It’s hard to remember, but a few short years ago when Novation unveiled the original Launchpad, there weren’t any mass-market controllers dedicated to the software.

I expect Ableton Live will be the most popular use case, though, so let’s begin with how Live integration works. You can use it anywhere, because it’s bus-powered and driverless, so it works with iOS, Windows, OS X, and Linux. And this being a Novation controller, it’s also lightweight and compact: the footprint is the same as the Launchpad, and it weighs in at under a kilogram. The upshot is, you’ve got a MIDI controller that makes it exceptionally easy to mix eight tracks. As on the Launchpad, Novation also provides separate user/factory templates you can access with a push-button, and switches for selecting tracks and sends, all mapped to Ableton Live. Each column also gets two triggers these are switchable when used with Ableton Live to control mute, solo, and record arm functions.

It’s just faders and pots: 8 faders, with three knobs each. So, that makes the new LaunchControl XL from Novation a potential stand-out. There are surprisingly few controllers out there tailored to this application. Maybe it’s not about elaborate custom parameter assignment, or clip launching, or playing an in-tune Phrygian scale on a colored, light-up grid as you solo on a bowed marimba sample. Sometimes, you just want to grab a fader.

Launchcontrol xl