted
Keybed
- - - -
Semi-Weighted Keybed (Launchkey 88 only)
The Launchkey 88 model features a semi-weighted keyboard for a piano-like feel. All 88 keys are
velocity sensitive with four velocity curves to suit your playing– See “Settings” on page 41.

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Hardware Overview
1LCD Display Shows the device status, parameter values,
and lets you navigate through menus.
2Shift Button Enables access to secondary Shift functions
which are shown in grey text on the hardware.
3Settings Button Opens the settings menu on the screen. See
“Settings” on page 41 for a reference table
4▲▼ Buttons Navigates up and down through rows of pads.
Used for clips and drum racks in Live, chords,
and more.
5Track Buttons◄ ► Navigates through tracks in your DAW.
6… Button
(Navigation Mode)
Pressing the ‘...’ button will put the Launchkey
into Navigation Mode useful for browsing
samples and presets. See “Navigation Mode -
([...] Button)” on page 42.
7Fixed Chord
Button
Stores a chord that can be played with oe
finger anywhere on the keyboard. See “Fixed
Chord” on page 31.
8Arp Button Turns on and off Launchkey’s inbuilt
arpeggiator. Long press also locks the pot and
pad Arp controls to on.
9Scale Button Turns on and off Launchkey’s . See Scale Mode
“Scale Mode” on page 33.
10 Octave - +
Buttons
Transposes the keyboard up or down eight
octaves (C-2 to C5). Pressing both buttons sets
the transposition amount back to 0.
11 Pitch Wheel Bends the pitch of the note being played.
12 Modulation Wheel Modulates software/hardware parameters.
1
2 3 4
5
6
8
11
10
7
9
12

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19 Faders (Launchkey 49,
61 and 88 only)
Control various parameters using eight available modes: Device, Volume Send ,
A, Send B Custom Modes and four . The 9th fader controls Master volume in your
DAW (excluding HUI).
20 Fader Buttons (49,
61 and 88 key models
only)
Control various parameters using eight available modes: Device, Volume Send A, ,
Send B Custom Modes and four .
21 Arm/Select Button (49,
61 and 88 Key Models
Only)
Changes the functionality of the Fader Buttons in your DAW to let you select and
record arm tracks.
13 Pots Controls various parameters using eight available modes: , Device Volume Pan Sends , ,
and four . The first five pots also control parameters as secondary Custom Modes Arp
functions.
14 Pads Trigger clips and play drum racks in Ableton Live using and Modes. Send Session Drum
custom MIDI messages using four available . Trigger chords in Custom Modes Scale Chord
and Modes.User Chord
15 Device Select Selects the device you want to control in Ableton Live using the pads.
16 Device Lock Locks the currently selected device controls to the pots in Ableton Live, even when you
navigate to a different track.
17 > Button
(Scene Launch)
Launches full rows of clips in Ableton Live.
18 Stop/Solo/
Mute Button
Turns the bottom row of pads into track .stop, solo or mute buttons
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14
15
16
17
18
19
20 21

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22 Capture
MIDI
Capture any recently played MIDI notes in your
DAW (supported by Live, Cubase and Logic).
23 Quantise Triggers the quantise function in Live, Cubase and
Logic, to snap notes to the grid.
24 Click Toggles Logic, Cubase and Live’s metronome on and off.
25 Undo Triggers Logic, Cubase and Live’s undo function.
26 Play, Record, Stop, Loop Controls the transport in your DAW.
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23 24 25
Getting Connected
Connecting Launchkey with a Computer
Your Launchkey is USB bus-powered, it’s powered when you connect it to your computer with a USB
cable. When connecting Launchkey for the first time, visit to make sure you have the Components
latest firmware. This will make sure you have all the latest features enabled.
Power and MIDI via USB
USB Cable
Note: When connecting Launchkey to a Mac you may see the Keyboard Setup Assistant. This is
because Launchkey functions as a computer keyboard device in . Please close the Navigate Mode
Keyboard Setup Assistant.
Connecting Launchkey with External MIDI Enabled Instruments
If you want to use the 5-pin DIN socket for MIDI output on your Launchkey without a computer, you
can power the unit with a standard USB power supply (5V DC, minimum 500mA).
MIDI Device/Sound
Module
USB
Power
MIDI Cable

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Working with Ableton Live
We’ve designed your Launchkey to work seamlessly with Ableton Live, with deep integration through
powerful production and performance controls out of the box. In addition, you can modify your
Launchkey to suit your needs with . Launchkey’s functionality with Ableton Live is Custom Modes
detailed below.
Installation
If you already own Ableton Live, open the program and plug in your Launchkey. If you don’t yet own
Ableton Live, register your Launchkey at novationmusic.com/register to download and install your
included copy of Ableton Live Lite. If you have never used Ableton Live before, we recommend visiting
our Easy Start Tool (see ‘ ’). There you’ll find videos covering installation, the software’s Getting Started
basic features, and how to get started making music with your Launchkey.
Setup
With Ableton Live installed, plug your Launchkey into your Mac or PC’s USB port. When you open Live
your Launchkey will be automatically detected and enter Session Mode.
Press Shift on your Launchkey and your pad lights will look like the image below. The top row of pads
(blue) select behaviour or “Mode” of the Pots above, while the lower row of pads (green) select the
behaviour or mode of the pads. A red pad shows this mode (Volume) is assigned to the faders (49, 61
and 88 key models only).

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If your pads do not match the image above you’ll need to set up Ableton Live’s Control Surface
Preferences. To do this, find the ‘Link Tempo MIDI’ Preferences menu in Ableton Live:
Windows: Options > Preferences > Link Tempo MIDI
Mac: Live > Preferences > Link Tempo MIDI
This window varies in different Ableton Live versions. The MIDI setup stays the same.
In the Link Tempo MIDI tab you need to copy the settings shown above. Select Launchkey MK3 from
the Control Surface menu. Under Input and Output select:
Input - ‘Launchkey MK3 [...] (LKMK3 DAW OUT)’ on Mac or MIDIIN2 (LKMK3 MIDI) on Windows
Output - ‘Launchkey MK3 [...] (LKMK3 DAW IN)’ on Mac or MIDIOUT2 (LKMK3 MIDI) on Windows.
Match the Track, Sync and Remote settings in the screenshot above. MPE is not used for the
Launchkey.
If you’re having trouble getting your Launchkey working with Ableton Live, please visit our Easy Start
Tool for video explanations.

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Session Mode
Session mode controls Ableton Live’s Session View. To access Session mode on your Launchkey hold
Shift and press the “Session” pad (bottom left pad). The Session pad will brighten:
Session View is a grid that consists of and (shown below).clips tracks, scenes
Scene
Clip
Track

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Any changes you make to clip position or colour within Ableton Live are shown in the Session mode of
Launchkey. Unlit pads show empty clip slots.
You can navigate around Session View by pressing the and the track buttons.▲▼ ◄ ►
You can move the currently selected grid of clips (inside Ableton Live’s coloured rectangle) up or
down. The button moves the grid of clips up one row. The button moves the grid of clips down ▲ ▼
one row.
The track buttons will select the adjacent left or right track. This will automatically arm the track ◄ ►
to receive MIDI.
Launching Clips
Pressing pads will launch clips in the corresponding location in your Session View. Pads will pulse
green to show a clip is playing. Pressing the pad again will relaunch the clip, and pressing an empty
pad below/above stops playback on that track.
How fast clips stop or relaunch is set by Ableton Live’s Global Quantization Menu at the top of the Live
screen. By default, this is set to one bar, but can go as fast as 1/32 notes, or as slow as 8 bars. It can
also be set to ‘None’ so clips change immediately.

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Mute (Yellow) – Press a pad in the bottom row to Mute corresponding tracks. The pads dim for muted
tracks, leaving pads for unmuted tracks at their original brightness and colour.
Clips (Multi-colour) – the fourth press (after toggling through Stop, Solo and Mute) changes the
function of bottom pads to the default Session mode, where the bottom row of pads will again
represent clips.
Record
Pressing this button triggers Session Record while in Session Mode. This will allow you to record what
you’re playing to new clips as well as overdub existing clips.
Capture MIDI
Pressing this button triggers the Capture MIDI function. It retrospectively captures recently played
MIDI notes in the record-armed track. If you are not recording, but you play something that sounds
great, you can use Capture MIDI to send it straight into a clip.
Quantise
This button quantises MIDI notes in the currently active clip on the currently selected track. This snaps
the MIDI notes to the grid, helping to keep them in time with the beat.
Click
Turns Ableton’s metronome on/off.
Undo
Triggers the undo function.

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When using Ableton’s Drum Racks, Drum mode will – apart from triggering sounds – select the
associated Drum Rack pad within a Drum Rack. This means on release, the last played Drum Rack pad
lights up white and Ableton Live shows the selected Drum Rack pad on the screen.
Using Ableton Live’s Mixer
The eight Pots and eight Faders (49, 61 and 88 key models only) provide hands on control over
Ableton Live’s mixer. You can control the Volume, Pan, Send A and Send B levels of the tracks in your
project.
Pots
The eight pots provide hands-on, rotary control over Ableton Live’s mixer components. To prevent
any sudden jumps in control when you start turning the pots we have implemented a “Pot Pickup”
function.The pots will only start controlling the parameter once it has been moved to the position
shown in Live. For example if a parameter is set to 0 in Live you will need to turn the pot all the way to
the leftmost limit for it to be picked up (this can be turned off in Live’s preferences).
When your Launchkey is connected to Live, the pots automatically enter , to assign the Device Mode
pots to Live’s Mixer (Volume Pan Sends, , ) hold the Shift button and press the labelled pads in the
upper row.
Volume - This mode allows you to control Track volumes using the pots. To select this mode, hold the
Shift button and press the Volume pad.

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Pan Mode - This mode allows you to control Track Pan values using the pots. To select this mode,
hold the Shift button and press the Pan pad.
Sends Mode - This Mode allows you to control Track Sends values using the pots. To select this mode,
hold the Shift button and press the Sends pad. On the first press the pots control to Send A, on the
second press they control Send B.
Note: a mode cannot be assigned to both the pots and the faders at the same time. If a mode is
already mapped to the Faders, the pad will appear red while Shift is held, pressing a pad whilst in this
state will not assign the Pots to that mode.
Faders (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only)
The nine faders provide, linear control over a range of Ableton Live’s mixer parameters. To select one
of these modes hold the Shift button (highlighted in red below) and press the respective Fader button
(highlighted in blue below).
When your Launchkey is connected to Live, the faders default to Volume Mode. In this mode the first
eight faders control Ableton Track Volumes. The ninth Fader always controls the Master Volume no
matter what mode you select. The faders can also be set to control the Send A, Send B levels.
Note: you can’t assign a mode to both the pots and faders at the same time. If a mode is already
mapped to the pots, then the respective Fader button will appear red while Shift is held, pressing a
Fader button whilst in this state will not assign the faders to that mode.

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Device Mode - Navigating and Controlling Devices
Device mode allows you to control an Ableton “Device” (Ableton or 3rd-party instruments and effects)
on a Live track. When your Launchkey is connected to Live, the pots will automatically sync to the first
device within the current Live track.
You can also assign faders to control devices (49, 61 and 88 key models only). To do this ensure the
pots are not already assigned to Device mode (you can’t assign a mode to both pots and faders at the
same time) hold the Shift button and press the first Fader button. To re-assign control over devices to
the Pots hold the Shift button and press the first pad in the top row.
If the Track contains an Effect or Instrument Rack the assigned faders or pots sync to the first rack’s
eight Macro Controls. The image below shows an Instrument Rack preset called ‘Percussion 1’. In
this example your Launchkey’s eight pots control a variety of important parameters including sample
volumes, stretch and start times as well as the Dry/Wet values of Delay and Reverb effects.
If the Track does not contain a Rack then Device Mode will sync to a selection of eight parameters of
the first device. To navigate between devices on a track containing multiple see ‘Device Select/Lock’.

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Device Select
The “Device Select” button allows you to navigate through devices on a track. Press and hold this
button to access this function. The drum pads and arrow buttons will light up purple.▲▼
The▲▼ arrow buttons can be used to navigate through the devices. The button going left and ▲
▼ button moving to the right. The pads allow you to choose which page of controls the area is
controlling. The screen displays which device is selected and the parameter being controlled.
Device Lock
The “Device Lock” button keeps the currently selected device and control bank locked to the controls
even if you change the selected . The button is lit when this feature is active. track
To turn device lock off press the Device Lock button again. Selecting a new device whilst the Device
Lock button is on will lock the control to the newly selected device.

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Transport Functions
The buttons shown below provide key functionality for performing and recording with Ableton Live.
Play - Pressing this button starts playback.
Stop - Pressing this button stops playback.
Record - Pressing this button triggers Session Record while in Session Mode. This will allow you to
record what you’re playing to new clips as well as overdub existing clips.
Loop - Triggers Ableton’s Loop Switch

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Working with Cubase
Setup
Cubase 12+ comes with the Launchkey [MK3] script preinstalled. You need Cubase 12+ for the
Launchkey to work. Cubase automatically detects your Launchkey [MK3]. The Launchkey defaults to
the following modes:
• Pad Mode – Session Mode.
• Pots – Volume (Launchkey 25/37) or Pan (Launchkey 49/61/88).
• Faders (Launchkey 49/61/88) – Volume
For quick access to the modes and information for the Launchkey you have connected click on:
Studio > Studio Setup... > MIDI Remote > Open MIDI Remote in Lower Zone.
You will see the following, where you can see what each control on the Launchkey is mapped to.

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Pot Modes and Fader Modes (49, 61, 88 key)
Above the top row of pads are the Pot modes. Hold Shift and press the pad for the mode you want to use.
You can reassign the faders on Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 holding Shift and pressing the fader buttons.
When you move a pot or fader the screen momentarily displays the parameter and its current value. You
can assign these modes to either pots or faders at any given time, but both cannot have the same mode.
Device mode
Device mode links the pots or faders to control Cubase’s ‘Track Quick Controls’. To assign the faders to
Cubase’s Track Quick Controls, hold Shift and press the Device button below fader one.
Volume mode
Volume mode links the Launchkey’s pots or faders to control the volumes for the track bank you select.
Pans Mode
Pans Mode links the Launchkey’s pots to the pans for the bank of tracks you select. You cannot assign
Faders to Cubase’s Pan controls.
Sends (Sends A and B)
Pressing the Sends pad once sets the pots to control the first bank of sends (Sends A) for the bank of
tracks you select. Pressing the Sends pad when you’re already in Sends mode toggles the pots between
Sends A and Sends B in Cubase.
Hold Shift and press the Sends A or Sends B button beneath faders three or four to assign either Sends
bank to the faders.

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Pad Mode
Session Mode
Session mode allows you to control Select, Record Arm, Solo and Mute. Session Mode has two pages:
1. Page 1 is for Select (top row) and Arm controls (bottom row).
2. Page 2 is for Mute (top row) and Solo (bottom row).
You can move between pages using the Stop/Solo/Mute pad. The arrow buttons light to show which page
you can move, and the screen momentarily shows the pad mode.
On page 1 the pads show the current bank of eight tracks lit the track colours and the arm controls lit red.
If the bank has less than eight tracks, unavailable controls won’t light. The selected track is brightly lit, and
unselected tracks are dimly lit. For Arm Controls, armed tracks light bright red.
On Page 2 the top row controls Mute and the bottom row controls Solo. If the function is active, the pad is
brightly lit. These pad colours match Cubase for Solo (red) and Mute (yellow).
Fader Buttons (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only)
The “Arm/Select” button toggles the Fader Buttons between the Arm and Select modes:
Unlit fader Buttons show no track is associated with that fader channel.
Select Mode
In Select mode, the button LEDs match the Cubase track colour and are dimly lit. Pressing a Fader Button
selects the track in the current bank. The button LED for the track you select turns a brighter shade of the
track colour. You can select one track at a time.
Arm Mode
In Arm mode, the button LEDs light dim red. Pressing a Fader Button arms the track in the current bank
and turns the button LED bright red. You can arm multiple tracks at once.

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Transport Controls
The table below shows how the transport controls on your Launchkey map to the transport and editing
controls in Cubase.
Control Action
Play Starts playback
Stop Stops playback
Record Toggles Cubase’s Record Button.
Loop Toggles Cubase’s Loop function.
Capture MIDI Triggers Cubase’s Retrospective MIDI Record
function.
Quantise Triggers Cubase’s Quantise function.
Click Toggles Cubase’s metronome on/off.
Undo Triggers Cubase’s Undo function.
Shift + Undo Hold Shift and press Undo to trigger Cubase’s
Redo function
Track ◄ ► Buttons
Press the Track buttons (pads, pots & faders) to bank the pad, pot, and fader controls by eight ◄ ►
tracks. This doesn’t select a new track until you press a pad on the top row. Holding Shift and pressing the
Track buttons banks the current selection by one track.
> Pad (Scene Launch)
This pad doesn’t do anything in Cubase.

29
The first and last pad of each row light up more brightly than the middle pads to show root chord
position. To navigate between pages of chords use the navigation buttons. ▲▼
On the first page the top row of pads are lit blue and contain triads, the bottom row of pads contains
7ths and is lit a darker blue. Pressing the button will reveal a row of 9ths, with the pads lit up in ▼
purple, below this are 6/9ths and the pads will light up in pink.
When you press a pad it lights up green and returns to its original colour when released.
To change the octave of the chords hold Shift and press the buttons, these provide access to a ▲▼
range of -3 to +3 octaves.

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You can use the buttons to transpose the chord bank in semitones between -12 and +12, any ▲▼
changes show on the screen.
Fixed Chord
Fixed Chord lets you play a chord shape and then transpose it by pressing other keys.
To set a chord press and hold the Fixed Chord button. Then, while still holding the button, press and
release the keys you wish to be part of your chord. The chord is now stored.
The Launchkey considers the first note you input into the chord as the ‘root note’, even if you add
notes lower than the first one, like in the example below:
Press and hold the Fixed Chord button, then press and release C, then E, and finally G (a C Major
chord). The unit stores this as the ‘fixed chord’. Release the Fixed Chord button.

32
Major chords will now sound on whatever key you press. For example, you can now press F to hear an
F Major chord (shown below), or Ab to hear an Ab Major chord, etc.

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Scale Mode
In Scale mode, you can set the entire keyboard, or the pads in instrument mode, to only play notes in
a scale you select. Press the “Scale” button to activate this mode, the button lights showing the mode
is active.
The screen displays a message to show the active scale (C minor by default).
To change the scale, you need to access Scale Settings. Hold the Shift button and press the Scale
button. The Scale button flashes to show you are in scale settings.
To change the root note, press the corresponding key (all the black keys represent sharps #). The pads
change the Scale type. In scale setting mode, they look like this:
The bottom row of pads light so you can select a scale, the screen shows the selected scale. From left
to right the pads select the following scales:
1. Minor
2. Major
3. Dorian
4. Mixolydian
5. Phrygian
6. Harmonic Minor
7. Minor Pentatonic
8. Major Pentatonic.
To exit scales setting mode press the Scale button or any function button. The settings mode also
times out after ten seconds of inactivity, with the keyboard returning to its previous state.

35
Pots
Launchkey has four pot Custom Modes. To access these Custom Modes hold Shift and then press any
of the four Pot Mode Custom buttons. Pots can send custom CC numbers using Components.
Faders (Launchkey 49, 61 and 88 only)
Launchkey has four fader Custom Modes. To access these Custom Modes hold Shift and then press any
of the four Fader Mode Custom buttons. Faders can send custom CC numbers using Components.
Arpeggiator
Pressing the Arp button on the left of Launchkey enables the Arpeggiator which takes your chords and
creates an arpeggio – i.e. it plays each note of the chord one after another. The Arpeggiator will run as
long as keys are held, at the rhythmic value specified by the Arp Rate.
Launchkey’s Arp is a great way to come up with interesting melodies and progressions with ease.

36
Arpeggiator Pot Controls
When you hold the Shift button the pots can transform your arpeggios.
Tempo – This pot speeds up or slows down your arpeggio relative to the . Using Launchkey Arp Rate
as a standalone controller, this tempo ranges from 60 BPM to 187 BPM. However, when synced with
Ableton Live, this pot will have no effect.
Swing – This pot sets the amount every other note is delayed, resulting in a swung rhythm. To change
the Arpeggiator’s Swing, hold the Arp button, and turn the pot labelled Swing. By default (centre
position), swing will be set to 0% (meaning no swing), with extremes of 80% (very swung) and -80%
(negative swing). Negative swing means every other note is rushed, instead of delayed.
Gate – Adjusting this pot creates longer or shorter MIDI notes, resulting in either a more ‘staccato’
arpeggio, or a more fluid, ‘legato’ one. This pot goes from 0% to 200% of the space between notes.
For notes have swing applied, both notes retain the same gate length.
Mutate – After you select Mutate as the Arp Mode, hold the Shift button and turn this pot to add
variation to your arpeggio. A new ‘mutation’ occurs with each turn of the pot. When you stop turning
the pot notes are set and will repeat indefinitely.
Deviate – After selecting Deviate as your Arp Rhythm, turn this pot to make rhythmic variations. With
every turn of this pot, you’ll create a different pattern of rests.
Note: the pots will also control arp functions with Arp Control Lock active.

37
Arp Modes
After turning on the Arp you’ll be in one of seven Arpeggiator types, each resulting in arpeggios of
different note orders. To change the Arp Type, press and hold the Shift button, and then press the key
corresponding to your desired mode.
Up – Notes play in ascending order (i.e. rising in pitch). As you add notes, the number of notes in the
sequence grows but stay in ascending order. For example, you may start by holding down a first note -
E3 - then add two more notes - C3 and G3. The resulting arpeggio will be C3, E3 and G3.
Down – This Mode is similar to Up Mode, but notes play in descending order (e.g. G3, E3, C3).
Up/Down – This arpeggio Mode starts by playing notes in ascending order. Then, after reaching the
highest note, the notes descend towards the lowest note, which plays once before the arpeggio rises
again and stops before reaching the lowest note. This means when the pattern repeats, the lowest
note only plays once.
Played – Notes are repeated in the order you pleayed them.
Random – In this Mode, the order of the chord notes is randomised indefinitely.
Chord – All notes play back on every rhythmic step (see Arp Rate). This makes playing fast chords
easier.
Mutate – This mode creates its own notes and adds them to the arpeggio by turning the pot under
the label ‘Mutation’. Turn this pot to alter your arpeggio in unexpected ways. The pot itself goes from
‘gentle’ (left) to ‘crazy’ (right) – i.e. 25% left will add subtle variation to your arpeggio, while 99% right
will give you very unexpected results. When you’re happy with what you hear, stop turning the pot.
The notes will repeat indefinitely.

38
Arp Rates
These options specify the speed of the arpeggiated notes. Since each note plays immediately after the
end of the previous one, a shorter rate (eg. 1/32) plays an arpeggio faster than longer one (e.g. 1/4).
Rate options are common musical note values: quarter (1⁄4), eighth (1/8), sixteenth (1/16) and thirty-
second (1/32) notes. To change the Arp Rate, press and hold the Arp button, and then press the key
below 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, or 1/32.
Additionally, you can toggle triplet rhythms on/off for each of the above musical values by pressing
the key below ‘Triplet’. This turns your arpeggio notes into quarter, eighth, sixteenth and thirty-second
note triplets.
Arp Octaves
These four keys specify how many octaves your arpeggio spans. To change, hold the Arp button, and
then press the key below 1, 2, 3 or 4. Choosing an octave higher than 1 will repeat the arpeggio at
higher octaves. For example, an arpeggio that was C3, E3, and G3 at 1 octave will become C3, E3, G3,
C4, E4, and G4 when set to 2 octaves.

39
Arp Rhythms
Arp Rhythms add musical rests (silent steps) to your arpeggio’s pattern, allowing for greater variations
in your arpeggios. Hold Arp then press one of the following keys:
Dots - These three options are rhythmic patterns.
• O – The normal Arpeggiator setting, this places a note on every division of the selected Arp rate.
• OXO (note - rest - note) – This rhythm adds a rest between every pair of notes.
• OXXO (note - rest - rest - note) – This pattern adds two rests between every pair of notes.
Random - This option creates random rests for random lengths. Each step has a 50% chance of being
either a note or a rest. If it is a rest, the note isn’t skipped but shifts to the next step.
Deviate - This is the most unique Arp Rhythm, and makes many variations of notes. It uses the Deviate
rotary pot, where every turn creates a different rest pattern.
Latch
Latch lets you use the Arpeggiator without holding down keys. Any notes you press and release
concurrently will form a new arpeggio pattern which the arpeggiator ‘latches’ onto. The arpeggiator
then continues to play as if you never released the keys. When you press a new key, the previous
arpeggio erases and a new one forms.
To turn on Latch, press and hold the Shift button, and then press the Arp button.

40
Arp Control Lock
Long pressing the Arp button turns on Arp Control Lock. When Arp Control Lock mode is on, the Arp
controls on the pots and pads are accessible directly without requiring a Shift press. This is useful for when
you want to play the arp using one hand.
When Arp Control Lock is on, the screen updates to show you and the Arp button LED pulses. Press the
Arp button again to turn off Arp Control Lock.
The symbols are reserved for functionality coming to the Launchkey in the future (See “Strum Mode” on
page 42). Keep an eye out for upcoming Firmware updates that unlock further functionality.
Octave Buttons
Pressing the Octave buttons will increment and decrement the keyboard octave by 1. The available
octaves range from C-2 to C8. Shift pressing the Octave buttons will transpose the keyboard by up or
down by one semitone.
To reset the keyboard octave to 0 press the Octave +/- buttons at the same time. To reset the keyboard
transposition to 0, hold Shift and press the Octave +/- buttons at the same time.

41
Settings
Pressing the Settings button brings up the settings menu on the screen. You can scroll through the list of
settings using the scene buttons. To adjust the values of the settings, either use the pads or the track ▲▼
◄ ► buttons. The available settings are shown below.
Setting Description Value Range Default
Keys MIDI Channel Sets the MIDI channel for the Keys 11 -16
Chords MIDI
Channel
Sets the MIDI channel for the Scale Chord and
User Chord
1 -16 2
Drums MIDI Channel Sets the MIDI channel for the Drum Mode 101 -16
Velocity Curve (Keys) Select a velocity curve for the keys Soft /Normal /Hard
/Off
Normal
Velocity Curve (Pads) Select a velocity curve for the pads Soft /Normal /Hard
/Off
Normal
Pad Aftertouch Set the Aftertouch type PolyOff /Channel /Poly
Pad AT Threshold Set the threshold in which the aftertouch kicks in NormalLow /Medium /High
Pot Pick-up Turn pot pickup on/off Off /On Off
MIDI Clock Out Turn MIDI clock out on/off OnOff /On
Brightness Adjust the brightness of the pads and the screen 91-16
Vegas Mode* Turns on/off Vegas Mode* OnOff /On
*Vegas Mode is the light show that is shown on the pads and fader buttons after a period of inactivity.
Pot Pickup
You can turn on Pot Pickup from the . With Pot Pickup on, your Launchkey saves the states settings menu
of the various pages for the Pots and Faders. The control will only output MIDI when the control has been
moved to the position of the saved state. This is to prevent any sudden jumps in the control value.
If you move a control but it is not ‘picked up’ the screen displays the saved value until it has been moved
to the pick up point.

42
Navigation Mode - ([...] Button)
Pressing the ‘...’ button will put the Launchkey into a navigation mode useful for browsing samples and
presets. You will see the pads light up as shown below. The four blue pads form a left, right, up and down
keypad which replicates the cursor control keys on your computer keyboard. The green pad replicates
the enter/return key on your computer keyboard. You can use the pads to browse and select presets and
samples in your DAW or a software plugin as well as any other function of a keyboard’s cursor keys and
enter button.
Strum Mode
Strum mode is a feature of the arpeggiator controls. Strum mode is inspired by playing stringed
instruments such as guitar, harp and also the popular “Omnichord” style control. It uses the modulation
wheel for a controlled, performable strum of your arpeggio. You can think of Strum mode as the
Modulation wheel being virtual strings you can strum.
To enter Strum mode, while in the Arp Controls page, press the sixth pad on the top. This pad toggles
Strum mode on or off. When on, the pad is lit green, when off, the pad is dimly lit red. You can also access
Strum mode by holding the [Shift] button and pressing the key labelled [Ø] on the keyboard.
Once Strum mode is on, hold notes on the keyboard and use the Modulation wheel to play the virtual
strings on your chords. In Strum mode you can still access much of the arpeggiator’s behaviour, the only
exception to this is the Rhythm page which will become inactive while Strum mode is engaged.
Produkt Specifikationer
Mærke: | Novation |
Kategori: | Midi-keyboard |
Model: | Launchkey 49 MK3 |
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