Alesis Photon 25 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Alesis Photon 25 is a versatile midi keyboard and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi keyboard is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Alesis Photon 25 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Photon 25.

Article Contents

Does the Alesis Photon 25 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Alesis Photon 25 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Photon 25 to ableton
How to midi map the Alesis Photon 25 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Photon 25
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Alesis Photon 25 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Alesis Photon 25 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The Photon 25 is equipped with a standard midi remote script in Ableton Live, so you just need to connect it (see instructions below) to get it working.

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Photon 25 will be usable 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 Photon 25.

Does the Alesis Photon 25 come with ableton Live included?

The Photon 25 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased 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.

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 Photon 25 to ableton

Connecting the Alesis Photon 25 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 keyboard.

1. Connect the Photon 25 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Photon 25 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 Photon 25 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Photon 25 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 Photon 25 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Photon 25 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 Alesis Photon 25 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 Photon 25, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Photon 25.
5. Moving the physical control on your Photon 25 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 Photon 25

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Photon 25, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Photon 25 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Photon 25 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 Photon 25, 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 Photon 25's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Photon 25,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Photon 25, 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 Photon 25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Photon 25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Photon 25 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Photon 25.
4. Make sure that the Photon 25 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.