#Launchpad mk2 fl studio how to#
#Launchpad mk2 fl studio manual#

If youвЂ™re not controlling the LEDs via Ableton, you need to send a message to the Launchkey Mini to switch it to вЂњInControlвЂќ mode. If youвЂ™re controlling the LEDs from Ableton, just press the InControl button on the Launchkey Mini once until it glows red. More importantly, when the controller is in this mode Ableton is put in control of the LEDs underneath the drum pads. Within Ableton, switching to this mode lets you control your currently playing tracks and navigate the interface. The key to this all is the вЂњInControlвЂќ mode. If youвЂ™re using Ableton, the port must also be set as an output device and enabled for track output in your MIDI preferences. For me this is listed as вЂњLaunchkey Mini (Port 2)вЂќ in Ableton, and as вЂњMIDIOUT2 (Launchkey Mini) 2вЂќ in other software such as Python ( mido) and Hairless. To control the LEDs, you need to connect to this second port. This is how Ableton sends commands to the device without disrupting the main MIDI stream. The second endpoint is what Novation refers to as the вЂњInControlвЂќ port. The first endpoint is the MIDI port for the control surface data this is what you connect to for reading the keyboard, drum pads, and potentiometers. The Launchkey Mini presents itself as a generic USB-MIDI device with two I/O endpoints. But beforeВ controlling the LEDs, you have to be connected to the right MIDI port and have the device configured for InControl mode. The Launchkey Mini is a class compliant MIDI device, meaning that itвЂ™s possible to talk to it just by sending standardized MIDI messages without needing a custom driver.

#Launchpad mk2 fl studio how to#

It required a bit of reverse engineering and the result isnвЂ™t quite as pretty, but IвЂ™ve figured out how to do it.

#Launchpad mk2 fl studio manual#

There is some information available in a вЂњ programmerвЂ™s referenceвЂќ manual for the Launchkey II ( not the вЂњMiniвЂќ version), but sadly the LED components donвЂ™t function the same way. NovationвЂ™s user guide for the Launchkey Mini has no mention of how to control the LEDs. ThereвЂ™s surprisingly little information about this. That got me thinking: is it possible to control the LEDs on a Launchkey Mini like you can on a Launchpad?

I picked up a Novation Launchkey Mini II controller last year when I was working with those musical floppy drives, and recentlyВ I fell down the rabbit hole of Launchpad LED performanceВ videos.