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

The Akai Lpk25 Wireless is a versatile midi controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi controller is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Akai Lpk25 Wireless with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Lpk25 Wireless.

Article Contents

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

Does the Akai Lpk25 Wireless work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Akai Lpk25 Wireless is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Lpk25 Wireless to a variety of functions.

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 Wireless 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 Wireless.

Does the Akai Lpk25 Wireless come with ableton Live included?

The Lpk25 Wireless does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

Ableton Live has 3 main versions, Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are very capable pieces of software, the Suite version packs more in, such as over 70GB of library sounds compared 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 Lpk25 Wireless to ableton

Connecting the Akai Lpk25 Wireless with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi controller.

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

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

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Lpk25 Wireless, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Lpk25 Wireless 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 Lpk25 Wireless 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 Lpk25 Wireless, 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 Wireless's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Lpk25 Wireless,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Lpk25 Wireless, 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 Wireless in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Lpk25 Wireless is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Lpk25 Wireless 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 Wireless.
4. Make sure that the Lpk25 Wireless is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.