Every launchpad is a special snowflake

For this video I tested 3 different Launchpad X devices as well as 2 different Launchpad pro mk3 devices and compared their pad sensitivity, responsiveness and dynamic range. Conclusion: No one launchpad is 100% the same it seems! Watch the video to find out if you, as a finger drummer, should buy an X or a Pro, or if it doesn't make that much of a difference.

Gear recommendations blog post:

Lessons, courses and an online finger drumming community:

Patreon:

[piotr]

Glad to see that Harry Potter grew up to be a fantastic finger drummer.

[sthego]

Damn, this is one of the best channels I've discovered in the lasts months. It deserves a lot more atenttion.

But finger drumming is something a little bit niche.

[manuelgonzales]

🎉❤😂 Good information. Just got a Pro MK3 so I won't get frustrated with it. Thanks

[shokosugi]

I wanted the Mini for the buttons, rather than velocity pads that I'm never going to use for velocity purposes, but the X has the scales mode that I really want. It's amazing how I can't find any device that does exactly what I want. Don't even get me started on the APC Mini.

[sharpieman]

Just got my Launchpad X in yesterday so I was worried you were going to have to retract your rave review. Good to hear even with multiple Xs it still performed at a high level for the money. Looking forward to finally getting to complete your tutorial videos on your site myself after only watching them before, keep up the great work!

[jdssurf]

what would be a good device to use along side my SL49 MK3 using unit with its own sounds, or a type of launchpad

[dmsdrumcovers]

Very cool! Can't wait to get to grow to one of those!

[marcusglamour]

I was getting crazy with my Launchpad X, due to this double-note triggering that I experienced the most on Melodics, rather than on Ableton (less evident). I gave it back and went for the Launchpad Pro MK3 and I am VERY happy and satisfied about responsiveness and accuracy of the pads!

[wxgqdjq]

Great video I thought of getting the atom just for large pads and starting out, then the LPX for it’s nice feats.

[KozmykJ]

As I watched this I wondered if the Pad Sensitivity was set the same for the 3 Launchpad Xs
Seeing how thorough you are with your testing generally I figured you would have covered that.
Later in the video I see that you Did go over that setting later.

[mechasartre]

When playing the same pads me and my friend get different amounts of double triggers. I’ve put it down to what I call “snap”, a really reactive and efficient on off motion reduces/eliminates double triggers in my experience.

[aptudo]

Eye-opening. Thanks! I guess we should assume that electronic musical instruments, even mass-produced ones, can have subtle differences like this. Prior to this discussion, I assumed that in a single manufacturing run, it's binary "defective or non-defective" output and that all non-defective output would perform identically. Hey, on the subject of your 2020 pad recommendations, are people asking you to review the MPC One pads? It's a device that I, for one, am interested in, because I've always wanted to own a sampler.

[julianfishboyazhou]

You are just awesome! Thank you very much for those wonderful and helpful video! And best wish to you! In this dangerous NCP situation, be careful and good luck!

[eviltroops]

launchpad pro mk3 vs Maschine mk3 vs MPC One. which one is best for finger drumming? and most sensitive?

[PietroCasellaMusic]

Hi, After your reviews I decided to buy an LP X but unfortunately I find the minimum sensitivity very disappointing (I prefer much softer triggering, since I’m coming from the Piano and had a Maschine 2 previously) Did you observe the sensitivity getting better after some use /breaking in over time? Do you know if it is possible to MOD a Launchpad for some extra sensitivity? Congrats on your show, really good stuff!

[harvey]

would you reccomend i buy the new launchpad x or get a second hand push 1? they come in at about the same. push 1 probably about 25-50$ cheaper, not for finger drumming, I already own a maschine more for production and ableton use

[emmanueldominguez]

Hey man, I have a question.
I have a problem with mine, first of all I wanted to connect my Launchpad X together with my Piano midi controller in Ableton set up in different channels. So I Putted my Piano Controller is in channel 1 and the Launch pad X is in Channel 9.

Only Problem is that when I arm a drum track to play the Launch pad X in a drum track, it thinks it is a normal instrument and goes into melody mode instead of drum mode,
and now it does not even show a drum grid pattern of Ableton in my Launchpad X, it still plays the sound, I only can't visually see where they are.
I think it is because I have change in preference-> link midi: the input and output to lauchpad_x instead of MIDIIN2 (LPX MIDI).

So how can I play both of my controllers without having problems of them interfering with each other?

[HOLIDAYCREWSTUDIOS]

Broo are the pads on launchpad x same on the Launchkey mk3 ?

I mean the feel and Soft.

Both are same or different?

[vulcanprincess]

as a keyboardish player wanting to use the launchpad for scales, i wish it was a 10x10 or custom size so my thumbs had somewhere to rest, similar to your thumbs hitting the bottom problem

[TheJoyofFingerDrumming]

Great vid. So annoying that even with new models recently released we are still plagued by the sensitivity differences and the double triggering. My launchpad x doesn't double trigger, but I was intrigued by one of Nular Music's comment on one of his videos when he said that his X is less sensitive than his old Pro mk2. Now I understand why.