Applies to Launchkey MK3

This article describes the various functions of the editor for the Launchkey MK3.

Components is a tool used to manage the firmware and templates on many of our products. You can download a standalone version when you register your Launchkey, or access our web-based version in browsers that support WebMIDI such as Chrome, Opera and Microsoft Edge from this link: https://components.novationmusic.com 

If using a browser, you may need to allow the page access to your MIDI devices, as prompted when first loading the page: 

You do not need to log in to use Components, but doing so allows you to back up all of your data to your account. 

You can make templates in the editor whether the Launchkey Mini MK3 is connected to Components or not. To see if the Launchkey is connected, check the indicator in the top right which can be one of 3 colours.

Red: this means that the device cannot be seen by Components.

If the device is in this state it could either mean the device is not connected, not powered, or you are using a browser which does not support WebMIDI

Yellow: this means the device is connected and recognised, but is in the wrong state, in this case, it could mean the Launchkey is in Bootloader mode. Pressing the Play button will let it start as normal. If not, please try reinstalling the firmware from the Firmware tab. 

Green: The Launchkey is connected and is ready to use.

In each case, you can click the connection icon in the top right to find out more. 

In Components, you can create and edit Custom Modes. This is broken into three sections for the Pots, Pads, Faders & Buttons* and there is a separate tab for the Sustain Pedal.

*Faders & Buttons is only used for the Launchkey 49 & 61 MK3 models

Custom Modes:

Down the left-hand side of Components you'll have access to your templates as well as the stock templates we have provided:

Selecting a template shows you the details of this. For example, as below, when you select the 'Factory Pad Custom Mode 1', this tells you the pads are layout with the notes of the C Minor Scale.

When you first go to manage a Custom Mode you'll be asked to select the type of Custom Mode you want to manage. Each of these is separate and relate to a different set of controls on the keyboard.

Pots: 

This screen lets you edit the dials at the top of the Launchkey, you can set custom CC messages to be used for controlling hardware and software. These values can be accessed by holding 'Shift' and pressing one of the top-right four pads (one for each Custom Mode).

Pads:

On this screen you can edit the notes the pads send, the colour they turn when pressed (On Colour) and the colour they are when not pressed (Off Colour). To access each of the four Pad Custom Modes, press and hold 'Shift' and select one of the bottom-right four pads:

You can set each pad to have a different note number, note number values correspond to a note, as listed in this image (some Yamaha devices may interpret these differently): 

You can also set the MIDI channel for each of the pads and select the behaviour between Momentary and Toggle.

Faders & Buttons:

On this screen, you can edit the CC value per Fader and change the MIDI Channel + minimum-maximum range of the fader between 0-127. For the Buttons, you can change the message type, again between Note/CC/Program Change, the MIDI Channel, Behaviour, On/Off Colour and the Value:

Sustain Pedal:

This lets you customise the CC message sent by the sustain pedal, which by default is 64. Note that changing this message will change how it is received, so if it is not set to 64 it may not be interpreted as a sustain/hold command.

Updates:

In the updates page, you can update and reinstall the firmware of your Launchkey MK3. When you first get the Launchkey it is worth checking here to see that you have the latest firmware. This will list all the changes we've made to the firmware as well in the Release Notes. You can also calibrate the Pitch and Modulation wheels:

Follow along with the on-screen instructions to calibrate your wheels:

This is useful for making sure the controls send for the appropriate range but isn't something you'll need to do often - only if you notice an issue.