These scripts are modified version of Ableton Live 8.2.7 and 9.0 scripts for Novation Launchpad and provide the same functionality but add support for editing the midi clips using a step sequencer , an Instrument Controller and Device Controller and an improved Instrument Mode. It does not require any external tool like Max for Live (M4L) in order to work. This script is just a plain Live Control Surface Python Script.

Comment, feedback and updates : please check this thread on Ableton forum http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=168495

It uses the Ableton live python api and is partly based on Hanz Petrov's step sequencer for AKAI APC40 http://remotescripts.blogspot.com/p/apc-64-40.html which i hacked a little and merged into launchpad scripts. Thanks to Matkainc and Chymera for their help and ideas.

Sunny from controllerism.com made a great walkthrough of Launchpad95 covering the main functions :

Installation

First, download the installation archive from
- live 9 : Launchpad95.zip
- live 8.4 : Launchpad85.zip
Unzip the zip file and copy the folder Launchpad85 / Launchpad95 into the Ableton Live's "MIDI Remote Scripts" folder.
If you don't know where to copy the file check this page out. As a bonus this page also explains how to sync two computers (mac or pc) using a network connection !

After the folder has been copied, plug-in your Launchpad in the computer and start Ableton Live. Open up the preferences panel and go to "MIDI Sync" panel. Select Launchpad95 as your control surface and select the launchpad Midi Port midi ports like so :

For those adept of Launchpad Color I adapted this script to be compatible with Launchpad85. You can grab Launchpad85Colour here or Launchpad95Colour here!

Mode of Operation

Three modes are added on top of the existing modes. These are Step Sequencer mode to edit midi clips, and Device Controller mode to edit any parameter of any instrument, effect or device on any track of your arrangement, and finally an Instrument Mode providing a tighter integration with Live.

Instrument Controller Mode

Instrument Mode replaces classic User Mode 1. (only available with Launchpad95 and Live 9) To activate Instrument Controller Mode, press User Mode 1 button (mode button remains amber). Press User Mode 1 button once again, button turns green, activating the Device Controller. Once more the button will turn red, activating the old User Mode 1 in case you need it.

The top up/down navigation buttons allow to navigate scenes, while the left/right button allow to navigate tracks. The scene buttons allow you to control the currently selected track and clip, arm, solo, record, play, stop etc.

The matrix of buttons act as a midi keyboard proposing a drumrack layout, and a melodic mode. Melodic mode enable you to select root note, type of mode (major, minor etc), and the octave you play in.

scale edition mode

To enter scale edition mode press the 1st scene button from Instrument mode.
Top red buttons provide mode selection (drumrack, chromatic, diatonic). 2nd and 3rd amber rows provide root note selection. 4th red row allows you to select the octave. Bottom green rows allow to select the mode.

Device Controller Mode

Device Controller mode is a sub mode of User Mode 1. To activate Device Controller Mode, press User Mode 1 button once, the normal User Mode 1 is activated (mode button remains amber). Press User Mode 1 button once again, button turns green, activating the Device Controller.

You can edit eight parameters of the selected device on the selected track at once. One parameter per column.

Navigation among tracks and devices is done using the top left navigation buttons. Right side buttons control on/off, device locking, parameter banks navigation and precision mode.

A summary of functions assigned to the buttons is shown in the table below. hover your mouse above a button to get detailed description.

Step Sequencer Mode

To activate the Step Sequencer, select a midi clip in the clip view. Then press User Mode 2 button once. Normal User Mode 2 is activated (mode button remains amber). Press User Mode 2 button again, it turns green, activating the step sequencer (in normal mode).

Pressing the User Mode 2 button once more, turns it red. In this mode (mute lanes mode), the side buttons (scene buttons) turn into mute buttons for the lane (lit in red).

A playback/metronome indicator is scrolling thru the grid in amber to indicate the playing position of the clip as the clip is playing. This is just an overlay, first rows are still available for clip editing.

You can navigate within the clip using the arrow buttons, going up and down in pitch, and navigating within the clip from left to right. The step sequencer can display any portion (block) of a clip using the left and right arrow button. Clip length is not limited.

Here are the color codes used :
- Normal notes are shown in Green, intensity depending on their velocity.
- Muted notes are displayed in Red.
- Notes being currently played are flashing in red.
- Notes being played and being outside of the currently displaying midi clip block will also flash in red.

Some other information is displayed, using orange colour :
- Note markers help to better visualise what row correspond to which note:
     - C are marked with three orange left buttons lit up.
     - other full (not sharp or flat) notes are marked with one orange button lit on the left-most row.
- while scrolling left and right along the clip, a vertical bar will display you where you are in the clip

A summary of functions assigned to the buttons is shown in the table below. hover your mouse above a button to get detailed descriptions

normal mode

mute lane mode

Source

• https://github.com/hdavid/Launchpad95/
• https://github.com/hdavid/Launchpad85/

Known Issues

• in live 9, moving notes in clip editor while stepseq is open duplicate notes.
• in live 9, track feedback is not working for all notes.
• Launchpad85 for live 8 is now longer maintained/improved.

History

• 2013-05-09 - fix for live 9.0.4: replace overdub by session_record in TrackController. overdub in Python API started to behave strange from 9.0.4.
• 2013-05-04 - add: long press on solo to mute/unmute track in instrument mode. fix: disable implicit arm while leaving instrument mode.
• 2013-04-13 - change : changed some buttons in instrument mode. support for implicit arm.
• 2013-04-13 - add : support for Instrument mode
• 2013-03-13 - fix : fix loop length dec button
• 2013-03-05 - add : Launchpad95 to support Live 9
• 2012-10-21 - change : while extending midi clip, clone existing notes in the newly created portion
• 2012-02-02 - change : fixed midi channels for step sequencer and device controller to avoid conflicts
• 2012-01-22 - add: up/down per octave paging in step sequencer (press and hold mute and press navigation keys) fix:scrolling boundaries
• 2012-01-21 - add: Scale mode. fix: better scrolling in fold and scale mode. change: merged mute shift and mute. changed: merge velocity and velocity shift.
• 2012-01-03 - add: easier to configure metronome and note markers in step sequencer. add: adapted LaunchpadColour (Launchpad85Colour) to this script, for color blind people
• 2012-01-02 - bug fix: improve button response time in step sequencer (was causing problem while pressing multiple buttons at once)
• 2011-12-31 - bug fix: loops longer than 8 blocks were not supported. add : scale marked in step sequencer marking C (3 amber blocks) and A (one amber block)
• 2011-12-29 - bug fix: some buttons not responding correctly in user mode 1
• 2011-12-26 - Improved live integration (shows Device chain/clip editor). fixed crash while loading Live Set
• 2011-12-23 - support for MaxForLive. addition of lock mode in step sequencer. bug fixes. renamed from Launchpad75 to Launchpad85.
• 2011-10-05 - addition mute lane in step sequencer
• 2011-10-01 - addition of device controller
• 2011-08-20 - bug fixes
• 2011-07-22 - first public version
• 2011-05 - working on an initial version

Contact

feel free to contact me for any suggestions and bug reports.

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