Alesis V61 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Alesis's V61 is an exceptionally flexible midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Alesis V61 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the V61.

Article Contents

1. Does the Alesis V61 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Alesis V61 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the V61 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Alesis V61 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the V61
   1. Saving your V61 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 V61 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Alesis V61 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Ableton live provides a default midi remote script for the V61, meaning it will work with Ableton Live as soon as you connect it (see the section below on how to connect to ableton).

All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the V61 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 V61.

Does the Alesis V61 come with ableton Live included?

Yes the V61 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. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared to Standard's 10GB.

If you're looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the V61 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Alesis V61 with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the V61 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the V61 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 V61 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the V61 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 V61 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The V61 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 V61 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 V61, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the V61.
5. Moving the physical control on your V61 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 V61

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your V61, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your V61 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your V61 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton's internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren't currently possible. View a full list of Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your V61, 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 V61's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your V61,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your V61, 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 V61 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the V61 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the V61 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the V61.
4. Make sure that the V61 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.