Alesis V Mini Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Alesis's V Mini is a fantastically adaptable midi keyboard that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

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

Article Contents

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

Does the Alesis V Mini work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Alesis V Mini is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the V Mini to multiple functions inside the program.

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 V Mini will be usable with Ableton Live.

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 V Mini.

Does the Alesis V Mini come with ableton Live included?

You get a complimentary version of Ableton Live Lite with the V Mini, but its worth noting that the features of Ableton Live Lite are not as full as those of Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of 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 V Mini to ableton

Linking and configuring the Alesis V Mini to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi keyboard.

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

The V Mini is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Alesis V Mini and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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

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

Saving your V Mini Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

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