SL MkIII keyboard controller from Novation

Really good. I’ve used the Novation SLs for years. I find them to be really nice to work with. The Mk3 continues that for me.

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It’s quite fine, feels good, and while not noisy has a lower pitch thunk, louder than for instance my Hydrasynth Keys.

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Cool thanks! The Argon8 and Pro3 have Fatar keybeds and my current midi controller (launchkey mk3) feels a bit too light for my taste compared to those.
Also the keys on the launchkey are a bit slimmer, and I would prefer full width keys. If you can play a D between the black keys, it’s the width I prefer.

Alright just got mine tonight, and here’s my quick take.

Keyboard is very nice! I know this is personal preference, but I really like the feel of the keybed.

Pads have a nice feel too, and the overall build is solid with a vast array of controls.
The light guide is flashy, but I’m digging it.

One thing I DON’T like so far is the transport controls! On the Launchkey I could just map the transport controls in Bitwig, as the buttons sent midi events. On the SL its locked behind the “Incontrol” button. Ugh, why? I hope I can figure out a way around that. Seems very weird that you can’t use the sequencer and send the transport controls to your DAW.

So far with Bitwig, I can’t get the SL to work exactly as I want it (and yes I know about the drivenbymoss drivers :))

I must say the Launchkey was easier to configure. I know it does less, but it was quick to set CCs and map them. Also you could change the colors of buttons, which is missing on the SL.
The color is inherited from the active part, meaning you can’t just make a button a different-color as a reminder.

It’s only the first night, but I’m on the fence about the SL MK3. It’s super nice, but also has more quirks than I was expecting.

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Don’t hesitate to contact the support if you have dealbreaker problems :wink:

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It takes a while to learn the SL it’s still a favourite piece of my set up,
I also wish the transport controls were midi mappable

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Yep - just sent a support request. I really need the transport controls to work, even though I am enjoying the other features of the SL this one is a deal breaker for me. It’s silly that I can route dedicated parts to instruments allowing for in depth control of multiple hardware and soft synths at the push of a button, yet I have to reach over and mess with my MacBook for transport controls. Makes zero sense to me.

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I’ve decided to return the SL. Well actually, I decided to sell it on reverb and give someone a good deal.
I’ll be out $110 but it would probably be similar to restock etc.

It’s a great controller, just could not get it to work with my setup to my liking. Looking to find it a happy home!

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Elektron gear works in the same way…
Play & stop buttons are not mappable and do not send midi.
It can start the daw but you must hit incontrol mode first.

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I think it’s just specific to my setup. While it’s not midi mappable I can configure the DT transport to work exactly to my preference… It can either start everything or I can have it run independently, and I can decide if it starts from the DAW transport.

I’d be thrilled if other gear had the transport and clock flexibility that the DT has :slight_smile:

Also note that on my setup, pressing InControl turns off all the backlighting.
That was one of the main reasons I wanted to upgrade from the Launchkey is backlit transport controls as I work with it fairly dark. If I was using a DAW that was integrated, this controller would be awesome. For Bitwig there is no built in driver for the SL. When I use the drivenbymoss drivers for Bitwig, my MacBook gets very hot and the fans kick in.

Sometimes a piece of gear can be excellent, and yet not work well in your setup which the case here.

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I think the sl mk3 has nearly the same functionality as the DT
just it’s called something different like clock rx or something.
It can receive clock or send it or start the daw or be started from a daw etc

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Using the configure button in Ableton, do I only get to assign 8 different parameters of a VST to the knobs on SL MK3? Say I have an instance of Omnisphere, I can have 64 parameters in Ableton without creating macros, so I wanted to ask whether SL MK3 can cover a large portion of them.

Meh, This thing is definitely not worth the money. Keybed is terrible and it feels like a dead whale with RGBs. I guess I am expecting too much from midi keyboards but at this price point, such key quality is unacceptable. This is going back.

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Supposed to be fatar

Anyone with the SL MIII have a DT as well? I just ordered my SL MIII and it’s arriving next week but I wanted to know how well the DT Template works for the DT. Do you sequence all 8 tracks on 1 Part? Or does the template work for 1 track per part?

Hope this makes sense and appreciate any help!

Might be the wrong thread but I count find a better one:
Who has experiences the launchkey mk3 keys and the Arturia Keystep 37 keys?
The former is full sized but is it decent as well?

I just bought a launchkey 37 MK3 and have owned a keystep 32 and a keylab 49 MK2.

I much prefer the launchkey to both.
The launchkey 37 is very well designed to have full size keys and not take so much space.
People will call me crazy but I prefer the keybed on the launchkey to the keylab. I liked the keys on the keystep 32 but would always choose full sized unless I had no space.
I haven’t tried all the features yet but the launchkey ARP is very good.
The Mod wheel has good resistance as does pitch bend wheel. The drum pads really surprised me as they are excellent.
How do you plan you using it in your setup?

Thanks for the reply. It’s to high for me in size… Doesn’t fit on my desk drawer.

Are there any updates on the horizon? When was the last update to the machine?

I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting. It does not have nearly the Circuits priority for Novation, despite the high price tag. The unit that sells the most is the one getting the most love.