Allen And Heath Xone 2d Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Allen And Heath Xone 2d is a versatile midi controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi controller is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Allen And Heath Xone 2d with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Xone 2d.

Article Contents

Does the Allen And Heath Xone 2d work with Ableton Live?
Does the Allen And Heath Xone 2d come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Xone 2d to ableton
How to midi map the Allen And Heath Xone 2d in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Xone 2d
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Allen And Heath Xone 2d work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Allen And Heath Xone 2d is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d.

Does the Allen And Heath Xone 2d come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Xone 2d, therefore it must be bought separately.

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.

For those who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Xone 2d to ableton

Linking the Allen And Heath Xone 2d to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi controller.

1. Connect the Xone 2d to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Xone 2d is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Allen And Heath Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Xone 2d.
5. Moving the physical control on your Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Xone 2d, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Xone 2d Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Xone 2d 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 Xone 2d, 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 Xone 2d's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Xone 2d,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Xone 2d, 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 Xone 2d in Ableton Live?

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