What do you think? Is the Launchpad S – or original Launchpad, which may now be even more impossibly-inexpensive – something you’d consider? Let us know in comments. I’m also interested to see what an iPad-plus-Launchpad S rig might look like. And it’s worth observing that, for not much more than a Push, you could pick up an inexpensive PC laptop or netbook, install Linux and Renoise, and plug in a Launchpad S for an all-in-one setup (among other solutions). Significantly, Keith McMillen’s QuNeo controller offers more touch controls and continuous control, plus RGB color, for US$199.īut, if you really just want a grid controller bargain, the Launchpad S is a contender. 9 Mavericks, 10 foot XLR Mic Cable, Electric Grand or Mark One, Trigger clips and play drums using 16 velocity-sensitive multi-colored pads. So, sure, the Launchpad S does less than most of the competition. We’ve seen some street prices much lower than that. Add to that the dealer price / suggested retail of US$169.99. Novation says the new Launchpad S will be available this month. On timing, any mention of Ableton’s much-fancier Push controller has to come with a big caveat: Ableton can’t ship you one, with a backlog stretching into the summer. It seems to me there’s a window of opportunity for Novation here, both in timing and cost. (No word yet on what others may be included.) And there’s a gigabyte of Loopmasters samples, as well. There are new custom software control overlays in the box, including FL Studio. I think it’s most interesting what hackers will do that, but Novation is also bundling some extras to get you started. Class-compliant operation means you can plug it into any Mac, Windows, or Linux machine (hello, Raspberry Pi), as well as, via the USB Camera Connection Kit, an iPad. The other big change is, while there’s still an Ableton logo (the old one, even) and prominent mention of controlling Live, the Launchpad is no longer tied to specific drivers and software. What that “S” adds in terms of hardware is mainly brighter LEDs – much brighter and more saturated, from the looks of the video – and a “significantly-faster refresh rate” that might appeal to specific programming applications. But like the original, that also means it’s about the cheapest grid controller you can buy, and it’s unusually light and portable. This is still just a basic, tri-color 8×8 array grid controller with some extra controls. It has the same complement of controls, and unlike some recent hardware, it lacks features like velocity sensitivity and full-color RGB LEDs. The Launchpad S is, generally speaking, still a Novation Launchpad. Updated – for a newer Launchpad, check out our hands-on guide to the Launchpad Pro. It’s also brighter and refreshes faster than the original. But a new update, while not radically different from the original, is more flexible, working with more software and more operating systems – including the iPad. Novation’s Launchpad may have begun its life focused mainly on controlling Ableton Live.
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