The Launch Control XL 3 can control a range of DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) using the encoders, faders, and buttons.
The encoders have two DAW modes, DAW Control and DAW Mixer, accessible using Mode + the DAW buttons in the bottom left. In FL Studio, these modes also change the function of the buttons.
When you connect your Launch Control XL 3 to your DAW, the encoders default to DAW Mixer mode.
The following sections explain the Launch Control XL 3's Ableton Live integration.
When you connect your Launch Control XL 3 to Ableton Live it is automatically set up as a Control Surface.
Important
Ableton only supports the Launch Control XL 3 in Live 12 and above. Whilst you can use it as a generic MIDI controller, the functions described in this section won't work with older versions of Ableton Live.
If Ableton doesn't automatically detect your Launch Control XL 3 you need to set it up in the Link, Tempo & MIDI tab of Live's Settings menu.
-
Go to:
-
Windows: Options > Settings > Link, Tempo & MIDI
-
Mac: Live > Settings > Link, Tempo & MIDI
-
-
Set to Launch Control XL 3.
-
Set the Input and Output dropdowns to LCXL3 In and LCXL3 Out.
Make sure you select the DAW Out and DAW In on macOS and Port 2 (MIDIIN2 and MIDIOUT2) on Windows.
-
Close the Settings window.
When correctly set up, your Settings should look like this:
|
Windows |
macOS |
Press the Track buttons to move to the next/previous track.
Track buttons light to show you when you're able to move track. For example, if you're on Track 1, the < Track button wouldn't light as you can only move to the next track.
You can jump in banks of eight: hold Shift and press the Track buttons to move the selection up or down eight tracks. You can also use this to get to return tracks.
Shift lets you preview controls. Hold Shift and move a control; the screen shows you the value without changing it. You can also double-press the Shift button to latch it.
Tip
You can preview controls in any mode on the Launch Control XL 3.
The Launch Control XL 3 has two DAW encoder modes.
To change modes, press Mode and press DAW Mixer (Mute/Select) or DAW Control (Solo/Arm) in the bottom left corner. Press Mode again to exit mode selection.
These modes change what the encoders map to. The faders and buttons always control the same elements.
In DAW Mixer mode, each encoder row controls a different set of mixer settings:
-
Send A/1 levels for the current track bank.
-
Send B/2 levels for the current track bank.
-
Pan value for the current track bank.
Tip
To change modes, press Mode and press DAW Mixer (Mute/Select) or DAW Control (Solo/Arm) in the bottom left corner. Press Mode again to exit mode selection.
In DAW Mixer mode, the top two encoder rows control the Send levels for the current track bank.
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|
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The encoders' LEDs light to match the colour of the sends in Live.
The Page buttons navigate through the different Sends.
As you change Sends, the screen shows the Sends' names.
In DAW Mixer mode, the encoders can control Pan for the current track bank.
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When you move a Pan encoder, the screen shows you the track name and Pan position, L for Left, C for Centre and R for right.
The encoder LED changes colour to show the Pan position:
-
Blue for left.
-
Dim white for centre.
-
Yellow for right.
In DAW Control mode, each encoder row controls a different set of settings:
-
Device controls 1-8 – for the currently selected device.
-
Device controls 9-16 – for the currently selected device.
-
Transport controls.
Tip
To change modes, press Mode and press the DAW Mixer (Solo/Arm) or DAW Control (Mute/Select) buttons in the bottom left corner of your Launch Control XL 3. Press the Mode button again to exit mode selection.
What are Ableton Live Devices?
Every track in Live can host several devices. Devices come in three different sorts: MIDI effects, audio effects, and instruments
For more information see Ableton's Live user guide here.
Tip
Every track in Live can host several devices. Devices come in three different sorts: MIDI effects, audio effects, and instruments
-
MIDI effects affect MIDI signals on MIDI tracks.
-
Audio effects affect audio signals.
-
Instruments, found in MIDI tracks, receive MIDI and output audio.
For more information see Ableton's Live user guide here.
When your Launch Control XL 3 is in DAW Control mode, the top two encoder rows map up to 16 controls in the currently selected device.
In this example, Launch Control XL 3 controls the device highlighted.
If your Device has more than 16 controls, you can move through them using the Page buttons.
In DAW Control mode, the third encoder row controls your DAW's Transport.
Transport mode brings controls of your DAW's arrangement view onto your encoders, giving you hands-on control of your project's navigation.
The encoder LEDs light to show which encoders are available and related.
|
Encoder |
Function |
Screen name |
Encoder LED Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Arrangement view playback position |
Playback Position |
White |
|
2 |
Zoom horizontal (to playback position) Track (Session view) |
Zoom Horizontal |
White |
|
3 |
Zoom vertical (Track Height) Scene (Session view) |
Zoom Vertical |
Turquoise |
|
4 |
Loop Start point |
Cycle Start |
Yellow |
|
5 |
Loop End Point |
Cycle End |
Yellow |
|
6 |
Loop active |
Cycle Active |
Yellow |
|
7 |
Marker Selection |
Marker Select |
White |
|
8 |
Tempo |
BPM |
Orange |
Encoder 1 controls Scrub, or Playback Position. The encoder moves the playhead left and right through your arrangement in beats.
The screen shows the current playhead position.
There are two encoders assigned to zoom in Live: Zoom Horizontal and Zoom Vertical.
In Arrangement view, Zoom Horizontal keeps the track heights the same but zooms in and out keeping the playback position central to the zoom.
In Session view, the Zoom Horizontal encoder moves between tracks.
Encoders 4 and 5 control the Loop Start and Loop End points in your DAW.
When you change the Loop points, the screen temporarily shows the Loop point you've changed, and its position in Bars and Beats.
The Marker select encoder moves your DAW's playhead between markers you've set up in your DAW.
Moving the encoder clockwise or anti-clockwise moves your playhead to the next or previous marker.
When you move markers, the screen temporarily shows the name of the marker you've moved to.
If you've not set up any markers in your project yet, the Marker Select encoder doesn't do anything and when you move it the screen shows 'No Markers':
The way you add markers varies by DAW. To find out how to add markers in your DAW, read the user guide for your specific DAW.
The faders only have one function; to control the volume level of the current track bank.
In both DAW modes, the Launch Control XL 3 faders control the Track Volume of the current track bank.
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When you move a fader, the screen shows the track name and level in dB.
Each button row has two settings you can individually control.
-
The top row controls Solo or Arm.
-
The bottom row controls Mute or Select.
To change the function, press the far-left button on the button row.
You can change the top button row between Solo and Record Arm.
In Solo mode, the buttons toggle the solo state of tracks.
|
Track 2 is soloed. |
In Live, track 2 is soloed. |
In Solo mode, the buttons light blue; bright blue when the track is soloed and dim blue when they aren't.
Tip
If your project is set to Cue mode, instead of Solo, the Solo function activates Cue. This allows you to preview tracks from a separate Cue output.
Learn more in Ableton Live's user manual here Soloing and Cueing.
You can change the bottom button row between Mute and track Select.
Mute mode changes the function of the bottom row so they show the mute status of each track. Pressing a button mutes, or unmutes, a track.
|
Tracks 4, 7, and 8 are muted (buttons 12, 15, and 16 are dim). |
Tracks 4, 7, and 8 muted in Live. |
In Mute mode, the buttons light orange; bright orange when the track is active and dim yellow for muted tracks.
In Select mode, the buttons select tracks in your DAW for playback and deeper device control.
|
The Select button lights match the Track colours in Live. |
The track colours in Live. |
In Select Mode, the buttons light up as the tracks' colours.
The selected track lights full brightness, the other tracks are dim.
When you select a track, the screen shows the track's name.
Play controls Live's play function:
-
If playback is stopped, play starts playback from the beginning of the session or the start marker.
-
If playback is playing, play stops playback.
-
Holding Shift and Play continues Play from the stop point.
Record toggles arrangement record on and off. When record is active in Live, the button is fully lit.
Recording active
Tip
By default, pressing record in Live starts the transport and recording.
You can change this, so pressing the record button arms recording, but won't start until you press play.
To do this, right click Ableton Live's record button and choose disabled .
The following sections explain the integration the Launch Control XL 3 has in Logic Pro.
When you connect your Launch Control XL 3 to Logic Pro, and you have the script installed, it is automatically set up as a Control Surface.
If Logic Pro doesn't automatically detect your Launch Control XL 3, you need to set it up in Control Surface Setup.
-
Download the Launch Control XL 3 script for Logic Pro from the downloads page here:
Install the script from your computer's downloads folder.
-
Open Logic Pro, the Launch Control XL 3 should be automatically setup.
If not, go to:
-
Logic Pro (in the top menu bar).
-
Control Surfaces.
-
Setup…
-
-
Click Launch Control XL 3 in the right-hand side of the window.
-
Set the Input and Output dropdowns to LCXL3 In and LCXL3 Out.
-
Close the Control Surface Setup window.
When set up, your MIDI Settings page should look like this:
Press the Track buttons to move to the next/previous track in Logic Pro.
When you move tracks, your Launch Control XL 3 's screen temporarily shows the new track's name.
Track buttons light to show you when you're able to move track. For example, if you're on Track 1, the < Track button wouldn't light as you can only move to the next track.
Shift lets you preview controls. Hold Shift and move a control; the screen shows you the value without changing it. You can also double-press the Shift button to latch it.
Tip
You can preview controls in any mode on the Launch Control XL 3.
The Launch Control XL 3 has two DAW encoder modes.
To change modes, press Mode and press DAW Mixer (Mute/Select) or DAW Control (Solo/Arm) in the bottom left corner. Press Mode again to exit mode selection.
These modes change what the encoders map to. The faders and buttons always control the same elements.
In DAW Mixer mode, each encoder row controls a different set of mixer settings:
-
Send A/1 levels for the current track bank.
-
Send B/2 levels for the current track bank.
-
Pan value for the current track bank.
In DAW Mixer mode, the top two encoder rows control the Send levels for the current track bank.
|
|
|
The Page buttons navigate through the different Sends.
The encoders LEDs light yellow for the top row and amber for the second row. The colours don't change when you bank through your sends.
As you change Sends, the screen shows the Sends' names.
In DAW Control mode, each encoder row controls a different set of Logic Pro settings:
Encoder row:
-
Smart controls for the currently selected plugin or Logic EQ controls.
-
Smart controls for the currently selected plugin or Logic EQ controls.
-
Transport controls.
The top two encoder rows control Logic Pro's Smart Controls for the current plugin.
If the plugin/instrument has more Smart Controls, you can use the Page buttons to move pages.
As you press the Page buttons, the top two encoder rows change from Logic Pro's Smart Controls to Logic Pro's EQ Controls.
When you move an encoder, your screen shows you the name of the track, the parameter, and the value.
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Tip
You can access Logic Pro's Smart Controls in the top left corner of Logic or using the shortcut 'B' on your Mac's keyboard.
To access the EQ encoder control, use the Page down button until the screen shows EQ.
Mixer EQ mode adds an EQ plugin to the selected track if one isn't already present.
When you're in EQ Mixer mode, the encoders map to the following EQ controls:
|
Encoder |
Parameter |
Screen Name |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Band 2 Frequency |
Low Shelf |
|
2 |
Band 2 Gain |
Low Shelf |
|
3 |
Band 4 Frequency |
Low Mid |
|
4 |
Band 4 Gain |
Low Mid |
|
5 |
Band 6 Frequency |
High Mid |
|
6 |
Band 6 Gain |
High Mid |
|
7 |
Band 7 Frequency |
High Shelf |
|
8 |
Band 7 Gain |
High Shelf |
In DAW Control mode, the third encoder row controls your DAW's Transport.
Transport mode brings controls of your DAW's arrangement view onto your encoders, giving you hands-on control of your project's navigation.
The encoder LEDs light to show which encoders are available and related.
|
Encoder |
Function |
Screen name |
Encoder LED Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Arrangement view playback position |
Scrub |
Light Teal |
|
2 |
Zoom horizontal (to playback position) |
Zoom |
Blue |
|
3 |
Loop Start point |
Cycle Start |
Yellow |
|
4 |
Loop End Point |
Cycle End |
Yellow |
|
5 |
Loop active |
Cycle |
Yellow |
|
6 |
Marker Selection |
Marker Select |
White |
|
7 |
N/A |
||
|
8 |
Tempo |
Tempo |
Green |
Encoder 1 controls Scrub, or Playback Position. The encoder moves the playhead left and right through your arrangement in beats.
The screen shows the current playhead position.
In Transport Encoder mode, Encoder 2 increases and decreases the Zoom level.
Moving the Zoom encoder clockwise Zooms in, anti-clockwise Zooms out.
The screen temporarily shows the last Zoom change:
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|
Encoders 4 and 5 control the Loop Start and Loop End points in your DAW.
When you change the Loop points, the screen temporarily shows the Loop point you've changed, and its position in Bars and Beats.
The Marker select encoder moves your DAW's playhead between markers you've set up in your DAW.
Moving the encoder clockwise or anti-clockwise moves your playhead to the next or previous marker.
When you move markers, the screen temporarily shows the name of the marker you've moved to.
If you've not set up any markers in your project yet, the Marker Select encoder doesn't do anything and when you move it the screen shows 'No Markers':
The way you add markers varies by DAW. To find out how to add markers in your DAW, read the user guide for your specific DAW.
The faders only have one function; to control the volume level of the current track bank.
In both DAW modes, the Launch Control XL 3 faders always control the Fader Volume of the current bank of eight tracks.
|
|
|
When you move a fader, the screen shows the track name and level in dB.
Each button row has two settings you can individually control.
-
The top row controls Solo or Arm.
-
The bottom row controls Mute or Select.
To change the function, press the far-left button on the button row.
You can change the top button row between Solo and Record Arm.
In Solo mode, the buttons toggle the solo state of tracks.
|
Track 2 is soloed. |
Track 2 is soloed in Logic. |
In Solo mode, the buttons light bright yellow when the track is soloed and dim yellow when they aren't.
You can change the bottom button row between Mute and track Select.
Mute mode changes the function of the bottom row so they show the mute status of each track. Pressing a button mutes, or unmutes, a track.
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|
|
Tracks 4, 7, and 8 are muted (buttons 12, 15, and 16 are dim).
In Mute mode, the buttons light bright blue when you mute track and dim blue for active tracks.
In Select mode, the buttons select tracks in your DAW for playback and deeper device control.
The Select button lights match the Track colours in Logic Pro.
In Select Mode, the buttons light up as the tracks' colours.
The selected track lights full brightness, the other tracks are dim.
When you select a track, the screen shows the track's name.
Play controls the play function.
-
If playback is stopped, play starts playback from the playhead position.
-
If playback is playing, play stops playback.
-
Hold Shift and press Play to move the playhead to the Arrangement start or Loop start.
The following sections explain the integration the Launch Control XL 3 has in Cubase.
Cubase is set up so when you connect a Launch Control XL 3 it's automatically detected as a MIDI Remote.
If Cubase doesn't automatically detect the Launch Control XL 3, you need to set it up in the MIDI Remote menu.
-
Download the Launch Control XL 3 script for Cubase from the downloads page here:
Install the script from your computer's downloads folder.
-
Open Cubase and go to:
-
Click Open MIDI Remote Manager
-
Set the Input and Output dropdowns to LCXL3 In and LCXL3 Out.
Make sure you select the DAW Out and DAW In on macOS and Port 2 (MIDIIN2 and MIDIOUT2) on Windows.
When correctly set up, your MIDI Remote Manager page should look like this:
|
Windows |
macOS |
Press the Track buttons to move to the next/previous track in Cubase.
When you move tracks, your Launch Control XL 3 's screen temporarily shows the new track's name.
Track buttons light to show you when you're able to move track. For example, if you're on Track 1, the < Track button wouldn't light as you can only move to the next track.
Shift lets you preview controls. Hold Shift and move a control; the screen shows you the value without changing it. You can also double-press the Shift button to latch it.
Tip
You can preview controls in any mode on the Launch Control XL 3.
The Launch Control XL 3 has two DAW encoder modes.
To change modes, press Mode and press DAW Mixer (Mute/Select) or DAW Control (Solo/Arm) in the bottom left corner. Press Mode again to exit mode selection.
These modes change what the encoders map to. The faders and buttons always control the same elements.
In DAW Mixer mode, each encoder row controls a different set of mixer settings:
-
Send A/1 levels for the current track bank.
-
Send B/2 levels for the current track bank.
-
Pan value for the current track bank.
In DAW Mixer mode, the top two encoder rows control the Send levels for the current track bank.
|
|
|
The Page buttons navigate through the different Sends.
The encoders LEDs light yellow for the top row and amber for the second row. The colours don't change when you bank through your sends.
As you change Sends, the screen shows the Sends' names.
In DAW Control mode, each row of encoder controls a different set of settings relating to Cubase:
Encoder row:
-
Cubase's eight Track Quick Controls for the selected track.
-
Cubase's Channel EQ for the selected track.
-
Transport controls.
When the encoders are in DAW control mode, the top row maps to the eight Cubase Track Quick Controls for the currently selected track.
Cubase Quick Controls are per-track. The encoders map to the selected track's Quick Controls.
Tip
To set up Quick Control assignments for each track in Cubase see the Track Quick Controls section in the Cubase User Guide.
You can see the Quick Controls assignments in the MIDI Remote section of Cubase.
When you move an encoder, the screen shows the Quick Control's name and value.
When the encoders are in DAW control mode the second row maps to the Cubase Channel EQ for the current track.
When your encoders are in Mixer EQ Mode, the encoders map to the following:
|
Encoder |
Parameter |
Screen Name |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Band 1 Frequency |
Lo Freq |
|
2 |
Band 1 Gain |
Lo Gain |
|
3 |
Band 2 Frequency |
LMF Freq |
|
4 |
Band 2 Gain |
LMF Gain |
|
5 |
Band 3 Frequency |
HMF Freq |
|
6 |
Band 3 Gain |
HMF Gain |
|
7 |
Band 4 Frequency |
Hi Freq |
|
8 |
Band 4 Gain |
Hi Gain |
Tip
To open the Cubase channel strip, go to the MixConsole and click the Edit Channel Settings button for the track you want to adjust.
In DAW Control mode, the third encoder row controls your DAW's Transport.
Transport mode brings controls of your DAW's arrangement view onto your encoders, giving you hands-on control of your project's navigation.
The encoder LEDs light to show which encoders are available and related.
|
Encoder |
Function |
Screen name |
Encoder LED Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Arrangement view playback position |
Scrub |
Light Teal |
|
2 |
Zoom in/out |
Zoom |
Blue |
|
3 |
Loop Start point |
Left Locator |
Purple |
|
4 |
Loop End Point |
Right Locator |
Purple |
|
5 |
Loop active |
Cycle Activate |
Purple |
|
6 |
Marker Selection |
Marker Select |
White |
|
7 |
N/A |
||
|
8 |
Tempo |
Tempo |
Green |
Encoder 1 controls Scrub, or Playback Position. The encoder moves the playhead left and right through your arrangement in beats.
The screen shows the current playhead position.
In Transport Encoder mode, Encoder 2 increases and decreases the Zoom level.
Moving the Zoom encoder clockwise Zooms in, anti-clockwise Zooms out.
The screen temporarily shows the last Zoom change:
|
|
|
Encoders 4 and 5 control the Loop Start and Loop End points in your DAW.
When you change the Loop points, the screen temporarily shows the Loop point you've changed, and its position in Bars and Beats.
The Marker select encoder moves your DAW's playhead between markers you've set up in your DAW.
Moving the encoder clockwise or anti-clockwise moves your playhead to the next or previous marker.
When you move markers, the screen temporarily shows the name of the marker you've moved to.
If you've not set up any markers in your project yet, the Marker Select encoder doesn't do anything and when you move it the screen shows 'No Markers':
The way you add markers varies by DAW. To find out how to add markers in your DAW, read the user guide for your specific DAW.
The faders only have one function; to control the volume level of the current track bank.
In both DAW modes, the Launch Control XL 3 faders always control the Volume Faders of the current bank of eight tracks.
|
|
|
When you move a fader, the screen shows the track name and level in dB.
Each button row has two settings you can individually control.
-
The top row controls Solo or Arm.
-
The bottom row controls Mute or Select.
To change the function, press the far-left button on the button row.
You can change the top button row between Solo and Record Arm.
In Solo mode, the buttons toggle the solo state of tracks.
Track 2 is soloed.
In Solo mode, the buttons light bright pink when the track is Soloed and dim pink when they aren't.
In Arm mode, the buttons toggle the record arm state of their respective tracks.
Track 3 above is record armed.
In Arm mode, the buttons light red– dim red if the track isn't armed and bright red if the track is record armed.
When you change the record arm state, the screen shows the track name you changed.
You can change the bottom button row between Mute and track Select.
Mute mode changes the function of the bottom row so they show the mute status of each track. Pressing a button mutes, or unmutes, a track.
Tracks 4, 7, and 8 are muted (buttons 12, 15, and 16 are dim).
In Mute mode, the buttons light bright yellow when you mute a track and dim yellow for active tracks.
Play controls the play function.
-
If playback is stopped, play starts playback from the beginning of the session or the start marker.
-
If playback is playing, play stops playback.
-
Holding Shift and pressing play moves the playhead to the last stop point.
The following sections explain the integration the Launch Control XL 3 has in FL Studio.
FL Studio is set up so when you connect a Launch Control XL 3 it's automatically detected.
If FL Studio doesn't automatically detect your Launch Control XL 3, you need to set it up in MIDI Settings.
-
Install the latest version of FL Studio to make sure you have the latest script installed.
-
Open FL Studio.
-
Go to: Options > MIDI Settings.
-
Set the following using the Port field and the Controller type drop down.
Output
Using the Port field set:
-
LCXL3 1 MIDI to a port, e.g. 23.
-
LCXL3 DAW (macOS) or MIDIOUT2 (LCXL3 1 MIDI) (Windows) to a different port, e.g. 37
Input
Using the Controller Type drop-down set the following and match the port numbers to the Output above:
-
LCXL3 1 MIDI Out to Novation Launch Control XL 3 MIDI and port 23.
-
LCXL3 DAW In (macOS) or MIDIIN2 (LCXL3 1 MIDI) (Windows) Novation Launch Control XL 3 DAW and port 37.
-
When set up, your MIDI Settings page should look like this:
|
Windows |
Mac |
Tip
If you’re working with more than eight tracks in FL Studio, it’s a good idea to enable Pickup (Takeover) mode.
When Pickup (Takeover) is off, switching between track banks can cause levels in the Channel Rack or Mixer to jump as soon as you move a fader because the fader’s physical position no longer matches the software value.
When Pickup is on, FL Studio waits until the fader reaches the current value before making any changes. This helps prevent unwanted jumps and keeps your mix smooth when navigating across multiple banks.
The Track buttons behaviour changes depending on which mode you're using, DAW Control or DAW Mixer.
-
In DAW Control mode, the Track buttons navigate FL Studio's Channel Rack. Holding Shift and pressing the Track buttons selects the next/previous channel.
-
In DAW Mixer mode, the Track buttons navigate FL Studio's Mixer in banks of eight tracks. Holding Shift and pressing the Track buttons selects the next/previous tracks.
Shift lets you preview controls. Hold Shift and move a control; the screen shows you the value without changing it. You can also double-press the Shift button to latch it.
Tip
You can preview controls in any mode on the Launch Control XL 3.
In FL Studio, the two DAW modes on Launch Control XL 3 change the controls between FL Studio's two mixers, the main mixer and the Channel Rack.
-
DAW Control mode controls FL Studio's Channel Rack.
-
DAW Mixer mode controls FL Studio's Mixer
Launch Control XL 3's DAW Control mode assigns the controls to FL Studio's Channel Rack.
-
The encoder rows control:
-
Plugin parameters
-
No controls assigned
-
Channel Rack Pans.
-
-
The faders control Channel Rack volume.
-
button row 1 controls Channel Rack selection.
-
button row 2 controls Channel Rack mutes.
In DAW Control mode, encoder row 1 controls up to eight parameters of the currently selected Channel Rack plugin.
The number of controls varies by plugin, but the LEDs light for encoders with available parameters.
In DAW Control mode, encoder row 3 controls Channel Rack Pan for the current bank.
If less than eight Channels are in the Channel Rack, only encoders with available pan controls light red.
The faders control the Channel Volume of the current track bank.
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|
|
When you move a fader, the screen shows the track name and Volume in dB.
In DAW Control mode, the button rows control:
-
Button row 1 controls the Channel Rack selection. Each button lights the colour of each Channel in the Channel Rack.
-
Button row 2 controls Channel Rack mutes. Each button lights the colour of each Channel, bright when it's active, dim when muted.
Launch Control XL 3's DAW Mixer mode assigns the controls to FL Studio's Mixer.
-
The encoder rows control:
-
Mixer Track Parametric EQ
-
FL Studio's Transport
-
Mixer Pans
-
-
The faders control mixer volume.
-
Button row 1 controls Solo/Arm.
-
Button row 2 controls Mute/Select.
In DAW Mixer mode, the encoders can control FL Studio's Mixer Track Parametric EQ.
The first six encoders light purple, to show the available controls, and map to the following EQ controls:
|
Encoder |
Parameter |
Screen name |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Band 1 Frequency |
Low Shelf |
|
2 |
Band 1 Level |
Low Shelf |
|
3 |
Band 2 Frequency |
Peaking |
|
4 |
Band 2 Level |
Peaking |
|
5 |
Band 3 Frequency |
High Shelf |
|
6 |
Band 3 Level |
High Shelf |
|
7 |
Not used |
Not used |
|
8 |
Not used |
Not used |
In DAW Control mode, the second encoder row controls Transport.
Transport mode brings controls of your DAW's arrangement view onto your encoders, giving you hands-on control of your project's navigation.
The encoder LEDs light to show which encoders are available and related.
|
Encoder |
Function |
Screen name |
Encoder LED Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Arrangement view playback position |
Turquoise |
|
|
2 |
Zoom in/out |
Zoom |
Blue |
|
3 |
|||
|
4 |
|||
|
5 |
Marker Selection |
Marker |
White |
|
6 |
|||
|
7 |
|||
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8 |
Tempo |
Tempo |
Green |
In DAW Mixer mode, the encoders can control Pan for the current track bank.
When you move a Pan encoder, the screen shows you the track name and Pan position, L for Left, C for Centre and R for right.
The faders control the mixer volume level of the current track bank.
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|
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When you move a fader, the screen shows the track name and level in dB.
In DAW Mixer mode, each button row controls the corresponding controls in FL Studio's Mixer.
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Button row 1 controls either Solo or Arm.
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In Solo mode the Solo/Arm button lights white.
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In Arm mode, the whole button row lights red.
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Button row 2 controls either Mute or Select.
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In Mute mode, the Mute/Select button lights white.
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In Select mode, the Mute/Select button lights green.
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The Record button triggers FL Studio's Record button.
What this does, depends on how your Record function is set up in FL Studio. For more information see the FL Studio user guide.
The following sections explain the Launch Control XL 3's Bitwig Studio integration.
When you connect your Launch Control XL 3 to Bitwig Studio, it should be automatically detected as a control surface.
If the Launch Control XL 3 is not automatically detected and set up:
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Make sure the firmware on the Launch Control XL 3 is up-to-date at components.novationmusic.com.
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Install the latest version of Bitwig Studio.
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Make sure the Controllers settings in Bitwig Studio are correct.
To manually set the Launch Control XL 3 as a controller in Bitwig Studio:
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Go to the Controllers Settings page
File (top left) > Settings > Controllers.
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Find Launch Control XL 3 in the list of Controllers.
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Set the MIDI In port to LCXL3 DAW Out on macOS, or MIDI IN 2 on Windows.
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Set the MIDI out port to LCXL3 DAW In on macOS or MIDI OUT 2 on Windows.
The settings should look like this:
Press the Track buttons to move to the next/previous track.
You can jump in banks of eight: hold Shift and press the Track buttons to move the selection up or down eight tracks. You can also use this to get to return tracks.
Shift lets you preview controls. Hold Shift and move a control; the screen shows you the value without changing it. You can also double-press the Shift button to latch it.
Tip
You can preview controls in any mode on the Launch Control XL 3.
The Launch Control XL 3 has two DAW encoder modes.
To change modes, press Mode and press DAW Mixer (Mute/Select) or DAW Control (Solo/Arm) in the bottom left corner. Press Mode again to exit mode selection.
These modes change what the encoders map to. The faders and buttons always control the same elements.
In DAW Mixer mode, each encoder row controls a different set of mixer settings:
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Send A/1 levels for the current track bank.
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Send B/2 levels for the current track bank.
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Pan value for the current track bank.
Tip
To change modes, press Mode and press DAW Mixer (Mute/Select) or DAW Control (Solo/Arm) in the bottom left corner. Press Mode again to exit mode selection.
In DAW Mixer mode, the top two encoder rows control the Send levels for the current track bank.
The Page buttons navigate through the different Sends.
As you change Sends, the screen shows the Sends' names.
In DAW Mixer mode, the encoders can control Pan for the current track bank.
When you move a Pan encoder, the screen shows you the track name and Pan position, L for Left, C for Centre and R for right.
The encoder LED changes colour to show the Pan position:
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Blue for left.
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Dim white for centre.
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Yellow for right.
In DAW Control mode, each encoder row controls a different set of settings:
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Row 1 controls the remote controls of the currently selected remote controls page.
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Row 2 controls the remote controls of the following remote controls page (if there is more than one page).
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Transport controls.
Tip
To change modes, press Mode and press the DAW Mixer (Solo/Arm) or DAW Control (Mute/Select) buttons in the bottom left corner of your Launch Control XL 3. Press the Mode button again to exit mode selection.
When your Launch Control XL 3 is in DAW Control mode, the top two encoder rows map up to 16 controls in the currently selected device.
Sometimes the device might have less than 16 controls, but often Bitwig Studio colour codes the encoder LEDs to match the colours in the device on screen.
If your Track has more than one Device, hold Shift and press a Page button to move to the next Device (Page down) or previous Device (Page up).
In DAW Control mode, the third encoder row controls your DAW's Transport.
Transport mode brings controls of your DAW's arrangement view onto your encoders, giving you hands-on control of your project's navigation.
The encoder LEDs light to show which encoders are available and related.
|
Encoder |
Arranger function |
Mix function |
Encoder LED Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Playback Position |
Playback Position |
Blue |
|
2 |
Zoom Arranger |
Select Track |
White/yellow |
|
3 |
Zoom Tracks |
Select Scene |
White/Blue |
|
4 |
Loop Start |
Loop Start |
Blue |
|
5 |
Loop Duration |
Loop Duration |
Blue |
|
6 |
Loop |
Loop |
Blue |
|
7 |
Marker Select |
Marker Select |
Yellow |
|
8 |
Tempo |
Tempo |
Blue |
In both DAW modes, the Launch Control XL 3 faders always control the Fader Volume of the current bank of eight tracks.
When you move a fader, the screen shows the track name and level in dB.
Each button row has two settings you can individually control.
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The top row controls Solo or Arm.
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The bottom row controls Mute or Select.
To change the function, press the far-left button on the button row.
Play controls the play function.
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If playback is stopped, play starts playback from the start marker.
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If playback is playing, play stops playback.
Pressing the record button arms the record function in Bitwig Studio. To start recording, press the play button.
While transport is playing you can press the record button to start and stop recording on any armed tracks if you want to punch-in for an overdub.
Recording active
You can use your Launch Control XL 3 in a range of other DAWs. The HUI integration allows you to use some main features of the Launch Control XL 3 without dedicated scripts.
Note
The features in HUI mode are different from the common DAW control section.
HUI (Human User Interface) is a MIDI protocol allowing MIDI controllers to communicate with DAWs without custom controller scripts. If there's no dedicated script, your DAW may support HUI.
This lets your controller handle basic functions like:
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Mixer control (volume, pan, mute/solo)
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Transport control (play, stop, record)
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Track selection
You can use your Launch Control XL 3, via HUI, in many DAWs. We've outlined the setup in the following DAWs, but the steps are similar in most DAWs:
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Reaper (partial HUI)
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Studio One
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Pro Tools
HUI integration in most DAWs isn't automatic; you'll need to change some settings to get your Launch Control XL 3 to work.
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Go to Reaper > Settings… > Control/OSC/web
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Click ‘Control/OSC/web’.
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Click 'Add' and select HUI (partial).
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Select Focusrite - Novation - Launch Control XL 3 - DAW Out under ‘MIDI input’:
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Select Focusrite - Novation - Launch Control XL 3 - DAW In under ‘MIDI output’:
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Click 'OK'.
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Click 'OK' to close the window.
DAW Control
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Click 'Studio One' at the top of the screen.
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Click 'Options'.
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Go to 'External Devices'.
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Click 'Add'.
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Select the 'Mackie > HUI' option on the left-hand side menu.
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Set 'Receive From' and 'Send To' to the Launch Control XL 3's DAW ports (second entries):
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MIDIIN2 and MIDIOUT2 on Windows.
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DAW on Mac.
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Click 'OK' at the bottom of the window.
You should now be able to control the mixer.
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Go to Pro Tools > Setup > Peripherals…
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Click the 'MIDI Controllers' tab:
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Under ‘Type’, select HUI:
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Under 'Receive From', select:
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Windows: Predefined > MIDIIN2(Launch Control XL 3 MIDI) [Emulated].
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macOS: Predefined > Launch Control XL 3 DAW Out
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Under 'Send To', select
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Windows: Predefined > MIDIOUT2 (Launch Control XL 3 MIDI) [Emulated].
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macOS: Predefined > Predefined > Launch Control XL 3 DAW In.
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If set up correctly, the settings should match the following, with '# Ch's' set to 8:
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Click 'OK'.
When HUI implementation varies by DAW, but generally you can control the following:
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Navigation– Track < and Track > move between tracks.
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The transport controls map to the corresponding transport functions in your DAW.
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Faders 1-8 control the volume levels for the current track bank.
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The top row of encoders controls Pans and Sends.
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The buttons control Solo/Arm/Mute/Select.