Gadgets Blog » Musical Instruments

It’s no secret that there’s a special spot in my heart saved for awesome musical gadgets. Around two weeks ago I wrote article for smarter outlining everything that you need to make dance music. Recently, however, my entire musical world was literally turned on its head when a friend introduced me to today’s Gadget of the Week: the Novation Launchpad. With an aesthetic design rivaling that of Apple’s line of sleek gadgets, today’s item packs bright multi colored lights into a multi-function surface compatible with Ableton Live, the premier computer software for live DJ-ing.

While the Novation Launchpad, on its surface, appears to be nothing more than another MIDI controller, it’s the dynamic relationship between the software and hardware that makes this gadget such an asset for musicians. The Launchpad was developed in cooperation between Novation and Ableton, meaning that the device itself has functionality tied to specific aspects of the program. While the bulk of the unit is an 8×8 grid of buttons, lighting up in different neon colors to designate their function at that given moment, additional buttons along the top of the device allow the user to easily switch between modes on the fly. With just a few simple button presses, you can edit volume, panning, program new notes, and edit parameters on audio sends.

The unit itself is compact and operates via a USB port on either a Mac or PC computer. While it can be a great tool for using Ableton in a studio setting, the proper time and place is during a live performance. With just a laptop and the Launchpad, it’s straightforward to jump from place to place in the performance, triggering drum and synth loops with just the press of a button. This is great for more complex pieces, as performing some of the same functions with a mouse simply isn’t feasible in Ableton.

If you’re interested in electronic music, the Launchpad is a must-have. At only $199, the features stemming from this product will open up new avenues in your musical repertoire. If you don’t already have a copy of Ableton, it can be purchased in a convenient bundle with additional features tailored directly towards the Launchpad. With it’s good looks and better specs, the Launchpad is a professional-grade tool available for even a starving college student like myself. And if you’re still not impressed, check out the Launchpad in action!

Mom and Dad dragged me off to piano lessons and the ripe old age of four…16-some years later, I’m not sure I’m exactly a pro at the ivory, but it’s left with me a love of music. Music is a great hobby to enjoy, and with the right musical gadgets, you don’t need a proficient knowledge of piano keys to make some truly awesome music. So here’s a run-down of everything you need to crank out some heavy techno beats and soaring synthesizers.

Ableton Live, Version 8

Ableton is the go-to for all sorts of professional electronic musicians (and with good reason). Its intuitive design and structure makes it easy to do all sorts of MIDI programming. What is MIDI, you ask? MIDI signals function like on/off switches. They have a designated velocity and duration, but other than that, they have no assigned sound to them. A program like Ableton Live allows you to allocated MIDI instruments anything you program into your computer. This allows for a great deal of experimentation, as you can change drum sounds on the fly, swap out one synthesizer for another, and easily work with your tracks in a live setting. It has a pretty steep price tag for the full version; seek out Ableton Live LE instead, which has the same interface, with fewer instruments to choose.

M-Audio Keystudio 49

While it’s certainly possible to program Ableton via mouse only, it’s also an enormous headache. Save yourself some time by picking up one of M-Audio’s affordable and excellent Keystudios. The number afterwards refers to the number of keys, so if you more in the market for beats, look for the 25 instead. These keyboards plug directly into your computer’s USB port and work easily with Ableton without any drivers to install. It’s simply a matter of plugging the keyboard in and turning it on, and suddenly you’ll have an easy way to program MIDI into your computer.

Korg MicroKorg Synth

While your programmed beats and synths will make up the body of your dance tunes, it’s nice to have something else you can play along with. The Korg MicroKorg is one of the best and most affordable synthesizers on the market, used by professional and amateur musicians alike. With a host of pre-programmed effects, this compact synth has a variety of changeable parameters, enabling you to manipulate the sound of the instrument at the turn of a knob. Want a killer lead line? Use the MicroKorg. Need some ambient electronics in the background? Trust the MicroKorg. It will be your friend.

In short: lay down beats in Ableton with your M-Audio Keystudio, then jam out on your MicroKorg. Can’t go wrong.