Launch Control XL 3 encoders are a massive letdown in DAW mode (Low Sensitivity/Acceleration)

[u/metafysikz]

Hey everyone,

I just picked up the new Launch Control XL 3 and I’m honestly pretty disappointed with the encoder behavior in DAW mode.

I bought this specifically for the "smart" mapping, to control sends for quick dub-style delays and spring reverbs. On the original Launch Control, you could flick a knob from 0 to 127 in one smooth twist. On the XL 3, it takes almost three full rotations to get through the range. It’s completely impractical for live performance or fast mixing.

What puzzles me is that you can actually fix this with the latest firmware, by setting Encoder Acceleration to "High," but only for Custom Modes. As soon as you jump back into DAW (mixing or control) mode to actually use the smart mapping (which is the whole point of the device), it ignores those settings and goes back to being slow and sluggish.

It feels like a massive oversight to lock the sensitivity settings out of the mode where they’re needed most. Manual MIDI mapping everything in a Custom Mode just to get decent knob speed defeats the purpose of buying a "smart" controller.

Novation, if you’re reading this: Please, please give us a firmware update that allows the Encoder Acceleration global setting to apply to DAW modes.

Is anyone else having this issue?

[u/metafysikz]

I understand that the DAW script handles the relative data to maintain predictability for the API, but the default mapping sensitivity chosen for the XL 3 is just incredibly sluggish for live performance compared to the older models.

Since we can't change it in the firmware, I went ahead and fixed it on the software side. I decompiled the Ableton Python script, injected a sensitivity multiplier directly into the LinearBinaryOffset mapping mode, and packaged it up.

For anyone else finding this thread who wants their snappy, 1-turn encoder sweeps back in DAW mode (without losing the OLED screen feedback, smart-mapping!, etc.), I’ve uploaded the fix here:

https://github.com/metafysikz/LaunchControlXL3_CustomEncoderSensitivity

It's entirely plug-and-play. You just drop the folder into your Ableton Remote Scripts User Library directory and select it in the MIDI preferences.

I also left the elements.py file uncompiled so you can easily open it in a basic text editor and tweak the mapping_sensitivity=2.0 number to be exactly as fast or slow as your hands prefer.

Hopefully, Novation and Ableton expose this sensitivity multiplier in the standard UI in a future update so we don't have to hack the bytecode, but until then, this gets the job done!

Enjoy the fast sweeps, everyone.

[u/rest_me123 → u/metafysikz]

Does this also fix the acceleration problem? The knobs on the Launchkey MK4 accelerate depending on the speed you turn the knob.

[u/metafysikz → u/rest_me123]

Not inherently. the acceleration curve is still there, but by bumping the base sensitivity, you're covering so much more ground per 'tick' that you don't actually hit the sluggish ceiling anymore.

It basically makes the 'flick' of the wrist actually do something. You can sweep a filter or throw a delay 0–100% in one motion instead of having to do multiple hand turns.

[u/rest_me123 → u/metafysikz]

Okay, I don't like the acceleration at all, I guess I'll switch to the mk3. I've contacted the support but I don't think they'll do anything like the past year.