Arturia Keylab 49 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Keylab 49 from Arturia is an incredibly versatile midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Arturia Keylab 49 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Keylab 49.

Article Contents

Does the Arturia Keylab 49 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Arturia Keylab 49 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Keylab 49 to ableton
How to midi map the Arturia Keylab 49 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Keylab 49
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Arturia Keylab 49 work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Arturia Keylab 49 is compatible with Ableton Live.

The Keylab 49 is equipped with a standard midi remote script in Ableton Live, so you just need to connect it (see instructions below) to get it working.

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Keylab 49 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Keylab 49.

Does the Arturia Keylab 49 come with ableton Live included?

The Keylab 49 offers a complimentary copy of Ableton Live Lite, but its features are limited in comparison to Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

For those seeking the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we highly suggest purchasing Ableton Live Suite, as it offers significantly more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Keylab 49 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Arturia Keylab 49 with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Keylab 49 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Keylab 49 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 Keylab 49 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Keylab 49 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 Keylab 49 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Keylab 49 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Arturia Keylab 49 to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

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 Keylab 49, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Keylab 49.
5. Moving the physical control on your Keylab 49 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 Keylab 49

For the fastest way to map your Keylab 49, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Keylab 49 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 Keylab 49 can only be assigned to a single 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 Keylab 49, 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 Keylab 49's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Keylab 49,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Keylab 49, 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 Keylab 49 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Keylab 49 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Keylab 49 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Keylab 49.
4. Make sure that the Keylab 49 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.