Alesis Q49 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Alesis's Q49 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi keyboard has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Alesis Q49 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Q49.

Article Contents

1. Does the Alesis Q49 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Alesis Q49 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Q49 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Alesis Q49 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Q49
   1. Saving your Q49 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 Alesis Q49 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Alesis Q49 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Q49 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Q49 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Q49.

Does the Alesis Q49 come with ableton Live included?

Yes the Q49 comes with a free copy of Ableton Live Lite. Although it has unlimited usage, the available features are a lot less than what is available in the full versions of Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 Q49 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Alesis Q49 with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Q49 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Q49 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 Q49 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Q49 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 Q49 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Q49 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 Q49 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 Q49, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Q49.
5. Moving the physical control on your Q49 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 Q49

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Q49, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Q49 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Q49 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 Q49, 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 Q49's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Q49,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Q49, 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 Q49 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Q49 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Q49 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Q49.
4. Make sure that the Q49 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.