Novation's LaunchPad is a USB and MIDI based controller for Ableton Live software. It was designed by both Ableton and Novation, and only will work with Ableton since it's specifically designed for it. It's designed to be used for live shows to give you easier access to Ableton without having to use your computer's keyboard and mouse. It's bus powered, so you don't need to hook it up to any power supply, making it easy to set up and go anywhere you might be. It has 64 buttons it total, with transport parameters, and a button for each track that you have playing. The LED lights are very bright, so you can see them even in the dark if you're at a show. They've made the device as simple as possible, so you can use it on the fly and without having to think too much about it. I haven't gotten very in depth with the LaunchPad, as I don't own one myself. I've used a friend's a number of times, but never for a live show myself. My friend uses it all the time when he plays out with his Ableton Live set up. If I were a bit more knowledgeable about all the ins and outs of Ableton Live, I might use some of the more in depth features on the LaunchPad, but as of now I don't have much of a use to use all of the parameters on the LaunchPad. While not necessary for all Ableton users, if you are indeed going to be bringing your rig on the go, this is a very useful tool to have in tandem with Ableton. The price is more than reasonable for a specified MIDI controller. If you do have Ableton Live, you probably already know about the LaunchPad, but if you don't I highly suggest checking it out!