Novation Launchkey 88 MK4 USB/MIDI keyboard

General

It’s no coincidence that several Launchkeys feature in our top 10 MIDI keyboards. It’s a range that understands what producers and keyboardists need, and with the Launchkey 88 MK4, that formula is finally complemented by a full 88-key keybed, without compromising on any of the features that made the smaller models so popular in the first place. The already popular Launchkeys are getting a big brother! You get a lovely 88-key keyboard, though not heavy piano keys but semi-weighted waterfall keys.

Waterfall keys on the Launchkey 88 MK4

It’s quite something, we can assure you all. Those hammer-action keys that you usually get with an 88-key keyboard work very well for pianos. But then again… for synth pads and many other instruments, that’s likely to be less practical. For those, you really want a keyboard with more of a synth-action feel. But it needs to be full-range, not least because, with your DAW and some sample libraries, it’s much easier to make use of key switches that are often located at the very edges of a keyboard. And just think about it: how many of these large keyboards, which don’t have hammer-action keys, can you name these days? There won’t be many. This Launchkey 88 MK4 is one of them!

Features and extras

Fortunately, this exceptional product is also packed with just about everything you’d expect from a MIDI keyboard. Faders, pads, encoders, transport buttons. So this makes for a great central keyboard for your studio, and DAW integration is already built in. And of course, it’s something everyone simply expects: software is included. Two DAW packages, Komplete Select (choice of three versions), tutorials, and a brilliant bundle of plug-ins in the form of Novation Play.