Multiple Launchpads can be connected and used simultaneously. In both cases, a DVD‑ROM drive is also required for installation. The quoted minimum system requirements are a G4 or faster Mac (Intel CPU recommended) with 512MB RAM (1GB recommended) and OS 10.4 or later, or a 1.5GHz PC with the same amount of memory and Windows XP or Vista. Also on the same disc are device drivers for Windows and Mac OS. If you're not already a Live user, a cut‑down 'Launchpad Edition' of the software is supplied (see the 'Going Live' box above for details on how this differs from the full version). Using Live with the Launchpad: the red rectangle denotes the Clips and Scenes on which the controller is focused. Four large rubber feet on its underside prevent it from sliding around, adding to the reassuring feeling of solidity. Overall, the Launchpad gives the impression of being an unusually solid and seamless slab of hardware. The Launchpad is 'host‑powered', drawing its current via USB. Apart from a single USB socket on the right‑hand edge, the unit has no other switches, sockets or connectors. That's it for the top panel - and that's very nearly it for the rest of the device. This may improve as the unit is worn in, and will probably be less noticeable for more assertive button‑pushers. The buttons are a fairly snug fit in their housings and have a slightly 'sticky' feel when pressed, almost as if there was a 'notch' half‑way down. All of the buttons are made from a thick, translucent, rubbery material that feels very durable. (I don't know if the resemblance to John Travolta's illuminated dancefloor in Saturday Night Fever is intentional, but I suppose it's not inappropriate.)Ī column of eight round buttons stands at the right‑hand edge of the grid, and another row of eight sits along the top. When activated, these buttons are illuminated in one of three colours: amber, green or red. Most of the unit's top panel is taken up by a 64‑button, eight‑by‑eight grid. The Launchpad is approximately half the price of the APC40, a good deal more compact (measuring just 239mm square and 24mm deep, and weighing 717g), and leaves all control to the buttons. Reviewed in the September 2009 issue of SOS, the Akai APC40 offers a comprehensive assortment of buttons knobs and faders, all pre‑configured for easy integration with Live. This isn't the first time Ableton have joined forces with a hardware manufacturer to produce a dedicated controller. Novation's new Launchpad controller represents the first fruit of a new partnership with German software developers Ableton. The result is the Launchpad: a cheap, colourful and pleasingly idiosyncratic way to get hands‑on with Live. Novation have brought their control surface expertise to bear on Ableton Live.
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