Akai Advance 49 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Akai Advance 49 is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Akai Advance 49 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Advance 49.

Article Contents

Does the Akai Advance 49 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Akai Advance 49 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Advance 49 to ableton
How to midi map the Akai Advance 49 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Advance 49
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Akai Advance 49 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Akai Advance 49 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The Advance 49 comes with a midi remote script to ensure it functions with Ableton Live, so just plug it in (see the instructions below to see how) and you're good to go.

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the Advance 49 is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Advance 49.

Does the Akai Advance 49 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Advance 49, so this must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared to Standard's 10GB.

For those seeking the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we highly suggest purchasing Ableton Live Suite, as it offers significantly more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Advance 49 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Akai Advance 49 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Advance 49 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Advance 49 and your computer.
2. Launch Ableton Live and open the MIDI preferences.
Double click the Ableton Live icon to launch the software. Then, in the top menu of Ableton, go to the Preferences menu by opening the ‘Live’ menu and clicking ‘Preferences’.
3. Select the Advance 49 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Advance 49 are checked.
4. Ensure that the ‘Track’, ‘Remote’ and ‘Sync’ boxes are all checked.
In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Advance 49 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Advance 49 has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Akai Advance 49 to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in Ableton Live by doing the following:

1. Select the MIDI Map Mode button in the top right corner of the Live window. The button should turn orange, indicating that the MIDI Map Mode is enabled.
2. Select the parameter you wish to control in Ableton by clicking it with the cursor, the parameter will become highlighted.
3. Move a control on the Advance 49, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Advance 49.
5. Moving the physical control on your Advance 49 will now move the position of the corresponding parameter in Ableton.
6. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for any other parameters you wish to map.
7. When you’re finished mapping, press the MIDI Map Mode button again to disable it.

The Limitations of midi mapping the Advance 49

For the fastest way to map your Advance 49, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Advance 49 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Be aware that when saving your mappings, they will be stored with the Ableton session. Therefore, starting a new session will require you to re-map your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Advance 49 can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not include every control options, options such as selected track control and selected device control unfortunately aren't possible. You can view a comprehensive list of all Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Advance 49, our Ableton Midi Script Creator tool 'Control Surface Studio' is exactly what you need!
With it, you'll be able to:
- save and re-use your Advance 49's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Advance 49,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Advance 49, than Live's internal midi mapping mode allows.

Learn more about Control Surface Studio and see how it can help you by clicking here!

FAQ / Troubleshooting

Why can't I hear my Advance 49 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Advance 49 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Advance 49 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Advance 49.
4. Make sure that the Advance 49 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.