Novation Launchkey 61 MK3

We Have Liftoff with Novation’s Launchkey 61

Whether you’re launching clips in Ableton Live or composing in any other major DAW, you want streamlined, tightly integrated control over your music creation process, and that’s just what you get with the Novation Launchkey 61. Its predecessors have been runaway best-sellers at Sweetwater, and Novation has taken all the user feedback from the previous iterations and plowed it into a third-generation MIDI keyboard controller that’s improved in every way. Packing hot new features like Scale and Chord Modes, a powerful arpeggiator, and larger velocity-sensitive pads with optimized response, the Launchkey 61 MK3 is more intuitive to use than ever — and the quickest way to get your music from your head to your speakers.

New Scale Modes

Perhaps the most exciting new feature of the Launchkey 61 MK3 is its eight onboard Scale Modes. We all use modes, whether we realize it or not. Now with the 3rd-gen Launchkey, you can lay down a smokin’ Mixolydian bass line or rock out a sweet solo in Dorian mode without getting bogged down in music theory. (Of course, knowing a little theory never hurt any musician!) Scale Modes transpose the keys you play into notes of the scale you’ve chosen. You just select your root note and the scale you want, and then play. No matter how accomplished a keyboardist you are, Launchkey will streamline your creative process and expand your musical vocabulary.

New Chord Modes, Arpeggiator, and Mutate

Chord Modes change the Launchkey MK3’s keys and pads into an interactive control surface for music exploration, in which every note you play is tonally and harmonically associated. The arpeggiator lets you explore new ideas and nail the perfect melodies quickly, while the mutate function reassembles your patterns into exciting new musical statements.

New Custom Modes

Custom Modes simplify communications between controller and software, putting more power than ever right at your fingertips. Programmable using the browser-based Novation Components tool, Custom Modes let you customize the behavior of your Launchkey, giving you total mastery over control assignments, MIDI routing, pad color, and more.

New Connect your external gear

If you use external gear with a 5-pin MIDI DIN connection, the Novation Launchkey 61 has you covered. Connect your hardware synths and devices to your rig and control everything from your Launchkey, whether you use it standalone or with a computer. Previous-generation Launchkey models didn’t have this feature, and we’re very happy that Novation has included it on the Launchkey 61 MK3!