Understanding the Launch Box

The Launch Box allows you to control how clips are launched or played live. This includes control over:

• Launch Mode
• Quantization
• Follow Actions

Let's break down these elements.

Opening and Closing the Launch Box

To get started, you need to open and close the launch box, which can be done by clicking the L icon.

Launch Modes

1. Trigger

• When you press down, the clip starts.
• Pressing down again restarts the clip.
• An up message (when you release) means nothing happens.

2. Gate

• Pressing down starts the clip.
• Releasing it stops the clip.

Example of Gate in Action:

1. Set to Trigger and press play; pressing again restarts.
2. Switch to Gate: press and hold to play, then release to stop.

3. Toggle

• Pressing down starts the clip.
• The next down press stops the playback.

Example of Toggle:

• Press once to start.
• Press again to stop.

4. Repeat

• As long as the mouse switch or key is held down, the clip is triggered repeatedly at the clip quantization rate.

Example of Repeat:

1. Set to 1 bar and press and hold.
2. On release, continue through the rest of the sample.

Quantization

• Determines how quickly the clip starts and stops.
• Default is set to global; setting this to 1:16 allows for faster releases.

Velocity

• Velocity can affect playback volumes if you have a velocity-sensitive controller, like a keyboard.

Legato

• Legato mode takes over the play position from the last played clip, ensuring smooth transitions.

Example of Legato:

• When you play a second clip, it begins where the first clip left off.

Follow Actions

Follow actions enable automation, allowing clips to trigger the next action without user intervention.

Options Include:

• Bars
• Beats
• 16th Notes

Setup of Follow Actions:

1. Set to 1 bar and choose next.
2. Clips can be set to go next or previous and can even be configured for random selection.

Customization with Ratios

• You can set the ratio for follow actions. For example:
  • 1:1 means a 50% chance of going next vs. previous.
  • Adjusting this ratio allows for varying probabilities.

Conclusion

The launch box is a powerful tool for creating dynamic performances and automations. By understanding and experimenting with the various modes, quantization settings, and follow actions, you can greatly enhance your music production capabilities.