I've just received my Launchpad, what do I need to install and where is the User Guide?

There is no specific User Guide for the Launchpad, as all of the required information can be found elsewhere:

- The Getting Started Guide and necessary drivers for the Launchpad can be found on the Novation website, here. This talks you through installation, and setting up the Launchpad as a control surface in Ableton Live.

- For more information on using the Launchpad with Live, please refer to Live's help. This will link you to the Ableton Reference Manual, which contains a whole chapter dedicated to the Launchpad.

- To learn how to use the Launchpad with Automap, please refer to the Automap User Guide.

- For MIDI programmers looking for more information on the Launchpad's MIDI communication format, the Launchpad Programmers Reference Guide can be found here.

As well as these documents, there are multiple tutorials and articles on this Answerbase, as well as videos on the NovationTV YouTube Channel.

Does my Launchpad work with Ableton Live 7?

Ableton have relelased an update for Live 7 (7.0.18) which is compatible with the Lauchpad. This is available to download from Ableton's website at the following link:

http://www.ableton.com/latest_versions/

My Launchpad won't show up as a control surface in Live..

In the MIDI preferences of Live 7.0.18 and above, and Live 8.0.6 and above , the Launchpad should be listed as a control surface whether or not it is connected to your computer. If you cannot see this listing it is probably because you are running an earlier version of Live than the versions listed above. To get the latest update for your version of Live, please visit Ableton's website.

Why is my Launchpad glitching or freezing in Ableton?

This could be due to you having installed older drivers for the Launchpad. Please ensure you have downloaded the latest drivers from our website:

http://www.novationmusic.com/support/launchpad/

Also it is probably worth checking you have the latest version of Ableton Live installed:
http://www.ableton.com/latest_versions

Please also check that you are directly inputting the Launchpad into your USB port and not a hub. If you have multiple controllers, please remove these and see if the problem persists. If you have to use a hub, please ensure it is powered.

The arrow buttons on my Launchpad aren't working..

All of the buttons, including the arrows and mode buttons on the Launchpad are assignable. When assigned in Live's midi learn mode, this disables their original function on the Launchpad. If you find that any of the buttons stop working, you need to go into midi learn mode within Live to check that they have not been assigned to any of Live's parameters.

The image below shows the CC numbers belonging to the top row of "arrow" and "mode" buttons on the Launchpad and how they will appear if they have been assigned to anything in Live. The arrows send out CC 104 - CC 107 and the mode buttons (session, user 1/2, mixer) send out CC 108 - CC 111.

Before assigning any of the buttons, make sure that you are already in the Launchpad mode you wish to be in before going into Live's midi learn mode.





Why are the LEDs flashing in MIXER/SESSION modes and how can I stop this?

All communication with Launchpad is conducted using MIDI note-on, note-off, and controller change messages. Therefore if any MIDI data is being sent to the Launchpad, the pads on the unit which correspond to the MIDI data being sent will cause the LEDs to flash.

The way to prevent this from happening is to ensure that none of your MIDI channels are sending MIDI information to the Launchpad. The images below show a comparison between two MIDI tracks in Live in which one is set up to send MIDI to the Launchpad, and the other is set up so that MIDI data is NOT sent to the Launchpad. The annotated track shows the settings needed in order to prevent the aforementioned problem from occurring.



If you deliberately want to send MIDI data to the Launchpad for LED feedback, and need to know how to control this problem in more depth, please click here for further reference.

Why can't I switch between modes on the Launchpad when Ableton MIDI learn is on?

Manual mappings always overrule mappings initiated by a control surface. It is not possible to switch modes (SESSION, USER 1, USER 2 & MIXER) on the Launchpad with MIDI learn engaged in Live so make sure you set the required Launchpad mode first then hit 'MIDI Learn' in Live.
How do I control sliders and cross faders in Live with buttons on the Launchpad?

Step 1: Choose the slider you want to control




Step 2: Select USER 2 mode on Launchpad




Step 3: Select MIDI learn mode in Ableton




Step 4: Click the parameter you want to control with your mouse (i.e. crossfader)




Step 5: Push the first and last buttons of the range you want to assign the parameter to on your Lanchpad




Step 6: Now those buttons are controlling the cross fader in 9 steps (i.e. 9 buttons)



Why are all my triggered samples in Launchpad User Mode at full velocity?

If you do not want your Launchpad buttons triggering your software instruments (e.g. Drum Rack) at maximum velocity (127), Ableton includes a handy plug-in called 'Velocity' which is ideal for limiting the velocity to your ideal specification.

Select the MIDI track you want to limit in Live, then go to MIDI Effects > Velocity in the 'Live Devices' section on the left of the screen.



In the plug-in section, simply adjust the 'Out Hi' setting to whatever you would like to maximum input velocity for that track to be.



TIP : You can raise the 'Random' parameter in the velocity plug-in to give your playing more of an organic feel.

I've got the Live Launchpad edition software and I can't import MP3 files..

There is a bug in the version of Live Launchpad edition that comes on the installer CD for the Launchpad whereby MP3s do not appear in the library browser and therefore cannot be imported.

This issue is resolved in the latest version of Live Launchpad edition that can be downloaded here:

Ableton Live update

I am using StepSeq with my Launchpad and I can not see accurate LED feedback from what I am controlling in Live

Please ensure you have correctly installed Max 4 Live and Quicktime correctly.

There are certain objects in Max 4 Live that depend on Quicktime being installed and the StepSeq uses some of these therefore resulting in conflict.

Please see more information on setup and operation of StepSeq here: