Akai Afx Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Akai's Afx is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi controller has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Akai Afx with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Afx.

Article Contents

1. Does the Akai Afx work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Akai Afx come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Afx to ableton
4. How to midi map the Akai Afx in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Afx
   1. Saving your Afx Midi Mappings is cumbersome
   2. Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one
   3. Limited Ableton parameter options to map to
   4. A great solution to these problems
6. Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Akai Afx work with Ableton Live?

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

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Afx to multiple functions inside the program.

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 Afx is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Afx.

Does the Akai Afx come with ableton Live included?

The Afx doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

For those who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Afx to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Akai Afx with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi controller.

1. Connect the Afx to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Afx 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 Afx from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Afx 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 Afx (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Afx will now be setup and ready to use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After successfully connecting the Akai Afx to Ableton live following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to functionality within 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 Afx, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Afx.
5. Moving the physical control on your Afx 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 Afx

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

Saving your Afx Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Afx, 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 Afx's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Afx,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Afx, 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 Afx in Ableton Live?

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