Novation LaunchKey 49 mkII
£174.99
https://uk.novationmusic.com/keys/launchkey
Specifically targeted at Ableton Live users, the LaunchKey is Novation’s keenly priced offering at this very competitive level of the controller market. Novation have got years of experience in making both keyboards and Ableton controllers, so a keyboard with heavily Ableton-focused controller features built in makes a lot of sense. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the company’s more expensive Impulse or SL keyboards, but it’s a solid choice for Ableton users.
The LaunchKey offers a pretty standard setup of keys, sliders, rotaries and pads, but the latter are LaunchPad-inspired RGB units which integrate very smoothly with Ableton for clip launching. Even at its £174.99 RRP, the Launchkey is fairly good value. In practice, you’ll easily find it for a street price of around £140, making it a great value option for Ableton users.