Novation Launchkey 49 MK4

Up next on the test bench is the latest addition to Novation's acclaimed Launchkey range – the Launchkey 49 MK4.

Novation’s Launchkey range really needs no introduction… but since that’s kind of how reviews work, here’s one anyway. 

We’re evaluating the latest evolution of Novation’s renowned Swiss Army Controller ™, offering USB-powered piano keys, drum pads, knobs, sliders, musical performance modes, DAW support for transport and mixing, plus every marketer’s favourite feature… ‘and more’. 

All pretty standard fare these days, though, so Novation have enhanced this with serious hardware upgrades, new functions, wider DAW support, and more bundled software than ever before.  

WARNING: The next two paragraphs involve historical context and self-indulgent ‘I’ve been in this business for decades’ stuff. If that’s not your idea of a good time, skip the next section.

Still here? Cool. As we enter 2025, Novation is as established as brands get. They first made waves 30 years ago with their legendary BassStation, supplying a 303-fuelled demand for cheap acid. The DrumStation quickly followed, a my-first-909 for a fraction of the cost of a real Roland. But it’s easily forgotten that their first product was actually a controller keyboard for Yamaha’s QY10 sequencer. 

Yep, right from the start Novation specialised in controlling other company’s kit. 

Decades followed, and following 2004’s acquisition by Focusrite, Novation rewrote the industry rulebook again a few times, notably with Launchpad and Launchkey. 

Launchpad was inspired by the the Akai-produced APC40 controller for Ableton Live and, while it lacked hyper-specific controls and knobs, it added MPC-style drum pad functionality, user-customizable operation modes and configurations and, critically, it was not inherently Live-specific. 

Likewise Launchkey, combined piano keys, pads, sliders, and knobs, with generic, multi-DAW options. 

[quote align=right text="There’s even a 5-pin MIDI input / output, making it ideal for hardware instrument and Eurorack control."]

If this feels like excessive history and context, it’s worth it, because while Novation’s USP was always offering features nobody else did, or in more universally compatible ways, that ship’s sailed, and Novation needs to do more to compete. 

How to do that? Price is an obvious factor. Build quality another. And features – which means at least doing what everybody else does, hopefully in cool new ways. 

First up, price. This 49-key model is $249.99 (+ tax) / £229.99 (inc. VAT) / €226.88 (+ tax). That’s not exactly cheap, but it’s not expensive for what you get. And, unlike some competitors, Launchkey doesn’t bully you into an additional software / plugin ecosystem. 

Price? Tick one. 

Round two…

Next, build quality. And this MK4… it feels nice. I’m not that unboxing video guy, but as I ran my fingers over a silky finish, pressed semi-weighted keys, and tapped out a rusty reggae one drop riddim on rubber pads that felt like they might not liquify after one humid summer in Ibiza, I did wish I’d done it all on camera.

It feels solid too, with sturdy knobs and smooth sliders. It’s on my desk next to the very first Analog Factory controller (manufactured for Arturia by CME), which has survived 30+ live gigs, four studio moves and, for three mysterious years of its 16-year life, the carefree attentions of the dealer who supplied clients at our old London studios and spirited it away to his home. Well never know how Launchkey would handle all that, but I’d bet on at least a decade of trouble-free studio service. 

Digging deeper, we experience super-responsive polyphonic aftertouch from those 16 drum pads, and enjoy reassuringly engineered rubber input / selection buttons, and firm pitch-bend and mod-wheels.   

Another nice touch is the OLED screen. Some complain about the small size but it’s no use having a big screen if you can’t see it, and OLED screens offer a much wider viewing angle, for a price. And at this price, I’d choose a smaller screen I can see from my seat.

There’s even a 5-pin MIDI input / output, making it ideal for hardware instrument and Eurorack control. 

When it comes to hardware design and build, then, that’s tick two.

Now the big one – features. And in a competition-rich market, the MK4 pulls out all the stops. 

The piano keys can be split into zones for controlling different instruments, virtual or hardware. Live users can even use them for things like selecting drum samples. Plus you can lock them to a specific key, preventing wrong notes. 

And those aren’t just drum pads – they can be used to perform chord progressions, control steps in Ableton Live’s sequencer, select different functions like Mixer and Plugin modes, control the onboard arpeggiator, and more. And these are all constantly updated, with the most recent firmware introducing things like accents and ties to the arpeggios. Non-classically-trained producers will benefit most from all of this, but it promises effortless creative fun for any musician too.

Moving on, the sliders and knobs control the kinds of things you’d expect by default – mixer levels, sends, plugin parameters etc. – and can also be mapped to whatever you like.

But enough of that crap… reviews should share the experience of using something, not list features you can get from the manufacturer’s website. And my experience is frictionless, intuitive, and enjoyable. 

One thing it doesn’t have, though, which I think would be a game changer, is an MPC-style Note Repeat function. If Novation could add that to a firmware update, then I wouldn’t need my Push on the desk at all times!

[quote align=right text="In terms of configuration and setup, if you’re an Ableton Live user on a Mac, game on"]

In terms of configuration and setup, if you’re an Ableton Live user on a Mac, game on. Windows users need to download and install a setup .exe. Reason, Logic, and Cubase users can grab a simple set-up file online. And other DAW users might need to tinker with some HUI protocol settings to make the most of DAW-control functions.

If I’m completely honest, despite having begun my studio career before the rise of DAWs, I’m more of a mouse and keyboard producer in 2024, at least for controlling DAWs, but I found it really straightforward to get Launchkey controlling everything in Live, and even controlling Pro-Tools using HUI.

That’s three ticks out of three, then. But Launchkey doesn’t stop there.

As well as working right out of the box, the Launchkey allows a load of customisation, not just the aforementioned DAW-specific profiles. You can swap and reassign control mappings via a graphical interface using the Components app or even a MIDI-enabled web browser like Chrome. 

Now, I’m not a natural tinkerer myself (my gamer tag is my actual name, and if it wasn't, it would be ‘Factory_Default’), but even I sometimes like to switch the occasional control to match my most-used actions. 

Bonus tick.

Finally, there’s the bundled software. If you’re reading Attack reviews, you probably already have your DAW sorted, but it’s still a healthy haul with Ableton Live 12 Lite, instruments and effects from GForce, Klevgrand, and Orchestral Tools, and a bespoke tuition program from Melodics.

With over 30 years in the game, we’d expect a big player like Novation to bring the goods… and they have. Launchkey MK4 offers a really compelling price-to-features balance and punches well above its weight for build quality.

And while there’s no denying that Ableton Live users will enjoy the widest set of deeper features, I don’t see anybody being disappointed with the functionality, no matter their DAW.

Some people aren’t fans of these all-in-one solutions and, truthfully, I never really felt the draw before. 

But – and this is speaking as somebody with an 88-key weighted keyboard, a V-drum kit, Push, APC40, and MPC in my studio – I’ve really enjoyed this easy-setup, hassle-free, customisable functionality sitting directly in the place I spend most of my time… in front of my computer screen. 

And, as can be crucial in a long-term, intimate relationship, Launchkey’s something I’d enjoy touching every day.

So, whether you’re starting out, upgrading an ageing controller, or just tempted by the previous paragraph… you’d be crazy not to put this very high on your shortlist.

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