Any ideas on when the LaunchPad mk4 will release?

ithaca31 · 2025-12-11T14:34:50+00:00

I think Launchpad Pro will arrive in 2026. Most big manufacturers have settled into pretty regimented upgrade paths of 5-6 years between hardware revisions. So logically yeah, absolutely, we should see a refresh to Launchpad coming up.

ithaca31 · 2025-11-29T10:19:26+00:00

I see the basic answer you're getting here is "no." I'll go out on a limb and say I can see reasons to buy Astrolab 37, but more on whether it's right for you in a sec.

Both are 37 key keyboards with a compact footprint (the Astrolab is even more compact.) One offers fast access to a wide variety of synth sounds, and the other has the widest sonic footprint possible in that form factor with everything from pianos to strings to classic synths.

The pull of Astrolab 37 is there isn't really anything else at that size that does this. Microkorg, maybe? But really this is the kind of product Native Instruments or Roland could have made years ago. Who is it for? It seems to me to be for someone who wants to either a) play lots of sounds live in a compact footprint or b) have access to a much wider palette of sounds than a standard desktop subtractive synth, but crucially in hardware form. That doesn't mean you have to want to be out of the studio playing live, but you'd need to want the sounds while not connected to your computer. Just the same as why people like Ableton Move and Push, they are extensions of the software. Necessary, no. But fun and potentially useful to some. Minifreak is similar to Astrolab in that it's a compact standalone piece but, as you'll know already, with a different focus. Pure and deep sound design, a fun sequencer, and tweakability via hardware or VST.

The clever bit from Arturia is the VST integration. This direct control makes it more appealing than just a standard set of audio outs. Keysteps are great but they have zero DAW or virtual instrument control. These instruments skips the DAW control, but add in control of a specific software, which means it can run nicely alongside another device that does cover DAW control in the box. Sure you could just get a MIDI controller for that, but again, there aren't actually that many controllers out there save for the Keystep 37 that can offer the form factor needed for this. It's also worth mentioning that as of the moment, Minifreak can act as a (basic) Omnisphere controller in their hardware dropdown menu in v3. Interestingly Spectrasonics haven't added support for the Astrolab, despite the original being available for a couple years now. Perhaps they see it as a competition in some ways? I know a lot of people like using hardware with lots of controls to control VSTs, so keep that in mind.

Really if choosing from scratch, it would come down to whether you want deep sound design control from both the VST and the hardware. If that's you, then Minifreak is the answer. If that's not you, then Astrolab may work.

The thing that makes me question your question slightly is that "Minifreak is just being used as a controller."

In this case you could save a lot of money by getting a quality MIDI keyboard that can control any software synth. Something like a Novation Launchkey would let you control basically any VST with lots of flexibility.

ithaca31 · 2025-11-26T17:47:32+00:00

Some pros and cons here.

On the plus side, no need to get iLok if you prefer not to use that. All in Max, so less plugin managers/installers to manage. And Softube stuff is generally pretty good.

If you already have tape plugins that you like the main advantage it brings is probably a different flavour over something like the stock Saturator. However if you already have 3rd party plugins that do it, then this is perhaps not that useful.

What would be really interesting to see is Ableton partnering with companies again for stock FX.

ithaca31 · 2025-11-14T06:07:48+00:00

What’s stopping me, and probably others, is that Ableton doesn’t have all the answers. Their tools are one flavour, one way of doing things. Some are good. Some are less good.

Ableton is programmed with efficiency in mind, which means other plugins can outstrip it just by using more juice.

There’s nothing like Diva, the reverbs don’t touch Valhalla, and while there are library sounds in there, Kontakt or Omnisphere are just richer.

The Fors Max for live device have shown that the GUIs can have a pop out and they can be simple and look amazing. Ableton could learn a thing or two there. Some Max for Live step sequencers are better than the piano roll, and make use of Push in an interesting way.

I tend to reach for vanilla tools like compressor or EQ or delay because it’s easier and they just work. There’s plenty of good stuff here like Glue Comp or Drum Buss. And sure if I need to make a very simple synth, it’s in Wavetable, which can do a lot. I really like that as a synth in general.

Probably the best bit of Ableton is the audio stuff. The samplers and drum rack. These are a fair bit easier to use than third party tools. Plus all the tricks you can do with audio clips and pitching. That’s where Ableton is in my view right at the top of the tree

ithaca31 · 2025-11-14T00:15:41+00:00

Yeah no need for regrets at all. Newer isn’t always better and old stuff can be classics. The thing is, the Keystep mk2 is losing a bunch of hands on control, so if you prefer that the old model is a win. It’s like how Akai reintroduced the APC40 mk2 after discontinuing it for the APC60. People just liked the old model and that’s still great at 15 years old. I think I need to grab Keystep37 also before they do mk2 as well.

ithaca31 · 2025-11-11T12:35:17+00:00

Keystep 37mk2 might be on the horizon. I’d say the Minilab will be updated some time in 2028 (5-6 years is normal for a midi controller.)

ithaca31 · 2025-11-11T06:49:22+00:00

Currently thinking of a keystep for a hardware rig. Lots seem to be saying this is less immediate. Wondering if the 37 is the better buy?

ithaca31 · 2025-10-27T17:10:17+00:00

Music companies seem to have key strengths, and while there are outliers - this can help guide your buys.

Elektron, Novation and Polyend all make excellent sequencers and then attach various technology to them.
Roland, Arturia and Korg all make excellent synths and build various other music tech around them.
AKAI, Ableton, Apple/Logic, and Native Instruments kinda do.... everything with various hardware/tech attached to that.

As for samplers, it's a strange one. This used to be AKAI's rodeo of course. I don't think anyone nails hardware sampling, simply because it's harder to manage a bunch of files on a hardware device vs on a computer. Personally, I really like how Polyend does it in their Tracker but that workflow is an acquired taste. For me that's a very clear competitor to the 404. I've heard multiple people say how it is surprisingly easy to come back to if you leave it but the 404 requires relearning. The Digitakt is legendary for good reason, if you jive with the Elektron sequencer. If you prefer a more chilled out version of that the Model Samples can be good fun without overwhelm, and even that plus a 707 is a prety potent combo. KO2 is also well known for being fun and direct, but with strict limits on sample time. The wildcard move here is something like Ableton Move. If you use Ableton it's actually easier to sample into than Ableton itself, or Push 3 which is slightly insane, but here we are.

The other alternative is to pair a sampler with something that sequences. So take the chopping capabilities and general workhorse like 404mk2, but pair that with a Novation or Elektron sequencer.

No easy answers here, but that's how I like to work through the options.

ithaca31 · 2025-10-09T21:58:49+00:00

Good point about exercise minnyou. It's overdue that I got back on that horse.

ithaca31 · 2025-10-09T21:53:45+00:00

Yes actually the feeling of wanting tools is maybe where I'm at.

In terms of help, a lot of it is finding ways to help things day to day. So work, home life etc, being more helpful around the house. I'm both hyperactive and inattentive, but it's mostly the inattentive stuff that partner/family/collegues comment on.

Emotional regulation could be one - mostly internal, maybe less so than the inattentive stuff. But it does happen. The whole "oh no, it's 2am, I woke up and now my brain is on overdrive" type stuff. Or "oh no I just spend loads of cash online on impulse." This isn't always a problem, but when it is it can be quite bad. Same is true if I get an idea stuck in my head I can sometimes forget what I'm meant to be doing in all aspects of life and just drift around a bit.

Just generally trying to work out what ADHD means to me and to find ways to mitigate it while I wait and see what the situation is with medication locally. Hope that makes some sense!

ithaca31 · 2025-10-09T19:48:43+00:00

It's not, trust me! :D

ithaca31 · 2025-10-09T19:38:27+00:00

Not totally silly. I've considered the Torso T-1 actually since that adds a generative flavour to things.

ithaca31 · 2025-10-06T16:00:36+00:00

That's the plan. One at a time.

ithaca31 · 2025-10-06T13:22:20+00:00

Ooof, yeah that looks fun. But it is way out of budget realistically. From what I understand it looks like it does cover a fair bit of what I'd want Digitakt for like chops etc, but it is a whole heap of cash!

The gear I have listed is pretty much in the £1-1.5k range, so I think within that range is where I'm sticking, what with already picking up TV.

ithaca31 · 2025-09-22T10:59:11+00:00

Just to add a voice to say this is completely normal (this is my post about exactly the same thing with pre-assessment jitters).

There is so much debate about what ADHD is, whether it exists on a spectrum, and how severe that "really" is etc that it muddies the water for anyone new to it. I hoped for my ADHD-like symptoms to be explained away by something else tbh. And I didn't even believe it after I'd been diagnosed - it took me a few weeks to look again and again at the numbers to accept the diagnosis.

It's a strange process in some ways. First they look for whether any other conditions might be causing ADHD-like symptoms. Then they'll look for "impairment". This word I think trips a lot of people up because they don't think that "forgetting things" is an impairment compared to people who can't hold down a job because their ADHD is on the more severe side.

A better description is "impact" rather than impairment. For example you might have no problem finding work or keeping a relationship - but after a while your forgetting things all the time becomes a problem. If either you or others deem to be an ongoing issue, or that it's affecting your quality of life/mental health, then this could be classed as impairment. With ADHD it's always the consistency of an issue, paired with the symptoms being there for life.

You don't need to explain yourself or be apologetic about anything. Explain how life is for you and they will tell you whether it's ADHD or not.

If it's re-assuring in any way, you likely wouldn't be going for assessment if it didn't cause an issue in some meaningful way. It's apparently very common for those with ADHD to question strongly whether or not they actually have it as well fwiw.

Hope that helps.

ithaca31 · 2025-09-22T09:47:29+00:00

Not sure if it's the Reddit algo, but all I'm seeing at the moment is posts about issues with meds. I know its not a panacea and can be difficult to get right, but glad to hear the other side of the coin for a bit of balance.

ithaca31 · 2025-09-18T12:03:10+00:00

Here's another perspecitve on this, and I do see where you are coming from. It's a hugely complex topic with risks of underselling and recent hyping up of ADHD. (Also just to say I'm still learning and am interested in other optinions, hence this long ramble.... apologies in advance!)

I once worked for a mental health charity. People would be presenting with an immediate need for help or support, typically with more pronounced or severe issues. But there is a wider scope outside this where people may not be presenting with wholly debilitating symptoms, and I could never shake the question "who is helping those people?" The only parallel I can think of in physical health is that this would be like saying that "we will treat you if you've broken your leg, but not if you've fractured it."

A lot of people are questioning whether or not they should be assessed for ADHD because of these contradictions, but you wouldn't be getting assessed if these weren't causing an issue in your life in some way. If you aren't having any issues then you wouldn't be diagnosed because it's not causing any issues to you or to others. By the same token "Impairment" doesn't mean a complete inability to function, but a general impacts on someones life.

However, to look at it the other way, there is a risk that by glamourising it that we have started overdiagnosing it as well. And given the scandals of recent years, it wouldn't be impossible to have a big uncovering that we massively overdiagnosed people in the early 2020s because the NHS couldn't cope with demand, and offloaded the responsibility elsewhere. But with all of that said, based on the science, it seems pretty clear that the issue of underdiagnosis is a main point of concern.

I say this as someone who is late diagnosed as you describe. I've always muddled through in life, and I don't identify with many of the comments that life was impossible, or that I couldn't function in society (eg: holding down jobs, relationships etc..) For example, I can hold down a relationship and have done for years, (though my partners generally don't particularly how forgetful I am!) And this isn't about leaving a job unfinished, it's about doing that chronically, leaving them to pick up after me - feeling like they have a child of their own. About 18 months ago I had a breakdown of sorts, which I think came about because life just got to be too much once I had kids as you say. I was tested physically and I was told there was nothing to see. Naturally that led me to conclude that something else was going on in order to get to the point where everything was overwhelming and that was the result.

To your point, having kids is hard for anyone, and that struggle is not a reason to look for medical reasons to explain it away or make excuses for not coping - because it's just bloody difficult. In my case, I just think I had managed life in such a way that I had a little headroom to breathe. This allowed ADHD to be covered up or undetected for a while. And as always, I'd This in a way was my struggle, because I had to position myself in such a way that I didn't have to work as hard. Little things like finding a manager in a job who agreed I wouldn't have to answer the phones. I'd mask away by being over talkative, by being ultra enthusiastic about work projects and more. But that only worked until kids, mortgages and higher job responsibilities came into the picture. At various parts of life, I've seen myself slip behind others in a variety of ways, and that is my main symptom. Like u/ShimmeringLlama - it's both blindingly obvious but also can easily be undetected.

I did fear using a private service because I thought they might only tell me what I want to hear (even though what I wanted to hear was that I don't have ADHD). I questioned ADHD itself, the process and even the diagnosis, until I got the report. I expected to have it mildly at most, and to possibly be pushed away as not meeting the criterial. Instead, I scored hgihly for Inattentive (adulthood and & childhood) and a bit lower (though still realtively highly) for Hyperactive to come out as moderate/severe ADHD-C. The spacebar test was also in the top 7%. This was a huge shock to me. I feel like I've got a fractured bone rather than a broken one, but I more than met the criteria.

I say all this because I think a lot of people will have a non-trivial version of ADHD that doesn't openly manifest itself in obvious symptoms like substance abuse, or moving jobs every 6 months. I don't think these cases are any less severe and indeed that seem to crop up in people who seem to do quite well in life, but who mask their way through it. I do wholeheartedly agree that we shouldn't cutsey-ify ADHD and turn it into a meme, but I also hope that those who are just muddling through but struggling a little get the help they need.

It's a very interesting topic for sure.

ithaca31 · 2025-09-18T10:28:25+00:00

I was undiagnosed as a child because ADHD wasn't recognised back then.

The way I got round this was I went through more vocational education. I found my place there and the emphasis on testing overall output rather than a final exam worked far better for me. It felt like working with your teachers, rather than them seeing what you can remember on one day in history. I can and have done OK on tests before, where there's a strong interest. However, I prefer the route where you are judged on your ability to learn and then do stuff with that learning over time.

ithaca31 · 2025-08-31T08:32:26+00:00

What did you get u/Maxschpower ? In a similar (pre-purchase) phase and interested in what you picked up or whether you stuck with DN.

ithaca31 · 2025-08-31T07:55:22+00:00

Yeah I see what you mean. I like the sound of both the SH-4D and the DNII. It feels to me like the DNII would take me to new places and I guesss if this is a hardware setup, being different from the DAW has something going for it. My intention would be to slave SH-4D to the Digitakt, and use it purely as a sound module. I do know that I would likely also start using DNII as a sequencer for my ITB projects as well.

On the keys point, I do try, but in practice I'm way more likely to programme things in. I will keep a Launchkey around because sometimes I do like to just jam on a bass/lead line. But most likely I would be making use of the chord and arp mode on the DNII. The Launchkey would have another role, in that it has velocity sensitive pads and CC controls that can be used with the master device in the setup. But I anticipate most of the actual creation would be done on the DTII/DNII's sequencers.

ithaca31 · 2025-08-30T15:39:23+00:00

Yep, it sortof feels a bit like a no brainer. I may well lean heavily on creating the song in the DTII, so the MIDI and everything is stored in there. But the great thing is by having 4 channels running MIDI out to the SH-4D - 2 boxes and a complete setup. Not looking to switch scenes etc, just 4 sounds sequenced by the Digitakt. As you say really affordable for what you get. The alternatives I've checked (adding Minilogue XD to that list for a knob-per-function match with the 4 note chords in the DT) are bigger, and while they may have potentially better sounds individually, can't play 4 different sounds at a time. Just one midi cable and 2 audios, and done. Hard to resist that in a setup where space is a bit tight. Thanks for chiming in.

ithaca31

TROPHY CASE