The Novation Launchkey 88 MK4 just dropped and has officially completed its Launchkey MK4 range, the largest keyboard controller in the series and the clearest option for producers, composers, and performers who want full-range playing without leaving the Launchkey workflow.
The new model takes the DAW control, pads, encoders, faders, and built-in creative tools from the smaller MK4 controllers and places them around a custom-designed, 88-key semi-weighted keybed. That makes Launchkey 88 a different kind of product from the compact models. It is still a controller, but the pitch is aimed at players who want a more piano-like response while staying connected to software, sessions, and external MIDI gear.
For Novation, this fills an obvious gap.
The Launchkey range already covers smaller writing setups, mobile production desks, and mid-size home studios. Launchkey 88 gives the series a full-size option for players who need more range for two-handed parts, wider chord voicings, scoring work, and more expressive instrument control.
Launchkey 88 MK4 Adds a Full-Range Keybed to the MK4 Workflow
The main reason Launchkey 88 exists is the keybed. Novation has given the controller seven-plus octaves of full-size, piano-style keys with a semi-weighted action designed for expressive playing.
That matters because an 88-key controller serves a different kind of user than a 25, 37, or 49-key board. A smaller controller is often about speed, portability, and getting ideas down quickly. An 88-key controller is more about range, touch, and comfort during longer writing sessions.
This is where Launchkey 88 sets itself apart from the smaller models while still staying within the same family. My earlier article on Novation Launchkey MK4 covered the range’s DAW integration and creative tools, and the 88-key version keeps that system intact while giving players a larger, more performance-oriented surface.
Launchkey 88 Supports Major DAWs Without Extra Setup
Launchkey 88 is built for Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase, FL Studio, Reason, Bitwig, and Ardour, with Mackie HUI support for Pro Tools and other compatible DAWs. That broad DAW support is part of what has made the MK4 range useful for producers who do not want their controller locked too tightly to one software environment.
For writing, that matters. A keyboard controller should reduce friction, not create another setup task before the session can begin. Launchkey 88 gives users direct access to transport, mixing, instruments, effects, and project movement inside supported software.
My Launchkey 25 MK4 review looked at the smaller side of this same equation, where portability and fast access made the controller useful for tight desks and mobile production. Launchkey 88 answers the opposite need: a larger keybed for players who want the same workflow in a full-size format.
Full-Size MIDI Out Keeps Hardware in the Picture
Launchkey 88 includes a full-size MIDI output for controlling synths and other hardware. That detail matters because an 88-key controller is often used at the center of a studio rather than as a backpack controller.
A full-size keyboard with DAW control and hardware MIDI can become the main writing surface for a hybrid setup. It can trigger software instruments, control DAW parameters, and send MIDI to external synths from the same position.
That lines up with the broader direction Novation has taken across its recent controllers. In my Launch Control XL 3 review, the appeal came from hands-on control inside a hybrid studio. Launchkey 88 takes a different route, focusing on keys first, but the same larger idea applies: give producers a controller that can sit at the center of a working setup.
Included Software Makes Launchkey 88 Easier to Start With
Launchkey 88 includes Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, Novation Play, instruments and effects from Klevgrand, GForce, Orchestral Tools, and Native Instruments, plus lessons from Melodics.
Novation Play is especially relevant because it maps directly to Launchkey’s controls and includes sounds sampled from acoustic pianos, vintage synthesizers, and modern sound design. That gives the 88-key model an immediate software partner for players who want to use the full key range right away.
Launchkey 88 is available now through Novation and authorized retailers. Pricing is $449.99 in the US, £379.99 in the UK, €378.14 in Europe, and $429.99 for the rest of world pricing listed by Novation.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
