Novation LAUNCHPAD X - Grid Controller Manual

Introduction

Launchpad X is our essential grid controller for Ableton Live. Launchpad X will accelerate your music production and allow your live performances to become fast and tactile experiences.
Launchpad X makes launching clips in Ableton Live easy by bringing your Session View from the screen to your fingertips in full RGB colour. Take music making further and build tracks with Launchpad X by using the powerful Note mode to lay down expressive beats and melodies with the velocity and pressure sensitive pads.
This manual will help you to understand every feature of your new grid controller and will teach you how to take your production and performance to the next level with Launchpad X.

Launchpad X Key Features

• An 8x8 grid of 64 RGB LED backlit pads
• Velocity and pressure sensitive pads for expressive performance of your instruments
• Perform with Ableton Live by launching clips and scenes
• Capture MIDI and Record your playing in Ableton Live
• Plug and Play - USB bus-powered
• Powerful and versatile modes: Session, Note and Four Custom Modes
• Ableton Live Mixer – control Volume, Pan and Sends per track
• Direct access to performance controls with Stop, Solo, Mute and Record Arm buttons
• Powerful music production software included - Ableton Live 10 Lite, as well as a range of high-quality instruments & effects
• Endless possibilities for controlling your software with Custom Modes

In the Box

• Launchpad X
• USB-C to USB-A cable

Getting Up and Running

We've made getting up and running with Launchpad X as easy as possible, whether you're a brand new beatmaker or a seasoned producer. Our Easy Start Tool provides a step-by-step guide on getting set up that is tailored to your needs, whether you've never made music before or you just want to download your included software as fast as possible.
To access the Easy Start Tool, first plug in your Launchpad X.

If you're on a Mac:

1. On your Desktop find and open the folder "LAUNCHPAD X".
2. Inside the folder, click the link: "Click Here to Get Started.html"
3. You'll be taken to the Easy Start Tool where we'll get you set up.
   
   Alternatively, if you have Google Chrome open upon plugging in Launchpad X, a pop-up will appear that will take you straight to the easy start tool.
   

If you're on Windows:

1. Press the Start button and type "This PC", then press enter.
2. In This PC, find the drive: "Launchpad X", and double click.
3. Inside the drive, click the link: "Click Here to Get Started.html"
4. You'll be taken to the Easy Start Tool where we'll get you set up.
   

Launchpad Intro

If you're new to Launchpads, Launchpad Intro is a great place to start. Choose from a variety of curated packs from Ampify Music and start performing immediately. Your Launchpad X will match the on-screen grid - press pads to launch loops and one-shots to build up your track.
To get there, plug your Launchpad X into your computer and visit intro.novationmusic.com/. Your Launchpad X will be automatically detected and you'll immediately be able to play beats using our curated packs.

To access Launchpad Intro, you must use a WebMIDI enabled browser. We recommend Google Chrome or Opera.

Ableton Live

Ableton Live (often referred to only as Live) is a unique and powerful piece of software for music creation. Ableton Live 10 Lite is provided with your Launchpad X, which gives you all the tools you'll need to get started with making your own music.
If you've never used Ableton Live before, we recommend visiting our Easy Start Tool (see Getting Up and Running). Here you'll be guided through downloading and installing Ableton Live 10 Lite. You'll also find videos covering the software's basic features so you can get started making music in Ableton Live with Launchpad X.
With Ableton Live installed, get your Launchpad X up and running by plugging it into your Mac or PC's USB port. When you open Live your Launchpad X will be automatically detected and it will enter Session Mode.
More resources on using Ableton Live's many functions may be found on Ableton's site at: www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/.
You may register your Launchpad X and obtain your Ableton Live 10 Lite license at: customer.novationmusic.com/register.

Using with Other Software

Launchpad X is made for Ableton Live, but it may also be used as a controller for other software. If you're using other music production software, visit support.novationmusic.com for more information on how to set up your Launchpad X.

Having Trouble?
In case you're having any trouble getting setup, don't hesitate to contact our support team! You can find more information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions at the Novation Help Centre: support.novationmusic.com.

Hardware Overview

1. Navigational Buttons
2. Session Mode (+ Mixer Toggle)
3. Note Mode
4. Custom Mode
5. Record & Capture MIDI
6. 8x8 Pad Grid
7. Scene Launch & Mixer Buttons

8. USB-C Socket
9. Kensingston MiniSaver^TM Socket

Launchpad X Interface

Modes are the core of the Launchpad X interface. They allow you to switch between views, offering different functionality in each.
There are three different modes available – Session, Note and Custom.

Press a mode button (above) to enter the respective mode. The currently active mode will be lit pale green. Currently available modes will be lit dim white.
When in Session Mode, press Session once again to toggle Mixer Mode. In Mixer Mode the Scene Launch buttons will become Ableton Live mixer functions in line with their sub text.
There are 4 Custom modes available. When the Custom button is pressed you will enter Custom Mode 1 by default. Access each of these by pressing the top 4 Scene Launch buttons after the Custom button is pressed. The Custom Mode lit in pale green is selected, while available ones will be lit dim white. Using Novation Components, you are able to edit these four modes and customise them to your needs (see Custom Modes).

Session Mode

Ableton Live's Session View

Session mode is designed to control Ableton Live's Session View, seen below.
If you've never used Ableton Live before, we recommend visiting our Easy Start Tool (see Getting Up and Running). Here you'll find your included Ableton Live 10 Lite download code (if you choose to register your Launchpad X), alongside videos covering installing, the software's basic features, and how to get started making music with your Launchpad X in Ableton Live.
Session View is a grid that consists of clips, tracks (columns) and scenes (rows).
Session mode provides an 8x8 view of your clips in Session view on Launchpad X.

Clips are typically loops that contain MIDI notes or audio.
Tracks represent virtual instruments or audio tracks. MIDI clips placed on instrument tracks will play back on the instrument that is assigned to that track.
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.

The ▲▼◄ ► buttons let you navigate session view. The red outline in the Session View grid shows the area currently visible on Launchpad X.

Note: This outline may appear in any colour - this won't affect its function.

• Press a pad to play the corresponding clip in Ableton. The colour will match between the screen and pads.
• When a pad is pressed it will flash green, indicating that the clip is queued and will soon begin to play. When a clip is playing, the pad will pulse green.
• Only one clip may play at a time per track. Pressing an empty clip will stop the current one on that track.
• A horizontal line of clips is called a Scene. Scenes can be triggered using the > (scene launch) buttons on the right-hand side of Launchpad X.

When a track is record armed (see Mixer Mode), you may use the [O] button (Session Record) to enable overdub recording of the currently playing clip.
Pressing and hold Capture MIDI to capture any recent playing and place it into a MIDI track. If no clip was playing on the armed track, Ableton Live will place the MIDI notes into a new clip. If a clip was playing, the MIDI notes will be overdubbed onto that clip.

Mixer Mode

Mixer Mode is a sub-mode of Session mode that allows you to control various track parameters in Ableton Live 10. Mixer Mode can be toggled on and off by pressing the Session button when in Session Mode. When in Mixer Mode, Session will be lit orange, as opposed to pale green when in Session Mode.

In Mixer mode, the Scene Launch buttons will become Mixer Functions corresponding to the text on each button.
When a Mixer function is pressed, it will be lit brightly to indicate that it is selected. Pressing the same Mixer function once more will deselect it. Unselected mixer functions will be lit dim white.

Volume: Control the volume levels of the tracks within the currently selected 8x8 area in Session view. Volume faders are vertical.

Pan: Control the stereo panning of the tracks within the currently selected 8x8 area in Session view. Pans will show horizontally - the top pan represents the leftmost track, and the bottom represents the rightmost.

Send A: Control the send level of the tracks within the currently selected 8x8 area in Session view to Send A. Send faders are vertical.

Send B: Control the send level of the tracks within the currently selected 8x8 area in Session view to send B. Send faders are vertical.

Stop Clip: Overlay the bottom row of pads with Stop Clip triggers. When pressed, the clip in the corresponding track will stop playing at the end of the phrase.

Mute: Overlay the bottom row of pads with Mute track toggles. When pressed, the clip in the corresponding track will stop playing.

Solo: Overlay the bottom row of pads with Solo track toggles. When pressed, the clip in the corresponding track will stop playing.

Record Arm: Overlay the bottom row of pads with Record Arm track toggles. When pressed, the clip in the corresponding track will stop playing.

Volume, Pan, Send A and Send B are each sets of 8 faders. The faders are vertical for Volume, Send A and Send B, whereas they are horizontal for Pan (see below). Press a pad to move the fader position up and down (or left to right).
Faders are velocity sensitive. Hitting a pad on a fader hard will cause the value to move quickly, while pressing a pad softly will result in a more gradual change of the value.
Faders also feature microvalues that may be accessed by tapping a single pad multiple times – each press will output a slightly higher value. This allows for more fine-tuned control with faders. There are four microvalues per pad. Once the highest microvalue for a pad is reached, a further press to the same pad will return to the lowest value for the pad. Fader microvalues are indicated by the brightness of the highest value pad of a fader, with dim being the lowest microvalue, and full brightness being the highest.

The numbers in each fader above shows which track the fader is related to with regards to Session View's red outline. The left-most track becomes the top track for pans.

In Mixer mode, the bottom row of pads can provide immediate control for four performance track controls: Stop (stop clip from playing on a specific track), Solo (solo a specific track), Mute (mute a specific track) or Record Arm (arm a specific track for recording). These functions are overlaid onto the bottom row of pads when their Mixer functions are pressed

The pads for the currently Record Armed, Muted and Soloed tracks will be lit brightly, while the others will be dimly lit.
When a track is record armed, all empty clips in a column will be dimly lit red. When a clip is pressed it will flash red to show that it is queued to record (the record button will also flash in unison). The pad will pulse red once recording begins, with the record button lit bright red. If the record button is then pressed, the clip will flash red to indicate that it will soon stop recording. If the track is un-armed during recording, the clip will immediately stop recording.
Views within Session Mode and Mixer Mode allow for momentary switching.
For example, you may currently be viewing your track mutes, but want to quickly visit your volume faders to turn a track up. Press and hold Volume, edit a volume fader, and release Volume to return to Mute view.
Note that Faders will not continue to move when not currently viewed.

Note Mode

Use Launchpad X's Note Mode to play drums and melodic instruments expressively with the velocity and pressure sensitive 8x8 grid.
The layout of Note mode is variable, with the option to have a chromatic, scale, or drum layout. You are able to customise Launchpad X's playing surface to suit you.
When in any layout, use ▲▼ to increase or decrease the octave, and use ◄ ► to transpose the grid by a semitone up or down.
Note Mode will react dynamically to the currently armed instrument in Ableton Live. When a track with a Drum Rack is armed in Live, Note Mode will automatically switch to a Drum layout, and vice versa for any other instrument.
In Ableton Live, load an instrument into a MIDI track by selecting an instrument from the browser and double clicking it (or alternatively drag it to a track). If you cannot hear anything, ensure that the track is record armed and that monitoring is set to auto.

Chromatic Mode

Chromatic Mode is the default layout of Note mode. Press pads in the 8x8 grid to trigger notes. While Chromatic Mode allows all notes to be played, a visual indication for which notes are in scale is provided.
Blue pads represent notes in the currently selected scale (C Minor by default), purple pads represent the root of the scale, and blank pads represent notes outside of the scale.
The default chromatic layout seen here is similar to that of a guitar, with an octave being two pads up and two pads across. This allows for guitar chord shapes to be used. Additionally, the sixth column of pads will play the same notes as the first column on the row above, further mimicking a guitar layout.
The layout of chromatic mode can be altered in Note Mode settings, accessed by holding Note (see Note Mode Settings for details).

Scale Mode

In Scale Mode, Launchpad X will only display notes in the current scale. This allows you to play freely without ever going out of key.
As with Chromatic Mode, Blue pads represent notes in the currently selected scale, while purple pads represent the root of the scale. Here, blank pads show that no note exists at their location as pads are outside of playable range. This out of range behaviour also applies to Chromatic Mode.
The layout of scale mode can be altered in Note Mode settings, accessed by holding Note (see Note Mode Settings for details).

Note Mode Settings

Note Mode settings allow you to switch between Chromatic Mode and Scale Mode, change the currently selected scale and root note, alter Note Mode's layout with overlap controls, and change Note Mode's MIDI channel.
Enter Note Mode settings by pressing and holding Note. Note will pulse green when in Note Mode settings.
The Chromatic/Scale toggle will switch between Chromatic Mode (lit dim red) and Scale Mode (lit bright green) upon being pressed.
Overlap allows you to alter the layout of both Chromatic Mode and Scale Mode (see Overlap).
The Scale Viewer shows which notes are in the currently selected scale on a piano layout keyboard. Blue pads show notes in the scale, the purple pad shows the root, and the dimly lit white pads show notes outside of the scale. Press a pad in the Scale Viewer to change the root note of the scale.
Scale Select lets you choose from 16 different scales. Press a pad to select a scale. The selected scale will be lit bright white, while unselected scales will be lit dim blue.
The MIDI channel that Note Mode transmits on may be selected between 1 and 16. This is useful when you want to send notes to a specific track when you have multiple tracks record armed.

Overlap

Overlap determines the relationship between notes on different rows. An overlap of 5 means that the leftmost pad on a row will play the same note as the sixth pad across on the row below.
Each overlap level represents how many fingers are needed to play a scale. For example, with a 4 Finger overlap you are able to play a scale going vertically up the grid with only 4 fingers. This is great for playing with a single a hand.
Sequential overlap behaves differently from 2, 3, 4 and 5 Finger overlaps. In Chromatic Mode, notes will be laid out linearly and are unique to each pad. In Scale Mode, only octaves of the root will be overlapped. Sequential layout in Scale Mode provides a great way to play scales over a range of octaves easily.

Drum Mode

If an Ableton Live Drum rack is loaded to the currently armed track, Note Mode will represent the current state of the drum rack, showing which slots are currently filled.

In Ableton Live, load a drum kit into a MIDI track by selecting a Drum kit from the browser and double clicking it (or alternatively drag it to a track). If you cannot hear anything, ensure that the track is record armed and that monitoring is set to auto (Note Mode).

The view is divided into four 4x4 areas, each of which represents the areas of the Drum rack, shown below.

The visible area of the Drum rack may be scrolled through in sets of 16 slots using the ▲▼ buttons, or in sets of 4 slots using the ◄ ► buttons. The bottom left 4x4 area will always correspond with the currently visible slots in the Ableton Drum rack.
If there is a sample loaded in the areas 2, 3 or 4 in the diagram above, it will be visible as a brightly lit yellow pad, exactly as seen in area 1.
When a drum pad is pressed, the pad will turn blue to indicate that it is selected. The sample present in this slot may then be edited from within the Ableton Drum Rack.
When any other instrument is on the currently armed track, the grid will revert to Scale Mode or Chromatic Mode.
In Ableton Live, load an instrument into a MIDI track by selecting an instrument from the browser and double clicking it (or alternatively drag it to a track). If you cannot hear anything, ensure that the track is record armed and that monitoring is set to auto.

Custom Modes

Custom Modes turn Launchpad X's 8x8 grid into a deeply customisable control surface.
Custom Modes can be created & edited using Novation Components – our online hub for all Novation products. You may also back up any Custom Modes you create here. We have several Custom Mode templates for you to download and explore on Components.
To access Components, visit components.novationmusic.com/ using a Web MIDI enabled browser (we recommend Google Chrome or Opera).
Alternatively, download the standalone version of Components from your Account page on the Novation site.
Custom modes are fully compatible between Launchpad Mini [MK3] and Launchpad X.

Default Custom Modes

Four custom modes are available by default on the device.
To access custom modes, press the Custom button. The top four Scene Launch buttons will be lit and can be pressed to switch between Custom modes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Custom 1 is a Drum layout, similar to the Note mode drum layout. What differs is that this is a static layout – it is not representative of the current Ableton Drum rack and will not respond to changing octave. This mode is useful for playing Drum machines other than the Ableton Drum rack.

Custom 2 is a chromatic layout that is representative of a traditional piano/keyboard. As with all custom modes, this mode will not respond to changing octave.

Custom 3 is a non-lit version of Custom 1. Sending MIDI notes to this layout will light the pads according to the velocity of the incoming notes.

Custom 4 is a non-lit layout with different note values to Custom 3. The note values match Programmer Mode, but for the 8x8 grid only.

Setting up a Custom Mode in Novation Components

Custom Modes are created and edited on Novation Components. When Components is loaded on your computer, Launchpad X will connect automatically.
If the product name next to the home icon (in the top right-hand corner) is not Launchpad X, press the home icon and select Launchpad X from the list of products.

Within a Custom Mode, each pad within the 8x8 grid may act as a Note, a MIDI CC (control change), or a Program Change message.

The pads may behave either as toggles, triggers or momentary switches. Momentary behaviour will turn on a note when the pad is pressed and release the note when un-pressed. Triggers will always send a specified CC value or program change message.
Full rows and columns of pads may also act as faders. Faders can be assigned CC values and may be unipolar or bipolar. Faders may be positioned horizontally or vertically.

Pads within a Custom Mode may be assigned an "On" and "Off" colour for when pads within the 8x8 grid are pressed/toggled. (e.g. when a note is being played or a temporary CC change is toggled). There may only be one "On" colour per Custom Mode, but each pad may have a unique "Off" colour.
Custom Modes may have any combination of notes, CCs, program changes and faders – you can set up your own personalised control surface for your studio.
For more hands-on information on how to create your own Custom Modes, visit components for an interactive tutorial – it's easier than it may sound!

Lighting Pads (Advanced)

By default, Custom 3 & 4 have all pads unlit. MIDI Note messages sent to Launchpad X will light pads according to note number and velocity. The note sent will determine which pad lights up, and the note's velocity will determine the colour. This is useful for creating light displays using the 64 RGB pads.
The RGB LEDs are capable of outputting 127 colours, the index of which can be found in the Programmer's Reference Guide.
Additionally, all pads and buttons can be lit in Programmer Mode.
For detailed information on lighting pads and using Launchpad X as a control surface for software, see the Programmers Reference Guide which can be downloaded at customer.novationmusic.com/support/downloads.
Ghost mode is a special sub-mode of custom views. When triggered, this will un-light any function buttons around the edge of Launchpad X during use of a custom mode. To enter Ghost mode, press Note and Custom in quick succession. Following this action, only the 8x8 grid will be lit. To re-enable the button LEDs, press any button outside the 8x8 grid.

Settings

Launchpad X's settings menu allows you to set your preferences across many of its aspects. There are four pages available: LED, velocity, aftertouch, and fader.
To enter the settings menu, press and hold Session briefly. The top 4 rows will display the characters LED, indicating the topic of the menu. Use the top four Scene Launch buttons to access different pages.

LED Settings

The first Scene Launch button accesses the LED settings for Launchpad X. Here you can change LED brightness, LED feedback, and enter LED sleep.
The LED brightness level slider has 8 levels, from minimum to maximum brightness. The brightly lit white pad indicates which level is currently selected.
LED feedback (internal) toggles whether pads on the 8x8 grid light up when pressed in Custom Modes. Bright green indicates that LED feedback (internal) is enabled, whereas dim red indicates that it is disabled. The setting is enabled by default.
LED feedback (external) toggles whether pads on the 8x8 grid light up when MIDI is received externally in Custom Modes and Programmer Mode. Bright green indicates that LED feedback (external) is enabled, whereas dim red indicates that it is disabled. The setting is enabled by default.

LED sleep may be pressed to turn off all LEDs on Launchpad X. Press any button or pad to wake up the device. This is useful for when you are not using Launchpad X but you do not want to unplug it.

Velocity Settings

The second Scene Launch button accesses the velocity (VEL) settings for Launchpad X. Here you can turn velocity sensitivity on or off, and choose between three velocity curves.

Press the Enable/Disable Velocity toggle to enable or disable velocity globally on Launchpad X. The pad will be lit bright green when velocity is enabled, and dim red when disabled.
Three Velocity Curves may be selected between. Low requires higher force to trigger high velocity values, and high requires lower force for high values. The selected curve is lit bright orange, while the others are lit dim white.

Aftertouch Settings

The third Scene Launch button accesses the aftertouch (AFT) settings for Launchpad X. Here you can select between channel pressure, polyphonic aftertouch, or disabling aftertouch, with a choice of three thresholds for triggering aftertouch.

Choose between Aftertouch disabled, Channel Pressure, and Polyphonic Aftertouch. The selected mode will be brightly lit, the others dimly lit.
Three Aftertouch Thresholds may be selected between. Low requires a lower force to engage aftertouch, and high requires greater force. The selected threshold is lit bright purple, while the others are lit dim white.

Fader Settings

The fourth Scene Launch button accesses the fader (FAD) settings for Launchpad X. Here you may enable or disable velocity sensitivity for faders independently of global velocity sensitivity.

Enable or Disable Velocity for Faders by pressing the pad. The pad will be lit bright green when fader velocity is enabled, and dim red when it is disabled.

Live and Programmer Mode

Live Mode and Programmer Mode are the two states that Launchpad X can be used in.
In Live mode, Launchpad X will function as normal & you may access Session Mode, Note Mode and Custom Mode.
In Programmer mode Launchpad X loses access to Session Mode, Note Mode and Custom Modes, and the entire surface (pads and buttons) becomes unlit. Each pad and button will send out a specified MIDI message when pressed.
The pads and buttons may be lit up by sending their corresponding MIDI messages to Launchpad X. For more information see the Programmer Reference Guide, which can be downloaded at customer.novationmusic.com/support/downloads.
To switch between Live Mode and Programmer Mode, enter the settings menu by pressing and holding Session briefly. Press the green Scene Launch button to enter Live Mode, or the orange Scene Launch button to enter Programmer Mode.

Launchpad X will always power on into Live Mode.

Bootloader Menu

Launchpad X's bootloader menu allows you to change LED brightness, LED feedback, mass storage device availability, and device ID.
To enter the bootloader menu, hold Capture MIDI when plugging in Launchpad X.

The LED brightness level slider has 8 levels, from minimum to maximum brightness. The brightly lit white pad indicates which level is currently selected.
Bootloader Version will inform which version of the Bootloader is on Launchpad X.
Application Version will inform which version of the Application is on Launchpad X.
Pressing the Boot-up button will start Launchpad X normally, exiting the bootloader menu.
MSD Mode toggles the mass storage device behaviour of Launchpad X on or off. MSD Mode is enabled by default. This is why Launchpad X appears as a mass storage device when plugged in to your computer. Inside the LAUNCHPAD X folder is a link to our Easy Start Tool, which will help to get you set up with your Launchpad X (see Getting up and Running). Once you're set up with Launchpad X you may no longer want it to appear as a mass storage device. Use this toggle to disable the behaviour completely. When the pad is brightly lit MSD mode is enabled, and it is dimly lit when disabled.
Device ID allows you to use multiple Launchpad X units with Ableton Live at once. When different ID is selected on each Launchpad X, they will each have their own Session Ring (grid outline), and thus can navigate the Live session independently.

Default MIDI Mappings

Custom 1: 8x8 grid, Momentary Note On messages (note numbers below)

Custom 2: 8x8 grid, Momentary Note On messages (note numbers below)

Custom 3: 8x8 grid, Momentary Note On messages (note numbers below)

Custom 4: 8x8 grid, Momentary Note On messages (note numbers below)

Programmer Mode: Includes buttons and pads (full 9x9 grid), logo LED may be addressed, Momentary Note On messages on 8x8 grid (note numbers below), CC messages sent from top row and right-hand column

For more detailed information regarding the MIDI implementation of Launchpad X, please see the programmer's reference guide at: customer.novationmusic.com/support/downloads.

Novation
A division of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd.
Windsor House, Turnpike Road Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe Buckinghamshire, HP12 3FX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1494 462246
Fax: +44 1494 459920
e-mail: sales@novationmusic.com
Web: www.novationmusic.com