I recently picked up both a Launchpad X and a Pro MK3 and while the Pro pads are very sensitive and more sensitive than the X I find that they max out with less force making it hard to control dynamics. I have to make an effort to not have a lot of the hits max out at 127 velocity.
Has anyone else had this experience?
You can adjust the response curve of the Launchpad pro to make it max out less quickly.
See this screenshot. Trigger threshold on the right and velocity curve on the left.
More detailed guidance can be found in this lesson in the beginner course under the “Velocity and aftertouch” heading further down the page. >> https://questforgroove.com/course/beginnercourse/device-specific-setup-guides/launchpad-pro-mk3/
Thank you for the reply, I have the Pro set to the “Low” velocity curve, it’s almost like the curve settings don’t go low enough.
In your video where you compared multiple X and Pro units, you mentioned that one of the Pro units wouldn’t hit 127 on the lowest curve no matter how hard you hit it. I wonder if Novation compensated for that issue in firmware and compromised the dynamic range.
Ah yeah that could very well be. In that case swapping out the unit is probably the best thing to try. Sorry it’s such a hassle, but that’s unfortunately part of the process if you’re serious about getting a great pad response. 
Oh, try the opposite as well! So set it to high velocity curve just to see what happens. Maybe high means “hitting with high velocity” 
Haha yeah it’s unreal how hard it is to get a good controller.
I’ve been through 2x Push 2, 2x Mikro MK3 and now a LP X and LP Pro. I kept both Push 2’s for now but they both have issues with pads getting stuck and triggering when adjacent pads are hit, they also have weird random latency on Windows (Mac is fine).
My experience with the Launchpad Pro Mk3 was that it had very sensitive pads, but overall the dynamic range / velocity range on it was clearly not as good as on the Maschine Mk3. I think the Yamaha FGDP also has a wider velocity range, although the pads are not as sensitive as either.
Could it be that you come from playing keys? A good keyboard controller with weighted action has far more velocity control than any pad controller. But that’s an unfair comparison as with the keys you first touch the key and only after some travel you’ll reach the point where the note is triggered. That leads to more control over velocity, but also “less immediate” playing feel imho.
From what I read here, it seems like luck plays not a small part in getting a good controller…
In my experience having bought a lot of controllers I usually got one that worked for me (as long as it’s on my recommended list, because most controller types are just bad).
Sometimes I get these responses from people saying "This thing is just the worst, bad pads, bad dynamic range etc.) while I do recommend the unit and in those cases I wonder what peoples expectations are. It could be they got a bad unit, but it can also be that they expected something from the controller in terms of response that was simply unrealistic.
One of the reasons I sort of gave up on playing jazz on any pad controller is the lack of dynamic range. I don’t think that can be fixed if you go from a soft tap to a firm tap to cover the entire range of velocties, but that is sort of part of what finger drumming is.
So yeah. I’m not saying this is the case for this launchpad pro mk3 by the way, I’m just saying that if you bought some ping pong gear thinking it was a tennis racket, you will be disappointed no matter what.
Very true, my baseline are my 2x Push 2 controllers which are the best I’ve used so far. There’s also physical limitations, the LP X and Pro MK3 are much thinner so stuff like the rebound feel simply can’t be as good. If I could have combined the best aspects of both LP I would have been in love. The form factor of the X, the sensitivity of the Pro, the dynamic range (though still not as good as Push) of the X. It would have been an amazing portable controller. I’ll probably order/try another X down the line if they go on sale just to give it one more chance.
I didn’t like the pad sensitivity on the Launchpad X and thought all of the Maschines I’ve tried were way better.
I also thought the LP was more gimmicky with just too many small pads and nothing else. The drag and drop customization was very limited and the adjustable settings were clunky as a direct result of the controller only having pads.
Maybe it suits some folks who want a lot of drumming options. Or maybe it’s useful for Ableton performance. Not my jam at all though and the pads weren’t even as responsive as the Xjam
