Table Of Contents 2 Introduction 13 The Setup Button 2 Launchpad Pro at a Glance -Layout Select -Labelled diagram -The Live Layout 2 Setup in Ableton Live -Note, Drum, Fader and Programmer 3 Latch vs Momentary Layouts 3 Session Mode -Setup Page Options -Clip triggering and Colours Velocity -Scene Launch Aftertouch -Session Navigation Aftertouch Threshold 4 Mixer Buttons Pad Lighting -Record Arm MIDI Out -Track Select MIDI Channel -Mute 16 Using the Launchpad Pro, Ableton Live -Solo and Hardware -Volume -Using the Launchpad Pro’s MIDI Ports -Pan -Using Your Audio Interface’s MIDI In/Out -Sends 17 Using Standalone Layouts With -Stop Clip Hardware 6 Function Buttons 17 Using Other Software -Session Mode vs Note/Device Modes 18 Troubleshooting -Shift -Click -Undo -Delete -Quantise -Duplicate -Double -Record 8 Note Mode/Drum Mode -General Functionality -MIDI Instruments -Drum Racks 10 Device Mode -The 8 ‘Faders’ -How to Create Macros -Automation -General Notes on Device Mode 12 User Mode -Creating LED Light Shows 1 Introduction Along the back of the Launchpad Pro are a number of other important places for connecting power, USB and MIDI cables. The Novation Launchpad Pro is a MIDI controller designed to inspire music making in Ableton Live and other software, whether on stage or in the studio. USB Port MIDI out port While the Launchpad Pro can be used with a variety of POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN software and hardware (outlined in the fi nal chapters), this user guide primarily focuses on its interaction with Ableton Live. The following pages will show you where all the Power supply MIDI in port buttons and pads are and how they function, as well as tips and tricks that we have found to be effective. Ultimately, Power on/off switch however, there is no one way to use this creative piece of Troubleshooting: If your Launchpad Pro is not working kit—how you use the Launchpad Pro is up to you! properly, it could be an issue with your USB Hub, computer’s USB port, or even the USB cable you are Please see our ‘Getting Started Guide’ if you have issues using. Please use the USB cable included in the box. If this setting up the Launchpad Pro, or properly confi guring still does not fi x your issue, connect the included 12V DC Ableton Live. power supply. The Launchpad Pro at a Glance With an understanding of where things lie on the Launchpad Pro, it’s time to learn how to use it. The following diagram shows the top of the Launchpad Pro, which has seven main areas: Setup in Ableton Live Setup button Navigation arrows Mode select buttons When you load up Ableton Live with the Launchpad Pro connected to your computer, Launchpad Pro will automatically spring into life and connect to Ableton. However it is useful to understand the other options available in the MIDI sync tab which effect how Ableton Live and Launchpad Pro work together. In Ableton Live, go to Preferences. From the list of tabs on the left, click the MIDI / Sync tab and you will see the following: 64 pad grid Function buttons Mixer Scene launch buttons Track On sets the Launchpad Pro as an Input device to play The above areas work together for a fun and creative POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN MIDI tracks (instruments and drums) in Live, and as and musical experience, as explained throughout this guide. Output device to see played and recorded notes fed-back to the pad LEDs. 2 Set Sync On for the Output of Launchpad Pro so that the Clip Triggering and Colours pad LEDs pulse and flash in time with your project tempo. When the Session button is pressed, the Launchpad Remote On for both Input and Output allows the Launchpad Pro’s 8x8 grid of RGB LED pads gives you intuitive Pro to be manually mapped to parameters in Live, and to visual feedback on your clips as you launch, stop, edit or see feedback of that mapping. record them. Conversely, you can see the area covered by these 64 pads on your Live screen inside a coloured, 8x8 Track On for Launchpad Pro MIDI Port allows Live rectangular ‘ring’. The colour of this ring changes depending to playback and record any device connected to the on which Control Surface chooser you select in Live’s Launchpad’s physical MIDI connectors. Preferences (MIDI/Sync tab). If you find that features described later in this user guide are Pressing a pad on the Launchpad Pro triggers a clip if one not working as expected, please re-check your MIDI port exists in the corresponding slot in Live. Hitting an empty clip settings slot, however, on an unarmed track will stop clip playback on that track. If the track is armed, pressing a pad begins Latch vs Momentary recording into an empty clip slot. Clips that are playing (aka ‘launched’) on your Ableton Two important behaviours to keep in mind as you learn Live screen appear as slowly pulsing green pads on your about the Launchpad Pro (the Mode Select and Mixer Launchpad Pro. The pad colours of non-playing clips, buttons in particular) are what we’ll refer to as ‘latch’ and however, match the clip colours on your Live screen (e.g., ‘momentary’. Understanding these two behaviours will help a purple clip makes a purple RGB pad). Clips that have you quickly move around the Launchpad Pro during live been triggered, but have not yet started to play, quickly flash performance. Fortunately, the difference between latch and green until launched. momentary is simple: Empty clip slots in Live show up as unlit pads on the • Latch means that when a button (e.g., Session) is Launchpad Pro. Hitting an unlit pad will either do nothing, pressed and quickly released, the functions are available or it will stop playing clips on that track. On a record-armed until the user navigates away (i.e., hits another button). Latch track, empty clips slots are lit dimly red, indicating that is best used when spending an indefinite time with Mode or they are ready to become new audio or MIDI clips. When Mixer parameters. triggered, these pads will quickly flash red until they start recording. • Momentary describes the temporary access of Mode or Mixer functions. Press and hold a button (e.g., Volume), Recording clips slowly pulse red. To stop recording a clip, make adjustments with the RGB pads, then upon release of press its pad again, or the Record Button (the bottom the button you will jump back to what you were previously Function Button). With recording complete, the pad will viewing (e.g., Session). In other words, functionality is pulse green. available as long as you hold the button. Momentary behaviour is great when performing and time is limited. QUICK TIP 1: It might be helpful to think of red pads on armed tracks as ‘hot’, since pushing them starts the Session Mode recording of a new clip, and stops other clips on that track if they are playing. Holding Shift (the topmost Function Button) and touching a pad selects the corresponding clip (or empty clip slot) without starting, re-launching, or stopping it. This action brings up the clip’s content in Live’s ‘Detail View’ (the bottom portion of the screen) and is a handy way to see a The first of the Mode Buttons (upper right-hand corner of clip’s audio or MIDI before launching it. This is also a quick the Launchpad Pro) is Session Mode. This may be the most way to move from clip to clip for editing. important of the four mode buttons, since pressing it lets you physically control Live’s Session View. If you’re new to Ableton Live, the Session View is where you can launch, record or edit audio or MIDI ‘clips’ without ever stopping the music. In other words, this is where you can jam forever. 3 POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER QUICK TIP 2: How quickly your clips launch, stop, or begin button. You will now see solid red pads indicating 8x8 areas recording depends on Live’s ‘Quantization Menu’, located in containing clips. (If an 8x8 area does not have at least the upper-left corner of the screen. one clip the pad will be unlit). Simply press one of these red pads, or use the Up/Down arrow buttons, to jump the Session View’s focus in 8x8 blocks. If you jump into an 8x8 area where no clips are playing, areas with playing clips will be represented by solid green pads. Mixer Buttons Live’s ‘Quantization Menu’ Scene Launch Pressing the Scene Launch buttons on the right side of The Mixer’s eight buttons lie along the very bottom of the the Launchpad Pro will trigger horizontal rows of clips, aka Launchpad Pro, providing quick access to many functions ‘scenes’. These buttons allow you to launch, stop, and/ of Ableton’s Mixer section. Starting on the left, let’s examine or record multiple clips with one button, and are fantastic eachPOW ERone. MIDI OUT MIDI IN for performance. Just like the 8x8 grid of pads, the Scene Launch buttons match the scene colours on your Live Record Arm screen. If you have more than 8 tracks the Scene Launch buttons will launch the whole scene, not just the eight clips you can see on the pads. Workfl ow Tip: While everyone uses Live differently, scenes Press and hold Record Arm to momentarily display the Arm are often used to break up music into different sections. For page, where you can arm or disarm a track by pressing its example, you could trigger the verse, chorus and bridge of bottommost pad (or press and hold up to eight bottommost your song with just three Scene Launch buttons. pads to arm multiple tracks). Upon release of Record Arm you will return to the previous page or mode. In Record Arm, Session Navigation all pads on the track(s) chosen for recording are dimly red. MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER Press and release of Record Arm ‘latches’ the page. Pressing Record Arm again brings you to Session Mode. Reminder: Latching means that functions are available after the press and release of a button until you navigate away. The simplest way to navigate the Session View is with the Navigation Arrows, located at the top-left of the Note that on the Record Arm page the Session Mode is Launchpad Pro. available on the top seven rows of pads, allowing for further clip launching/stopping/recording, and so on. As one might expect, the Up and Down arrow buttons move the Pro’s 8x8-pad coverage up or down the Session View in 1-Scene increments. The Right and Left arrow buttons move pad coverage left or right, one track at a time. When you have gone as far as possible in a given direction the corresponding button will turn off. With live performance in mind, you may have wondered how to quickly navigate hundreds, or even thousands of clips. To move around your Session View in big chunks, fi rst switch to Session Mode, then press and hold the Session 4 MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER Track Select Solo Track Select allows you to focus on a given track, without The Solo page allows you to isolate the audio signal of one record arming it. All of the bottommost pads on this page or more tracks. This is great for close listening in the studio are dimly blue but brighten when selected. Note that only or as a performance technique. one track can be selected at a time, and one track will Press and hold Solo to momentarily display the Solo page— always be selected. upon release you will return to the previous page or mode. Touching the bottommost pad on a track solos the track, PressP OaWEnRd hold Track Select to momentarily make track POWERturning thMeIDI OpUTadMI DbI INright blue (or press and hold up to eight MIDI OUT MIDI IN selections—upon release you will return to the previous page bottommost pads to solo multiple tracks). The bottommost or mode. pads of un-soloed tracks are lit dimly blue. Press and release of the Track Select button latches the Press and release of the Solo button latches the mode. page, letting you spend more time perusing your tracks. In Pressing Solo again exits the mode, returning to Session. latch, pressing Track Select again brings you to Session Mode. While on the Solo page, the Session Mode is available on the top seven rows of pads, allowing for further clip Note that on the Track Select page the Session Mode is launching/stopping/recording, and so on. also available on the top seven rows of pads, allowing for further clip launching/stopping/recording, and so on. Hitting a Session Mode pad will also select the corresponding track. Volume Mute The volume page turns each 8-pad column into a volume ‘fader’: volume levels for up to 8 tracks at a time are Mute allows you to quickly ‘kill’ all sound from one or represented as green pads. Simply hit an empty pad to more tracks. move Live’s Track Volume slider. Press and hold the Mute button to momentarily display the Press and hold the Volume button to momentarily display Mute page—upon release you will return to the previous the Volume page, where track volumes can be quickly MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER page or mode. Touching the bottommost pad on a track adjusted. Upon release you will return to the previous mode POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN toggles its ‘Track Activators’ on/off (effectively muting or un- or page. muting it). The bottommost pad of muted tracks will show as dim yellow. Press and release of Volume latches the page. Pressing Volume again brings you to Session Mode. Press and release of the Mute button latches the page. Pressing Mute again brings you to Session Mode. The Volume page takes advantage of the Pro’s velocity- sensitive pads: the softer you hit a pad the slower volume Note that on the Mute page the Session Mode is also will change. Conversely, the more force applied to a pad the available on the top seven rows of pads, allowing for further faster volume with increase or decrease. clip launching/stopping/recording, and so on. Please note that Session Mode capabilities, such as scene and clip launching, are not available on the Volume page. 5 Pan It’s worth mentioning that although the full version of Ableton Live allows for twelve Sends, only the first eight sends are accessible on the Launchpad Pro. Also note that Session Mode capabilities, such as scene and clip launching, are not available on the Sends page. Production Tip: The most common effects to put on Return Tracks are reverbs and delays. Luckily, Ableton The Pan button lets you move a track’s audio signal around comes with a great reverb, and various delays. Make sure the stereo field. they are set to 100% wet and send away. Press and hold Pan to momentarily display the Pan page— Stop Clip upon release you will return to the previous page or mode. In Pan, tracks can be panned left to right in varying degrees. Pan values for the 8 tracks are shown in orange. With the middle two pads lit the track will be centred; touch unlit pads to move the pan knob left or right. MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER Press and release of the Pan button latches the mode. The last mixer button is Stop Clip. Press and hold this Pressing Pan again brings you to Session Mode button to momentarily display the Stop Clip page, where you can stop clips on a per track basis, or stop all clips at Like with Volume, Pan view takes advantage of the Pro’s once. Upon release you will return to the previous page velocity-sensitive pads: the softer you hit a pad the slower a or mode. The bottommost pads of tracks with playing clips track’s pan value moves. Conversely, the more force applied are lit red, but dim when pressed, stopping the clip on that to a pad the faster panning will occur. track. Hitting the top seven Scene Launch buttons will stop all playing clips in those scenes, while hitting the bottommost Please note that Session Mode capabilities, such as scene Scene Launch button will stop all clips in your Set. and clip launching, are not available on the Pan page. MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER Press and release of the Stop Clip button latches the page. Sends Pressing Stop Clip again brings you to Session Mode. Note that on the Stop Clip page the Session Mode is also available in the top seven rows of pads, including clip launching/stopping/recording, and so on. Function Buttons The Sends page lets you send audio from your tracks to as many as eight return tracks. This page turns each 8-pad The far left column contains circular-buttons column into a virtual effect-send knob: simply hit an unlit pad called the Function Buttons, which greatly to move a track’s send knob up or down. The send knob you assist clip creation and editing. are controlling is selected with the scene launch buttons: the topmost button selects Send A, the second one down Activation of the Delete, Quantise, Duplicate selects Send B, and so on. and Double functions depends on your location on the Launchpad Pro: Press and hold the Sends button to momentarily display the Sends page—upon release you will return to the previous MIDI OUT MIDI IN • In Session Mode, you must hold down one POWER page or mode. Press and release of the Send button latches of these buttons then touch the pad you want the page. Pressing Send again brings you to Session Mode. to affect. For example, while holding Delete, hit the pad whose clip you want to erase. Like with Volume and Pan, the Sends page uses the Pro’s velocity-sensitive pads: the softer you hit a pad the slower a • With a clip selected and playing in Note track’s send value will change. Conversely, the more force or Device Modes simply hit Delete, Quantise, applied to a pad the faster the send value changes. Duplicate or Double to perform their respective actions. 6 POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN Shift Undo The top Function Button is Shift. When The Undo button does exactly what pressed and held this button gives you one would expect. Press it once to access to secondary functions, much like go backward one step (undoing one Shift on a computer keyboard. Below are action of your Undo history), twice descriptions of these functions: to go back two steps (undoing two actions), and so forth. • Clip Selection and Viewing: While in Session Mode, press and hold shift, then As mentioned before, hitting Undo touch a pad to see a clip’s audio or MIDI content in Live’s while holding Shift will perform a ‘Clip View’ (bottom of the screen). This will not arm the standard ‘Redo’ action. track, or trigger the clip in anyway. Rather, this is a great way to see a clip’s audio or MIDI before deciding what to do with it. You might, for example, decide to edit the clip with some of the other Function buttons described below. Delete • Drum Rack Pad Selection: While viewing a Drum Rack The Delete button allows you to clear clips and Drum Rack in Note Mode press and hold shift. Then touch a pad notes in various ways. corresponding to a Drum Rack Pad. This will reveal the pad’s instruments or effects in Live’s ‘Device View’ (bottom • In Session Mode, press and hold of the screen). In live performance, this is a fast way to Delete, and then touch a pad to delete select a sound and then start mangling it in Device Mode. its clip. • Redo: hold shift and hit the Undo button to perform a • Viewing a Drum Rack in Note standard ‘Redo’. Mode, press and hold Delete then touch a Drum Rack pad to delete all • Quantise: holding shift and hitting the Quantise button occurrences of that note in the clip. toggles Record quantise on/off. (See below for more This only works with Drum Racks and information on the Quantise button). will not work in chromatic Note Mode (i.e., with other MIDI instruments). Click • With a clip selected and playing Perhaps the simplest button on the in Note or Device Mode, one press of Launchpad Pro, Click turns Live’s Delete will erase the clip. Metronome on/off when pressed and released. When engaged, Click lights Quantise up green. In all Live modes or pages (except User) you can press Click to The Quantise button lets you correct the timing of your reference the global pulse. performances while recording or afterward. Tip: Use this blue knob on screen to Press and hold Shift to see the state adjust to adjust the Metronome volume of record quantisation: if active, the if it is too loud or too soft. Quantise button will be lit bright MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER white; if inactive it will be dim white. Continue to hold shift and hit Quantise MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER to toggle record quantise on/off. When off, the fi rst press of this button sets record quantisation to Sixteenth Notes. To change the quantise value go to Live’s Edit menu and scroll to ‘Record Quantization’. Choose a different quantise value here. 7 MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER Note that Double works for MIDI clips only. Musical Tip: If your loops are feeling too repetitive try using Double to lengthen them, and then add variation. Record You can always quantise clips after recording as well. With the Session Mode visible, press and hold Quantise, then hit Using the Record button is the most straightforward way a pad to snap its MIDI or audio to the selected quantisation to create new clips, or overdub into exiting ones. It can be value. This can be done regardless of whether the clip is used in a variety of ways: playing. • On an armed but empty track, If a clip is selected and playing in either Note or Device hitting Record begins the recording of a Mode, one press of Quantise will quantise its audio or MIDI. new clip into the selected slot. Duplicate • On an armed track with clips, the Shift button can be used to select The Duplicate button allows you to copy a clip into the clip an empty clip slot, at which point the slot directly below. Be aware if there is already a clip in the Record button can be pressed to begin slot below, the duplicated clip will recording there. erase the existing clip. . • On an armed track with at least one clip, pressing Record will begin • In Session Mode press and overdubbing into the last played or hold Duplicate, then touch a pad to selected clip if no other slot is chosen. Duplicate its clip. • With playing clips on armed tracks, Record can be used • If Live’s Transport is running, after to punch in and out of overdub record. Note that for audio duplication the new clip will launch. clips, only automation can be overdubbed. • If a clip is selected and playing • If no tracks are armed, pressing Record can be used in either Note or Device Mode, one as a quick way to start Live’s transport without recording press of this button will duplicate the anything. clip. MIDI OUT MIDI IN Note PMOWEoRde Duplicate can also be used to duplicate a whole scene. Press and hold the Duplicate button in Session Mode, then hit a scene launch button. Instead of overwriting existing clips, this will copy and insert the scene, causing any other clips or scenes to slide down the page. Double Pressing this Function button doubles clip length. For Note Mode lets you play the Launchpad Pro like an example, a 2-bar clip becomes 4 bars; an 8-bar clip instrument in order to create your own percussive and becomes 16 bars, and so on. melodic ideas. In other words, the Note page is where you can record, overdub and edit MIDI clips with MIDI • With a clip selected in Session instruments or Live’s Drum Racks. Before looking at the Mode, press and hold Double, then touch differences in how Note Mode handles Drum Racks vs its pad to double the clip length. other MIDI instruments it is worth explaining some general functionality. POWER • If a clip is selected and playing in MIDI OUT MIDI IN either Note or Device Mode, one press of this button will double clip length. 8 MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER MIDI OUT MIDI IN POWER General Functionality Finally, here are a couple general rules to be aware of: With a MIDI device (Drum Rack or other) on a record-armed • Pressing the Note button enters Note Mode for the track pressing the Note button enters Note Mode. How LED record-armed track, potentially overriding the current track feedback appears on this page depends on whether the selection. In other words, whatever track is armed becomes track contains a Drum Rack, or any other MIDI instrument. auto-selected for Note Mode. These ‘other MIDI instruments’ can be Ableton’s (e.g., Operator), VST or Audio Unit plug-ins. If an audio track is • If multiple tracks are armed, the last track to be armed is selected, entering Note Mode displays nothing and has no used on the Note page. functionality. • If no track is record armed, selecting a track and pressing Note will show its Note page. MIDI data, however, will not be sent until the track is armed. MIDI Instruments Live’s Clip View (left) and Device View (right). With any MIDI instrument on a track other than a Drum Press and release the Note button to latch Note Mode. Rack (e.g. Ableton Operator or Novation V Station plugin) Further hits of the Note button toggle the Clip View and pressing the Note Mode button will display the Note page, Device View on your screen. This allows you to see your aka ‘note grid’. Here, the pad grid serves as a chromatic MIDI notes in one view (Clip View), and your instruments MIDI controller perfect for melody, chord or bassline and effects in another (Device View). You might use Clip creation. The pads rise from left to right in semitone (aka View to see existing MIDI notes as you overdub others— half step) intervals (e.g., C, C#, D, etc), and from bottom to or you might want to see the notes move when you hit top in perfect fourth intervals (e.g., C, F, Bb, etc). Quantise. Likewise, Device View can be handy to watch as you make device adjustments, especially when recording The note grid displays both lit and unlit pads: the lit pads those adjustments as automation. outline the white notes on a piano keyboard (i.e. a C major scale), while the unlit pads fi ll in the non-diatonic, chromatic Note Mode can also be accessed momentarily from other notes. The tonic notes of the scale you choose (see below) pages by pressing and holding the Note button. Upon are pink, and the other diatonic notes are blue. Pads turn release you will return to the previous page or mode. green, however, when played manually or during playback. Notice how the Delete, Quantise, Duplicate and Double By default, functions are easily used in Note Mode: simply press and the pad in the release these buttons to affect the currently playing clip on lower-left corner the last armed track. Remember, you can always hit Undo if of the 8x8 note you make a mistake. grid plays the note C1—the Another attractive feature of Note Mode is that the scene blue and pink launch buttons have no default functionality. This means that pads therefore they are freely assignable via MIDI mapping. Furthermore, outline a C whatever MIDI mappings you create are unique to Note major scale. You Mode and independent of all other modes. can transpose this layout up or down in semitones by hitting the Left or Right arrow buttons across one octave in each direction. Press the Up or Down arrows to shift the scale by octaves. You can go as low as C-2 and as high as G8, beyond which the pads will be lit red and will not send Custom MIDI Mapping: Create your own MIDI mappings MIDI data. for the scene launch buttons by fi rst clicking the MIDI Map Mode Switch in Live. Next, hit a parameter, such as a device As you push the Left or Right arrow buttons purple pads on/off switch. Then hit a scene launch button. Finally, click scroll in semitone steps, refl ecting how far you are from C. the MIDI Map Mode Switch again to exit. For example, if the purple pad is three-pads away from the 9