Midi controller - Launch Control XL

No, you will still need a midi USB host

1 Like

Iā€™d live to revive this topic because i think having a Midi controller with the Digitakt (or any other Elektron devices) is really opening up so much more potential for live recordings/performances which is what Iā€™m personally very much interested in.

Letā€™s see what weā€™ve got so far on this topic:

  • Novation Launchcontrol XL is the best option out there as a controller but its connectivity is for laughing. What kind of Midi controller doesnā€™t have a proper MIDI output?
  • Itā€™s sad that Novation didnā€™t think of this and all their controllers have that lame USB controller only. In order to connect it with a 5-pin MIDI input you need a Midi-Usb host which costs more than 100ā‚¬.
  • Itā€™s sad the Elektron didnā€™t even think about this. A simple Midi controller for the Digi-devices would have been absolutely MAGIC.
  • FaderFox Midi controllers are much higher quality controllers and they have mini-jack MIDI outputs which can easily connect with a 5-pin MIDI input with a simple cheap cable. Only problem with these is obviously the higher cost but also the fact that their cheapest models PC4 and EC4 donā€™t haveā€¦ FADERS (!?).
  • Another cool Midi-Controller is the N32B Shik but the price point also doesnā€™t justify the lack of faders.
  • An iPad is also an option as a midi-controller but itā€™s not really the same, innit?
2 Likes

Yeah, finding a proper midi controller with faders is a challenge. You also have GRID for intech studio.

I opted to simply get a cheap launch control (the one without faders) it cost me about 50,-

now, I simply need some faders at some point

hi,
just in case one has an axoloti board,
i did an axoloti patch that can handle launchcontrol XL to control the digitakt :

Work best with the axo-control extension board to control reverb, delay & compressor.

@ThanosF
You might look at the Faderfox UC4 with faders:
http://www.faderfox.de/uc4.html

Now youā€™ve got 5 wishes, really about time for that star

xone k2 is also pretty good

1 Like

Thatā€™s also an interesting option indeed. Not enough encoders Iā€™m afraid though. Best option from faderfox is MX12 obviously. And thatā€™s the one you see more often. Price is quite high though.

Yes and no. I mean it looks like an interesting MIDI controller but there is not 5-pin MIDI interface. Same problem with the Novation one.

Hello,

Do you think Elektron Tm1 could handle midi usb host for lauchcontrol XL ?

@ThanosF Did you find a solution to your needs in the end?

Nope. Not yet. Iā€™m thinking of saving to get the ultimate MIDI controller, the Faderfox MX12 and get done with it. I refuse to let go of the fact that novation can be so blind. A midi controller can be such an amazing tool for so many instruments. Why limit your device to work with only one thing? It doesnā€™t make sense to me.

I know itā€™s an old post but I think many of your assumptions , that companies ā€˜didnā€™t thinkā€™ is wrong.
The devices suit a specific market ā€¦ and each company had budgets to hit and compromises to be made. Do you honestly think experienced hardware companyā€™s forgot ?

Faderfox made their choices too , and chose a higher price to offer their devices.

Grab an iPad, configure your own controller.
Or buy recent akai / other devices with usb host.

Each device you mention work with many things ā€¦ not ā€˜one thingā€™ ā€¦ hundreds of devices use the same usb sockets / configuration.

Many people consider mini jacks for midi to be a big compromiseā€¦ how could they forget to use ā€˜properā€™ midi sockets.

2 Likes

Midi jack to Midi-pin cable is a cheap 5ā‚¬ cable that anyone can buy at anytime. USB-Midi to Midi-pin cable doesnā€™t exist and you need a device that costs more than 100ā‚¬. Make the math.

No i didnā€™t say anywhere that they ā€œforgotā€. Itā€™s just a bad decision. The possibilities of a midi-controller are endless and if you ā€œforgetā€ to put a 5-pin midi interface then you are not doing justice to the potential of your own devices. And itā€™s indeed surprising to see this from Novation but i guess like Roland they are fixated on the ā€œfutureā€ while the market is definitely going backwards to old analogue devices because they donā€™t want to be sitting behind a computer the whole day long.

Anyways, Iā€™ve contacted Novation about this and they were quite cool with responding. They take these considerations quite seriously I would hope. So maybe in the near future we might see something interesting coming out, who knows?

Check out the 2 controllers from nakedboards.
https://nakedboards.org/products

I will buy two of them soon.

1 Like

Did you ever pick these up? I am wondering how easy to set up with DT/DN they are.

Nah I use the DT as it is but it seems to be a very good and easy to set up controller.

Can someone please upload the installation file of the Novation Launch Control XL midi editor for Mac, because the new software that replaced it ā€œComponentsā€ works only if there is an Internet connection?

Works for me offline!

You have to install the offline Components first.

After that it works whether youā€™re online or not.

1 Like

For me, on mac OX sierra offline does not detect lunch control xl, therefore, it is possible to create templates, but it is impossible to transfer them to the controller