Alesis Vi25 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Alesis's Vi25 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.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Alesis Vi25 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Vi25.

Article Contents

1. Does the Alesis Vi25 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Alesis Vi25 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Vi25 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Alesis Vi25 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Vi25
   1. Saving your Vi25 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 Vi25 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Alesis Vi25 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

The Vi25 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 Vi25 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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 Vi25.

Does the Alesis Vi25 come with ableton Live included?

The Vi25 includes a complimentary version of Ableton Live Lite, but its available features are not as extensive as those in Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

Ableton Live has 3 main versions, Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are very capable pieces of software, the Suite version packs more in, such as over 70GB of library sounds compared 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 Vi25 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Alesis Vi25 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 Vi25 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Vi25 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 Vi25 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Vi25 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 Vi25 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Vi25 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 Vi25 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 Vi25, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Vi25.
5. Moving the physical control on your Vi25 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 Vi25

For the fastest way to map your Vi25, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Vi25 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 button or knob on your Vi25 can only be assigned to control a single parameter in Ableton Live.

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 Vi25, 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 Vi25's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Vi25,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Vi25, 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 Vi25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Vi25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Vi25 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Vi25.
4. Make sure that the Vi25 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.