Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 User Manual
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Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 User Manual

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Summary of Contents for Novation Launchkey Mini MK3

  • Page 2 Novation has taken all possible steps to ensure that the information given here is both correct and complete. In no event can Novation accept any liability or responsibility for any loss or damage to the owner of the equipment, any third party, or any equipment which may result from use of this manual or the equipment which it describes.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Introduction ..........................4 Key Features ...........................4 What’s in the Box ..........................5 Getting Started with your Launchkey Mini [MK3] ................5 Getting Connected ........................7 Connecting to a Computer ......................7 Connecting to Mobile Devices ......................7 Using as a Standalone MIDI Controller ..................7 Hardware Overview ........................8 Rear View ............................9 Top Panel ............................9 Using the Launchkey Mini [MK3] ....................10...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    Introduction The Launchkey Mini [MK3] is Novation’s most portable MIDI keyboard controller. Though compact in size, Launchkey Mini is packed with powerful features and a streamlined workflow that will elevate your music production and performance. Launchkey Mini integrates perfectly with Ableton Live (and other DAWs) for both production and performance.

  • Page 5: What's In The Box

    What’s in the Box • Launchkey Mini • USB Type-A to B cable (1.5 meters) • Safety Instructions Getting Sarted with your Launchkey Mini [MK3] We’ve made getting up and running with Launchkey Mini as easy as possible, whether you’re a brand new beatmaker or a seasoned producer.
  • Page 6 As part of this process, you may register your Launchkey Mini [MK3] to get access to your included software. We give you everything you need to start making tracks. Alternatively, you can also register your Launchkey Mini by going to customer.novationmusic.com/register (pictured below).

  • Page 7: Getting Connected

    Note that the Launchkey Mini is only compatible with Circuit using TRS MIDI Type A adapters. Many other Novation products (such as Launchpad Pro) will also require a Type B adapter to properly communicate with the Launchkey Mini via its Type A adapter.

  • Page 8: Hardware Overview

    Hardware Overview Pitch and Modulation touch strips for bending pitch or adding Press Shift and other buttons to modulation. access secondary functions. Transpose lets you transpose your keyboard plus or minus 11 Octave + and - buttons move semitones. Press Shift and Transpose to select MIDI Channel output the keyboard up or down across for the keyboard.

  • Page 9: Rear View

    Rear View Top Panel...

  • Page 10: Using The Launchkey Mini [Mk3]

    Using the Launchkey Mini [MK3] The Launchkey Mini is designed to work seamlessly with Ableton Live, offering deep integration through powerful production and performance controls. Launchkey Mini also boasts a powerful arpeggiator (‘Arp’) and a ‘Fixed Chord’ mode – both of which can be used with Live, other DAWs, or standalone with your outboard gear.

  • Page 11: Session Mode

    In the Link/MIDI tab you’ll need to copy the settings shown above. First, select the Launchkey Mini [MK3] from the Control Surface menu. Then, under Input and Output select Launchkey Mini (Launchkey Mini InControl) or Launchkey Mini MIDI IN2 (Windows). Finally, match the Track, Sync and Remote settings.
  • Page 12 Session mode is designed to control Ableton Live’s Session view, seen below. Session View is a grid that consists of clips, tracks and scenes. Track Scene Clip Ableton Live’s Session View Launchkey Mini’s Session mode provides an 8x2 view of the clips in your Session View. Example of Launchkey Mini’s pads in Session mode: Clips are typically loops that contain MIDI notes or Tracks represent virtual instruments or audio tracks.
  • Page 13 Scenes are rows of clips. Launching a scene will launch all clips in that row. This means that you can arrange clips into horizontal groups (across tracks) to form a song structure, launching scene after scene to progress through a song. Again, access Session mode on the Launchkey Mini by holding Shift and pressing the Session pad (the top left pad).
  • Page 14 More specifically, you can move the currently selected grid of clips (inside Ableton Live’s coloured rectangle) up or down by holding Shift and pressing the following buttons: Shift + Scene Launch (>) – This moves the grid of clips up one row. Shift + Stop, Solo, Mute –...

  • Page 15: Launching Clips

    Launching Clips Pressing pads will launch clips in the corresponding location in your Session View. Pads will pulse green to indicate that a clip is playing. Pressing the pad again will relaunch the clip, and pressing an empty pad will stop playback on that track. Live’s Global Quantization chooser How fast clips stop or relaunch is set by Ableton Live’s Global Quantisation chooser, located at the top of the Live screen.

  • Page 16: Stop, Solo, Mute

    Stop, Solo, Mute While in Session mode, it is possible to switch the functionality of the bottom 8 pads so that they no longer launch clips. This is done with the Stop, Solo, Mute button. The Stop, Solo, Mute button toggles between four different states which affect tracks in the following ways: •...

  • Page 17: Record / Capture Midi

    • Mute (Yellow) – Pressing pads will Mute the corresponding tracks. • The pads will dimly glow for muted tracks, leaving pads for unmuted tracks at their original brightness and colour. • Clips (White) – the fourth press (after toggling through Stop, Solo and Mute) changes the function of bottom pads back to the default Session mode, where the bottom row of pads will again represent clips.

  • Page 18: Playing And Recording Drums

    Playing and Recording Drums Drum mode transforms the Launchkey Mini’s pads into velocity-sensitive drum pads. Hold Shift and press the Drum pad (2nd from the top left) to enter this mode. If a Drum Rack (an Ableton MIDI instrument) is loaded onto the selected Live track, and the Launchkey Mini is in Drum mode, the pads light up the colour of the track.

  • Page 19: Using Ableton Live Devices

    Using Ableton Live Devices Device mode allows you to control the selected ‘device’ (Ableton or 3rd-party Instruments and Effects) on a Live track. Hold the Shift button and press the Device pad (4th from top left) to use this mode. In this mode, knobs control the first 8 parameters of the selected device.

  • Page 20: Using Ableton Live's Mixer

    Using Ableton Live’s Mixer The Launchkey Mini’s 8 knobs (in the red box above) give you hands-on control of Live’s mixer. Hold Shift, then press either the Volume, Pan or Sends pads (in thee blue box above) to control those respective parameters with the knobs.

  • Page 21: Arp

    Pressing the Arp button on the right of Launchkey enables the Arpeggiator. After engaging Arp the Launchkey takes your chords and creates an arpeggio – ie 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.

  • Page 22: Arp Modes

    Arp Modes After turning on Arp you’ll be in 1 of 7 Arpeggiator Modes, each resulting in arpeggios of different note orders. To change the Arp Mode, press and hold the Arp button, and then press the key corresponding to your desired mode. After pressing a key, you can see the pad above reflect your changes (as per the previous section).

  • Page 23: Arp Rates

    Arp Rates These options specify the speed of the arpeggiated notes. Since each note is played immediately after the end of the previous one, a shorter rate (eg 1/32) will play an arpeggio faster than longer one (eg 1/4). Rate options are common musical note values: quarter (¼), eighth (1/8), sixteenth (1/16) and thirty-second (1/32) notes.

  • Page 24: Arp Rhythms

    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, which will turn the pads yellow. • Dots - These three options are rhythmic patterns. •...

  • Page 25: Arp Pads

    Arp Pads The pads of the Launchkey Mini help to visually confirm the current Arp state. When the Arp button is held the pads will light up in different colours, indicating these Arp settings: purple (Arp Modes), red (Arp Rates), blue (Arp Octaves), yellow (Arp Rhythms), and red/light green (Latch). The top row of pads select the Arp groups: Arp Modes, Arp Rates, Arp Octaves, Arp Rhythms, and Latch (On/Off).

  • Page 26: Fixed Chord

    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 that you wish to be part of your chord. The chord is now stored. Keep in mind that the first note that you input into the chord is considered the ‘root note’...

  • Page 27: Custom Modes And Components

    In addition to the Note On/Note Off messages sent from the 25 keys, each of the knobs and pads transmit a MIDI message that can be customised using Novation Components. This allows you to configure your device to use these messages as you wish.

  • Page 28: Working With Logic Pro X

    Launchkey Mini as a ‘Control Surface’ via the following path: Logic Pro X > Control Surfaces > Setup Once in the Setup window, choose ‘Install’ from the ‘New’ menu. This, in turn, will open the ‘Install’ window. Scroll to the Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 and click ‘Add’.
  • Page 29 Session Mode Press Shift followed by the Session pad to enter Session mode for Logic Pro X. Here, by default, the pads represent tracks 1 through 8. If a track does not contain audio or MIDI information, the corresponding pad will remain unlit. Track Track Track...
  • Page 30 Navigation Holding Shift and pressing Arp or Fixed Chord will select the track before or after the current track, respectively. Doing so will also automatically arm the newly-selected track. Drum Mode Hold Shift and press the Drum pad (2nd from top left) to enter Drum mode. This allows you to use the Launchkey Mini’s velocity-sensitive pads for Logic’s drum instruments.
  • Page 31 Using Logic Mixer Controls The Launchkey Mini’s 8 knobs (in red box above) let you control Logic Pro X’s mixer controls. Hold Shift, then press either the Volume, Pan or Sends pads (in blue box above) to control those respective parameters with the knobs. •...

  • Page 32: Working With Reason 10

    Working with Reason 10 Setup After opening Reason 10 and connecting your Launchkey Mini via USB find Reason’s Preferences here: Reason > Preferences Once in Reason’s Preferences click Control Surfaces and choose ‘Auto-detect Surfaces’. Reason should then find the Launchkey Mini [MK3]. Select it and make sure ‘Use with Reason’ is checked.
  • Page 33 Navigation Holding Shift and pressing Arp or Fixed Chord will select the track below or above the current track, respectively. Doing so will also automatically arm the newly-selected Reason track. Preset Browsing Press the > and Stop, Solo, Mute buttons to scroll through presets on Reason instruments. Shift and >...

  • Page 34: Working With Hui (Pro Tools, Cubase)

    Working with HUI (Pro Tools, Cubase) ‘HUI’ (Human User Interface Protocol) allows the Launchkey Mini to act like a Mackie HUI device and therefore work with DAWs that provide HUI support. DAWs that support HUI include Steinberg’s Cubase and Nuendo, Avid Pro Tools, and MOTU Digital Performer, among others. Most aspects of Launchkey Mini will work according to the Hardware Overview, seen earlier in this guide.
  • Page 35 Using Pro Tools’ Mixer Hold Shift, then press either the Volume, Pan or Sends pads (in the blue box above) to control track volume, panning and sends A and B with the Launchkey Mini’s 8 knobs (in the red box). When in Sends mode two blue pads on the bottom row will switch between Send A and Send B.
  • Page 36 Click the + in the upper-left corner, and choose ‘Mackie HUI’. Cubase Setup: Choose ‘Launchkey Mini MK3 DAW Port’ for MIDI Input and MIDI Output. Finally, hit ‘Apply’ to start using the controller with Cubase. Cubase Navigation While in Cubase’s Mixconsole, hold Shift and press Arp or Fixed Chord to select the track left or right of the current track, respectively.

  • Page 37: Vegas Mode

    Using Cubase’s Mixer Hold Shift, then press either the Volume, Pan or Sends pads (in blue box above) to control track volume, panning and sends A and B with the Launchkey Mini’s 8 knobs (in red box). When in Sends mode two blue pads on the bottom row will switch between Send A and Send B. The left blue pad chooses Send A, while the right blue pad selects Send.

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