Novation Play

Novation Play is a versatile and intuitive virtual instrument designed exclusively for new and existing owners of Launchkey MK4 series keyboards. Developed in a creative partnership with the esteemed Swedish plugin developer Klevgrand, Novation Play serves as a powerful sonic extension of the Launchkey hardware. The core philosophy behind its design is to deliver a seamless and immediate music-making experience, minimizing reliance on a mouse and keyboard and fostering a more hands-on, creative workflow. By providing tight, one-to-one integration with the Launchkey MK4's encoders, pads, and buttons, every parameter is within immediate reach, allowing for expressive, real-time sound manipulation that feels like interacting with a dedicated hardware synthesizer.

The sound engine of Novation Play is built upon a curated library of over 80 meticulously crafted presets. These are not just generic software sounds; each one has been expertly sampled from a collection of iconic and sought-after hardware synthesizers from Novation's rich heritage and its sister brands, Sequential and Oberheim. This includes the distinct character of legendary instruments such as the Novation Bass Station II, Nova, and Peak, as well as the timeless warmth of Sequential's Prophet-5 and Prophet Rev 2, and the classic polyphony of the Oberheim OB-6. The instrument comes equipped with a suite of creative effects, including four unique "Pad FX"—Chorus, Cassette, Spinner, and Freeze—which can be instantly triggered from the Launchkey's pads for dynamic performance texturing. These are complemented by global delay, reverb, and a simple one-knob compressor, providing all the essential tools for shaping and polishing sounds directly within the plugin.

Features:

• The Voice of Launchkey MK4: Exclusively designed for the Launchkey MK4 controller series, featuring deep, pre-mapped controls for an integrated hardware/software experience.
• 80+ Curated Sounds: A diverse library of expertly designed basses, leads, pads, effects, and drum kits ready to play and tweak.
• Iconic Sound Sources: All sounds are meticulously sampled from a celebrated lineup of hardware synthesizers, including the Novation Bass Station II, Nova, Peak, Sequential Prophet-5, Prophet Rev 2, and the Oberheim OB-6.
• Four Creative Pad FX: Instantly add character and movement to your sounds with four unique effects—Chorus, Cassette, Spinner, and Freeze—triggered directly from Launchkey's pads.
• Essential Global Effects: Polish your sounds with built-in Delay, Reverb, and a one-knob Compressor at the end of the signal chain for immediate professional results.
• Intuitive Visual Feedback: The Launchkey MK4's color-coded pads provide instant visual status of the Pad FX, with brightness indicating whether an effect is active.
• Hardware-Based Preset Browsing: Navigate through the entire preset library using the Launchkey's encoder bank up and down buttons, keeping you in the creative flow.
• Easy Preset Management: A dedicated preset browser within the plugin allows for quick sorting of sounds by category and displays descriptive tags for each patch.
• Flexible Formats: Novation Play can be used as a standalone desktop application or as a plugin within your favorite digital audio workstation.

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