Alesis V25 Mkii Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Alesis V25 Mkii is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Alesis V25 Mkii with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the V25 Mkii.

Article Contents

Does the Alesis V25 Mkii work with Ableton Live?
Does the Alesis V25 Mkii come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the V25 Mkii to ableton
How to midi map the Alesis V25 Mkii in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the V25 Mkii
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Alesis V25 Mkii work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Alesis V25 Mkii is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The V25 Mkii is pre-programmed with a midi remote script in Ableton Live, so all you have to do is connect it (refer to the information below on how to do that).

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 V25 Mkii is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your V25 Mkii.

Does the Alesis V25 Mkii come with ableton Live included?

The V25 Mkii includes a complimentary version of Ableton Live Lite, but its available features are not as extensive as those in Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared 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 V25 Mkii to ableton

Connecting the Alesis V25 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 V25 Mkii to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the V25 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 V25 Mkii from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the V25 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 V25 Mkii (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The V25 Mkii is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Alesis V25 Mkii to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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 V25 Mkii, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the V25 Mkii.
5. Moving the physical control on your V25 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 V25 Mkii

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your V25 Mkii, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your V25 Mkii 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your V25 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 V25 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 V25 Mkii's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your V25 Mkii,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your V25 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 V25 Mkii in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the V25 Mkii is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the V25 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 V25 Mkii.
4. Make sure that the V25 Mkii is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.