Novation SL49 Mk II

Ableton and Novation announce new SL Mk II integration

Having jointly designed the Launchpad, Ableton have worked with Novation to update the SL Mk II. This makes it a comprehensive, fully bus powered Ableton Live 8 controller with a difference.

All Ableton's major controls are instantly assigned to SL Mk II's 56 knobs, faders and buttons. The changes mean that controlling session view, mixer and devices will be quick and easy, because you'll never lose track of what you're controlling: 

- Live's devicesare assigned to controls as you load them up. Open 'Auto Filter' and instantly see 'cutoff', 'res' etc, on the LCD screen above each knob, along with their current values (as well LED rings around each encoder).

- Comprehensive mixer control: Touch a fader to see the channel name and volume level on the large LCD screen, and the two buttons underneath will be lit up if the track is activated or record enabled.

- Launch scenes with the SL's buttons. You can also set up a row of 8 backlit buttons to launch clips (which light up if the clip is playing). 

SL Mk II now provides comprehensive Ableton 8 control with a 25, 49 or 61 note keyboard. Along with the keyless Zero SL, they are all USB powered, so require no external power supply. 

Existing SL Mk II owners will get the update for free. Download the latest version of Automap which will update your firmware. The latest Live 8 update is available from the Ableton website.

For more information and video tutorials, visit: www.novationmusic.com

Novation SL Mk II

SL Mk II has been designed to equip the modern DAW user with every dimension of hardware control, enabling a hands-on approach to navigating software, mixing and controlling plug-ins. It represents extraordinary value as a controller, integrating a DAW control surface with a quality semi-weighted keyboard (with after-touch) and the most intuitive plug-in mapping capabilities available - presided over by Automap 3 PRO; unquestionably the most advanced control software on the market.

SL Mk II upholds Novation's reputation for building quality hardware (like the SL Mk I, they will also appeal to performers who need a well-constructed keyboard on stage). Quality is not just reflected in their robustness, but more importantly in the way the SL Mk II has been designed with every detail calculated to maximise workflow. The SL Mk II's visually feeds back all controller information to the user with back lit buttons and encoder LED rings.

The difficulty with other control surfaces is knowing what is assigned to what. SL Mk II has a giant 144-character ultra-bright LCD screen that displays all the parameter names and values for the currently selected row of controllers. All 8 faders and 16 knobs are touch sensitive, so the moment one is touched, the display shows the names and values on that row and puts brackets around the controller that is currently being touched. This enables the user to see which parameter is assigned to the controller without having to change the value, or refer to their software. SL Mk II also has a dedicated 'Speed Dial' knob, which can be used to change the value of any parameter the cursor is positioned over without making any assignments whatsoever.

The 8 continuous rotary encoders have 11 segment LED rings around each of them, allowing encoders to behave like pots so the user can see the value before moving them. All the buttons have LEDs underneath them so users can instantly see their status without having to press them. There are 8 soft-feel drum pads, a pitch/modulation wheel and an X/Y Xpression touchpad which (along with footswitch and sustain pedal inputs), are all fully assignable to any parameter with the Automap software.

The SL Mk II has been designed to draw minimum current so it can be used as a USB buss-powered device, and an optional 9V DC power supply can be added for stand-alone use. As well as USB interfacing, the SL Mk II has 1 MIDI in, 1 MIDI thru and 2 MIDI outs.

The power behind SL Mk II's unique ability to map controllers at the touch of a button, is contained within the included Automap software. Automap 3 PRO enables users to map controllers with incredible speed and ease - no more digging through MIDI continuous controller numbers, the Automap server takes care of it all. Automap's GUI gives the user a visual representation of all the current mappings on screen, as well as the ability to save and manage mappings across different projects. There is also an option to only bring up the GUI when a controller on the SL Mk II has been touched!

Features

• High quality professional keyboard - Velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted action keyboard from Fatar, with assignable after-touch. Novation deliver the feeling of playing an instrument, rather than just a computer peripheral.
• Illuminated controls provide instant visual feedback - Brightly lit LED rings around the eight smooth encoders, and backlit buttons throughout provide instant visual feedback for every physical control, further reducing reliance on the computer screen.
• Giant 144-character LCD screen - Frees the artist from being chained to the computer screen, placing all the essential data right alongside the relevant controls.
• Huge array of touch-sensitive controls - Full control surface supporting ultra flexible DAW control and Auto-mappable plug-in controls, 16 knobs, 8 faders and 32 assignable backlit LED buttons.
• Automap 3 PRO Control Software - SL Mk II comes with Automap software which enables you to instantly map software parameters to faders, buttons, encoders and pots and other controllers.
• MIDI control interface.
  Built in MIDI I/O Interface and comprehensive MIDI implementation provide complete control over all external hardware synths and other external MIDI devices.
• Novation’s unique ‘speed dial’ - A touch-sensitive rotary encoder that instantly takes control of whatever your mouse is focused on, providing real time access for composers and performers alike.
• Programmable ‘soft-feel’ drumpads - Eradicates the need for a separate set of drumpad triggers, providing the ideal platform for sketching out beats or triggering samples
• Unique 2-Axis Controls - Fantastic ‘Xpression’ pad and adjustably sprung pitch/mod joystick, both freely assignable in MIDI Controlling mode
• Dedicated, yet fully-assignable transport buttons - Control the sequencer’s start/stop/loop/record/forward/rewind actions, direct from the MIDI controller, reducing reliance on mouse and screen, or switch them out to allow use of more assignable buttons. SL Mk II recalls how these buttons were previously assigned.
• USB buss powering - Provides the artist with a mobile MIDI control solution, freeing them from the confines of the studio
• Includes the Xcite+ bundle - Featuring a host of royalty-free loops and samples, a full-fledged soft-synth and Ableton Live 7 Lite, providing an affordable upgrade path to Ableton Live.

Specifications

• Physical controls
  • Assignable controls:
    • 8 Encoders (Infinite Rotation) with touch-sensitivity and 11 segment Led rings
    • 8 Pots (270 Rotation) with touch-sensitivity
    • 8 Sliders with touch-sensitivity
    • 32 Buttons with integrated LEDs (37 in MIDI mode]
    • 8 soft feel Trigger pads
    • Xpression Pad (as on existing SL)
    • Xpression Stick (as on existing SL)
    • Touch sensitive Speed Dial (as on Nocturn)
  • System buttons:
    • General Automap Operation Buttons (Learn, View, Browser Groups etc.)
    • Octave up/down buttons with LED indicator
  • The central system buttons from the SL have been simplified; there is now:
    • 1 Automap button with LED to toggle Automap mode on and off (this replaces the PLAY button) – this way, manual MIDI mode is separate from Automap mode and can be avoided completely if preferred
    • Template and Edit modes have been combined into one edit mode, for editing both individual controls and overall settings within one Template
• Connectivity
  • Rear Panel connections are as follows:
    • Data Port: 1 x USB (Win XP/Vista and Mac OSX – Not Class Compliant
    • MIDI: MIDI ONE: IN, OUT and Thru, MIDI TWO: OUT
    • Sustain Pedal: 1 x 1/4 Jack Input
    • Expression pedal: 1 x 1/4 Jack Input
    • Power switch: Ext DC/USB
  • Minimum Operational Requirements (taken from Nocturn):
    • Mac OSX 10.4.0 or greater (Leopard also supported)
    • Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or greater (Vista 32/64 also supported)
  • Minimum Computer spec
    • Mac - G4/1GHz, both with 256MB RAM
    • PC - Pentium 3/1GHz/256MB RAM (machines running Vista will require a higher spec)
• Dimensions: W=803mm, H=68mm, D=293mm 
• Weight: net weight: 5.2kg/unit