Novation Launchkey Mini [MK3] — Portable 25-Key, USB, MIDI Keyboard Controller with DAW Integration. Chord Mode, Scale Mode, and Arpeggiator — for Music Production


Launchkey Mini [MK3}

Made to move

Launchkey Mini is our most compact and portable 25-mini-key MIDI keyboard controller. It has everything you need to start creating in Ableton Live – and it’ll fit in your bag. Make tracks anywhere with the intuitive Ableton Live control, arpeggiator, fixed chord mode, MIDI out and sounds in the box.

Launchkey Mini [MK3}
  1. Launchkey Mini [MK3]

    Get creative.

    Make melodies and rhythms with Launchkey Mini’s powerful arpeggiator. Fixed Chord mode adds a customisable fixed chord shape that follows you up the keyboard. Launchkey Mini gets any track moving.

  2. Launchkey Mini [MK3]

    Your tracks, your way.

    Deep integration with Live lets you move where the music takes you. Transport, device and mixer controls mean fewer mouse clicks while device macros mean more hands-on control of your music.

  3. Launchkey Mini [MK3]

    However you want, wherever you want.

    Launchkey Mini comes with everything you need to make tracks in the box. Throw all this into the included copy of Ableton Live Lite, or use Launchkey Mini’s integrations with any HUI compatible DAW.

  4. Launchkey Mini [Mk3]

    It’s an instrument – play it.

    Launchkey Mini features a new mini-keymech – our finest to date. Two touch strips for pitch and mod let you feel your sounds. The 16 RGB pads are super-sensitive for precise and dynamic drumming.

  5. Novation Sound Collective

    Sound Collective, helping you find your sound.

    Receive free versions of innovative software instruments and creative FX from developers, as well as discounts to help you make the most of third-party software, exclusive to Novation customers.

Launchkey Mini [MK3] Included software
  1. Fixed Chord Mode


  2. Record and Capture MIDI


  3. Arpeggiator


  4. MIDI Out


  5. Stop Solo Mute


  6. Velocity Sensitive Pads


Comparison Chart

Launchkey Mini [MK3]

Launchkey Mini [MK3]

Launchkey Mini [MK2]

Launchkey Mini [MK2]

Launchkey 25 [MK2]

Launchkey 25 [MK2]

Launchkey 49 [MK2]

Launchkey 49 [MK2]

Launchkey 61 [MK2]

Launchkey 61 [MK2]

Keys
25-Mini Keys 25-Mini Keys 25 Keys 49 Keys 61 Keys
Pads
16 16 16 16 16
Velocity Sensitive Keys/Pads
Octave Control
Knobs
8 8 8 8 8
Faders
N/A N/A 1 9 9
Clip/Scene Launch
Pitch/Mod Wheel
2 x Touch Strip No Yes Yes Yes
Arpeggiator
Fixed Chord Mode
MIDI Out
Bus Powered


Weight: 453 g
Size: 25 Keys Mini
Dimensions: 4.1 x 17.2 x 33 cm; 453 Grams
Model: AMS-LAUNCHKEY-MINI-MK3
Size: 25 Keys Mini

99 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

     Canada 🇨🇦

    It is a very good product for the price. It is plastic, although it does not feel fragile. The velocity on the pads is very good.

  2. KerrieRawson says:

     United States

    You should consider to purchase Ableton live when you decide to buy this product because the free version will not let you save the music you make. And you can not integrate this product anywhere else.

  3. Anonymous says:

     Brazil 🇧🇷

    Alm de ser um produto de MUITA qualidade e ter chegado antes do esperado, ganhei vrios “brindes”, como uma cpia do Ableton Live Lite e alguns plugins por ter comprado o controlador.

  4. Anonymous says:

     Japa

    Good, cheap beginner keyboard but the pads are useless for finger drumming – they’re very soft and unresponsive so you have to really hammer them to register a note. You’ll get sore fingertips in no time.

    Protip: this keyboard comes with the lite version of Ableton Live. If you register the lite version and get a serial number, you can then upgrade to the full version of Ableton for much cheaper than buying the full version outright.

  5. Anonymous says:

     United States

    This is a very good starter MIDI controller, it comes with a good amount of pads, it is directly compatible with Ableton (comes with the lite version), the web utility to control/update/tweak the MiniKeys is cool and intuitive.

    I am not too fan about the materials, It is very plasticky but I feel it is totally fair for the prize it cost.

  6. WendellClouse says:

     United States

    Works great with Logic Pro X. I love it.
    Small and convenient with lots of great features. Good quality materials and nice design.
    Just what I needed for when I travel.

  7. Anonymous says:

     United States

    I’ve never had hardware to make music before so I thought I’d give this a try. Super easy to use and set up. It also came with great software that made it fairly easy to make music. My only issue was it was a little small for my liking so after I knew I actually wanted to explore this hobby more I upgraded to a bigger controller. I definitely recommend to anyone on the fence about making music, it’s not for everyone. If you like this you’ll love the upgrades after!

  8. GidgetToth says:

     United States

    Works well with Abelton and gives you a Lite version which is very cool. Abelton Lite gives you plenty of opportunity to learn and record MIDI and audio tracks to get going.
    Launchkey is made well, knobs flow and are not junky. Pads are solid like MPC style. Agility of control and mapping happens right away plus you can map whatever you want via Novation website interface. May not instantly map to other workstations instantly but within a few minutes you can setup whatever you want.

    Clean and effective controlle

  9. Anonymous says:

     Germany

    Bestimmt hast Du bereits viele Rezensionen durchgelesen.
    Ich habe mehrere Controllers gekauft und probiert.

    Novation macht mit der Launchkey Serie eine super Sache.

    Die Mini” ist ein Traum (Pads, Leds, Knobs, gute Keys, Play / Rec!).

    Was mir fehlt, und warum ich mich fr eine 37″ entschlossen habe, sind die Chords und Scales Funktionen.

    Htte die Mini” auch gehabt, dann htte direkt 2 Stck nur fr mich gekauft :)).

    Ist kein Manko”, sondern es ist mein Problem, dass ich nicht anstndig in Scale” spielen kann, weder lernen will

    Top Empfehlung!

    P.S. Novation ist auch Top, als Company und Customer Support.

  10. Anonymous says:

     India

    Good quality product. Using so simple colour lights & keyboard switch smoother so nice
    ( Akai mpk mini -vs- Launchkey mini mk3)
    My experience I was recommend to all (Launchkey mini mk3) (thank you Amazon)

  11. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Bought this to help create a home recording studio. Works perfectly with my Ableton DAW.

  12. Anonymous says:

     United States

    It’s been great to add into my Ableton workflow. Keys are decent for the price and all of the rest comes preprogrammed for my DAW. I used a Yamaha Reface as my keyboard before and enjoyed it, but this feels like a functional step up.

  13. Jesse Lennox says:

     Canada

    Keys are a little bit too tiny, just buy a real keyboard with a midi plugin on it.

  14. PorterWestmacot says:

     United States

    It’s a solid midi keyboard, comes with ableton live lite. Not for beginners at all though. Can be a bit overwhelming.

  15. MarcyBaier says:

     Canada

    Hi read review after review and pro beat makers like Taetro (youtube). This is the clear choice. Akai was a VERY close buy for me, but i love the record button on the launchkey when beat making. Highly recommended. It’s only 25$ more to jump right into pro beat making.

    Hi read review after review and pro beat makers like Taetro (youtube). This is the clear choice. Akai was a VERY close buy for me, but i love the record button on the launchkey when beat making. Highly recommended. It’s only 25$ more to jump right into pro beat making.

  16. Anonymous says:

     United States

    I’m pretty new to using DAW’s (I was a Recording Engineer in the 1970’s and 80’s, we used Tape Machines, LOL). I’m building a new Music Workstation in my home and wanted a small, simple Controller with enough features for Drums as well as ARP and Sequencing to use with a DAW. (I already own a Arturia KeyStep 37 for my Modular Synths).

    I looked at quite a few YouTube Reviews and this LaunchKey Mini MK3 always stood out. It was designed to really work with Ableton but also integrates fairly well with Logic Pro which is what I thought I would use it with. After having it for a few weeks now I can say that yes it works pretty well with Logic Pro but really integrates even better with Ableton, so much so I have decided to make Ableton my DAW of choice.

    The learning curve for me was pretty easy being new to all of this and there are lots of good online tutorials. Overall this little beast is packed with a full range of great features. The build quality is ok, not great but not bad, it’s plastic but the Knobs Buttons and Pads have a solid feel. Just treat it well and it will be just fine!
    The Keyboard is not meant for a “virtuoso” but for me who is a hunt and peck keyboardist (I am a drummer) it works and I like the small size. Hey, you can’t beat the price for this much technical power.

    Setup was very easy using the Novation WebSite. The only thing I’m still confused about is setting up my own Custom Mode but I’ll figure it out.
    As for the person that complained about the lack of a MIDI Cable being included and then buying the wrong ones, that is just “USER” error. All he had to do is contact Novation/Focusrite Customer Support like I did, within an hour they got back to me and sent a Link to where to buy the correct cable. That says a lot about Novation Support!

    Bottom line, if you want a nice, compact Controller that’s full of features at a great price. THIS IS IT

    Nice Compact Controller at a Great Price

  17. Anonymous says:

     United Kingdom

    Before you buy this if you are a Beginner, it will take a while to understand how this midi keyboard work and installing to get the buttons and pads to work and connect to a daw, 3/5.

    After a few days of using it…

    This product is great if you want use to most of the features it has:
    Customizing your Drum Pad, Pitch and Mod wheel, Arp, Fixed Chord. I give it 3/5 for the drum pad velocity is great but you have press precisely hard or light to get the sound you want. The key velocity is expected from this price range (3.4/5). The Arp and Fixed Chord and record and play/stop button and other features is very helpful and quick to use (once you learnt it, 4/5).

  18. Anonymous says:

     Germany

    Ich nutze das Launchkey Mini MK3 als Midi Controller fr verschiedene Musik Anwendungen (DAW). Anders als das Launchpad Pro MK3, das ich auch besitze, hat das Launchkey einen mchtigen Arpeggiator. Die Integration in Ableton Live ist hervorragend und ist perfekt fr ein kompaktes Set up aus Laptop und Launchkey als Controller. Erst etwas spter habe ich bemerkt, dass es von Novation ein Script fr die Software Reasonstudios gibt, die ich ebenfalls hufig nutze. Damit sind die Controller Knpfe des Launchkey vorab auf wichtige Funktionen einiger Synths in Reason gemappt und ersparen einem die manuelle Zuweisung. Sehr komfortabel.
    Bei dem Preis ist das Launchkey MK3 beinahe alternativlos. Kaufempfehlung meinerseits.

  19. HoustonUJLE says:

     Mexico

    Controlador bastante til. Con un buen nmero de modos de arpegio. Se integra inmediatamente con Ableton, haciendo el control sencillo.

  20. Anonymous says:

     Spai

    si usas Ableton es una opcin genial, en mi caso me lo qued frente a otras opciones por la integracin con Ableton, la cantidad de pads que en el modo custom puede usarse para asignar funciones como play, stop, metrnomo, tap tempo, etc. y por la calidad de sus pads para grabar bateras
    las teclas no me gustan demasiado y prefiero otros teclados, pero las ventajas suplen esa desventaja
    las touch strips no estan mal, prefiero ruedas pero es entendible que en este tamao tan pequeo es la opcin mas viable, desde luego me gustan mucho mas que el joystick de akai
    los knobs estn bien y esta genial para ser transportado en mochila
    la construccin podra ser mas robusta y como queja el mo venia con las patas de goma un poco cojas

  21. FranciscoValdez says:

     Brazil 🇧🇷

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our Usersimo produto, compacto e eficiente e pack de apps so mais que suficientes para um bom trabalho, recomendo!

  22. Anonymous says:

     Singapore 🇸🇬

    great machine for junior composers as a start – easy to use

  23. Anonymous says:

     United States

    The launchkey mini 3 three has a wide variety of uses and software if can be used with. Personally, I use mine connected to an iPad and a launchpad mini (via USB 3.0 hub). It works well in conjunction with the Groovebox app, and will allow you to play, trigger progressions while in launchpad app. One “hack” I’ve discovered is that using with garage band while Groovebox is running will play the sounds from both apps. You can make some pretty unique sounds this way! My workflow is essentially to create sounds and loops via GarageBand/Groovebox – export to and build song in blocswave – then perform using launchpad and launchkey (By perform I mean chill out in my room and make music for myself ) I have not used with ableton live or other software. I’ve also tried to connect to my circuit mono station to control that, but have not had success (however this is likely due to user error)

  24. Vera says:

     India

    Hmmm… It’s an amazing piece of gear. For its money you can actually play with Ableton and make cool sketches on the go without touching a computer keyboard. I’d say I’m perfectly satisfied, but what really surprised me is a quality of the plastic, it’s squelching very loudly if you press on the frame. I had cheaper keyboards but they weren’t that bad)) But it’s not fake, because I registered it on novation website. Of you don’t mind it, you’d love it, it’s not just a keyboard for playing simple melodies! Also pads are awesome! The best I used so far after Ableton push, of course.

  25. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Es muy bueno, pata entenderle est un poquito complicado si no sabes nada pero es cuestin de que estes explorando el propio controlador, su construccin es plstico y se siente algo barato pero es bueno, al igual las teclas se sienten de juguete pero nada que afecte a la experiencia, los pads para m experiencia son buenos y no tengo queja, funciona con todos los daws pero principalmente funciona con ablenton live, sino funciona a la primera o el programa no lo reconoce lo tienes que configurar (esto hablando si ests en ableton live), si ests en un daw que no sea ableton lo tendrs que mapiar posiblemente, es cuestin de investigar y experimentar, yo no se cmo se ocupa al 100% pero despus de un ao de uso puedo decir que si va a ser tu primer controlador midi es perfecto para aprender y experimentar, si quieres algo mucho muchoo mejor no lo recomiendo Ya que las teclas son muy pequeas y para eso hay controladores de mayor precio

    En conclusin es bueno y cumple su funcin, dejo un vdeo de cmo lo ocupo experimentando con en daw que es ableton live Lite

  26. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    I bought this midi as to start making beats and it’s really good for beginners. Just sign up for novation account and then link your device they will explain you every thing and even more cool shortcuts. I use FL studio and everything is working great.
    Recommend.

    Good for beginners.

  27. AugustaBHC says:

     India

    This is the best small sized Midi Keyboard in the market today without doubt. And pricing is also great if you consider its ergonomics, features and included software.

  28. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Debo confesar que cuando lo vi las teclas me parecieron MINI. Pero me tom unos das acostumbrarme y la verdad ha sido un golazo este teclado. Me puse a trabajar de una y ha sido muy fcil de entender con la cantidad de tutoriales que hay online.

    Lo amo.

  29. EzraMatthew says:

     United States

    Not only does this keyboard work great, it comes with a ton of great software. Excellent keyboard for anyone looking for a starter keyboard or wants something that easily fits on a desk.

  30. AntoniettaWisni says:

     United States

    For the price you aren’t getting perfect keys, but the pads are good, pots are good too. Keys do the job. This was my first hardware I’ve bought got music comp and it’s been great. Only complaint is I wish I had bought the size up. The mini is great for a ton of use cases but hard to do bigger chords on.

  31. SaraMatchbox Kitchen says:

     India

    Best of ableton live users

  32. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    Product works perfectly and is high quality for the price

  33. XOMJorjappwjk says:

     India

    So I’m a total noob at midi and synths. I bought this and now learning as I go. It has a learning curve but not hard. The product doesn’t feel cheap, good job novation.

  34. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersI’m a bass and guitar player and bought this as I wanted to challenge myself out of my comfort zone. A complete beginner on controllers here, but with some notion of music theory and execution.
    I read reviews and watched videos about this controller and some others too, and learned these aren’t kids toys. You can really make music and have fun, in individual sessions or even playing with a band.
    Getting used to Ableton Live requires time and patience but as you layout your first beats and melody lines, you start getting the hang of it and motivates you to go on.
    As a beginner on controllers and audio software, I wouldn’t change much of it, the build quality is nice, very light, responsive buttons and dials. I’d just us warn that you need a laptop or computer with good modern specs and some nice mid range or flagship headphones or studio monitors to really take advantage of what it has to offer. After using it for about 4 weeks I’m now planning to upgrade to Ableton Live 11 because Ableton Lite it’s limited to 8 tracks and a to a limited set of clich-ish midi sounds. Also, if I really get into producing controller-based music, it’d be necessary to upgrade to a 49 or more keys hardware. But in the meantime, I’ll just continue having fun with it.

    Great for start producing controller-based music

  35. Anonymous says:

     India

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersIf you are using Ableton or planning to move to using Ableton this is the midi controller for you
    Launchkey mini MK3 is very well integrated with Ableton and Live Looping can be done with ease
    Also Came in good condition and once you register your product on Novation’s website you’ll be able to get a ton of cool plugins and samples

    If You Use Ableton BUY THIS

  36. Anonymous says:

     Germany

    Jede Menge Funktionen, es kommt aber immer auf die Software an. Leider nur zwei Oktaven. Aber ein kleines kompaktes Teil. Nur wer Klavier lernen will oder schon zweibndig spielen kann braucht definitiv was greres.

  37. DesireeFreitas says:

     Japa

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersI think it’s a great device. Versatile as hell. Really great fo Ableton LIVE controlling. It’s portable in every sense of the word (like it’s supposed to be). Piano players will hate it. The rest of us will love it!

  38. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Been using the Launchkey Mini for about a year. I mostly use it for the drum pads, but it also has great tools like the arpeggiator built in. I personally don’t use the fixed chord setting by itself but fixed chord + arpeggio is pretty good. It’s easy to use, might take a video or two to figure out the UI, then it’s a blast to use. Been watching a lot of live sets people play with the mini and they’re really inspirational. Hoping to get into that realm soon.

    TL;DR: Great product, very affordable and versatile, no issues.

  39. Marla Jo Fisher says:

     France

    Cet article est plug and play avec la dernire version d’ableton et est parfaitement intgr avec le logiciel.

  40. SavannaBridges says:

     Mexico 🇲🇽

    La verdad es ms de lo que me esperaba. Sus teclas son muy sensibles y cmodas la hora de estar tocando.

  41. Anonymous says:

     Italy

    astiera completamente perfetta l ho usata con fl studio garage band e logic pro x e direi che ha una sensibilit eccezionale i suoi pad sono perfetti con pitch e modulation touch .

  42. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    It works great, it’s the best for learning and interacts well with your DAW. I’d recommend for going for a version with more keys, that was my regret. But I love it. If you take music production a little more seriously however, you’ll inevitably want to buy the (I don’t know how many more keys) version.

  43. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Gran controlador midi. Plug and play xon ableton live. Llevo usndolo un par de meses y hasta ahora no tengo ninguna queja de ste. Es muy fcil de usar y sus funciones hacen muy divertido y creativo el proceso para hacer msica.

  44. DemetraBalfour says:

     United States

    This controller is a great value for the money, which is why I bought it. Like most good tools, it can overwhelm you at first, but it rewards you well once you learn how to use it.

  45. Anonymous says:

     Germany

    Was soll man dazu noch schreiben?
    Empfohlen fr Anfnger (viel Software dabei ) und Profis.
    Gute Verarbeitung.
    Bisher keine Probleme.

  46. Sareena Dayaram says:

     Canada

    There are many good reasons why the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk3 is as popular and as highly rated as it is. It is small, light, solidly made and it offers a seamless connection to Ableton Live as well as other popular DAWs. With the great software that it is bundled with, you’ll hit the ground running and will be making music in no time at all. It is a steal at the very modest price that it goes for.

  47. Anonymous says:

     Brazil

    imo teclado para controle do Ableton Live, com muitas funcionalidades especficas do programa. Tambm funciona como bom controlador para outros programas, de forma mais simples. Pequeno e leve, tambm serve perfeitamente para se carregar numa bolsa ou mochila junto de um notebook, ou at mesmo para usar com o celular.
    nica reclamao so as teclas, que do uma sensao de baixa qualidade, mas que possvel acostumar depois de usar com plugins de alta performance.

  48. TomElishauibt says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 8 From Our UsersI love this device and I want to give it 5 stars, but there are some issues that you should know about before purchasing.

    The keys feel a bit like toy keyboard keys. I don’t mean smaller versions of standard keyboard keys – I mean it really does feel toylike. However, after using the keyboard I fell in love with the low travel and the pressure response actually works very well. But you MUST expect a “toylike” key feel when you first get it.

    This keyboard has no control for velocity curve at the hardware level. If you use FL Studio that’s fine, just set it there. But if you use an application like Reaper which has no global velocity curve, you’re stuck with keys that sound a bit quiet unless you press them harder than you probably want to.

    The firmware is easy to update and the keyboard has performed reliably once I addressed an issue — if you find the keyboard to disconnect or seem like it crashes, it is most likely it’s not getting enough USB power. This is a known issue with devices powered by USB, so if that happens just connect it to a powered HUB. I mention it though because I have two computers – one of which is a laptop – where there wasn’t enough USB to power both my Focusrite Scarlett Solo AND the keyboard.

    The pads feel amazing. They are incredibly responsive. The ribbon controllers feel good. The knobs feel good.
    You also get some free software at the Focusrite website, which is nice.

    All in all it’s an excellent product, but the lack of velocity adjustment is unfortunate because it’s a little unpleasant in software that doesn’t have a global velocity setting.

    PS. It lights up in glorious dancing rainbow colors after a few minutes of inactivity. It looks cool, but if you find it distracting you can turn it off. It’s called “Vegas mode” and you can find out how online.

  49. SwenTaulbee says:

     India

    Perfect for on the go solutions . Very light and compact . Value for money product .
    Touch pitch bend and mod are very effective as it is very easy to use them in creactive ways as compared to rotating knobs.

  50. JulietSteadman says:

     United States

    Nice keyboard but if you havent used one before there is a learning curve. Ableton light 10 is ok if you want to make techno but of course to make better music you will have to upgrade it. Which is highly expensive and could hinder the low income musician.

  51. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    Very useful to have for making beats!
    This midi keyboard is so hassle free and its professional quality! Other keyboards are so hard to setup this one is just plug and play i love how convenient this is!

  52. EmileTimmerman says:

     United States

    I love this thing, my only gripe with it is that its more geared towards Ableton than it is FL Studio, but I knew this going into the purchase. All knobs, pads and buttons work on FL Studio, but this is really meant for Ableton live. These are my favorite drum pads. I would love a 4×4 drum machine using these pads, I have an Akai MPD218, and these pad blow it out of the water. They register every hit perfectly without much force. I sometimes feel like I have to beat the hell out of the Akai but not with this Launchkey. Really hope novation uses these pads to make something like the Akai MPD218.

  53. BSUWolfgan says:

     Mexico

    Buen producto, viene bastante bien para el precio y excelente apuesta si usas Ableto

  54. MelJacobsen says:

     Mexico

    ME LLEG ANTES DE TIEMPO, gran servicio y producto, sin demoras y sin daos.

  55. Sergio14Yt says:

     United States

    Only just got this item earlier today and I’m already having a blast with it on GarageBand. Truly, for the value, this midi keyboard is more than worth the investment, and can improve your creative output by a ton, especially if you’re a multi instrumentalist player.

    Only just got this item earlier today and I’m already having a blast with it on GarageBand. Truly, for the value, this midi keyboard is more than worth the investment, and can improve your creative output by a ton, especially if you’re a multi instrumentalist player.

  56. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Cumpli con todas mis expectativas. Un gran controlador sobre todo para los usuarios de Ableton.

  57. KirstenRHS says:

     United States

    I’m really happy with this keyboard as it helps working easily with Ableton. I use it for creating some piano/organ chord progressions for Blues and also, for Bass and Drum fills. I sed to have a 48 keys keyboard but I just wanted to have a small one, yet powerful.
    The keys are small but I manage to use it with no problem. The pads are very sensitive and the overall sensation is to have a very solid and durable keyboard.
    So happy with my purchase.

    So versatile and easy to use

  58. Diego Arguello says:

     Canada

    Let’s get this out of the way: even though this keyboard is designed with Ableton users in mind, the LaunchKey Mini Mk. 3 kicks ass in most DAWs as well (I run Logic, so this was a concern), so for anybody hesitant to buy it for compatibility issues, rest assured it integrates seamlessly. The features for a small keyboard are unparalleled and have sped my productivity up significantly; you can control your tracks, instrument modulators, encoders, arpeggiators, pitch and so much more with this. You get *16* drum pads, which is the most I can find on a keyboard this size, and the response on them is excellent, even if they are a bit small. The keys themselves are quite sensitive and a bit shallow, which might be odd for those coming from playing a real piano or full-sized keys, but they are surprisingly comfortable to play for extended durations. Portability-wise, it can fit in a backpack easily and is as capable a studio keyboard as it is a live performance keyboard. All in all, it’s a great value for the money.

  59. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 6 From Our UsersI’m a newbie exploring the MIDI world. I did a lot of research on reviews about this product and others and I finally decided to go for it given that this is the most recent product comparing with other brands. Honestly it could be a bit intimidating having a product like this and it’s a bit disappointing that you don’t get to see basic tutorials from Novation. Don’t get me wrong, they have some good stuff, but not for a beginner like me. I’ve been following people who publish video tutorials for learning to use this controller and also Ableton (which is the DAW that comes with this product). It’s a lot of fun to play with something like this and there’s plenty of free plugins so in couple of weeks you can start creating some basic stuff. It’s great to watch the professionals showing you the many things you can do with a entry device like this one. My only complain with the vendor was that my product arrived without a software bundle code, I reached out to them and they asked me to contact the provider.

    I'm a newbie exploring the MIDI world. I did a lot of research on reviews about this product and others and I finally decided to go for it given that this is the most recent product comparing with other brands. Honestly it could be a bit intimidating having a product like this and it's a bit disappointing that you don't get to see basic tutorials from Novation. Don't get me wrong, they have some good stuff, but not for a beginner like me. I've been following people who publish video tutorials for learning to use this controller and also Ableton (which is the DAW that comes with this product). It's a lot of fun to play with something like this and there's plenty of free plugins so in couple of weeks you can start creating some basic stuff. It's great to watch the professionals showing you the many things you can do with a entry device like this one. My only complain with the vendor was that my product arrived without a software bundle code, I reached out to them and they asked me to contact the provider.

  60. MarilynRBGZ says:

     Canada

    Much better made than I expected for the price. High-quality knobs and keys. Maps completely to Ableton Live 10 DAW but also works fine with GarageBand minus a few functions (Play, Record, etc.).

  61. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Buensimo, se siente de buena calidad. Llevo ya unas semanas con l y todo como nuevo. Lo recomiendo

  62. ReganStrout says:

     France

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersProduit conforme la description, RAS. En revanche, c’est sur la livraison qu’ils craignent. Le launchkey est arriv dans sa boite ( choqu sur les coins , cf photo) et le produit visible de tous et non sur-emball ( mme si jsuis pas fan des emballages). D’autant plus qu’il y a un numro de srie sur la boite , pour accder d’autres espaces de tlchargement, propre au materiel , Code unique donc. Sur ce coup la , a s’est bien pass mais ca daille un peu ! ..

    Produit RAS - envoi Bof

  63. Anonymous says:

     United States

    I’m having so much fun!!!

    Does feel a little on the cheap side, but there is so much to play with that it out weighs the plastic.
    Drum pads feel nice!
    Portability is nice!

  64. Anonymous says:

     India

    Golden Review Award: 9 From Our UsersI received the product everything looks fine, when I connect to my system it’s not getting ON. I tried to install the driver but unfortunately its not turning ON. I was so, regret for this. I waited for 1 week to receive the product. Now I am applied for return. I got this product under offer for 8k

  65. DianeDarke says:

     Canada

    Golden Review Award: 7 From Our UsersI’ve spend the last week testing many similar MIDI controllers (Akai MPK2 series, Akai Mini, and Novation Launchkey). Trust me when I say this is FAR superior despite its lower price point. The Akai are all terrible compared to this – online reviews will generally agree. Works AMAZING in Logic Pro X and in Ableton Live. Highly recommend.

  66. Anonymous says:

     India

    Golden Review Award: 8 From Our UsersDisclaimer: I’m not a keyboard/piano player

    Was really easy to get started with. The learning curve is very small. The keys, pads and knobs are of good quality. The other buttons (record, play etc) could have been better.

    Over all, it does not feel like a budget midi keyboard, it feels pretty professional.

    Plus, all the freebees that come with it are amazing.

  67. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 14 From Our UsersThis is my first midi ever. I had to do some research on this a few videos on YouTube helped with ableton live lite and about the midi. Not bad for the cost. But not a stand alone I just bought this without any research on it. It can be complicated at first if this is what you are going to buy but worth it once you figure it out. I do have mixcraft 9 and used mixcraft 8 for 2 years and decided to upgrade to 9. I had no clue how to use ableton lite which the midi came with. Installed some software for it. I also had to plug the midi again once I start ableton which I had no clue how to use a midi. Do alot of research on this if you a planning to buy it. For me it was worth the price for it. The buttons are sensitive to touch and some double taps happen but nothing is perfec

  68. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersI needed a midi keyboard with beat pads to use on FL Studio 20. Novation Launchkey mini was super easy to set up and start using right away. I had the MPK Mini a few years ago and i remember it was nice as well but i didnt love the drum pads on it. The pads on the Launchkey feel super nice. Honestly was not expecting such quality for this pricepoint. The included software is also a serious bonus! highly recommend for your DAW, especially if you use Ableton. It’s basically designed for Ableton, and is super intuitive on it from what i’ve seen so far.

  69. GiseleGauthier says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersNothing I tried to do with this keyboard out of the box worked as described in the manual. I tried to contact support which was not helpful, giving generic advice. I was only able to get the keyboard working with regular midi, none of the other features advertised work.

    EDIT: I’m updating to 4 stars since I got the keyboard to work, windows was loading it as a mass storage device, and disabling this fixed the issue. I think 4 stars is fair given the unintuitive design in this instance.

  70. Anonymous says:

     Germany

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersIch dachte am Anfang, dass man groe Sachen bentige um Musik zu machen, aber mit dem Gert geht das echt super. Ich vermutete, dass die Tasten am Piano zu wenig wren, aber mit der Erhhung der Oktaven und anderen ntzlichen Features ist es ziemlich einfach. Es macht einfach Spa bisschen herumzuprobieren und die neuen Sachen auszuprobieren. Hab Abelton als DAW und dieses MIDI ist natrlich fr Ableton speziell angepasst, von daher musste man nichts neues einstellen, sondern einfach nur anschlieen und Musik machen. Fr den Preis in dem Preissegment fr blutige Anfnger wie mich oder auch Fortgeschrittene eine super Empfehlung.

  71. Karina9497 says:

     Canada

    Golden Review Award: 7 From Our UsersThis is a great buy for anyone new to midi controllers, or anyone looking for a nice compact all around controller with good connectivity to Ableton. Ableton Lite is included, and if you plan on upgrading to a full Ableton license, you’ll get a discount for owning Lite first, so that alone pays for a good chunk of this controller. The DAW control with Ableton’s session view is incredible, with my only complaint being the lack of an Undo button (which is a big oversight IMO). I’m not sure how well this interfaces with other DAWs, but most of it is MIDI mappable. It’s clear this is made to work for Ableton out-of-the-box though. As for the hardware itself, it feels pretty solid given how small it is. That drum pads feel excellent, and seem sensitive enough. If anything, the keys feel a bit cheap. I’m not much of a piano player, but I’d imagine if you are more experienced with keys, you might find these keys feel pretty cheap. I quickly forgot about it once I started making music though. All around, a great buy!

  72. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    Golden Review Award: 4 From Our UsersAwesome little midi controller! I use ableton and the work flow is great!

    Previously I had been using an older midi controller, and had to use the mouse for most functions when using ableton.

    This controller definitely has sped up my work flow and made it easier to make beatz, and now I can navigate ableton 10 just using the controller.

    If you’re looking for a budget portable midi controller, and especially if you use ableton 10, check out this controller!

  73. Ashley is PolishAddicted says:

     United States

    As someone who knows enough piano to be able to construct chords and knows enough technique for two hands, this is not a great midi keyboard. However, for someone who just wants to make beats or simple loops, this is great. I would give it a 3 star for midi keyboards in general, but 5 stars for the price and intended customer. I’m not sure this is the right model for me though.

  74. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersI spent a lot of time researching this and comparing to other beginner mini keyboards- specifically the akai MPK mini II. The quality is amazing, the keys and drum pads are very touch-sensitive and there is no noticeable delay for sound production when you press keys. Drum pads are velocity sensitive, and you can program your own colors. ( i did rainbow). I also like that the dials do not spin indefinitely, there is set scales so you can easily control pitch, modulation, and several other settings. This product is not cheaply made, and you can also set up with any software AND has an audio output to use with other devices, where the AKAI MPK does not. Only star I retract would be for beginner use. This product comes with ableton lite software license, which is great, but difficult to learn for beginner and novice musicians. I recommend using skillshare if you are new, there are tons of videos on how to use ableton. As I said earlier, this can be programmed with any digital audio software. For a gift for a beginner, this is a huge bang for your buck, and is portable.

  75. Anonymous says:

     France

    Service de qualit, reu dans des conditions optimales. Le produit est trs satisfaisa

  76. Anonymous says:

     United States

    It’s a great equipment for a beginner, producer beginner. The keys feel cheap and little but I am not a keyboard player so what do I know?… My brother has a fancy home recording studio so I knew the basics of recording softwares and I’ve been a drummer for over 15 years, I also know how to play the guitar and bass so it didn’t take me much time too learn how to use Ableton live lite but I would definitely not recommend it for someone with no musical background.

  77. BrooksSoutherla says:

     France

    Golden Review Award: 6 From Our UsersTrs bon produit. S’intgre parfaitement dans Ableton Lite (licence incluse).
    Mise jour du firmware ncessaire avant de commencer:
    – Installer le driver USB
    – Installer Novation Components
    – Dmarrer le Launchkey MiniMK3 en mode bootloader : Appuyez sur ‘Transpose, ‘Octave +’ et ‘Octave -‘ et connectez le cable USB
    – Mettre our le firmware dans Components
    Toutes les fonctionnalits sont alors disponibles.

  78. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    El controlador MIDI es genial, sus pads tienen una sensibilidad genial y su tamao es tan compacto que puedo llevarlo incluso en mi mochila.
    Le doy 4 estrellas debido a la retrocompatibilidad con Ableton.
    Para que exprimas el controlador al mximo, es necesario tener Ableton 10.1 en adelante. Asi que si tienes una versin anterior (la 9 o 10.0.1), slo te funcionara como un controlador comn y corriente.

  79. VaniaL38ykqpv says:

     Mexico

    Es un excelente controlador MIDI, a la vez que funciona como teclado y drum pad. La configuracin me cost un poco, pero no tiene que ver cmo tal con el teclado. Buena sensibilidad en las teclas y en los pads.

  80. BerniceOrdell says:

     United States

    It takes a type “A” midi cable.

    Use this one to connect:Make Noise 0-Coast MIDI Cable – 1/8″ TRS to 5-pin MIDI

    I tested it with my Hydrasynth and it works. I got it to use with my Deluge and that pairing is not working. I can only assume the problem is on the Deluge end.

    It works well with Ableton and also comes with quite a few extra free software add-ons.

  81. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersIt works as it is supposed to, and that’s fine. However, I did find it to short on the number of keys, but I was aware of what I was buying. I guess what I am trying to say is: if you already have experience on keyboards, try affording a bigger one, otherwise you are going to feel it’s limited. If you are a beginner, it should be enough to start.

    On the other hand, the pads are nice and sufficient.

  82. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Bang for buck, this is it! After much research and reading reviews, this Novation Mini MKIII was my choice. Great functionality with Ableton Live. Real happy with this purchase. Would I recommend it? Absolutely!

    Bang for buck, this is it! After much research and reading reviews, this Novation Mini MKIII was my choice. Great functionality with Ableton Live. Real happy with this purchase. Would I recommend it? Absolutely!

  83. kytterberg says:

     Mexico

    Excelente controlador pequeo con buenas posibilidades de integracin con ableton live. Pads con after touch de buena calidad.

  84. Jacinto02Q says:

     Canada

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersBy far the best midi keyboard with ableton indentation. So many different features to play around with and use in music making 10/10 purchase definitely would recommend

  85. Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom says:

     United States

    The major selling points for this controller for me is the sheer amount of functionality crammed into this tiny controller combined with the fact that it IS tiny and portable, and doesn’t take up a lot of space on my desk.

    The Launchkey Mini MK3 has more options, functionality, knobs and pads than most other, much more expensive controllers. It has a built-in arpeggiator, pedal port, among many other awesome options. A lot of people seem to think this controller can only be used with Ableton, but that’s not the case at all. After I plugged it in, it popped up the option to select which DAW I would be using and lead me, step-by-step through setting that up (which was super easy). It also came with a bunch of free plugins for effects and synths, but obtaining and installing them was really time-consuming.

    The major issue I have with this keyboard is that the keys feel like a toy, like they might not last all that long. I’m fairly easy-going with my equipment, but only time will tell. I have heard from others that with previous models, it felt the same way, but that they stood up to normal usage without issues.

    I’d say, if you’re shopping in this price range, and are looking for a small controller, well, look no further.

  86. FawnBostick says:

     United States

    Ok I must say if you are inexperienced or unfamiliar with Ableton live you really shouldn’t rate or review this product. But if you are an experienced Ableton user it’s a no brainier this will take your performances to the next level. There’s a built in arpagiator too which I found to be amazing nothing is as good as this for the price

  87. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Muy bueno, compacto pero potente, muy fcil de transportar y usar, muy recomendado para iniciar en el mundo de la produccin.

  88. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Smaller than I expected… but can’t say its not great.

  89. Anonymous says:

     Canada

    Golden Review Award: 4 From Our UsersPerfect for what I needed it for . Just wish the instruction came with it .. had to watch youtube videos for set up and still dont know how to set it up 100% ye

  90. Anonymous says:

     Germany

    Golden Review Award: 9 From Our UsersUm wirklich den vollen Funktiosumfang dieses Keyboards nutzen zu knnen sollte man Ableton 10 haben. Sehr unverstndlich warum, aber bei Version 9 hat man nur “normalen” controller.

    Sogar Novation schreibt man solle 10 nutzen, ob es hier Absprachen gab um die 10er zu pushen?

    Die lite version welche dabei ist, ist zu abgespeckt.

    FAZIT

    Controller ist sehr gut verarbeitet fr den Preis. Die pads sind sehr sensitiv, fast schon zu sensitiv, es reicht oft nur eine ganz kleine Berhrung wie bei touch gerten und man spielt aus versehen einen Ton.

    Die Tasten knnten jedoch hochwertiger sein, klappern aber nicht und tun was sie sollen.

    Ein dickes Minus fr Novation gibts fr die fehlende Dokumentation in form von Videos, tutorials fr die MK3 version, man muss hier div reviews…auf youtube schauen.

    Fr beatbastler und homeproduzenten die nur wenig tasten spielen, vollkommen ausreichend und sicher die beste Wahl was preis/leistung angeht.

  91. psalber says:

     Japa

    Golden Review Award: 15 From Our UsersUSBMIDI Ablton live lite AAS Strum Session Tracktion BioTek
    DAWSONARDAWOS

  92. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 40 From Our UsersFirst off: this is clearly designed to work with Abelton Live. It also supports a couple other DAWs, none of which are my platform of choice, Studio One.

    Doesn’t matter: it’s great.

    Let’s be clear: the tiny synth-action keys aren’t gong to make you think you’re playing a piano, and the pads aren’t going to compare with a $500 dedicated pad. This is a cheap MIDI controller to throw in your backpack, or keep in the corner of your sofa. Good? Good.

    So yeah. Within that paradigm, it’s fantastic.

    Lock in a chord, program arpeggios, operate your DAW’s transport, totally usable pitch and mod strips, all under $100. The bundled software is dope, and it gives you access to Focusrite/Novation’s ongoing Plugin Collective: tons of good stuff.

    So yeah, I have a nicer, 61-key Native Instruments keyboard: but this little dude still gets used for convenience’s sake. I think that’s pretty high praise, tbh. 🙂

  93. ValentiBorges says:

     United States

    Golden Review Award: 2 From Our UsersI bought this Controller because it syncs well with Ableton Live, and it does everything really well. I wish endless encoders were on this controller like the Arturia comparison but the extra 8 Novation pads (16 overall) are awesome and was a major selling point for me. I don’t mind the shift to change track and scene but you do have to press 2 buttons to move around on this controller. Overall I’m really happy with this controller and its most surprising element was actually how small it is, but the keys are bigger than my Arturia Mk.1 MiniLab controller (much bigger mini controller).

    I bought this Controller because it syncs well with Ableton Live, and it does everything really well. I wish endless encoders were on this controller like the Arturia comparison but the extra 8 Novation pads (16 overall) are awesome and was a major selling point for me. I don't mind the shift to change track and scene but you do have to press 2 buttons to move around on this controller. Overall I'm really happy with this controller and its most surprising element was actually how small it is, but the keys are bigger than my Arturia Mk.1 MiniLab controller (much bigger mini controller).

  94. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Muy buen midi, trabaja muy bien con Ableton Live, aparte de que incluye software muy completo.

  95. Anonymous says:

     United States

    Great overall controller for portable and mobile use. Didn’t really like the cheap plastic feeling that they used. It seemed that Novation could’ve done better with an all in one unit. I would’ve like to see Bluetooth connectivity, batteries, better keyboard, the shift button needs to be on the other side of the unit.

  96. ZulmaWanjuiul says:

     United States

    Although I just bought new NI 49 keyboard controller, this little beauty will be my all in one travel buddy. Great piece of kit with knobs/pads and ribbon sliders to control Maschine. Worth every penny

  97. Anonymous says:

     Italy

    Golden Review Award: 7 From Our UsersUn prodotto molto interessante e completo sotto il punto di vista delle funzioni ma anche controverso, e cercher di spiegarne i perch in modo che altri utenti non si trovino nelle stesse difficolt che ho incontrato io.
    Partiamo innanzitutto col dire che la tastiera dovrebbe essere plug’n’play con il programma Ableton: in realt non cos. Infatti viene s riconosciuta dal programma ma non vengono attivate tutte le porte midi tanto vero che la tastierina non funziona e non invia alcuna nota: deve essere impostata ‘a mano’ dall’utente nelle Preferenze di Live.
    Poi, all’inizio, ho riscontrato alcuni problemi, il tasto Arp che rimaneva illuminato fisso cos come il tasto Fixed Chords che a volte funzionava e a volte no. Ho scaricato il programma Novation Components dal sito del produttore ed ho aggiornato il firmware della tastiera e adesso il tutto sembra funzionare a dovere. C’ da dire, comunque, che, talvolta, il funzionamento della la tastiera un po’ imprevedibile: ad esempio sufficiente sfiorare i tasti affinch attivino una qualche funzione mentre, talvolta, capita che la tastiera non comunichi correttamente con Ableton e che quindi si renda necessario chiudere il programma e riavviarlo affinch tutto torni a funzionare normalmente.
    C’ un ulteriore particolare che ha destato la mia curiosit… Gli ultimi tre tasti della tastierina contengono tre simboli che dovrebbero attivare una qualche funzione tramite la pressione del tasto shift…
    In realt, non attivano proprio un bel niente cos come mi hanno confermato anche dal supporto di Novation.
    Forse, in futuro, serviranno a qualcosa, magari dopo un nuovo aggiornamento del firmware!
    Bene, se siete arrivati a leggere fin qui vi sarete chiesti perch non ho effettuato il reso del prodotto…. Sinceramente, se avessi dovuto farmi fare un controller per Live su misura, probabilmente mi sarei fatto fare proprio un prodotto del genere; per quanto riguarda le sue funzioni e per come sono state organizzate, visto anche dimensioni, costruzione e prezzo, per me semplicemente il controller ideale.
    Ecco perch nonostante i difetti che ho elencato lo ritengo un prodotto davvero valido da utilizzare con il programma di Ableton. In quanto a funzioni, non gli manca davvero nulla.
    Probabilmente il prodotto soffre ancora di difetti di “giovent” dovuti a un firmware non proprio ottimizzato.
    Spero in futuro Novation provveda in merito, essendo io in possesso di pi di un controller, vi posso dire che questo i suoi soldi li vale tutti…
    Due parole anche sui software dotazione: anche se bisogna districarsi con le solite prassi di registrazione presso vari siti il tutto reso semplice dal fatto che non appena si collega la tastiera al computer si apre un file che permette un collegamento al sito Novation dove ci si pu registrare e da l scaricare il software. Il pezzo forte il gi citato Components che sopratutto un vero e proprio editor, poi ci sono vari plugin e, ovviamente, l’immancabile Ableton Live Lite (versione rigorosamente 10, pena il non funzionamento del controller).
    Consigliatissimo quindi a chi gi utilizza Live, conosce il programma e s come districarsi nell’utilizzo e nel risolvere i problemi che si possono incontrare con questi controller; non lo consiglierei affatto a chi vuole iniziare ad usare un controller midi con il programma di Ableton ma non ha le dovute conoscenze e la necessaria esperienza. Meglio allora altri prodotti come quelli di Akai che fanno poco ma lo fanno bene e da subito…
    Aggiornamento al 18/12: con l’ultima versione di Live, vengono risolti alcuni bug con questo modello ed aggiunta una nuova utile funzione (vedere sul sito Ableton le info).
    Aggiungo, pertanto, la quinta stella

    Valida, ancora giovane ma ottima

  98. Anonymous says:

     Mexico

    Excelente controlador muy completo y fcil de usar y comprende

  99. Anonymous says:

     France 🇫🇷

    Golden Review Award: 3 From Our UsersTrs bon produit et compatible avec tous les logiciels de Dj’s