Novation SL MKIII Review: Top 5 Reasons to Love this Midi Controller (61SL MK3 / 49SL MK3)

[@GammaLensMedia]

Let me know what your favorite Midi Controller Keyboard is and why!?!?!?!?

[@hiioproductionzatlanta4419]

This was extremely useful. The view on how you use the board is excellent! I would encourage you to make more videos on the MK3 because to see the features in use is in demand and not many videos related on the tube. Simple tutorials of each feature on the board I would pay a couple of dollars to see in use. I am a visual person and it is nice to see others that use the same unit. I am certain others would too. Being advance in the use of a product and sharing your knowledge helps excel others faster. :) It would be awesome to see more videos on the board. Hopefully this may encourage you to do more. Hiio305

[@GammaLensMedia]

Honestly I've been debating doing a series on the keyboard because it does have so many options. I really appreciate the feedback I definitely will be opening up a free series on my hear the MKIII is definitely on that list!

[@officialspaceefrain]

Man all the possibilities. This will keep me busy for many many months. It seems people don’t really know how to use this piece or hardware and I don’t blame them it has too much going on! Thanks for the tutorials.

[@GammaLensMedia]

Absolutely not a problem. I do feel like this thing is a nice Swiss army knife of midi controllers. It can do a lot, but you have to learn how to use it for your own personal needs. Cheers!

[@joefussner9201]

Super excited to get into this Slmk3 playlist thanks for posting this content. It’s really amazing and I need to understand this beast so thank you in advanced.

[@GammaLensMedia]

Not a problem at all. I hope these videos help!!

[@adrianl7604]

Just picked this up for the scales mode as well. Also having hardware synths made this a no-brainer.

[@GammaLensMedia]

Awesome!!! Let me know how you're liking it if it helps your work flow etc.

[@bluegroove777]

Great video. Just ordered one today and excited to try out these features

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks!!! Let me know how you like it!!!!

[@marleyymarr]

How do you like it?? I'm debating whether or not I should get it

[@bluegroove777]

Absolutely love it!

[@PacificRimWeb]

Yeah, that SL MK3 is nice. I ended up with the Launchkey MK3, but can't help to think it would've been good to save and get the SL. Like you, I had an M-Audio forever. I do have a sense of brand loyalty to M-Audio, but the Novations just have so many great features. I like my MK3, but can see, after more skill development, getting an SL MK3 to dedicate to Ableton, and use the MK3 for my hardsynth rack modules. That's a nice controller!

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks for the comment. I highly recommend www.americanmusical.com/ For anything I can't afford out of pocket. Sometimes payments is better than settling imo. However no peice of gear is a waste if you're using it! So far no issues with the controller and many plans on using it moving forward. However with gear it's all on use. Their a lot packed into this controller I haven't even had a chance to use. But the options are there in the future for hard gear when I start adding them into the mix! Cheers!

[@g3cd]

Well my brand new SL MK3 died after 4 weeks, never again. I replaced it with the Arturia SL37 which does chords, strum and other magic the Novation has never heard of. And a decent sequencer (Polyend Seq) that shows 8 tracks with 32 steps each instead of 1 track with 16 steps.

[@GammaLensMedia]

Hello g3cd, Sorry for your experience with the Novation Controller. I have the Arturia keylab 88 mkii midi controller it's a solid controller as well! I pair the equipment with the push 2, which is decent to use in Ableton. It's a fun setup. How does the polysend seq feel. It looks like an interesting piece of equipment. Also what type of music do you make?

[@aboriginalshoota9269]

Mines did also

[@laurencevanhelsuwe3052]

I love the per-track arpeggiators. That's 16 fully independent arpeggiators for amazing polyrhythms. Even Roland's "flagship" Fantom can only manage a single arpeggiator for all 16 of its tracks. Plus the Fantom arpeggiator feels pretty basic for such an expensive keyboard. What I dislike about the SL is that the company has stopped releasing any firmware updates... the hardware has plenty more potential for new features.

[@GammaLensMedia]

Agreed Having both Fantom 0 and the SLMKIII. The sequencer on the SLMKIII is insane for a midi controller. All of its capabilities really went under the radar for me until recently. It feels like they're getting ready for a MKIV however I'm not one to throw money at new equipment unless I see it as a major upgrade. I'll probably have this board for years to come.

[@anzatzi]

Giving your review ab "A+" for starting with the key bed and moving on to the adjustable dynamics. Thank you!!

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks I appreciate that!!!!

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Thanks for making this video. Super helpful. Can you let me know more about the feel of the keys? Thanks dude!

[@GammaLensMedia]

Absolutely not a problem! The keybed feels petty good for an open keybed. I've been accustomed to the closed keybed on my m-audio midi controller for so many years. It took a little bit of time to get used to on the MKIII. However, the adjustment on the sensitivity is really good to help compensate. If you're looking to make music without the need of a real piano feel it's a good pickup for sure. My son has leaned onto just the keys, and I was worried it would break the keys and nothing. They still play great. What are you using currently as a midi controller?

[@ftlaud911]

Great video!!! Very informative and greatly appreciated. Really like the lights to help with learning more music theory. New sub and look forward to more videos.

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks I really appreciate that!!! More content will be coming soon!

[@ftlaud911]

Just wanted to say your videos sealed the deal for me and I bought a 61SL MIII. The extra octave for zones pushed me towards 61 over 49. Didn't want to give up the extra space for more gear though. Wanted the Maschine MK3, but it seems Ableton Integration isn't seamless so getting a Push 2. Trying to justify why I would need a Mk3 or +. Any insight?

[@GammaLensMedia]

@@ftlaud911 Thanks!!! Honestly it's a pretty good midi controller. It has a lot of good features that work for me and my work flow. I only added an 88 keyboard because there's times I just wanna sit and play piano and I enjoy the weighted feel of it. However I did get an Ableton Push 2 and for me it's the center point of my production. Oddly enough the push 2 was my last gear purchase. My first was my Maschine Studio. I've had the Machine Studio for years and I enjoy it. But it has become mainly a huge section for drums kits more than anything. I do find myself sometimes using the features but not really what I originally purchased it for. I would say if you have a komplete bundle from NI then a maschine mikro would be something to consider for the sound library because they do have some great banks and they have a really good drum pads. But I would definitely hard pass on the maschine + for now. Atleast until your familiar with how the maschine workflow is. If you just need a good midi pad controller Akai's drum MPD pads are a pretty good alternative. They just don't come with any drum kits. Hope this kinda helps

[@ftlaud911]

@@GammaLensMedia - Thanks for the response. Really appreciate it!! Spent weeks researching keyboards. NI S61 was other choice. Great libraries and seemed like a solid choice. The SL61 MK3 functionality/Ableton integration won out. Set it up today and so far I am pleased. Keybed is acceptable (Keys feel hollow), but the weight is decent. Learned on a real piano (long time ago). Just getting back into it. I still need to play with the settings to find what I like best. Has a decent amount of travel before notes ring out/light turns on. Assume that is normal, but expected the travel to be able half. Guess I just need to adjust to the keybed. After my research the Maschine Mk3/+ are out. Plan to definitely add a Push 2. Should keep me busy as I learn to improve my workflow. Thanks again!! Like your studio and videos. Plan to watch the rest of your beat sessions to pick up some pointers. Liked the Synthwave. Do a Break Beat one. Alright I'm off to play. Take care

[@GammaLensMedia]

@@ftlaud911 It's definitely a good midi controller. I know what you mean about the keys feeling hollow. If you're making music it feels good for everything except trying to emulate that real piano feel. I have a different controller for that. I do really like having the Push 2 it completes the analog control to my setup. I hope you're finding a good place in your setup with the new controller!

[@AbideinChristFully]

I just returned the launchkey mini today, and ordered the SL from american music. I was digging in reddit, comparing the SL to the launchkey 61...and learned that I can do 6 payments with no credit check! I was surprised they sold it to me only paying $136 down using debit card! I yelled out loud..."it worked!" lol I was bracing for them to deny me. :) I didn't like the mini keys, and the small 25 key. I also didn't like the playability of the keys. I didn't feel like I had control of the loudness with how hard I hit the keys at all.

[@GammaLensMedia]

I have picked up most of my gear through American Musical supply. I would rather do payments on something I want than to settle for something that'll ultimately end up collecting dust. I'm glad you had a good experience with ordering through them! I haven't tried the lanuchkey. I have a hard time with too much budget gear. I've owned budget gear for years they'll definitely get the job done. But sometimes it's all about the producers groove. Cheers!

[@3xAudio]

nice. looks and sounds great

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks!!!!!

[@FoButter]

nice demo (adds to wishlist)

[@GammaLensMedia]

It's definitely one to keep an eye on for sure!

[@DaleRobertSzyms]

I’m so glad you showed the scale mode, that’s one of the main reasons I’m looking at this one or the Native Instruments one that shows scales. One question, does the scale mode work directly from the keyboard or do you need to use a certain software to get this function like on the NI keyboards? Would the scale mode work with hardware synths?

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks for the comment! The scales mode is a feature that is on the controller itself. It is completely different from the software. I'm almost positive it can be used for hardware synths as well. Hope this helps!

[@DaleRobertSzyms]

@@GammaLensMedia Hey thanks for the quick reply!

[@GammaLensMedia]

@@DaleRobertSzyms Not a problem at all!

[@markjames6129]

I love the scales mode!

[@GammaLensMedia]

It's the best way to get your bearings on the piano and help with ideas!

[@rspmusic796]

This question may sound stupid. How are you managing to record loops without metronome on SL MK3. I mean as far as i understood you need to keep looking at the LEDs on the steps and play when the first LED blinks. How is it that this Controller doesn't have a metronome? Or am i missing something? Can you please answer ?

[@GammaLensMedia]

Not a stupid question. It depends on how your looping on the board. It automatically loops on the board. However you can build note by note on the board as well in a full step sequencer fashion. Hope that helps

[@rspmusic796]

@@GammaLensMedia Thanks for the response. However my question was specific to the starting point of the loops when you do live recording and not step recording. In live recording when there is no metronome, the starting point can get messed up.

[@vladimirklaus70]

Very nice tutorial. Is it possible to send "simple" MIDI song (from Ableton for example) to the keyboard to light up the corresponding keys?

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to replicate what you're asking. I wish it did. It would make life a lot easier remembering chords and keys while working on music. I think the komplete kontrol does at least the 2nd gen did with the Maschine at one point.

[@dinogoldie9716]

I'm on the hunt for a hardware keyboard sequencer/controller. How unquantised/"off grid" can the Novation SL3 go? I like the SL because it has more automation capabilities than the Keystep Pro but then the KSP can do genuinely unquantised recording. So what's the best hardware sequencer/controller out there for 1 drum machine and 3 synths?

[@GammaLensMedia]

Honestly I'm not 100 percent sure. I've always integrated it with Albeton. Unfortunately I've never tried out tge sequencer without it automatically snapping things to the grid. It sounds like something maybe the Akai MPC or Akai MPC keyboard might have a better chance at doing. There are a lot of features in this midi controller but I'd have to take a deeper dive into it and see if it's possible.

[@anonymous_friend]

Did you come to a conclusion Dino? I'm looking at the same two controllers

[@dinogoldie9716]

​@@anonymous_friend Yes. I opted for the Keystep Pro. The KSP has better build quality, higher (unquantized) note resolution, a longer pattern length and, a far more surface UI. The SL3 has more keys, more sequencer tracks, greater automation lanes and it dovetails with my experience with the Circuits and Novation Components. However, in many ways it's overkill for a DAWless setup. Your milage may vary.

[@leehardingham4522]

I use my sl3 for hardware. It's a beast

[@davidelstonmusic]

Does the inControl mode ONLY work with channels 1-8? or does it allow for moving to other channels and still have similar controls for those channels? i.e. if I have something on channel 23, can I move to that via the keyboard and control parameters on it with the knobs / sliders / buttons etc?

[@GammaLensMedia]

While you're in Kontrol mode there is a left and right button on the left hand side of the midi controller that allows you to toggle through your tracks and at long as your vst has parameters on them you can control them. No limit I have came into on track count within Ableton Live 11. Hope that helps!

[@althewicked]

2:30 does the label from the SL Keyboard change if you change the label in Ableton and also if you turn a knob in Ableton, does the SL Keyboard show that as well (send Midi Feedback from Ableton to the Midi Controller)? And is it possible if you change the tracks in Ableton to show the Makro controlls from that track on the SL Keyboard display immediately? Thanks!

[@GammaLensMedia]

I know for me when I update the labels in Ableton it will reflect it on the keyboard in Kontrol mode. If you turn knobs it will only relfect it digitally not physically. Depending on what your changing (ableton plugins and effects show on the keyboard no issues. Third party plugins can vary). When your building Makro controls it will show on the keyboard as you build and name them. However there is a character count so you might need to abbreviate so you can identify it easier. Hope this helps!

[@althewicked]

@@GammaLensMedia Thanks man! I got the SL61 now and Im using it most of the time with Reaper. The "IN Control" mode from Novation working nice with Ableton but with other DAWs it seems like this feature is useless. Fortunately there is a really nice script from DrivenByMoss which makes this Midi controller working superb in Reaper and Bitwig. So without this script I wouldnt kept this controller more then one day but thanks to Moss its my favorite midi controller I had so far :)

[@paperwings8673]

Aaah, I simply can't decide between this and the Arturia KeyLab MkII 61...

[@GammaLensMedia]

Honestly it just depends on what you're looking for. I have the 88 version and I got it for the weighted keys. The additional features like the drum pad are pretty nice and to have them on the keyboard is convenient. The keys on the 88 are really sound. Idk about the 61 versions keybed. It's great if you have the Arturia collection it integrates extremely well with there product's. It's a tough choice for sure!

[@jdssurf]

i'm keeping ableton and i have some hard synths, i'm trying to decide on this or a push for first real controller. I do play keys so I'm thinking this, or a basic keyboard along side a push and a fader controller. Pry should just this huh

[@GammaLensMedia]

Honestly its really up to you. The Push is designed solely for Ableton Live (which isn't a bad thing) it does helps me have more of a hands on experience with Ableton Live. However most of my experience making music has been strictly on some form of midi keyboard. I have a Push but I definitely use the SL MKIII mainly when it comes to production. It has a lot of features that help get me out of a bind. However I have seen people who make everything on an Ableton push controller ( which is a feat all in itself). Id say if you have hardware synths then you might get more bang for your buck from the SL MKIII. I like that this connects with Ableton really well and the scales feature bails me out of a creativity block on a lot of occasions. Hope this helps.

[@ettorekun]

Can you set the chord on the pad and then at the same time play the keyboard? I mean I need play chord with one finger (I have disability) and with the other hand play normally all the keyboard (with one finger too 🙈)

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, I've tried and have been unsuccessful. I would think there would be a way to do it. However, I'm not sure exactly how. I know if you had 2 Keyboard-Controllers for sure, you could play pads on the sl mkii and keys on the other. But if I find out later I can do it on her, I'll definitely let you know.

[@jdssurf]

how do you do a soft reset my mod wheel doesnt light up

[@GammaLensMedia]

Honestly, I'm not 100 percent sure. I always turn mine off when I'm not using it. There is a button in the back of the keyboard that toggles on and off the power. Maybe that might help? That's the only reset I could think of. Do you have the original firmware or have you updated?

[@scrapethebottom]

hey, how is your ableton color layout so dark?? :)

[@GammaLensMedia]

Hey check out my Free Ableton Live skins video on my channel. There is a link to the website with free skins and how to get them to work in Ableton Live. Hope this helps! Cheers!!!!

[@scrapethebottom]

@@GammaLensMedia thank you :)

[@PacificRimWeb]

Skins. I must have like 40. Settled on "Lava" lol.

[@marleyymarr]

I can't decide between this or the launchkey 61 mk3

[@GammaLensMedia]

The launchkey is definitely more budget friendly. It really depends on what your needs would be. I don't have one, unfortunately I could give you a difference of opinion between the two. Let me know what you ultimately end up using and if you liked it!

[@PacificRimWeb]

The Launckey MK3s are great, you'll love them. I have one. But if you can't decide then save and get the SL for around $550, or you'll always be wishing that you did.

[@krisgebruers8471]

Buyers beware... Mine start failing after 3 years of light use, one of the keys got sticky and it'll cost me 200 euro to repair it. No Novation products for me anymore in the future...

[@GammaLensMedia]

Thanks for the reply. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the keyboard. It's always good to hear both good and bad experiences people have with equipment.

[@aboriginalshoota9269]

Buyers beware of this keyboard mines failed after like 2months it stopped powering on I’m done with Novation products

[@GammaLensMedia]

Sorry you had that experience. All comments and experiences are welcomed as I am not sponsored or affiliated with Novation.

[@shapeshifta3431]

why not speak to novation support and ask them to fix/send you a new one? im sure they'd be happy to help as looks like you just got unlucky with yours

[@hjkhhjkh3635]

This or Arturia key lab mk2?

[@GammaLensMedia]

I have the 88 arturia it's amazing for playing piano. The feel on the keybed is amazing (in my opinion). However if you're looking at doing production the SL MKiii is a great piece of equipment (especially if you're using Ableton)

[@xsvek-6523]

it is compatible with MacOS Sonoma? @@GammaLensMedia