Novation Launchpad Pro Programmer's Reference Guide

© Focusrite Audio Engineering LTD
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About this Guide
Launchpad Pro communicates using MIDI over USB and MIDI jack, operating in both directions.
This manual, describing the MIDI communication format, is all the information you need to be
able to write software that is customised for Launchpad Pro.
This is not an exhaustive document. Certain extra System Exclusive messages are used for
authentication, and for remote firmware upgrade. These are beyond the scope of this document,
however, it is worth knowing that they exist in case you encounter them while you are playing
with Launchpad Pro.
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Number Systems and MIDI conventions
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There are three ways of expressing MIDI data in this manual. The first, where appropriate, is a
plain English description of the message. When we describe a musical note, middle C is deemed
to be ‘C3’ or note 60. MIDI channel 1 is considered to be the lowest-numbered MIDI channel and
channels range from 1 - 16.
MIDI messages are also expressed in plain data, with decimal and hexadecimal equivalents. The
hexadecimal number will always be followed by an ‘h’ and the decimal equivalent given in
brackets. For example a Note On message on channel 1 is signified by the status byte 90h (144).
Bootloader
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Launchpad Pro has a bootloader mode that allows the user to configure and save certain
settings. The bootloader is accessed by holding the Setup button whilst switching the device on.
The top two rows of square buttons can be used to set the device USB ID of Launchpad Pro. The
device ID ranges from 1 – 16 and the selected ID is represented by an orange button. This also
sets the USB identity, which ranges from 51h to 60h. The default ID from the factory is 1. If more
Figure$1:$Bootloader$display$

Novation Launchpad Pro Specifications

General

Product color	Black
Backlight buttons	Yes
USB direct playback	-
Built-in optical drive	No
Power supply type	USB
USB connector type	USB Type-C
Cable lock slot type	Kensington
Bundled software	Ableton Live Lite is included

Weight and Dimensions

Width	268 mm
Height	18 mm