Novation is hosting a special Beats and Bytes live stream this Thursday, October 18, at 4pm PST, digging into their newest product, the SL MkIII keyboard controller.
The SL MkIII is the company’s new line of 49- or 61-key controllers, which are designed to be a complete solution for hardware and software studio control.
The SL MkIII connects to the user’s MIDI hardware and CV/Gate synths; lets one build tracks with an eight-track polyphonic sequencer; and offers deep integration with Logic and Reason, plus HUI compatibility with Cubase, Pro Tools and Reason.
Today’s Beats and Bytes session, live-streamed via YouTube, includes Novation specialists demonstrating the SL MkIII key features, and includes time, during the second half-hour, to answer live viewer questions about the new keyboard controllers.
The program begins at 4 pm PST (7 pm Eastern US time) on Novation’s YouTube channel. For more information about the SL MkIII keyboard controllers, check out the Novation website.
Update: We embedded the video above.
I have no idea why they removed the joystick and XY pad options. . . that’s what made the SL’s special. Now this is almost identical to any cheap controller from the last 10 years yet touted as ‘premium’. . .
Good point. You would have been able to ask that question if they posted this announcement before the livestream.
Actually, they posted this announcement a few hours before the livestream. At about 2:00 PST on Oct 18.
Which ‘cheap controller from the last 10 years’ has aftertouch, an 8 track polyphonic sequencer, and cv/gate outputs? The Akai max is the only one I can think of, and it was not cheap, and lacked the proper knobs and faders of this.
Why no sysex?
Maybe they don’t want it to compete with the SL MkIi?
I haven’t been able to find out if this has any kind of MIDI merge. I still need to send MIDI from my DAW back into my hardware.
I like the looks of my SL61mkII alot more, but you get kinda attached to old buddies 🙂 Automap 4 software is all but useless in my Windows 7 rig ….. it worked great when I ran XP, any suggestions? (besides buy this new one lol)
from what i saw in the sonic state video the SL MkIII´s sequencer is a pita. super complicated imo.
In what universe is it complicated? You literally hold a pad while pushing a note or chord.
I’m all for you trolling, but please don’t spread false info.
> You literally hold a pad while pushing a note or chord
i find that complicated. i want realtime recording. plus: i have no idea how to chain patterns. gaz williams´ guest wasn´t able to demonstrate that clearly.
From the pattern view, press the first and last patterns of the chain. That’s anything but complicated. The guy from Novation may have been affected by Gaz’s perpetual chaotic enthusiasm.
If by realtime you mean realtime, you actually can. Every demo video shows that.
That said, I would like to have an option to input notes in the sequencer without having to touch the pads for every step-just because it may be distracting some times: you may have memorized a sequence using both hands, or may want use both for a series of big chords. But I realize the pad system is quite logical and less complicated overall than the Keystep system of counting and inserting rests and glides.