Launchkey SDK

launchkey-sdk is a type-safe Rust SDK for Novation Launchkey MIDI controllers.
Novation provides a detailed programmer's guide for their MIDI protocol, but no official library exists — this SDK fills that gap with a complete, ergonomic, and extensible solution in Rust.

It provides complete programmatic control over pads, encoders, faders, screen(s), and more. Whether you're building custom DAW integrations, stage tools, or creative MIDI workflows, this SDK gives you low-level access with high-level ergonomics.

The SDK is designed to support both Standalone and DAW mode operations, includes RGB color and bitmap display support, and is built for portability across platforms.

⚠️ Disclaimer & Technical Reference

This project is an unofficial, independently developed SDK for Novation Launchkey MIDI controllers.
It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by Novation or Focusrite.

The SDK is based on the official Launchkey MK4 Programmer’s Reference Guide (PDF) provided by Novation.
It maps all known SysEx, CC, and control behavior as documented in that guide.

Features

🎛️ Control Surfaces

• Change encoder, fader, and pad modes
• DAW/Drum mode toggling
• Set pad colors (stationary, flashing, pulsing)
• Customize button brightness
• Send raw or structured MIDI commands

🖼️ Display Output

• Send 128x64 monochrome bitmaps to the onboard screen
• Write multi-line text with predefined arrangements
• Contextual and global display targets

🌈 Color Utilities

• Use predefined CommonColor variants
• Convert full-range (0–255) or palette-range (97–255) RGB values to 0–127
• Create and map RGB values to palette indices

Supported Devices

Roadmap

• Auto detect Launchkey SKU

• Launchkey MK4 Feature Control Support
  Implement support for Launchkey MK4's full MIDI CC-based feature control system over DAW In port:

  • Channel 7: Send control commands
  • Channel 8: Send queries for current feature state
  • Listen for reply messages on Channel 7 confirming state or response
  • Implement control for major feature groups:
    • Arp settings: Swing, Deviate, Ties, Accents, Ratchets, Type, Rate, Octave, Gate, Latch, etc.
    • Scale and note layout: Behaviour, Root note, Mode, Shift toggle
    • DAW interaction toggles: Performance Note Redirect, Touch Events, Encoder Relativity, Fader Pickup
    • Pad/Encoder/Fader layout selection
    • Pad/Keybed velocity, aftertouch config, fixed velocity control
    • LED brightness
    • Screen brightness and timeouts
    • Chord Map settings and MIDI routing
    • Arp connection and split zone selection
    • Custom mode defaults and pick-up behaviors
  • Expose a high-level FeatureControl API for reading/writing values by logical name

• Auto Hotplug Detection
  Automatically reconnect or react to device plug/unplug events on supported platforms.

• Launchkey MK3 Support
  Add support for older MK3 devices with their unique SysEx and CC mappings.

• Launchkey MK2 Support
  Add support for older MK2 devices with their unique SysEx and CC mappings.

• Bitmap Composition Utilities
  Add text/image/sprite rendering support into LaunchkeyBitmap, including:

  • Font rasterization
  • Shape drawing (lines, boxes, etc.)
  • Icon compositing and asset embedding

• Custom Pad Layout Mapping
  User-defined pad banks and aliases for dynamic page switching and alternate grid mappings.

• Preset Management API
  Load/save pad layouts, colors, fader modes, and display state as named user presets.

• Remember Active Pad/Encoder/Fader Mode State
  Implement functionality to remember the state of the active pad, encoder, and fader mode, even across session resets.

• Support for Multiple/Virtual Modes
  Enable support for multiple or virtual modes, including:

  • Infinite encoder banks for expanded control options.
  • Multiple pad sub-modes for deeper interaction, such as different layers or sets of controls within one physical mode.

• CLI Tool (launchkey-cli)
  A separate command-line interface for sending test commands, bitmaps, display updates, etc.

Example Gallery

• MIDI Monitor
  Log all incoming MIDI messages, highlighting Launchkey-specific controls like encoders, faders, and pads.

• Visual Metronome
  Flash a pad or row of pads in time with a given BPM.

• Interactive Finger Drumming Pad Trainer
  Create an interactive pad trainer to help users practice finger drumming, with real-time feedback and customizable exercises.

• Custom Drum Pad Layout
  Re-map pads to custom MIDI note triggers or DAW controls, with LED and screen feedback for each pad.

• Performance Mode
  Animate pads with pulse/flashing color patterns and update display labels dynamically during performance.

• Live Parameter Visualizer
  Show encoder or fader values visually on the screen — as bars, dials, or numbers — while they are being used.

Cross-platform

This library works on Windows, macOS, and Linux without any external dependencies.

Installation

Add this to your Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
launchkey-sdk = "0.1.0"

Getting Started

1. Initialize Launchkey Manager and Set DAW Mode

fn main() {
  let mut manager = LaunchkeyManager::default().unwrap();  
  let mut manager = manager.into_daw_mode().unwrap();
}

2. Set Pad Color

fn main() {
  //...
  manager.send_command(LaunchkeyCommand::SetPadColor {
      pad_in_mode: PadInMode::DAW(Pad::Mixer),
      mode: LEDMode::Stationary,
      color_palette_index: CommonColor::BrightGreen.into(),
  }).unwrap();
}

3. Set Encoder Mode

fn main() {
  //...
  manager.send_command(LaunchkeyCommand::SetEncoderMode {
      mode: EncoderMode::Normal,
  }).unwrap();
}

4. Set Screen Text

fn main() {
  //...
  manager.send_command(LaunchkeyCommand::SetScreenTextGlobal {
      target: GlobalDisplayTarget::Stationary,
      arrangement: Arrangement::NameValue("DAW Mode".to_string(), "Ready".to_string()),
  }).unwrap();
}

5. React to MIDI Launchkey interactions

fn main() {
  let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel();
  let midi_in = MidiInput::new("MIDI Listener").unwrap();
  let ports = get_named_midi_ports(&midi_in);

  // Connect to all available MIDI ports
  let _connections = connect_all_midi_ports(&ports, tx.clone());
  
  loop {
    if let Ok(data) = rx.recv() {
      if let Ok(event) = MidiMessage::try_from(data.as_slice()) {
        match event {
          // Recognize Pad Press
          MidiMessage::NoteOn(_, note, _) => {
            if let Some((pad, mode)) = Pad::from_value(note as u8) {
              println!("Pad {:?} pressed in mode {:?}", pad, mode);
            }
          }

          // Recognize Pad Mode Change
          MidiMessage::ControlChange(_, control_function, value)
          if control_function.equals_u8(PAD_MODE_CC) =>
            {
              println!("Pad Mode Changed: {:?}", PadMode::from_value(value.into()));
            }

          _ => {}
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

API Highlights

• LaunchkeyManager: Handles MIDI communication and device state
• Commands: Type-safe API for all device operations (pads, displays, modes)
• Colors: Both predefined palette indices and custom RGB values
• MIDI Handling: Built-in utilities for control change, note on/off, SysEx messages

Example Applications

This repository includes additional tools built on top of the SDK, located in the /apps directory:

Each tool can be run independently and includes its own README for usage and setup instructions.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• midir - MIDI communication library for Rust, providing a simple interface for MIDI input and output.
• wmidi - A crate for handling MIDI messages in a platform-agnostic manner.
• image - A library for image processing, including bitmap conversion and manipulation.
• strum - A set of utilities for working with enums in Rust, including deriving methods and iterators.
• thiserror - A convenient and ergonomic error handling library for Rust, enabling easy creation of custom error types with automatic From implementations.

Contact

• Email: borna.cvitanic@gmail.com
• GitHub Issues: GitHub Issues Page