Hey Bradley. I hope something like this will be announced in ableton loop this year.
If not when live 10 suite owners get max/msp 8 update we can start our own thread. I use an MPD232 myself but you and I and other mpd max owners can think of cool presets to make. I use pad performance mode on the mpc studio and Maschine studio already.
You might want to try the linnstrument. Did some testing on that a while ago. Really playable, expressive and customizable.
I really wish a larger manufacturer would pick up the AXIS series:
they had a smaller one too
Yeah that’s the one
thanks mate
That’s great you got one so recently and are performing on it already.
Is it the 49 or a 61? Seems to me that the difference, in size and cost between them (6.5 inches and $100) isn’t that substantial, so that the 61 would make sense just for the extra octave for the layout of zones.
I remember those, are they still around?
*edit: sorry for the hijack, I’ll move it elsewhere.
I got the 61 so I could have more freedom w/ zones. I want to do leads/bass in two channels but have room for larger open chords on my poly without necessarily switching tracks to do so.
I can’t comment on the size but I don’t feel like the 61 is massive, but it was a lot heavier than I expected. It’s a bit deeper than the Arturia MKII Keylab 61 but the same length. The keybed and build blow the essential out of the water but I haven’t seen the nicer Arturia one in person.
So Jason, i see elsewhere that you are a Peak user. Novation built a template interface into the SLM3 for the Peak. (As well as ones for the RYTM, Octatrack and Digitakt – Elektron users take notice.)
So if you’ve used the Peak with the SLM3, i am wondering, how good is the built-in template?
A strength of the SLM3 is going to be the library of templates that users create and put online with the Components software. It looks pretty easy to create your own and customize existing ones as well.
With the templates I was hoping for something similar to the Instruments feature on the Squarp Pyramid where you load the definition file for the midi implementation. Then when assigning knobs/faders/buttons you’d scroll through the options and assign them in.
The way this actually works is each template is hardcoded to the CC values you’ve predetermined. The templates provided out of the gate reflect the needs of the template designer and were useless for me except as examples. I very quickly realized I wanted different things in different places. So it did involve a bit of midi implementation research for each instrument I wanted to control and how. It would be nice to not have to do that every time I want to make a change.
Creating my own templates wasn’t a hassle at all and I can see situations where I’d create multiple templates for the same instrument depending on the patch I wanted to use for accessing different parameters in different ways on the keyboard.
Each assignable object doesn’t have to be assigned to the midi channel of the instrument you’re working with so you could have a peak loaded but assign knobs to another midi channel for your A4 The flexibility and options are pretty limitless, but you’d have decided in advance how you wanted to work and why.
This is really good – and a good realization too. I could see then making an interface that might involve just a few good performance things for each of several synths and then be able to control a whole system in interesting ways from one “place”. Then maybe use another template, for that same group of synths, but controlling them in a slightly different way for the next song.
Maybe also with a modular system, you could make a small change in the way the system is patched (just a few cables) and change SLM3 templates and that should give a little more fluidity to a modular setup.
Thanks for all this info Jason.
I finally got to play with both the Arturia keylab mk II 49 and the sl MK iii 49 during the sf music expo.
Arturia
-lighter than the novation
-better keys than the orignal keylab.
-good drum pads
-Comes with analog lab 3.
-chord mode with the drum pads.
Novation
-8 track sequencer
-keys are much better weight and feel.
-defintely a good buy if this will be your main controller in ableton.
-templates for elektron gear already built in
-looks better in person.
-knobs feel like push2 knobs.
-keyguide to show scales.
-this controller feels like an evolution of my xstation. I could actually gig with this controller or at least play it in the dark.
If I didn’t have a cirklon reserved I may get one. Or I might just cave in and get one anyways in 61 keys.
Never had the bug issue with my Advance 61.
If this does well I’d expect a 37 keys in the next few months.
I don’t know about their other stuff. My xstation holds up well.
The expo was good this year. Some good speakers. I keep forgetting to post good music events when I see them. I got to meet Greg Ondo from Steinberg / Cubase. Good guy and I love his YouTube vids. He’s a guru when it comes to DAW workflows.
Hi everyone! I recently just got the SL MkIII, and I was wondering if anyone else has the same issue that I currently have.
Basically, the 5 LCD screens (below the 8 knobs) are all completely white all the time, and I don’t know why, at first I thought that the keyboard needed a firmware update, so I went to the Components website and updated the SL MkIII
Everything was working fine, I could see all the parameters from Ableton Live etc etc, the problem seemed to be fixed
The next morning, I switch on the SL MkIII back on, and the LCD screens are back to being completely white, even if I still can use everything else on the keyboard
I know this might not be the place to ask for support, but I was wondering if anyone else had this issue (I already sent a sent a mail to Novation)
This is a good place for talking about this. You will no doubt hear from Novation support, and my guess is you are going to be trading your SLM3 for one that works. This sounds like a hardware problem, though it might connect to some sort of software thing as well.
Let us know what Novation does, and eventually what you think of the SLM3.
Out of interest did you go with a 49 or a 61?
Thanks for the infos, the thing that I found weird is that I actually got the LCD screen working perfectly yesterday after the update from Components, and I had a lot of fun discovering how everything works, I hope that it isn’t too bad of an issue
The SL Mk3 keys feels really great to play in, and everything is intuitive, it was a lot of fun (while the LCD’s were working lol)
I have the 61 keys version (I had an old Yamaha portable grand DGX-620, so when I heard about the SL Mk3 I thought it could be a nice replacement, and way more useful in Ableton Live)
I’ll keep you updated on whatever happens 
Thanks keep us updated. How many hours of use before this happened?
It happened when I unboxed it, the screens where white, then I updated the hardware with Components, everything worked, I was able to use the SL Mk3 during 3 hours (had to switch it off because I needed to sleep)
Yesterday morning when I turned the keyboard on, the screens went back to white
I would guess this is an unfortunate hardware fault. Do get in touch with Novation, they will sort it out for you quickly.
I sadly agree, I already send them an email, I’m just waiting for an answer
Thanks for the quick replies everyone 