Akai Lpk25 Mk2 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Akai's Lpk25 Mk2 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.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Lpk25 Mk2.

Article Contents

Does the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Lpk25 Mk2 to ableton
How to midi map the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Lpk25 Mk2
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Lpk25 Mk2 can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Lpk25 Mk2 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Lpk25 Mk2.

Does the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Lpk25 Mk2, therefore it must be bought separately.

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Lpk25 Mk2 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 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 Lpk25 Mk2 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Lpk25 Mk2 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 Lpk25 Mk2 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Lpk25 Mk2 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 Lpk25 Mk2 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Lpk25 Mk2 is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Akai Lpk25 Mk2 to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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 Lpk25 Mk2, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Lpk25 Mk2.
5. Moving the physical control on your Lpk25 Mk2 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 Lpk25 Mk2

For the fastest way to map your Lpk25 Mk2, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Lpk25 Mk2 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Lpk25 Mk2 can only be assigned to a single 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 Lpk25 Mk2, 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 Lpk25 Mk2's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Lpk25 Mk2,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Lpk25 Mk2, 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 Lpk25 Mk2 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Lpk25 Mk2 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Lpk25 Mk2 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Lpk25 Mk2.
4. Make sure that the Lpk25 Mk2 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.