FAQ
General
Section titled “General”What is PolyBoard?
Section titled “What is PolyBoard?”PolyBoard is open-source custom firmware for the Novation Launchpad Pro. It turns your grid controller into a standalone, scale-aware MIDI instrument.
Which Launchpad models are supported?
Section titled “Which Launchpad models are supported?”Original Launchpad Pro only. The Launchpad Pro MK3 uses different hardware and is not compatible.
Is PolyBoard free?
Section titled “Is PolyBoard free?”Yes! PolyBoard is open source and free. Source code is on GitHub.
Installation
Section titled “Installation”Can I restore the original firmware?
Section titled “Can I restore the original firmware?”Yes. Download the original Novation firmware from Novation’s website and upload it the same way.
The upload seems stuck
Section titled “The upload seems stuck”Set the delay between SysEx messages to minimum in your tool. Upload should take under a minute.
My Launchpad isn’t detected in bootloader mode
Section titled “My Launchpad isn’t detected in bootloader mode”- Hold Setup before plugging in USB
- Try a different USB port (avoid hubs)
- Make sure no other MIDI software is using the device
How do I change the root note?
Section titled “How do I change the root note?”Hold (bottom-left button). The grid shows the circle of fifths. Tap a note to select it.
How do I change the scale?
Section titled “How do I change the scale?”Hold (second from bottom on left). Tap to select a scale.
How many pages are there?
Section titled “How many pages are there?”4 pages - Session, Note, Device, User. Tap to switch, hold + tap to copy.
Can I add more scales?
Section titled “Can I add more scales?”The firmware includes 10 scales: Major, Minor, Pentatonic Major, Pentatonic Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, Harmonic Minor, Blues, Lydian, and Phrygian. Adding more requires modifying the source code.
Does PolyBoard support velocity?
Section titled “Does PolyBoard support velocity?”Yes! The pads are velocity-sensitive.
Does PolyBoard support aftertouch?
Section titled “Does PolyBoard support aftertouch?”Yes! Channel aftertouch works for expressive playing.
Technical
Section titled “Technical”What microcontroller does the Launchpad Pro use?
Section titled “What microcontroller does the Launchpad Pro use?”STM32F103RBT6 (ARM Cortex-M3).
How do I build from source?
Section titled “How do I build from source?”git clone https://github.com/b4nst/PolyBoard.gitcd PolyBoardnix develop # or install ARM toolchain manuallymake allOutput is build/polyboard.syx.
Can I contribute?
Section titled “Can I contribute?”Yes! See the GitHub repository.