Category Archives: Novation

Novation Launchkey Mini vs Arturia MiniLab

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Disclaimer:
I have not used the Launchkey Mini yet, the below is based on specs and photos.

launchkeymini_angle-640x412So Novation has announced the Launchkey Mini (sp ~$99). With 25 mini keys, 16 pads, 8 rotary knobs and 2 performance buttons, all assignable of course, it makes for a sweet little MIDI keyboard, not at all unlike the Arturia MiniLab that also launched recently.

I got a chance to play around with the Arturia board for a couple of days and it certainly has the upper hand when it comes to design in my opinion. Of course the two are not entirely comparable given that you get a bloody awesome collection of 5000 analog synth emulation presets with the Arturia board..

My biggest gripe with the Arturia MiniLab was the touch strips. Very poor quality and performance which in the end rendered it almost unusable for me. The keys and the pads though were very nice and responsive. The Launchkey Mini has gone a step further and done away with the traditional modulation / pitch controls entirely. My suspicion is that you can use the two ‘performance buttons’ for this by assigning them your self?

MiniLab_275In terms of connectivity the only difference is that you get a foot switch input on the MiniLab. This could be important to you depending on your playing style. Both are USB powered and class compliant. I for one really wish they had a MIDI out port for connecting straight to some of my older analog gear, but that dear old round connection seems to be an endangered species these days…

Looking at the bundles software (Launchkey Mini: Bassstation, V-Station, Live Lite, Samples, Launchkey app for iPad vs. MiniLab: AnalogLab with 5000 classic synth presets) it really depends on your style of music and workflow. I love the Arturia emulations since they fit very well with the kind of music I make, but the flexibility of the Novation soft synths where you are not limited to presets is also very attractive. In the end it’s up to you.

Check out the rivals at their respective websites below:

Day 1, 2 and 3 in Japan

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2 days ago I arrived in Japan with the rest of the family. It was a long journey from San Francisco, but relatively easy due to a direct flight to Haneda Airport. We did a quick stop in Tokyo for the night, spent one day taking care of errands and on the following evening boarded a domestic flight to Ishikawa Ken on the western side of Japan.

Our plan is to stay for 1 month in Japan while my wife undergoes a set of genetic examination procedures, to see if the doctors can determine the exact nature of her condition and determine a diagnosis. We will be visiting and consulting with several specialist physicians at various hospitals and hopefully this will finally bring some clarity around her syndrome.

At the same time I’m taking this chance to get my first honest vacation from work in several years. No time laid to waste though, I have 3 projects that I want to work on now that I have some time to focus.

JapanMapIshikawaThe first is a series of tracks themed around the climate here on the western coast of Japan. The snow, hard winds and raging Sea of Japan has always fascinated me, and I want to see if I can create something that’s a mixture of ambient, IDM and sample based, texturized soundscapes that captures some of this.

The second is the new Native Instruments Maschine (MK2) which arrived in the mail the day before I left San Francisco. I carried it all the way down here so that we can get some quality time to get to know each other. I’m a huge fan of Maschine and I can’t wait to dig into the new features that 1.8 and the new controller brings. I want to focus this energy and time around exploring complextro tracks.

The third and last project is a sample library of sounds from Japan. In the rush to the airport I forgot to bring my Tascam recorder, but I have already ordered a replacement unit to the place we are staying at in Ishikawa Ken. My goal is to capture some of the typical sounds, environments and atmospheres of this beautiful place. If it turns out ok I’ll make it available for download somewhere.

I’ll try to document as much as possible during the next 4-5 weeks here, so please check back regularly.

Thanks.

What’s your Midi Keyboard Controller of choice?

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With so many controllers to choose from, which one is your weapon of choice? Why? Share your thoughts in the comments!