Launchpad X’s settings and setup menu allows you to set your preferences across many of its aspects. There are four pages available: LED, velocity, aftertouch, and fader.
To enter the settings menu, press, and hold Session briefly. The top 4 rows will display the characters LED, indicating the topic of the menu. Use the top four Scene Launch buttons to access different pages.
The first Scene Launch button accesses the LED settings for Launchpad X. Here you can change LED brightness, LED feedback, and enter LED sleep.
The LED brightness level slider has 8 levels, from minimum to maximum brightness. The brightly lit white pad indicates which level is currently selected.
LED feedback (internal) toggles whether pads on the 8×8 grid light up when pressed in Custom Modes. Bright green indicates that LED feedback (internal) is enabled, whereas dim red indicates that it is disabled. The setting is enabled by default. LED feedback (external) toggles whether pads on the 8×8 grid light up when MIDI is received externally in Custom Modes and Programmer Mode. Bright green indicates that LED feedback (external) is enabled, whereas dim red indicates that it is disabled. The setting is enabled by default.
MIDI Destination toggles MIDI data sent to both USB MIDI ports (brightly lit) or only the second USB MIDI port (dim). This setting is ignored in Session mode where no Note or Custom data is sent to the first USB MIDI port.
LED sleep may be pressed to turn off all LEDs on Launchpad X. Press any button or pad to wake up the device. This is useful for when you are not using Launchpad X, but you do not want to unplug it.
The second Scene Launch button accesses the velocity (VEL) settings for Launchpad X. Here you can turn velocity sensitivity on or off, and choose between three velocity curves.
Press the Enable/Disable Velocity toggle to enable or disable velocity globally on Launchpad X. The pad will be lit bright green when velocity is enabled, and dim red when disabled.
You can choose from three Velocity Curves. Low requires a higher force to trigger high-velocity values, and high requires a lower force for high values. The selected curve is lit bright orange, while the others are lit dim white.
You can set the Trigger Threshold for the pads. There are four settings ranging from low to high. The lower settings need less pressure to trigger a pad, the higher the setting, the more pressure you need to apply to trigger a pad.
The third Scene Launch button accesses the aftertouch (AFT) settings for Launchpad X. Here you can select between channel pressure, polyphonic aftertouch, or disabling aftertouch, with a choice of three thresholds for triggering aftertouch.
Choose between Aftertouch disabled, Channel Pressure, and Polyphonic Aftertouch. The selected mode will be brightly lit, the others dimly lit.
Three Aftertouch Thresholds may be selected. Low requires a lower force to engage aftertouch, and high requires greater force. The selected threshold is lit bright purple, while the others are lit dim white.
The fourth Scene Launch button accesses the fader (FAD) settings for Launchpad X. Here, you may enable or disable velocity sensitivity for faders independently of global velocity sensitivity.
Enable or Disable Velocity for Faders by pressing the pad. The pad will be lit bright green when fader velocity is enabled, and dim red when it is disabled.
There are three modes you can use your Launchpad X in, Legacy, Live, and Programmer Mode.
In Legacy mode, your Launchpad X loses access to Session, Note and Custom Modes, and the entire surface (pads and buttons) becomes unlit. You can light pads using MIDI messages.
Live mode is the default mode. In Live mode, your Launchpad X functions as 'normal', and you can access the normal modes. For more information, see the Programmer Reference Guide, which can be downloaded at: downloads.novationmusic.com.
In Programmer mode, your Launchpad X loses access to Session, Note and Custom Modes, and the entire surface (pads and buttons) becomes unlit. Each pad and button will send out a specified MIDI message when pressed.
You can light the pads and buttons by sending their corresponding MIDI messages to Launchpad X. For more information, see the Programmer Reference Guide, which can be downloaded at: downloads.novationmusic.com.
To switch between the Legacy, Live, and Programmer Modes, enter the settings menu (press and hold Session briefly). Press the Purple Scene Launch button to enter Legacy Mode, the green Scene Launch button to enter Live Mode, or the orange Scene Launch button to enter Programmer Mode.
Launchpad X always powers on in Live Mode.
In Legacy mode:
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The 8×8 grid and buttons match the User Mode layout from previous generations of Launchpad.
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The 8×8 grid in Drum Rack Layout sends Note Numbers 36-99, and you can light them by sending the same Note Numbers to Launchpad.
The MIDI note velocity determines the colour.
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Top row of buttons send CCs 91-98 (left to right) on press, and you can light them by sending the same CC messages to Launchpad. Alternatively, the top row may be lit with Note Numbers 28-35 (left to right). Velocity or CC value determines colour.
You can light the Novation logo using CC 99 or Note Number 27.
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The right column of buttons sends Note Numbers 100 to 107 (top to bottom) on press, and you can light them by sending the same Note Numbers to Launchpad. Velocity determines the colour of the button.
The MIDI note velocity determines the colour.
Launchpad X’s bootloader menu allows you to change LED brightness, LED feedback, mass storage device availability, and device ID.
To enter the bootloader menu, hold Capture MIDI when plugging in Launchpad X.
The LED brightness level slider has 8 levels, from minimum to maximum brightness. The brightly lit white pad indicates which level is currently selected.
Bootloader Version will inform which version of the Bootloader is on Launchpad X.
Application Version will inform which version of the Application is on Launchpad X. Pressing the Boot-up button will start Launchpad X normally, exiting the bootloader menu.
MSD Mode toggles the mass storage device behaviour of Launchpad X on or off. MSD Mode is enabled by default. This is why Launchpad X appears as a mass storage device when plugged into your computer. Inside the Launchpad X folder is a link to our Easy Start Tool, which will help to get you set up with your Launchpad X (see Getting up and Running). Once you’re set up with Launchpad X you may no longer want it to appear as a mass storage device. Use this toggle to disable the behaviour completely. When the pad is brightly lit MSD mode is enabled, and it is dimly lit when disabled.
Device ID allows you to use multiple Launchpad X units with Ableton Live at once. When a different ID is selected on each Launchpad X, they will each have their own Session Ring (grid outline) and thus can navigate the Live session independently.