Novation just launched the Launch Control 3, and I’ve had it on my desk for over a week putting it through its paces in Ableton Live and with hardware. Think of it as the smaller sibling to the Launch Control XL 3—same workflow, minus the faders. You get two rows of endless encoders with RGB feedback, eight assignable buttons, and a crisp OLED that shows you exactly what you’re controlling in real time (parameter name in DAW modes, or CC/note, channel, and value in custom mode). Novation sent me the unit, but this isn’t a paid review. In Ableton, I walk through the two main “DAW” modes: Mixer mode for pan/volume (and sends via shift + page), and Control mode where the encoders auto-map to whatever device is on the selected track. Then I jump into Custom modes, where you can MIDI map anything and build presets in Novation Components—up to seven stored on the controller, with batch editing, colors, and even program change on the buttons. The big win with endless encoders is no parameter jumps, which matters even more when you’re controlling hardware. Add full-size 5‑pin MIDI I/O/thru and £129 pricing, and it’s a no-brainer for DAWless or compact desk setups—unless what you really need is clip/scene launching.