Novation
Ever since the debut model burst onto the
scene way back in 2009, the Novation
Launchkey Mini budget MIDI controller has
been a best-seller. A compact, ultra-portable,
lightweight USB keyboard aimed squarely at
Ableton Live users but equally at home
controlling Logic, Cubase, Reason or any other
HUI-compatible DAW, it seems that Novation
have been listening well to customer feedback,
as many of the upgrades on this new Mk3 model
tick some of the boxes that were left unchecked
last time around.
Pitch bend and modulation touchstrips are
the most immediately obvious addition, and the
rear panel has also received plenty of attention,
with a USB socket for power and MIDI data
transmission, a 3.5mm TRS MIDI Out socket for
talking to MIDI hardware, and a sustain pedal
input. There’s also an arpeggiator with some
unique features, a Fixed Chord mode and a
Capture MIDI button that instantly accesses said
function in Live, creating a clip from the last
notes you played, even if you weren’t recording.
Show me the Mini
The facelifted Mk3 has a more modern look than
Mk2, with a pleasingly slab-like proile. The
N o v a t i o n
L a u n c h k e y
Mini Mk3 £100
Novation’s Ableton-friendly entry-level controller receives a major
makeover for its third generation
“Lightweight, but not
overly plasticky, the
Mini Mk3 passes the
laptop bag test with
lying RGB colours”
familiar 16 velocity-sensitive, RGB illuminated
pads, arranged in two rows of eight, are more
recessed than those on the Mk2, while the eight
knobs above have been smoothed of in a more
polished design reminiscent of Native
Instruments’ aesthetic. Neat, businesslike and
altogether taller, thinner and easier to get hold
of than the earlier model, these are pots with
end stops, rather than endless rotary encoders.
Incredibly lightweight, but not overly plasticky
to the point where it feels cheap, the Mini Mk3
passes the laptop bag test with lying RGB
colours, and comes with a chunky USB cable to
connect up to the sturdy USBB port on the back,
which is a relief from the often less-than-durable
micro-USB connectors found on many similarly-
sized devices.
Key points
While the backlit pads and buttons have a irm,
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96 / COMPUTER MUSIC / January 2020
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