Novation MK2 Launchpad Mini Compact USB Grid Controller for Ableton Live

This was a present for my 18-year-old son. He is a gamer who enjoys music and learns in both kinesthetic and auditory ways. I wasn't sure if he could learn this instrument, but he enjoys EDM and Madeon in particular. He was frustrated with Ableton, the companion music site, on the first day, but by the second day, he had learned half a song and knew several others. There are several videos available to assist beginners, and that is how he began teaching himself the songs by simply watching how they were performed and memorizing the lyrics. When he first set it up, the lights didn't do anything, but now he has lighting schemes for each song. Most gamers have the hand-eye coordination to excel at this instrument and will be satisfied by the sound and visual effects. br>br>This is not something you can just sit down with and start playing without some research and tons of practice, but he has loved every minute on it and I have been surprised at how this has replaced so much of his gaming time. As a parent, it's been a joy to see him discover and pursue a hobby other than gaming. His only gripe was a lack of instructions, but if anyone has the patience, there is an online user manual that runs to around 635 pages. My son simply looked things up on the internet and came up with the answer. I would recommend it to any parent who wants to learn how to compose music on a computer or who wants to learn how to DJ.

Meghan Herring

| May 13, 2021

I had it for at least a week and was able to get it up and running and playing beats on the third day I had it. It appeals to me as an 11-year-old and comes highly recommended. If you have a good musical ear, you should buy it. The software is difficult to use at times and can be frustrating, but in the end, it's a fantastic tool that I would strongly recommend.

Donald Bright

| Dec 22, 2021

br>br> It's Ableton Live 9 LITE, and the upgraded version will set you back quite a bit of money (I believe over $300, but I'll double-check). You can accomplish a lot with lite, but keep in mind that it is not the full version. Also, check Ableton Live 9's minimum system requirements to ensure that your computer is capable of running it. If you're not sure how to check, you can download the program and try it out for 30 days to see how it works on your computer. Advantages: br>br> It's a lot of fun, and it has a good start. launchpads, affordable, and a free Ableton Live 9 Lite code
Cons: Learning curve, limited to four colors, and difficult (if at all) to adjust sensitivity. br>br>Ramble: br>br>Ramble: br>br>Ramble: You will enjoy this product if you put in the time and effort; I've had it for three days and after looking up multiple guides, finding templates, and messing around with the program, I have a good understanding of what you need to do to have fun with it; you should also read the manual or watch YouTube videos on what the numbers and letters do. If you want more colors (RGB spectrum), buy the $150. 00 model of this product, but if you're just getting started, I'd recommend starting with this model to make sure you really want to get into the world of launchpads. I had no issues with the website or product, but I have heard that it has happened to others, so be aware that it could happen to you and that you should try to be patient with Novation when filing a report. br>br>Conclusion: This is a fantastic product; if you're interested in this genre of music, buy it and enjoy it for what it is. Purchase the $150 if you are certain you want to put your time and money into launchpads. 00 one, so you can create insanely cool light shows while listening to music (the interface is also simpler with this model). Extra Information: br>br> Watch YouTube videos 100% (especially over the setup), find an easy to understand template (I don remember what template I used but I will link it soon), and don not give up on% Extra Extra Notes: br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>b Please accept my apologies for repeating myself. br>br>Coming Soon: I'll post a short video about what I can do now/what it can do, as well as a link to a good template and a few useful guides and a picture of it.

Ashlyn Davies

| Feb 07, 2021

It's a lot of fun, but getting up and running may necessitate the assistance of an adult. I learned the ins and outs by watching a few YouTube videos with my son. Every song sounded like a winner once we got the hang of it. Lol.

Mitchell Sharp

| Feb 10, 2021

This thing is AMAZING for Ableton Live, and I'm sure it'll be useful in other situations as well. It's a perfect fit for the Ableton way of working - Scene buttons on the left, just like in the onscreen session view, and useful controls on the other three sides, so you don't have to go head-to-head with your computer. There are two modes when going into Note mode for live performance, an arrangement of four 4x4 pads for finger drumming, or for synthetic sound performing, a melody, and the controller always knows the direction for each one based on the music played. br>br>It's possible that this is my all-time favorite piece of equipment.

Josephine Evans

| Dec 02, 2021

This isn't easy for me to learn because I'm not familiar with Ableton, but I'm having fun with it. Let's get down to business: br>br>The construction quality of this device is excellent. It has a rubber bottom and will not move easily on a desk (I tried moving it while pressing the buttons and didn't move it very much). If you're on a soft surface, such as a blanket, it'll stay put as well. br>br>The buttons are made of rubber (? When you press them, they have a nice firm feel to them. br>br>The software that comes with it is. eh. If you have a midi keyboard or controller with knobs, the plugins are more useful, but they're still useful. The Ableton software is definitely lacking, but for a little more than 100 dollars, I can't complain too much. The Melodics software included with it is the best part. It teaches three different methods for using the launchpad to learn. br>br>Overall, I like the hardware; the included software isn't great if you don't have a midi controller; and the intro gives you a taste of Ableton, but I wish there was more.

Dakari Mendez

| Oct 23, 2021