![]() You can step sequence by holding one of the 16 steps and pressing one or more notes on the keyboard, and the keyboard leds light up to show you which note you’ve sequenced. The basic sequencing unit is a pattern, which can contain up to 16 steps. The SL MkIII’s sequencer inherits many of the the Novation Circuit’s sequencer, which is known for its ease of use, and expands on them in a way that doesn’t impede on the ease of use. The SL MkIII’s basic sequencing unit is a pattern – which has up to 16 steps, each part or track can have up to 8 patterns – which you can either switch manually or chain, and all the patterns, along with the overall configuration information is stored in sessions – and you can have up to 64 of those. When you’re sequencing, the 8×2 grid lets you control either steps, patterns, or sessions. With the GRID toggle button they can behave as pressure sensitive pads. If you’re controlling Ableton they’re a view into its session grid. The 16 pressure sensitive pads front and center have multiple functions. The keyboard has two modes – it can be either dedicated to one part, or split up into zones to control multiple parts or instruments. Each template can contain a custom configuration for 16 encoders, 16 buttons, 8 faders, 16 pressure sensitive pads, the mod wheel and three hardware pedals. The SL MkIII lets you hold in memory 64 of these hardware configurations, and it’s quite easy to create more using Novation’s Components Software. In this review and accompanying video I focus on the integration with Ableton Live.įinally, another way we’ve seen controllers get smarter is to have the ability to load up pre-configured hardware templates, so that you don’t need to map knobs to the right channels manually. The SL MkIII has varying degrees of integration with Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Reaper and Reason. The sequencer has eight polyphonic tracks (or parts, as Novation calls them), and allows up to 8 lanes of parameter or motion sequencing. The biggest change though is the on-board smarts, with the inclusion of an on board sequencer and arpeggiator. On the SL MkIII, that one DIN output has grown to two DIN outputs, MIDI over USB, and two sets of note, gate and mod control voltage outputs, as well as a clock output. Over the years these controllers have evolved, and the SL MkIII is Novation’s attempt to consolidate as much of that evolution in one place. ![]() In the beginning, MIDI keyboards were simple black and white keys with a MIDI DIN output designed to control hardware MIDI sound engines. Does the SL MkIII deliver? Let’s check it out. That kind of integration has the potential to change the game for what is expected of a DAW or MIDI controller. The idea behind the SL MkIII is that all three – the DAW controller, the Hardware controller and the sequencer – sit behind one interface and blend together into one control center. Novation’s SL MkIII is a big departure from versions one and two that came before it, and most other MIDI keyboards on the market, because it’s not just a DAW and Hardware instrument controller, it’s also a standalone 8 track MIDI, USB and Control Voltage Sequencer. ![]()
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