It's out with the original's black, and in with an almost metallic gray. One other superficial change - perhaps more to give it its own sense of identity than anything else - is a change of color. It's also worth noting these pads are entirely USB-powered, making it trickier than simply sucking down more juice. It could also be for superior lights, as the brightness has been dialed up in response to user feedback. What does the S stand for? We're not entirely sure, but it could be for speedy, as Novation has ramped up the refresh rate to give a snappier response when you switch between modes. It appears, however, the firm's decided it was long overdue a refresh, so that's exactly what it's done. It was 2009 when Novation's Launchpad turned the Ableton world onto its simplistic charms.
A couple of years is a pretty good run in MIDI controller-land.
