Novation Launchkey 25 MK4

I am absolutely satisfied! After several weeks of market research I found what I need! As a long time Maschine user, after a long period of unhappiness, I have decided to leave the NI ecosystem altogether. I went back to creating through Fl Studio! I'm very happy to be able to explore the freedom of creativity and a feature-packed workflow again after all these years! Of course I needed to find an ideal MIDI solution, with good FL Studio integration, features and at the same time still be somewhat portable! Voila! There aren't many to choose from and Minilab3, Fl Keys and Launchkey MK4 have made it to the finals! And the fair winner was Launchkey 25 MK4! Thank you!
Let's find out why:
Pros:
1. The integration with Fl studio is very nice, but some DAW control functions are complicatedly hidden and take a long time to get used to, however, once you get used to the features you want to control, you will be delighted! Of course also with other DAWs! Not only Ableton! Sweet!
2. Endless encoders (A big difference compared to FL Keys), Thank you!
3. 4 encoder user modes with 16 functions that's a total of 64 quickly assignable functions in the project, tools, effects, whatever! Could there be more of them? Sure! Do you want to make a mess of it? No! It's perfect! + 4 user pad modes! Sweet!
4. 16 beautifully sensitive pads with polyaftertpuch! Don't be disappointed by the size, to me as a Maschine user I dare say these pads are even better!
5. Very advanced arp, chord, scale mode, real fun, and of course added user chord mode! BIG Thank you!

This midi keybord is a beast, very affordable price and features that, along with FL Studio, absolutely made it possible for me to leave NI ecosystem and I am grateful for it! I don't think I'm missing any features at the moment and the possibilities are staggering, I really can keep exploring and creating without feeling suffocated!

cons:
1. I would like to see user adjustable colour schemes for the pads, not only for the user but for all functions in general, I wish they would add such an option in the update
2. The keybord body and the keys themselves don't look very well crafted, I think it's better in the higher sizes versions 49 and 61 keys, but for the price I don't expect luxury, because it all overcomes the functionality!

That's it! :)

Everything I need from a compact keyboard. Lightweight, portable and packed with feature. For me I tested a few keyboards in this price range and the Novation was punching well above the rest.

I have a main midi master keyboard as well as this so be warned the keyboard is really just for sketching and ideas rather than performance. As long as that suits your workflow then it's a no brainer.

I love mine.

Ich brauchte ein kleines Kompaktes Midi-Keyboard, mit dem auch DAW Steuerung von primär Logic + Bitwig gut möglich ist.
Das Launchkey25 Mk4 erfüllt alle Anforderungen und ermöglicht eine gute Steuerung.
Der Tasten-Anschlag ist in Ordnung für so ein Tool, aber natürlich nicht mit höherpreisigen Modellen vergleichbar.

Die Bedienung braucht aber natürlich etwas Übung und Orientierung, um durch die Mehrfachbelegungen und Menüs durchzusteigen; scheint soweit sinnvoll und durchdacht zu sein - habe das Keyboard aber noch nicht lange genug, um es wirklich beurteilen zu können.

Nach Firmware-Update und Installation der Mappings für Logic lief es out of the box, ohne dass ich micht mit manuellem Mapping rumschlagen musste. Das wird garantiert noch kommen, um es für individuelle Anforderungen nutzbar zu machen - für den Standard-Einsatz passen die Fabrik-Settings.

Das Kunststoff-Gehäuse macht einen stabilen und relativ wertigen Eindruck