Alesis Q49 Mkii Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Q49 Mkii from Alesis is an incredibly versatile midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Alesis Q49 Mkii with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Q49 Mkii.

Article Contents

Does the Alesis Q49 Mkii work with Ableton Live?
Does the Alesis Q49 Mkii come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Q49 Mkii to ableton
How to midi map the Alesis Q49 Mkii in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Q49 Mkii
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Alesis Q49 Mkii work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Alesis Q49 Mkii is usable with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Q49 Mkii can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 Q49 Mkii will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Q49 Mkii.

Does the Alesis Q49 Mkii come with ableton Live included?

The Q49 Mkii offers a complimentary copy of Ableton Live Lite, but its features are limited in comparison to Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

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.

Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.

How to connect the Q49 Mkii to ableton

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

Set up of the Q49 Mkii with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Alesis Q49 Mkii to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

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

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Q49 Mkii, there are however, some limitations to be aware of...

Saving your Q49 Mkii Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

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