This really is an awesome device for controlling Ableton, or for controlling other MIDI devices. The interface makes sense, the chord and scale modes work in a really intuitive and awesome way, and I really liked using the device.

Ultimately, though, I returned it. Why? Because I bought a demo unit, and it reeked of cigarette smoke. As a former smoker, I don't need that temptation in my life. The return was super easy, no questions asked, and my sales guy immediately started helping me find other devices that would meet my needs for a similar price. Total cost for me to return it was $3 for a box from Fedex, because I had already recycled the box it was shipped to me in. If I had kept that, I would have been out $0.

The device is awesome. The demo experience, less so. The return process was pain free and easy.

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I purchased the Launchpad Pro based on reviews and various demonstration and setup videos knowing full well it will take time to figure it all out. I appreciate the compatibility with Ableton Live. The price was right to go for it. With the time spent thus far, I offer that you think about what you want the product to do for you. If it is controlling your DAW, focus on that part of the setup and operation. Same with using as a sequencer, or drum machine, recording loops. Only a 4 star, so far, due to complexity and learning curve.

Just bought this a short time ago from Sweetwater…Oops…
Guess I need to be more Black Friday sale conscious…

I was looking for a way to program chords for my songs to compensate for arthritis and neuropathy damaged hands that make it impossible to play MIDI keyboard or piano any longer.
As always my questions were answered, and order well packaged and rapidly processed by SW!
Curtis

I love creating music with my Novation launchpad! It's such a different approach to creating music, and it inspires new and different creative ideas. I love creating tracks in Ableton with the launchpad that I can jam to right from the launchpad.

Plus, when I initially had issues with it disconnecting from my laptop, Novation was right on top of it, answering my questions promptly, telling me just how to change the power settings on my laptop, so now everything works great. Happy!

This is optimized for the Ableton landscape, but also does a great job with hardware or hybrid setups. I can sequence Ableton Live instruments, 3rd party vst synths, plus I can control my hardware machines either through the direct MIDI out, or as external instruments via Ableton for a more hybrid approach.

Very direct and simple, but with a surprising amount of depth.

This does all the major things that a Push 2 does—it's everything I need at almost a third the price. I use it for key switch articulations in Logic, I use it for drum racks in Ableton, I use it for clip launching in both Ableton 11 and Logic 10.5.

I don't use sequencers very often, but this one is visually much nicer the one on my SL49 mk3, because I can see all 8x8 pads light up, on the mk3 keyboard I can only see 2x8 pads light up.

Just calling it a "midi controller" is really underselling it. While it is indeed an extremely flexible midi controller, where it really shines is in the light show, making it a unique device for live performance. There is of course a huge learning curve to this, but that's more the fault of the software (Ableton) than the hardware.