MusicRadar Verdict
The updated Launchkey Minis bring incremental improvements. Although superficially they look like Ableton controllers, they’re equally handy with other DAWs and hardware.
Pros
- +
Evolved feature set that maintains consistency with other 'Launch' controllers.
- +
The updated design is stylish and fresh.
- +
We really like the OLED display.
- +
Chord detector is a very neat feature - play any chord and it shows up on the display.
Cons
- -
The compact keyboards are, naturally, less playable than their larger counterparts.
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Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4: What is it?
There are six devices in Novation’s updated Launchkey Mk4 series of MIDI controller keyboards, and here we’re looking at the Mini variants – the Launchkey Mini 25 and Launchkey Mini 37. You can think of these two as the same keyboard, same features, just different numbers of octaves.
The package contains the keyboard, a USB C-to-A cable, and a downloadable software bundle. Build quality seems fine – you never really know until you take it to some gigs – but we’ve never had problems with Novation controllers in the past. The top panel features the ‘synth action’ mini keys, control strips for pitch and modulation, an OLED display, several buttons, eight touch-sensitive encoders, and sixteen velocity-sensitive Launchpad-style pads. The rear panel includes a USB-C port, 3.5mm MIDI out jack, sustain pedal input, and a Kensington slot.
The software bundle is comprehensive; there’s Ableton Live 12 Lite, then three plugins from Kievgrand – LUXE, a channel strip plugin that provides compression and saturation with a uniquely simple interface, the Röverb delay/reverb, and Slammer, a multisample-based drum source with a lot of customisation. GForce contributes modelled classic synths, with the Oberheim SEM, Oberheim OB-EZ, and AXXESS (based on the vintage ARP Axxe). The Orchestral Tools Parallel Orchestra Bundle includes instruments such as piano, strings, and percussion, and finally, there’s the Melodics app, which provides music lessons configured exclusively for Novation users.
Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4: Performance and verdict
Control over Live is available immediately, with the Session View rectangle representing the area covered by the pads. There are dedicated transport and record buttons, and navigation around the Live set (if there’s any doubt about a particular function, the Shift button probably covers it). The OLED display is bright and clear, and shows what you’re working with – including track names, device names, or parameters.
The Launchkeys have some interesting creative features. Chord mode accesses up to 40 banks of chords, playable from the pads, while you continue playing with your free hand, which really expands the range of a small keyboard, and custom progressions can be saved. We love that when playing a chord, it appears on the OLED, showing the keys used and the name of the chord. Along the same lines, Scale mode locks the keyboard to one of 30 different scales.
There’s also a built-in arpeggiator, handy for use with hardware instruments. Live users can use the on-board step sequencer, which will create MIDI clips in Live’s Session View. For further configuration, Custom modes can be created via the Novation Components site or app.
Although the Launchkeys were originally conceived as Ableton Live controllers, the current iterations use provided scripts to work with DAWs including Logic, Reason, Cubase/Nuendo, and FL Studio. Anything not available with a script can be configured through MIDI mapping. On a side note, we were able to power the Launchkeys via USB-C from an iPhone 15 Pro Max, squeezing some funk out of the Moog Model 15 iOS app – the beginnings of an extremely compact live rig.
The Launchkey Minis are ideal for producers on a budget, educators who want to kit out a classroom, and pros who want a fully-featured travel keyboard. It’s not a matter of which size is better, it’s a matter of which size works best for you.
MusicRadar verdict: The updated Launchkey Minis bring incremental improvements. Although superficially they look like Ableton controllers, they’re equally handy with other DAWs and hardware.
Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4: Hands-on demos
Loopop
Sanjay C
Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4: Specifications
- KEY FEATURES: Updated physical design. A choice of 25 and 37-key versions (both with the same features). Seamless integration with all DAWs. Step sequencing for Ableton Live. Built-in Arpeggiator and chord maps. Scale mode. Chord detector (chords displayed on OLED). Comprehensive software bundle. Split keyboards available on 49 and 61 key models.
- CONTACT: Novation
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