« So many options. Worth it for the price.  »

The Novation Launchpad combines elements of a mixer, a sequencer, and an effects rack all in one 64 button pad designed to interface with Ableton Live. As I mainly use Ableton I'm not sure whether you can program it to work with other DAW's, but the interface with Live is one that is very flexible and easy to learn. If you are one for triggering clips, the Novation Launchpad is certainly for you. After the samples, midi files, etc. are triggered - indicated by the corresponding button lighting up green - there are infinite ways of manipulating the signal thanks to the User 1 and User 2 interfaces, which are completely customizable. I'm fond of setting one user interface to automap effects in real time while leaving the other as my "solo" instrument, wherein the buttons act as a keyboard. On top of this the Novation Launchpad is the lightest, most compact, and surprisingly the most durable piece of equipment I have had the pleasure of using. My issues with the launchpad are simple: the keyboard scale is easy to figure out but is difficult to master coming from a standard piano background, the quantization settings for audio vs. midi clips are a bit confusing, and the buttons aren't the best replacement for faders. For the price however, this isn't a bad buy. In fact it's a very good buy compared to Ableton's other hardware interface, the APC-40. Just be ready to practice, practice, practice if you see yourself doing an entire set on this device, and maybe have a separate mixer on hand to get a more precise fade.