Novation Launchpad Pro: Architectural Hacks for Idea Generation in Ableton Live

The video opens with a clear mission: generating track ideas from scratch using the Novation Launchpad Pro in tandem with Ableton Live. Novation’s approach is to showcase how the controller’s built-in and custom modes can drive the entire creative process, starting with an empty project and only using Live’s factory instruments and effects. This positions the Launchpad Pro not just as a MIDI controller, but as an idea engine that leverages Ableton’s flexibility.

Integration is at the heart of the workflow. The Launchpad Pro’s modes are mapped to core Ableton functions, allowing users to play, sequence, and manipulate sounds directly from the grid. The video emphasizes that all techniques are accessible in any version of Live, making the workflow broadly applicable. This tight coupling between hardware and software is a recurring theme, setting the stage for the detailed feature demonstrations that follow.

The walkthrough dives into the Launchpad Pro’s chord mode, where users can instantly access diatonic chords in a chosen key and build custom voicings by layering notes. The video demonstrates how copying, editing, and enriching chords is straightforward, with options to add bass notes or extended harmonies for richer progressions. Recording is streamlined with quantization and metronome support, ensuring tight timing when laying down harmonic foundations.

Beat creation is tackled next, leveraging the Launchpad’s sequencer and velocity modes. Users can draw in drum patterns, adjust velocities for groove, and even bypass quantization for more humanized timing. The ability to switch between notes mode and sequencer mode on the fly highlights the controller’s flexibility. The arpeggiator is introduced as a tool for melodic and rhythmic complexity, with multiple finger modes enabling everything from simple runs to colorful, extended arps.

This section is a playground for advanced creative techniques. The video demonstrates how custom modes, configured via Novation Components, can map pads to specific functions—such as toggling the arpeggiator or controlling effects—enabling hands-on manipulation without menu diving. The arpeggiator itself is shown as a powerful tool for generating complex rhythmic and melodic patterns, especially when combined with polyphonic aftertouch and velocity randomization.

Percussion workflows benefit from these features as well. Sliced loops can be triggered in notes mode, while the arpeggiator’s random setting introduces unpredictability and variety. The presenter highlights how holding multiple pads yields evolving drum patterns, and how effects can be tweaked in real time for added movement. These techniques illustrate how the Launchpad Pro’s digital architecture supports both structured sequencing and spontaneous experimentation.