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This guide aims to give you the knowledge needed to get the most out of the SL MkIII. Information throughout this guide applies to both the 49- and 61-key versions of the SL MkIII. This information includes detailed explanations of the hardware, the device's various 'Views' and menus, and how to use the unit with external hardware and/or software. Additionally, we provide 'tips and tricks', as well as common scenarios you might face as a producer or performer. We hope you enjoy creating music with the SL MkIII for years to come.
For additional information, up to date support articles and a form to contact our Technical Support Team please visit the Novation Answerbase at: www.novationmusic.com/answerbase
The SL MkIII 49- and 61-note versions have the same front panel controls and rear panel connections.
At the heart of the SL MkIII is its Sequencer, which lets you arrange MIDI patterns in fun and creative ways. Press the Shift button followed by the Sequencer button (left side of the controller) to enable/disable the Sequencer. The Sequencer button will turn white when activated, and orange when disabled. After switching on the Sequencer you will notice the Transport buttons (far right of the controller) light up, indicating that they can control the Sequencer.
Press the Sequencer button anytime to enter Sequencer View, which consists of 2 sub views: Steps View and Patterns View (see following sections), accessed via the nearby Steps and Patterns buttons, respectively. While in another view (Zones View, for instance) pressing the Sequencer button will take you back to the last selected Sequencer sub view.
Additionally, the Grid button toggles the function of the 8x2 pads between the last selected Sequencer sub view and Template (see section 2 for more on Templates).
Note: when the Sequencer button is orange (i.e. off) pressing the Sequencer button accesses Sequencer View, where you can view and/or edit the Sequence in the current Session. Transport buttons, however, will be unusable until the Sequencer is re-enabled.
Steps View allows you to view and edit 'Steps' of a Pattern. The 16 (8x2) square pads beneath the screens represent the 16 available Pattern Steps.
With the Sequencer enabled, pressing play on the Transport will show the play head 'stepping' through the pads, turning each pad (aka Step) white along the way. Steps that have MIDI notes assigned will light brightly. As the play head reaches one of these bright Steps, it will play any notes assigned to them.
To assign a note/s to a Step, select the Track, press and hold a pad, then press the key/s you want that step to trigger (e.g. C# or Gb). You can also do the reverse: first press and hold the key/s and then push any pads that you wish to populate with notes or sounds. Finally, you can record 'live' by pressing the Record button on the Transport (see 'Live Record' for more information).
In order to remove a note/s from a Step press and hold a pad (which of course represents a Step). LEDs of corresponding keys will light up in red. If the Transport is stopped, notes will play out to the corresponding Part, and with the velocities assigned to them. Remove the note/s by pressing the key/s.
With the Transport either running or stopped, hold the Clear button and press a Step (briefly turning it red) to remove all note and automation data from that Step.
To copy a Step, hold the Duplicate button and press a pad, briefly turning it green. While continuing to hold Duplicate, press the pad/s where you wish to paste. Be careful, since duplicating one pad to another will erase whatever existed on the latter - not add to it.
Steps can also be copied between Tracks. Again, hold the Duplicate button and press a pad to copy a Step. With the Duplicate button still held, change Tracks, then press pads to paste to them. Keep in mind, however, that automation data will not be copied with these Steps.
While in Steps View, press the Options button (to the right of the pads) to see the options for the current Pattern. Use the soft buttons below 'Velocity', 'Gate' and 'Pattern' to call up these settings. Press Options again to return to Steps View.
Velocity
Once in the Options menu, press the soft button below Velocity to edit the velocities of each Step in the current Pattern. By default, you will see Steps 1 to 8 on the screens (2 per screen). Use the up/down arrow buttons to the left of the screens to access steps 9 to 16 (the bottom row of pads).
In order to adjust MIDI note velocity, simply rotate the knob above the Step you want to adjust. You can set a Step's velocity to anywhere between 1 and 127. This allows you to dial desired MIDI velocities with a fine level of precision.
Notice that the screens show a single velocity for any Step of a Pattern containing one or more notes. This value is the highest velocity of all of the notes assigned to that Step, although multiple velocities might actually be present for that Step.
When dealing with multiple notes assigned to a Step, the SL MkIII will raise or lower the Step's velocity to a new, uniform value. When doing so, the SL MkIII favors higher values, and snaps closest to them. To illustrate this process, imagine that a Step contains the velocity values 25 and 89: turning this Step's knob to the right will snap those velocity values to 90 or above (i.e. both 25 and 89 became 90 or above). Alternatively, if you had turned the knob to the left those same velocities would have snapped to 88 or lower.
Note that after all the notes on a Step have been snapped to same velocity (as just described), all new notes assigned to that Step will immediately adopt the 'group' velocity.
Gate
Next in the Options menu is 'Gate'. Select Gate to edit the length of MIDI notes assigned to each Step in the current pattern. Again, use the up/down arrow buttons to the left of the screens to access steps 9 to 16. The screen will show a single Gate value for each step of the pattern containing one or more notes. The value shown is equal to the highest Gate of all of the notes assigned to that Step.
The SL MkIII measures Gate value in two parts: steps and fractions of a step. Each step can be broken down into six fractions. Therefore, Gate value is shown as a step number, followed by a fraction count (five white boxes in the meter below). Notice how the default value for notes is '1 step'; use the knob above each step to lengthen or shorten the Gate for every assigned note.
[Keep in mind that since the SL MkIII operates under the rules of MIDI, how the Gate parameter influences your resulting sound depends on the sound being triggered, as well as the MIDI instrument holding that sound. For example, a Gate of 16 steps will not 'stretch' a short hi-hat sample. However, its MIDI note will indeed become 16 steps long, regardless of the audible result.]
Pattern
The last item in the Options menu is 'Pattern', which itself contains four sub-options: 'Start Position', 'End Position', 'Direction' and 'Sync Rate'. Editing these settings alters playback of Patterns in interesting ways (we recommend playing around here to achieve 'happy accidents'). Keep in mind that Pattern changes will take effect when playback reaches the end of the Pattern. The adjustable settings are as follows:
Pressing the 'Patterns' button (between the Steps and Sessions buttons) opens Patterns View, where you can select MIDI patterns within the current Session. The 8 available Patterns for each track are laid out horizontally in rows across the 8x2 pad area. Pads represent each Pattern and take the colour of its Part. Use the up and down buttons (left of the 8x2 pad area) to navigate through the four pages of Patterns.
Just press a pad to select a new pattern. If the Transport is stopped, your newly-selected Pattern will begin when the Transports starts. When you select a new Pattern with the Transport running, the Pattern will change when the current one ends. Otherwise, hold Shift and select a new Pattern to instantly switch to that Pattern as if it had been playing alongside. (This means you do not have to wait until the end of the current Pattern to hear your new one. This also a way of audibly 'combining' Patterns in interesting ways).
Pattern Chains
As you are constructing Patterns on the MkIII you may decide that you want longer ones. However, you can combine Patterns to form longer sequences. Press two or more Patterns simultaneously to create a 'Chain' beginning and ending with the left- and right-most pressed Patterns. Note that this doesn't destructively 'merge' Patterns together, but rather launches discreet Patterns consecutively to form longer musical ideas.
If you wish to see more Tracks at once, or are only working with two-Pattern Chains, press Shift + Patterns to access the Expand View. This will arrange the Patterns for each Track vertically. Use the page buttons to access more Patterns. Just press Patterns to return to the default (horizontal) layout of Patterns.
Hold Clear and press a Pattern (pad) to remove all note and automation data from that Pattern, and reset the Pattern to its default settings.
To copy a Pattern, hold Duplicate and select the Pattern. While continuing to hold Duplicate, press a pad/s to paste to it. You can paste multiple times while holding Duplicate. You can also copy Patterns between Tracks. As with Steps, automation data for a Pattern does not copy across Tracks.
[TRY THIS - If you need some inspiration, or are just in the mode to try something new, try copying Patterns between Tracks. For example, you could copy your drum Pattern to your bass track, and vice-versa. You never know what 'happy accidents' might occur.]
With Patterns View selected, press the Options button to enter Automation View. In this View, each control type, as well as the name of any controls that have been automated for the selected Track, are displayed on the screens as 'lanes'. Use the soft buttons below the screens to select a different Track to see its automation.
Hold the Clear button and turn the rotary above a lane to remove all automation for a control. For example, 'Transpose', or 'Ve Attack'. After clearing a lane, you can then use it for another control.
The SL MkIII allows you to record a 'live performance' directly into the Sequencer. Press the Record button on the Transport to enable live recording. You can also press Record while playing to 'punch in' ideas. If the Transport is currently stopped, however, press the Record button, then the Play button to begin live recording. While recording, any notes played on the keyboard or from MIDI (both USB and DIN) will record into the Sequence.
When recording from MIDI, Parts will record only the notes received on the selected MIDI channel for that Part. Notes are also forwarded to the output of that Part, whether recording or not.
While live recording, 'note on' events are quantised to the sync rate of the playing pattern; 'note off' events are quantised to the nearest 24 PPQN tick. The sequencer will loop through each pattern chain, which allows you to overdub new notes as the sequence repeats. Be careful to set up your desired Pattern Settings (see Sequencer/Options/Pattern Settings) and Pattern Chain length (see Sequencer/Patterns View) to accommodate your performance before you begin recording.
With the SL MkIII's Sequencer recording, you can automate the movement of the following Template controls:
Once a control moves the corresponding LED or screen will light red, and the control will begin overwriting any of its existing control data as the Transport advances. Movements are recorded and played back at a resolution of 24 PPQN regardless of the current pattern sync rate (equivalent to 6 data points for each Step at the default 1/16 sync rate). Automation will record or overwrite until either recording or playback stops; we, therefore, recommend disabling record as soon as possible to ensure you do not overwrite automation when the Sequencer loops back around.
You can automate up to 8 controls for each Track in a Session. The screen will notify you when you have used another automation lane or if there are no more available lanes for the selected track.
Keep in mind that you cannot record automation for relative rotaries and controls that are assigned to song position. Also, pads and buttons that output note messages are recorded into the note sequence rather than as automation.
Holding the Clear button will highlight all the controls that have automation data in the current Pattern and hide those that do not. For example, if the Pitch Wheel is automated its LED will illuminate as you hold Clear. While still holding Clear, any movement of a control will clear its automation in the current pattern.
You can also manually assign values to a Step, which is very useful when more accuracy is required. While stopped, press the Transport's Record button (Transport). Then, select a Step (by pressing a pad) to enter Step Edit mode. This action will audition the Step. Move a control to the desired value to assign this value to the Step, and deactivate record. In the case of the Pitch Wheel, move it to the desired position, then disable record before letting go of the wheel.
Note that only the most recent control value is assigned to a Step. This means that while in Step Edit mode, pressing and releasing a button or pad with a momentary function will only record the release message. To record the press message of a button or pad, turn off record or select a new Step to record the release before releasing the pad.
Whilst in Sequencer View, Mute/Solo View is reached by clicking the soft arrow button on the far right of the controller (just left of where it says 49SL MkIII or 61SL MkIII, depending on your unit). You will know you are in the right place when you see 'Mute' and 'Solo' appear in the far-right screen.
Mute a Part by pressing a Mute button (top row of orange soft buttons) corresponding to that Part. When muted the Sequencer will not output MIDI for that Part, but the user can still play keys or audition pads for that Part.
Solo a Part by pressing the Solo button (bottom row of teal soft buttons) corresponding to that Part. When you solo a Part, any other Part that is not also soloed will be silent (if it was not already muted). The Mute button for a silenced Part/s will pulse yellow to indicate that it is silent.
Each Part operates according to a Template. In other words, each Part uses a Template to determine which MIDI messages should send for each control. Templates live in the Templates View, which you access by pressing the Shift + Ses-sions buttons. A Template determines the type of MIDI message sent from each control. The Template contains mapping data for:
Templates can be designed and managed with Components, a standalone application available here: https://components.novationmusic.com. With Components, you can configure each control to send one of many different MIDI messages with different ranges, value and behaviours.
If a mapping is not enabled, the LED or screen associated with the control will be blank to indicate that it is disabled.
When a control with a mapping moves, a notification will appear on the far-right screen identifying the message type as well as the associated value (e.g. 0-127).
The SL MkIII lets you customise the destination of your Parts. If you want, you can configure elaborate setups using up to dozens of pieces of external kit or software. You can set these configurations with 'Templates' through the following process:
To change the Template for a Part:
If the Template doesn't yet have a name, it will appear as 'Template x'.
Each Part can go to one or more destinations. These destinations can be MIDI or analogue CV/Gate/Mod. To change the destination for a Part:
Your destination preference are stored in the Session, so changing Sessions will change these Destinations.
The MIDI channel for a Part is set using the Channel control. You can choose from channel 1 through 16.
Note: Channel 16 is used as a global channel for certain messages such as program change and song select. If you set a Part to channel 16 and then change the Session on a connected device (such as Circuit), you might accidentally also change the Session on SL MkIII and lose unsaved progress.
When Input Monitoring is on (it is off by default), MIDI note messages received by each Part (on the correct channel) will forward to the Part's destinations. External MIDI note messages will always be recorded by the internal Sequencer regardless of this setting.
The colour for a part can be changed by selecting a Part and pressing one of the eight coloured pads.
The SL MkIII's Arp (Arpeggiator) gives you the ability to program classic, 'machine-like' arpeggios, perfect for techno and many other electronic genres.
Let's first look at initialising the Arp.
To turn the arpeggiator on or off hold Shift and press the Arp button. This Arp button will light white indicating that it is on.
With the arpeggiator on, held notes on the keyboard will arpeggiate.
The Sequencer also routes to the arpeggiator. When recording to the Sequencer, held keys record into the Patterns as long notes. Then, assuming Arp is still turned on, these long notes will be routed back into the Arp for playback.
Using the Latch feature of the SL MkIII is a fun way of augmenting Arp's functionality. Pressing the 'Latch' button toggles Arp Latch on and off. When on, notes hold as keys are played, and their note-offs are delayed until all arpeggiated notes are released, and a new note/s is played.
Side note: Latch will work whether Arp is on or off – essentially, Latch triggers a continuous MIDI note, regardless of Arp's on/off state. Latch is thus useful, for example, if sending MIDI to an external arpeggiator, or an external synth patch with lots of sustain.
Latch will apply to the selected Arp destination Part only.
Pressing the Arp button (while not holding Shift) reveals the following settings on the screens.
Modifying these settings will significantly alter the sound of your arpeggios. The following sections explain these settings in depth.
Arp can only arpeggiate one Part at once, so by default, this is set to 'Selected Part'. However, using the above rotary knob, you can opt to send the arpeggiated pattern to parts 1 through 8 instead. In other words, you can send your arpeggiated patterns to different Parts to audition them on various elements of your song.
You can set Arp to the following pattern 'Types':
The Arp's Gate control shortens the length of arpeggiated notes from the maximum length of one arpeggiated step (100%) down to 1/100th of an arpeggiated step (1%). Gate is set to 100% by default, with an adjustable range of 1 to 100%. Gate takes into account Arp Sync Rate and tempo; therefore, as Sync Rate changes and tempo increases/ decreases the Arp gate length will remain a consistent percentage of the Arp step length.
This setting changes the musical rate at which the Arp runs relative to the SL MkIII's clock. It can be set to sync rates as follows:
This setting increases the output range of the Arp by octaves. For example, if you set Octaves to 2 the sequence is played and then immediately repeated one octave higher. Three (3) means the Sequence will be repeated one octave higher, and then an octave higher still. By default, Octaves is set to 1 but can go as far as 6.
If the arpeggiated notes go out of range, then the Arp will correct the notes to be within the top octave (G#6 to G7).
Octaves interact with Types in a variety of ways. The following scenarios are a good reference when programming your arpeggios with octaves in mind:
There will be no duplicated notes when changing this setting.
Arp note Velocity can be between 1 and 127 (standard for MIDI velocities) or 'Played' (default).
When set to Played, the output notes from the arpeggiator will inherit the velocities of the notes you physically played.
When set to a value in the range 1-127, the output notes from the arpeggiator will be played at a fixed velocity as specified by this setting. For example, if set to '65', all notes heard will have a velocity value of 65.
This option determines the length of the Arp pattern, measured in steps. By default, Arp loops through 16 steps, but you can opt to make it shorter (from 1 to 15 steps). The 'Arp Sync Rate' determines the length of a step (1, 1/2, 1/2 Triplet etc.).
You will see your Pattern on the 8x2 pad area, where each pad represents a single step in the Pattern.
Finally, the Arp Pattern feature lets you customise the rhythm of your arpeggios. After pressing the Arp button, each pad will represent a step in the arpeggio pattern. You can then toggle a step on or off by pressing its corresponding pad, thus altering your pattern's rhythm. A pad will light brightly when the step is set to play, and dimly when the pad will not play. A white cursor moves across the pads as the arpeggiator plays.
This resulting rhythm only affects the timing of the played notes and does not change the order in which they are played.
While using Up/Down 1 with octave range greater than 1, if moving in the down direction, reducing the octave range to 1 will cause the Arp to continue falling through all the octaves until 1 is reached, at which point it will stay within the 1-octave range. (Those familiar with Novation's Mininova will recognise this behaviour). If moving in the up direction, the arpeggiator will reset to the first octave after it has completed all the notes in the sequence within the current octave it is playing in.
When using Up/Down 2, if the top/bottom note is released after it has played just once, Arp will immediately switch direction and play the next highest/lowest note only once and continue in that direction. This behaviour maintains timing if the top note is removed and replaced with another note.
When switching between directional arpeggiator types during playback, Arp will not reset position but will continue moving in the same direction (if supported by the new Type) until it reaches an extremity. For example, if switching from Down type to Up/Down 1 Type, the arpeggiator will continue moving down until it reaches the lowest note.
Press the Global button to enter the Global Settings View. Any settings changed in this View affect the whole device and do not change with the Session. These settings save when the device is turned off via the power switch. If the power cable is removed, however, these settings will not be saved.
Press the Up/Down arrows next to the screen to navigate through three pages of global settings and information.
You can change the responsiveness of your SL MkIII keyboard via the 'Velocity Curve' setting:
MIDI Clock Rx
Similar to the case of MIDI Clock transmission (see the following section), the following steps enable or disable the receiving of external MIDI clock messages:
When set to 'On', if the SL MkIII detects MIDI clock at either of the MIDI inputs (USB or DIN) it will sync to the external clock. Be sure to send MIDI to USB or DIN, and not both, as this might cause a loss of synchronisation or erratic tempo.
To confirm that the SL MkIII is successfully receiving external clock press the Tempo button. Here the screen shows the synced-tempo value, as well as the word 'External'. Changes to the external device's or software's tempo are reflected here. If the SL MkIII loses sync while the transport is playing, the message 'Sync Lost' will appear and the device will not switch to its internal clock until you stop the Transport.
MIDI Clock Tx
The SL MkIII can either send its internal MIDI clock or sync to an external one – convenient when using the SL MkIII alongside other devices or software.
The following steps allow you to enable or disable transmission of MIDI clock messages:
When set to 'On', the SL MkIII is sending clock tempo. Devices or software correctly configured to receive the SL MkIII's MIDI clock should now operate in sync. MIDI clock messages send at 24 PPQN (pulses per quarter note) to the USB MIDI and two DIN ports.
When using the SL MkIII's analogue clock turn the rotary knob above the menu item labelled 'Clock Out' to choose between 1, 2, 4, 8 or 24 PPQN.
To adjust the tempo of the SL MkIII's internal clock press the Tempo button. The LCD then shows the tempo as a BPM value, which can be raised or lowered with the above rotary knob.
Another essential Global item is 'MIDI Out 2'.
When set to 'Out', the SL MkIII can use two MIDI DIN outputs. This means the device can send MIDI clock to two separate destinations via, for example, the 'OUT' and 'OUT 2' DIN sockets on the back of the unit.
It is possible, however, to change MIDI Out 2 from an output to a 'Thru'. When set to 'Thru', the second MIDI output copies messages from the MIDI DIN input to the MIDI DIN output, and the SL MkIII will not send any internally generated MIDI to this output.
If Parts (see section 2: Part Settings, 'Select Destination') are being routed to MIDI Out 2 when the setting changes to 'Thru', the previously configured Part destination will not change, but MIDI will nevertheless no longer send from the device. MIDI from the Part will no longer send from MIDI Out 2.
Fader Pickup changes the way the faders and Mod Wheel behave with respect to their current value. You will find four options for this behaviour:
When pickup is on for faders/Mod Wheel, values will not be sent from that control until the physical position of the control matches (or passes) the previous value. This behaviour prevents sudden jumps in the value after switching between Parts, for example. The default value for these controls will be at the lowest position (i.e. fader all the way down).
Please note that the SL MkIII's fader pickup behaviour does not apply when using InControl. The controller will therefore adopt the pickup behaviour of HUI or your DAW.
Global Settings, Page 2: Analogue Settings
Press the down arrow to the left of the screens to reveal more Global options, as described in the following sections.
When the Transport is running, 'clock pulses' send for each quarter note via the analogue clock out. How many pulses are sent is determined by this analogue clock setting in PPQN (Pulse Per Quarter Note). PPQN can be set to 1, 2 (default), 4, 8 or 24.
These two settings allow you to specify the output voltage of each mod port. Available ranges are '-5 to 5V' or '0 to 5V'. Any CC messages directed to the mod port will be mapped to one of these ranges.
You can give each Mod port a specific CC number, which you can set individually for each port using the rotary knobs above 'Mod 1 CC' and 'Mod 2 CC'. When a message sends with this CC number using the surface, Sequencer automation, or from external MIDI to a part that routes to a CV port, this will control the CV Mod output.
The CV Pitch output ports may need calibrating in order to precisely represent the pitch range. Press the soft button under 'Calibrate' to enter calibration mode.
The full range of the CV Pitch port will now be calibrated. Click the Reset soft button to remove your calibration and restore the factory default settings. Press the Exit soft button to return to Global Settings.
Global Settings, Page 3: Key LEDs
When 'Keys LEDs' is set to 'On', the key LEDs (directly above each key) will light up white as you play notes on the keyboard.
When 'Arp LEDs' is on, the key LEDs will light up white according to which notes the arpeggiator triggers. Arp LEDs help you confirm what notes your arpeggiator is playing.
When 'Sequencer LEDs' is on, keyboard LEDs will light up white with notes (chords, melodies, etc.) that are playing from either the Sequencer or external MIDI.
When 'Ext. MIDI LEDs' is on, key LEDs will light up white according to external MIDI notes being received via the SL MkIII's MIDI ports.
Global Settings, Page 4: System
These areas show important information concerning the firmware on your SL MkIII. Knowing this information may be helpful in the case of troubleshooting.
We recommend periodically checking to confirm that your SL MkIII is using the latest firmware. To check for and download firmware updates, visit https://components.novationmusic.com and follow the instructions for installation.
When left unattended for 5 minutes, the SL MkIII enters Standby Animation (sometimes referred to as 'Vegas Mode'). This standby animation stops with any interaction with the unit, or if MIDI data arrives at the device. The SL MkIII will not go into Standby Animation while the Sequencer is playing.
Setting 'Standby Animation' to 'Off' will prevent the device from entering the standby animation regardless of how long you leave it unattended.
You can route Parts to either or both of the CV/Gate ports using the Part Settings View (press Shift+Sessions to enter this View). Routing Parts this way sends all note information to the specified port(s). MIDI notes 24 to 108 will map into a CV pitch voltage range of 0-7V. Notes outside of this range will clamp to the maximum or minimum voltage.
CV/Gate is only capable of monophonic communication so the polyphonic stream of notes from the sequencer, keys and MIDI will convert to a mono stream using the most recently played note. The Gate port will remain high (open) while a note is active. When all notes are released, the gate signal will fall back to low (closed).
When a part routes to a CV/Gate port, it will also be able to control the respective Mod port. Each Mod port is set to respond to a single CC number, as configured in the Global Settings (see Global Settings/CV Mod 1 and CV Mod 2). When a part that routes to a CV/Gate port outputs this CC number via the surface, the sequencer or MIDI, it will be output as a voltage in the range of 0 to +5V from the Mod port.
The octave up and down buttons (+ and - buttons) change the octave offset of the keyboard. Press both together to reset the keyboard octave to its default.
Keyboard zones can have additional or independent octave applied. See the documentation on 'Zones' for details.
Pressing Shift and the Octave Up or Octave Down buttons transpose the keyboard MIDI notes in semitones. Press Shift and Octave Up and Octave Down buttons to reset the transpose. This can allow you to, for example, play only white keys, but hear a major/minor scale with another root note.
Keyboard Zones can have additional or independent transposition applied. See the documentation on keyboard Zones for details.
When the SL MkIII is controlling tempo (i.e. not slaved to an external device's tempo) it can be adjusted by doing the following:
When the SL MkIII receives a valid MIDI clock (and MIDI Clock Rx setting is on), the tempo screen will update to show 'External'. Note that the tempo value might fluctuate at first, but it will soon settle to a received clock value. Since the keyboard is 'slaved' to an external clock, it is not possible to change the tempo using the above rotary control.
If the clock signal stops or is lost then the SL MkIII will revert to its internal tempo, and you can again use the rotary knob to adjust tempo.
The clock source can only change while the Transport is stopped. If the Sequencer is running synced to an external clock, and the clock signal stops or is lost, the display will show 'Sync Lost'. The Sequencer will remain in the 'Sync Lost' state until the Transport is stopped. After pushing Stop on the Transport, the Sequencer will revert to using external clock if the external signal is available. Otherwise, it will use the internal clock.
The SL MkIII's Swing function moves MIDI notes off their usually mathematically precise positions in an attempt at achieving a more natural or human sound. The result is more 'swing' or 'feel'. In other words, if your arpeggios or patterns feel rigid, try adding some swing to them.
More precisely, swing works by pushing even-numbered beats of the swing sync rate closer to the odd-numbered beats. For example, with a common beat pattern of '1-2-3-4-1' etc., positive swing pushes beats '2' and '4' later in time towards beats '3' and '1' (note: this '1' is the start of the next measure). On the other hand, negative swing pushes beats '2' and '4' forward in time towards beats '1' and '3' respectively.
You can adjust global swing from 20% to 80%. By default, swing is 50%, which applies no swing (i.e. no change in the rhythm). Greater than 50% adds positive swing, and less than 50% results in negative swing.
Changing the Swing Sync Rate adjusts the length of the swing period. The setting defines the tempo interval by which the Swing parameter will shift alternate notes. The default is set to 1/16, meaning that the Sequencer and Arp will swing in pairs of 1/16ths. Triplet sync rates are denoted with a "T" after the sync rate.
You can define a tempo by pressing the Tap button at the intended tempo. You must press the Tap button at least three times before a tempo is calculated. If the device is synced to an external clock, tap tempo will be unavailable.
Located at the far right side of the SL MkIII is a row of buttons known as the 'Transport'.
The following points explain how to start, stop or continue the Sequencer in all modes (excluding InControl mode). Note that these messages will only send if MIDI Clock Tx is on:
External Control
You can control The SL MkIII's Transport externally. If the device receives any of the following external messages then the Sequencer will respond accordingly:
Note that the above messages (known as system Real time messages) are received at the MIDI In or USB MIDI In ports.
The SL MkIII's internal song position can also move according to an external source. Providing you have stopped the Sequencer, if either the MIDI In or USB MIDI In ports receive a Song Position Pointer (SPP) the internal song position will update, and the message will retransmit.
If the sequencer is running, however, the SL MkIII ignores song position messages.
Zones are a powerful feature that divides the keyboard into areas, aka 'Zones'. These Zones can be one note or the entirety of the keyboard. Zones are highly customizable: you could, for example, set your drum sounds to play in one octave, bass in another, synth sounds in yet another etc. This flexibility makes this feature ideal for live performance or a personalised production setup.
Enable Zones by pressing and holding 'Shift' and then pressing and releasing 'Zones'. By enabling Zones, you can take advantage of the following options.
Key LEDs Represent Zones
A coloured LED above each key represents the Zone and destination Part assigned to it. These lights help visually understand where your Zones lie along the keyboard, and these different colours correlate to the destination Parts. Note that the LEDs only light above the active keys in the Zone range; when using Scale, for example, keys outside of the scale will not light up.
When Zones overlap, the zone with the lowest number takes lighting priority. For example, Zone 1 takes priority over Zone 2, so Zone 1's range is shown on the LEDs, overriding the LEDs of Zone 2 where there is an overlap.
Entering Zones View
Zone's View is where you can customise your Zones according to your needs. To enter Zones View press the 'Zones' button.
While in Zones View, only the LEDs for the selected Zone will light up.
Pressing the up/down arrows to the left of the screens will move between pages 1 and 2 of Zone Settings. Between these two pages, there are fourteen adjustable parameters for each Zone.
After entering Zones View (again, by pushing the Zones button), select a Zone by pressing the soft buttons under their names ('Zone 1',' Zone 2' etc.). The SL MkIII supports up to 8 independent Zones.
Having selected a Zone, it can be activated ('On') or made inactive ('Off') by turning the left-most rotary knob (directly above the word 'Active').
When set to 'Off' all other Zone parameters (from 'Dest. Part' to 'Channel Pressure') will be greyed out. When moved to 'On', however, these parameters will brighten.
In Zones View, the second rotary knob from the left (above 'Dest. Part') selects the destination Part for a Zone. This destination can be 'Selected' (default) or Parts 1 through 8. Upon choosing a new Part, you will see LED colours change above the keys.
On the 49-key version of the SL MkIII, each Zone's default range is C1 to C5 (all 49 notes), while on the 61-note version of the device the default range is C1 to C6 (all 61 notes).
From a Menu
In Zones View the third and fourth knobs set the range of the Zone from lowest to highest key. This range is inclusive of the low key and high key.
Zones Mode supports overlapping zones. Overlapping is useful if you want to blend sounds, such as a piano with a synth, or an acoustic drum with a synthetic one. Of course, how you layer your Parts is up to you.
From the Keyboard
You can also set the range of a Zone using keys. After selecting Zones View, press and hold a Zone button below the screen. You will then be prompted to choose a low key on the keyboard followed by a high key, thus setting the Zone range.
In Zones View knobs five to eight select whether the Zone will adhere to the overall keyboard Octave and Transpose settings. Additionally, you can apply an Offset to the selected Zone with the Octave and Transpose parameters. By default, the Offset values are '0', and both Follow settings are 'On'.
Turn the knobs above the 'Follow' settings to select between 'On' and 'Off'. When on, the Zone's behaviour is influenced by the Octave and Transpose buttons; when off it will not be affected by the Octave or Transpose buttons. Turn the knobs above the Offset parameters to set a permanent Octave and Transpose shift for the selected Zone.
On page2 of Zones View, the fourth and fifth knobs select whether the 'Pitch' (pitch bend) and 'Modulation' wheels affect with the currently selected Zone. By default, they are both 'On'. Rotate the knob above the respective settings for Pitch and Modulation to turn the effect of these wheels on or off.
On page2 of Zones View, the sixth knob selects whether keyboard channel aftertouch (pressure) affects the currently selected Zone. Aftertouch is on by default. Turn the knob above 'Channel Pressure' to choose between on and off.
On page2 of Zones View, the first, second and third knobs decide whether expression pedal ('Expr. Pedal'), sustain pedal or footswitch signals will work with the currently selected Zone. All three of these options are set to 'On' by default. Turn the knobs above these settings to move between on and off states.
Enter the Sessions View by simply pressing the 'Sessions' button. In Sessions View, the square 8x2 pads become locations for saving and loading your Sessions.
The arrows to the left of the 8x2 pad area are used to change pages of Sessions View. There are four available pages, each containing 16 Sessions laid sequentially across the 16 pads. These four pages give you a total of 64 Sessions.
Sessions have names (to be created with Components), and you can change their colour as well. Press the Save button once, then use the first two soft buttons below the screens to select a colour. Press Save again to confirm.
To load a session, first enter Sessions View, then press a pad in the 8x2 pad area.
You can save your current Session at any time. Press the Save button once, and it will begin to flash. Press Save again to confirm.
In Sessions View selected you also have the option to save the Session to a new location or change the colour of the Session. Press the Save button once so that the Save button is flashing. You will notice that you can now use the two left-most soft buttons below the screen to scroll through different session colours. Once you have found your preferred colour, either press the Save button again to save in place or select a different session pad to save the Session to a new slot. This will overwrite any data that is currently saved to that slot.
After selecting a Session, hold Clear and press the current Session's respective pad to clear all data and reset the Session's settings to the default.
While the Sequencer is playing, you can prepare a new Session in the Session View. When you press a pad it will begin flashing; this indicates that it is 'cued' to start at the end of the currently playing pattern on track 1 (master track). At this point, the Session pad will turn white to show its selection.
While the Sequencer is playing, it is possible to 'instantly' change to a new Session in the Session View. Just hold Shift and press a pad. The new Session will pick up from the corresponding position in the currently playing pattern.
It is possible to load a Session by sending a 'program change' message to the device on channel 16. By default, the indicated Session will load instantly. If 64 is added to the program ID the session load will be cued (during playback, see Cued Session Switch).
It is possible to load a Session by sending a 'song select' message to the SL MkIII while the Sequencer is stopped. The session to load is indicated by the song id.
The 'Save Lock' feature allows you to lock the device to prevent saving Sessions. To do this, turn the unit on while holding Shift + Save buttons. When the device is turned off using the power button, the setting will save. If save lock is on, the LED lighting the Save button will be off, indicating that Sessions cannot save. To turn save lock off, repeat the same procedure.
Scales View provides an excellent entry point for beginners to start learning the fundamentals of chords and scales. It also serves as an excellent refresher for intermediate players whose knowledge of harmony has become rusty.
Hold Shift then press the Scale button to enable/disable Scales View.
When Scales View is active notes will adhere to whatever scale you select, whether playing the keys or using the Sequencer. These scales range from traditional scales of Western music (C Major, E Dorian etc.) to non-Western ones like Marva. You can switch between scales in the Scale Settings (see Scale Settings).
When Scale is enabled the LEDs above the keys have the following behaviour:
In other words, with Scales View on, playing keys (either dimly or brightly lit) guarantees that you are playing notes within your chosen scale.
Pressing the 'Scale' button brings many Scale Settings onto the screens.
Root Note
The left-most option labelled 'Root', lets you change the root note of the scale. Turn the rotary knob above to set the root of the scale from the following chromatic notes: C, C#, D, E, Eb, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, and B.
Scale Type
Once you have decided on a root note, you will next need to select a scale type. Turn the rotary knob above 'Type' to choose one of the following scales: Natural Minor, Major, Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Bebop Dorian, Blues, Minor Pentatonic, Hungarian Minor, Ukrainian Minor, Marva, Todi, Whole Tone and Chromatic.
Sequence Transpose
Turning the knob above 'Sequence Transpose' applies a transpose value to the played notes coming from the Sequencer. In other words, it shifts sequenced parts by a set amount (e.g. five semitones). It also functions independently of Root and Type, which apply a scale to Sequencer parts without transposing notes.
You can transpose your Sequence up or down by 11 semitones (halfsteps).
Scale Mode
The screen area labelled 'Scale Mode' changes the way Scale View handles notes that are not in the selected scale. These settings behave as follows:
Turn Scale On/Off per Part
Pressing the soft buttons above the pads (and below the screen) toggles Scale functionality on/off per Part. Therefore, you can choose which Parts will be affected by Scale mode (and its settings) and which will not.
A common occurrence for this option pertains to drums. Since a typical drum bank is not arranged according to pitch, playing it with a scale in mind would be a hindrance. Thus, you might want to turn Scale mode off while playing your percussion parts and keep it on for your synth, bass, strings etc.
Templates can be edited using Components, allowing you customize the messages sent and behaviour of rotary knobs, faders, buttons, pads wheels and pedals. Please see 2. Templates for a link to Components.
With the SL MkIII's Librarian functionality you can send and receive Sessions and Templates over SysEx. This sending and receiving are primarily done using Components (please see 2. Templates for Components' web address).
When content arrives at the SL MkIII, the device enters 'Content Transfer Mode'. In this mode, it stops the transport and disables UI controls. The screen will show the progress of the transfer.
When the transfer is complete, the device exits Content Transfer Mode and returns to its previous View.
If the transfer is incomplete or not successful, the device will enter the content transfer screen after a short timeout (1 second).
If new firmware is available, it can be upgraded using Components. Simply follow the link found in 2. Templates to access this standalone application.
Press the 'InControl' button to enter InControl mode. The aim of InControl is the seamless integration of the SL MkIII with popular DAWs like Pro Tools, Cubase, Reaper, Logic, Reason and Live. The chart below illustrates which DAW features InControl supports.
Feature | Pro Tools | Cubase | Reaper | Logic | Reason | Ableton |
Channel Controls | ||||||
Control Volume using Faders | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Control Pans using Encoders | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Select Track | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Mute Track | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Solo Track | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Arm Track | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Transport Controls | ||||||
Rewind | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fast-Forward | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stop | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Play | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Record(arm) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Loop | Yes | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Track Navigation | ||||||
Track left / right | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bank left / right | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Track Name | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Other | ||||||
Save | Yes | Yes | N/A | No | N/A | Yes |
Undo | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Pre-Roll | Yes | Yes | N/A | No | N/A | Yes |
Post-Roll | Yes | Yes | N/A | No | N/A | Yes |
Count-in | No | No | No | Yes | N/A | No |
Control Send Groups A-E using Encoders | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Metronome | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Clip Control | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes |
Device Control | NA | NA | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smart Controls | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes | N/A | N/A |
The HUI protocol allows the SL MkIII to act like a Mackie HUI device and interact with DAWs that provide HUI support (for example, Steinberg, Cubase and Pro Tools).
HUI Heartbeat
After hitting InControl, the SL MkIII automatically switches to HUI View as soon as it detects a Heartbeat message (sent by a DAW). If the SL MkIII does not receive a heartbeat message for over three seconds, it automatically switches back to InControl mode.
Channel Control
DAW Setup
Pro Tools
To set up the SL MkIII in Pro Tools, navigate to 'Setup' > 'Peripherals...' > 'MIDI Controllers'. Ensure your ports are set up as below. Set Type to 'HUI' and Receive From and Send To to the 'Novation SL MkIII, SL MkIII InControl' port.
Set Up
The picture below illustrates the proper way to configure Ableton Live to work with the SL MkIII.
Follow these steps to replicate the above set up:
Live Set Navigation
Pads
8x2 Soft Buttons
The 8x2 soft buttons area (above the faders) allow you to change the state of your tracks quickly. The button labels (highlighted with a red box below) show on the rightmost screen the current function of the soft buttons.
Options
Options View provides functionality for viewing and editing various track parameters as well as displaying device chains and selecting from the devices in the chain.
Within InControl mode, pressing the Options button opens the Options View.
Faders
Faders control track volumes in your Ableton Live set. These eight faders correspond to the eight tracks contained within the selection ring.
Undo, Redo, Metronome and Capture
While in InControl, holding Shift turns the first three soft buttons above the pad area into Undo, Redo and Click controls. As expected, Undo and Redo perform those functions on your Live Set's most recent actions. Pressing Click toggles Live's metronome on or off.
Holding Shift will also display a Capture button if you recently played - but did not record - MIDI notes. Press this last soft button under the screens to grab the MIDI you just played and place it in a clip, even though you were not recording in the traditional sense.
Installation
Track Select
To select a track, press the button under the track name. It will highlight to indicate that you have chosen it.
Pans
To control track pans press the Options button and choose 'Pans'. From this view, the eight knobs will control the pans for eight tracks at a time.
Volume
To control track volumes, move the faders. The LED above the fader indicates the current track volume.
Sends
To control track sends, press the Options button followed by 'Sends'. The eight knobs will then control Bus levels in Logic. Press the up and down arrows to the left of the screens to change the selected send.
Smart Controls
Logic uses smart controls to choose eight parameters for the selected plug-in on a chosen track. To control these, press the Options button followed by 'Smart'. From this view, the eight knobs will control the eight parameters assigned by Logic to be smart controls for the selected plug-in.
Shortcuts
Press the Options button followed by 'Shortcut' to access shortcuts. These include:
Mute/Solo
The soft buttons above the faders control mute and solo for eight tracks. When you solo a track, the muted tracks will flash on and off.
Record Arm/Input Monitoring
Press the down button to the right of the soft buttons (above the faders) to change the buttons from mute/solo to record arm/input monitoring.
Transport
The SL MkIII's Transport buttons control Logic's transport. These include:
Reason Setup
After starting Reason you can easily set up the SL MkIII. Connect the SL MkIII to your computer via USB, then go to Preferences > Control Surfaces and click 'the Auto-detect Surfaces' button. A dialogue window with a progress bar will appear, and once the process is complete the SL MkIII will appear in the list. If 'Use with Reason' is checked, and 'Novation SL MkIII SL MkIII From DIN 1' is enabled, you should be ready to start controlling Reason with the SL MkIII.
Overview
The SL MkIII can control all the Instruments, Effects and Utilities in a Reason Rack (see picture below), as well as move between tracks.
Instruments
Every time you load a new Instrument (and accordingly create a new MIDI track) the SL MkIII will automatically be assigned to that Instrument.
Control Layout
With the SL MkIII's InControl mode you can take advantage of the following features in Reason:
Effects and Utilities
To control Effects and Utilities from the SL MkIII, you need to create an audio track for it. To do so, find the Effect or Utility in the Rack section, right + click (PC) or Ctrl + click (Mac) on the device (e.g. Warm Echo) and select 'Create Track for device name'. At this point a new track will appear in Reason's Sequencer; you can now select this new track using the Track buttons on the SL MkIII. When you select an Effect or Utility its controls will appear in the SL MkIII's screens, which you can then modify with the above knobs.
The normal operation of this product may be affected by a strong electrostatic discharge (ESD). In the event of this happening, simply reset the unit by removing and then replugging the USB cable. Normal operation should return.
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Disclaimer
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. The information provided in this document may be modified at any time without prior warning. Specifications and appearance may differ from those listed and illustrated.
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