Launchkey can send keystroke commands in the same way a computer keyboard can. This article demonstrates how to create a custom layout for triggering shortcuts within a DAW. It's also available as a video here:
Launchkey’s pads can send keystroke commands as well as keystroke combinations, which is useful for shortcuts such as copy and paste. This article looks at how to use this to control the keyboard shortcuts in Logic, but this method could be applied to other DAWs - or any other software application.
Selecting the shortcuts to use
The first step is to know which shortcuts you want to control from the Launchkey. This page shows a list of keyboard shortcuts available for use in Logic Pro.
Using B on a computer keyboard shows the Smart Controls – this is useful as these are controllable from the encoders of Launchkey, similarly access to the Mixer view with X can be used to see any changes made with the faders.
Adding the shortcuts to the Launchkey
The keyboard shortcuts are configured as part of the of the Custom Mode slots on Launchkey MK4. To create the Custom Mode in Components click Manage My Launchkey MK4. You may be asked to update your firmware before doing this. Once here, click Create Custom Mode and then select Pads – you can only send keystrokes from Pads and Fader Buttons.
To have a pad send a Keystroke, select it and then set the message type to Keystroke. Click the Key Combination box and then press the desired key, or key combination, on your computer keyboard to assign this pad to that function.
This pad has now been assigned to the B key, which shows Smart Controls. Renaming this will mean this function will be shown on Launchkey’s screen every time the pad is pressed.
Send the Custom Mode to your Launchkey
If using one of the included Custom Modes provided as an attachment to this article, you can use the Upload Custom Mode option to edit/send one of these templates.
Once done customising, you need to send the custom mode to the Launchkey. To do this, click Send to Launchkey in the top right and select one of the four available slots. Once set, the mode will appear on the hardware.
These are just starting points, you can customise what’s here to suit your needs, like including notes to use as drum pads, or switches for effects. Note that some mappings will be specific to your operating system if you use the Ctrl or CMD keys.
Description of provided Custom Modes
Logic Shortcuts+
This mode is what is shown in the video with additional functions added, from top left:
- The first pad is used to show/hide the Smart Controls
- The second pad is used to show/hide the Mixer
- The third pad shows/hides the piano roll
- The fourth pad opens/closes plug-in windows for the selected track
- The next two pads have been disabled to space out the controls
- The seventh pad is set to CMD C for copy
- The eighth pad is set to CMD V for paste
- The ninth (bottom row, leftmost), tenth and eleventh pad is set to notes in the C1 octave, ideal for use playing drums
- The twelfth and thirteenth pad has been disabled.
- Pad fourteen, fifteen and sixteen are set to notes in the C-2 octave, and are intended for use as key switches for articulation on sample based instruments (such as Orchestral Tools which is provided with Launchkey MK4)
Ableton Shortcuts
This mode is available for Mac/Windows respectively. It controls shortcuts and allows for browsing/selection of content in the browser. From the top left:
- The first pad is set to the Tab key which can be used to change between the Session and Arrangement window.
- The second pad is set to show the mixer (as of Live 12 can be used in either Session or Arrangement views)
- The third pad shows/hides the selected clip
- The forth pad shows/hides the device view
- The fifth pad is disabled to space out the controls
- The sixth pad shows/hides the browser. Using this will focus the cursor here and can be used in combination with the pads for the browser (described next).
- The collection of pads next to this in white/grey can be used to move through the browser (cursor keys in White) and selecting a preset/sample with the Enter key (grey). This is useful for selecting an instrument
- The ninth pad (bottom left) is used to create a new audio track
- The tenth pad is used to create a new MIDI track
Cubase
This mode can be used on either Mac or Windows. It moves through views, offer some additional transport and undo control, as well as notes for playing drums for the pads. From the top left:
- The first pad is used to show/hide the mixer within the main window of Cubase
- The second pad is used to show/hide the editor within the main window of Cubase
- Pads three through to 6 are disabled to better space out controls
- The seventh pad is used to Tap Tempo values in
- The eighth pad toggles Auto-Scroll on and off for the transport. This is set to Toggle.
- The ninth (bottom row, leftmost), tenth and eleventh pad is set to notes in the C1 octave, ideal for use playing drums
- The twelfth pad is disabled
- The thirteenth pad is set to a CC message that will toggle on and off. This could be manually assigned to control something through manual assignment
- The fourteenth pad is disabled
- Pads fifteen and sixteen are used for mixer Undo/Redo - an undo function additional the the Undo/Redo already available on Launchkey MK4.
OBS-Streaming
This mode is available for Mac/Windows respectively. It is designed to be used with streaming applications such as OBS - functions here require manually assignment. Additional controls are provided for moving between applications and playback controls for applications like Spotify. From the top left:
- The first and send pad are used to tab between applications
- The third pad is used in the Mac version for Ctrl, which will allow tabbing between browser tabs or multiple desktops (with the arrow keys)
- The fourth pad is disabled to better space out controls
- The fifth pad is used to control playback in media applications (with the spacebar)
- The sixth pad is disabled to better space out controls
- Pads seven and either are intended to be assigned to select different scenes in OBS.
- Pads nine and ten are arrow keys to be used with the modifier keys above them.
- Pads eleven and twelve are disabled to space out controls
- Pads thirteen through to sixteen are for assignment to Start/stopping streaming and recording in OBS.