Novation LaunchKey 49 MK4 WH USB/MIDI keyboard

General

If MIDI keyboards get a bit bigger then you automatically get extra features. After all, the space is there for it, something that is not obvious with the very small models. With this Novation Launchkey 49, the extra space is filled with faders, the traditional setup of eight channel faders and a master fader. For portable applications, it's just a bit too big, but in the studio you can play quite nicely with 49 keys.

New and improved in the Novation Launchkey MK4

Pads are often seen on these kinds of keyboards, and mostly they are a nice addition to, say, Ableton Live, to trigger clips. In any case, the sixteen pads on this Launchkey offer polyphonic aftertouch, so that opens the door to maximum expression. In terms of overview, the housing is fine, but displays are there for a reason, of course. After all, you also want to see a number associated with an encoder. On this keyboard, you get a razor-sharp OLED for that, so it's entirely a contemporary display. Thanks to scales and chords, you can play both melodies and chords within one key, so that's ideal for those with less playing experience. You can also play nicely with the arpeggiator, this is a real concept factory, you always hear something you can work out and which you wouldn't have come up with otherwise. And last but not least: the included software! We already mentioned Ableton, you get Live Lite with it, so you can start producing right away. And in terms of sound, you get decent virtual instruments with it.