Novation Launchpad X User Manual

Launchpad X User Guide

Introduction

Hardware Overview

……………….……..…………….……………….…….………….………….3

Key Features……………………..………………….…………...3 In the Box…….…………………..………………….…………...4

Getting up and running……….…..……………..….………….4

Launchpad Intro……….……….…..……………..….………….6 Ableton Live…..……….……….…..……………..….………….7

Using with other software.…….…..……………..….………….7

…………………………………………………………………………8

Launchpad X Interface Overview

Session mode

…………….………………………..……………………………………….10

Ableton Live’s Session View…………………..….………….10

Mixer Mode……….……………..…………………………….12

Note mode

Custom modes

…………..….……………….…………………..………………….………….16

Chromatic mode…….….……..………..…………………….17 Scale mode……….….…..………..………………….……….17

Note Mode Settings…………………………………………..18

Overlap settings…...…………………..……….…….……….20

Drum mode……….……...………..………………….……….22

…………….…………………..………………….……………….……….23

Setting up Custom Modes……….……………….………….24

Lighting Pads………………………………………..…………25

Settings

………..……………….…………….….……….………………………...……….26

Default MIDI mappings

……….…………….….………………………………...……….34

Table of Contents

…..……….….……….…....…..………...……………11

Introduction

Launchpad X is our essential grid controller 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

Velocity and pressure sensitive

•

instruments

• Perform with Ableton Live by launching clips and scenes

Capture MIDI

•

• Plug and Play - USB bus-powered

• Powerful and versatile modes

• Ableton Live Mixer – control

• Direct access to performance controls with

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

RGB LED

Record

and

backlit pads

pads for expressive performance of your

your playing in Ableton Live

: Session, Note and Four Custom Modes

Volume, Pan

Sends

and

Stop, Solo, Mute

per track

and

Custom Modes

Record

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,

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.

first plug in your Launchpad X

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.

Double click the “Launchpad X” drive

Double click the “Click Here To Get Started” link

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

https://intro.novationmusic.com/. Your Launchpad X will be automatically detected

and you’ll immediately be able to play beats using our curated packs.

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

Ableton Live

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 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: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/learn-live/.

You may register your Launchpad X and obtain your Ableton Live 10 Lite license at:

https://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

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 FAQs in the Novation Help Centre at support.novationmusic.com.

(often referred to only as Live) is a unique and powerful piece of

Getting Up and Running

). Here you’ll be guided through downloading

Navigational buttons

Session Mode

(+ Mixer Toggle)

Scene Launch & Mixer Buttons

Note Mode

8x8 Pad Grid

Custom Mode

Record & Capture MIDI

USB-C Socket

Kensington MiniSaver™ Socket

Front panel

Hardware Overview

Back panel

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 –

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 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

Custom Modes

modes available. When the Custom button is pressed you will

Session, Note

and

Custom

A row represents a

scene “9”.

The yellow column

titled “1 Rhodes”.

Clips

Ableton Live’s Session View

Session mode is designed to control

If you’ve never used Ableton Live before, we recommend visiting our Easy Start Tool (see 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 Session mode provides an 8x8 view of your clips in Session view on Launchpad X.

Clips

Tracks

tracks will play back on the instrument that is assigned to that track.

Scenes

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.

shows a track,

Getting Up and Running

Session Mode

Ableton Live’s Session View

). Here you’ll find your included Ableton Live 10

clips, tracks

(columns) and

, seen below.

scenes

(rows).

are typically loops that contain MIDI notes or audio.

represent virtual instruments or audio tracks. MIDI clips placed on instrument

are rows of clips. Launching a scene will launch all clips in that row. This

scene, highlighted is

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 launch) buttons on the right-hand side of Launchpad X.

Scene

. Scenes can be triggered using the

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.

+ 25 hidden pages

Novation Launchpad X User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual