Novation SL MkIII MIDI Keyboard Review: Is it a gamechanging controller? (49SL MK3/61SL MK3)

UPDATE! Novation addressed quite a few of the "cons" in this video, and added even more stuff in firmware updates - see description above for more details

Curious if this plays nicely with NKS instruments from Arturia like the NI Kontrol S MK3 devices?

I am a total ignorant on midi controllers. I have a moog grandmother which is a mono synth, can i record a couple of tracks from the Moog on the sequencer and also play another track live ?

Please do a comparison of the sl mk3 VS s49 mk3
Novation's premium keyboard vs. Native Instruments MK3 products.. I'm sure a lot of folks would like to see the difference and which is the best out of the two.
thanks continue the great work that you're doing I think your channel is outstanding🎉❤

Loopop! Thank you for having such an interest. I got so involved in waiting on NI to make KK better, I stopped looking outside of their brand for midi controllers because of NKS. However, you’ve introduced me to this and the likes of the Arturia keystep. Question, I was going to ask about your wishlist coming true, then I seen your pinned comment. So, I noticed this video is fairly old. Any word on a new one anytime soon?

does it have a vst software that i can map plugins like the panorama?i really like this future!! but the quality in this one looks solid!

I'm looking at this versus the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61, which has the better FATAR keybed but no faders (for Hammond Organ) and no CV. I'd buy it over this one just for the keybed. The one on this one is OK, better than most, but remember that Novation's last version of this DID have the Fatar keys. I wonder why they dropped it?

How useful do you find the CV outputs? My application is to control two Behringer synths (Modle D and Pro-800_. Great video, thanks!

SL Mk1 was far superior. Two long screens one for controls, one for mixer. Why would thry lose the 2nd screen? 😂

This is my next acquisition for my Ableton Live 11 studio (small studio I might add) but your review shows me just what I need for new hardware. Thank you so much for the review.

Please can you make a point about the twist knobs. Having them turn round and round without having a marker on them is completely impractical it is a huge con. I think developers think they're being "cool" and futuristic by doing it. Its completely impractical, when your modulating a filter for example, you need to know what level the knob is at, you don't want be looking down t an additional Digital screen, its unnecessary additional step. It really is enough to put you off buying it and sticking to the older models.

Keep it practical, a knob with a line marker that turns from left and ends at the right position.

When you have a budget and If you have this controller a moog sub 25 is good choice to get a lot out of that moog?

I feel like the cheap keys ruin the fun. I wish they had a premium version with good Fatar keys or something like that. Like a combination between the studiologic’s keys and the sl mk3 functionality.

Is it possible to smothen the aftertouch curve? for my taste it’s working to hard on the edge and i can’t adjust that…

Call me old fashioned, but this is just too much for my brain to handle.

Well suggest me komplete kontrol s61 mk2 or Novation AMS-SL61-MK3 MIDI

What a beautiful piece of music.

How good is this at editing plugins and working with logic in comparison to say panorama t4

are the keys full size?

Thx for doing this Loopop. Can any other owner recommend a X/Y controller to pair with it? I use it both to control X/Y capable vsts and old outboard synths like the Wavestation with a X/Y Joystick. Am not gonna assign CC messages to knobs or faders, against my religion.

This is one of the best investments I’ve made into my home studio

Hi! Is this controller still worth it?
It's been almost 5 years since it was released, did anything better came along?
I have a I microfreak that I really like, but now that they released the minifreak vst I think I'm going to sell it for a good controller (as I don't have any).

Not Sure Why they only allow 16 steps, thats a major limitation imho

Thank you for sharing! Amazing tutorial!

how do you scroll right and left through channels if you have more than 8?

HUGE PROBLEM PLEASE HELP... so I've tried everything, read the manual over and over... and I CANNOT find any way to create a sequence and play it on only one external midi synth it plays on ALL of them, every time, every sequence, no matter what I change or try to do. Isn't the purpose of sequencers to make different sequences for each channel? Wtf is with every channel being locked into the one sequence... THIS MAKES THE PRODUCT COMPLETELY USELESS. it's so damn frustrating man. These companies get so caught up in the in depth settings they don't even have fundamental functions nearly properly usable. What do I do with this? No instructions or people's intros to this product say anything about getting ALL the tracks to NOT play whatever sequence your playing. I gotta mute or shut off every other synth and work with one at a time which is senseless. How the hell is this supposed to be used? Make a sequence for a WHOLE midi keyboard then make another sequence for the WHOLE KEYBOARD sample each one and line em up on a computer timewise? It's just ridiculous man. These companies make such trash as far as usability goes and the manuals they make if there's one at all are completely useless- tells you what it has what it does NOT HOW TO DO ANY OF IT. I'm like 15k usd into synth/ studio gear and I'm so sick of everything being a huge problem I can't even look at any of it anymore. And everytime I sit and give it a chance I got some other wall that makes my work impossible. Things I see other people do all the time but somehow I just have really bad luck I don't get it.. I often get doa gear and need to exchange etc... it's just how it goes for me I accept it- but I can't get anything done and man I've about reached my limit and am ready to just never buy or do anything again accept sleep eat sit abs wait to go back to sleep. At this point it's the only thing that sounds anywhere near enjoyable. I guess I should just drop music... no help from the makers when they send diy kits(befaco) with lifted traces / missing parts... everything is high price and half working. Nothing does what it should be doing even when settings are all what I'm told they should be. I hate this but I think it's time to just get rid of everything.

nice in depth video!
I have a very stupid question, I can get hardware synth to sync with my sl mk3 correctly, but how do I individually assign soft intsruments to the different templates on the top for ease of switching between them

Not a gamechanger at all... 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...

Does the light grid on this respond to kontakt instruments?

Looks great but how is it possible that they forgot the SWING in the arpegiator options? there are 7 parameters so there is still a place for the swing...

I’m absolutely sold after watching this video. I’m a garbage keyboard player however that insanely powerful sequencer function is what really sold me.

how do you do a soft reset

Hey guys new customer, my mod wheel doesn't light up or do anything, it lights up in calibration but not after

Can I change LIGHT GUIDE (zone) in every patch I have on MAINSTAGE?

Light Guide changes every time i change patch?

since i play keys, maybe i should get this for my ableton instead of a Push for now? ?

It's pretty okay, apart from those pretty gay disco lights on all over the device. Total nonsense.

if the 2nd MIDI Out can only be Out or Thru, how do you get notes and CC from a different controller to a Synth with only one MIDI In? I bought a KSP and a KeyLab thinking they would be a good pair and now I have to plug both to a MIDI interface so I can send KeyLab's CC and KSP's notes to my synths, which defeat the purpose of buying standalone stuff with MIDI connections in the first place. I'll end up having to get another standalone MIDI trinket to merge and that really sucks.

hello,
Is Cakewalk by BandLab compatible?

Haken!

There are 8 arpeggiators.

Can you compare the SL keybed to the basic Launchkey MK 3 keybed? All your Novation reviews are great. Thank you.

This thing definitely isn't something for a beginner from what I saw in this video. It does so many things and is so complicated that Arturia Keystep Pro does a much better job for me. It simply has 4 nice and easy to use sequencers that work great. Here you have a gazillion of knobs, buttons, colors that you can get a headache. It certainly is a great tool for a pro, but having a choice between the two, as a beginner, KeyStep Pro is a clear winner for me to just have fun and make some nice a simple music with a feel, without getting overwhelmed. My first attempts with DAWs have been so miserable I completely gave up on them and KeyStep Pro and Drum Brute were the kind of products that made me believe again that I can have fun making music, instead of feeling like some complex machinery operator.

LOOPOP FACE REVEAL????
sorry. AMAZING vid, as always. informative and helpful. thanks loopop!

why you dont mention nothing about keys?

That is all nice and sweet, but how does it integrate with something different, e.g. Logic Pro? Is it worth upgrading from my trusty Akai MPK 261 as a Logic User?

I am a silent mouse user and those clicking buttons irritates me so badly. Hard to choose may be just because of this. And those glossy keys give a chinese low quality vibe. Other than that, it is the perfect keyboard.

I bought a sl mk3 for fl studio but i can use like generic controller. Fully useless midi controller!! Only work with ableton live👎 you must make a script for fl studio. Am i a programmer? No?! I am musician. And and and i want use all function because ı spend money this product!

If you don't have outboard gear--there are better options.
SOOOOOOO complicated! Great review though!

Thanks for the nice video. I have a question: does the onboard sequencer work only with external synths? Or does it also work with Virtual instruments in the DAW? Thx for the info already - Johan