Advanced

Features

Guide

LAUNCHPAD

version 1.00 written by Paul Whittington and Alex Lucas

© 2015 Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd.

About This Guide

Launchpad features a hidden bootloader which provides access to advanced features. This guide explains how to use the bootloader to reconfigure the Launchpad to meet the requirements of its intended use.

How to Enter the Bootloader

To enter the bootloader, simply hold down the session, user 1, user 2 and mixer buttons while connecting the USB cable. These buttons are highlighted in Figure 1. It will be apparent that the bootloader has loaded as the LEDs will light as shown in Figure 2.

At this point the buttons can be released.

Figure 1. Entering the bootloader.

Hardware ID

In applications where more than one Launchpad is being used, it may be desirable to assign each Launchpad a different ID. This will ensure that each Launchpad can be uniquely recognised by the computer every time it is connected, so that MIDI instructions can be directed to the appropriate unit.

The top two rows, illuminated yellow, are used to select a hardware ID from 1 to 16. The brightest LED indicates the device

ID currently selected. When a new ID is chosen, text will scroll across the Launchpad displaying its number.

MIDI Channel for User Modes

The next two rows are used to select the MIDI channel for User 1 mode (3 rd row from the top) and User 2 mode (4 th row from the top). It is possible to set User 1 mode to MIDI channels 6, 7 or 8 and User 2 mode to MIDI channels 14, 15 or 16. Blue pads indicate the available channels. Red pads indicate the unavailable channels.

Figure 2. Bootloader mode functions.

Bootloader and Firmware Version

The two green buttons in the bottom left-hand corner are used to display the version numbers of the bootloader and firmware loaded on the Launchpad.

Exiting the Bootloader

The bottom right-hand green button is used to exit the bootloader and change over to the main firmware.

Firmware Update

Firmware updates may be made available in the future via the

Launchpad downloads page on the Novation website. Updates will be provided in the form of a System Exclusive (.syx) file. This is a standard file format used by manufacturers for configuring equipment.

The new firmware may be loaded onto the Launchpad only whilst it is in bootloader mode. The procedure is as follows:

1. Download the firmware as a System Exclusive (.syx) file from the Novation website.

2. Connect the Lauchpad S in bootloader mode to a Mac or

Windows PC.

3. Open the System Exclusive file in MIDI-OX for Windows

PC or Sysex-Librarian for Mac, available from: http://www.midiox.com/ http://www.snoize.com/SysExLibrarian/

4. Select the Launchpad as the MIDI output device.

5. Play the file.

Text will scroll across the Launchpad to indicate that an upgrade is taking place. Once the update has finished the bootloader will exit. The bootloader can be used subsequently to view the version number of the main firmware. This is a useful way to check that

the update has been successful. Note that the bootloader itself will not be updated; just the main firmware. http://www.novationmusic.com