Arturia Keystep 37 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Arturia's Keystep 37 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi keyboard has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Arturia Keystep 37 with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Keystep 37.

Article Contents

Does the Arturia Keystep 37 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Arturia Keystep 37 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Keystep 37 to ableton
How to midi map the Arturia Keystep 37 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Keystep 37
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Arturia Keystep 37 work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Arturia Keystep 37 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Keystep 37 to a variety of functions.

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the Keystep 37 is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Keystep 37.

Does the Arturia Keystep 37 come with ableton Live included?

The Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37 to ableton

Connecting the Arturia Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Keystep 37 is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Arturia Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Keystep 37.
5. Moving the physical control on your Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Keystep 37, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37 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 Keystep 37, 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 Keystep 37's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Keystep 37,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Keystep 37, 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 Keystep 37 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Keystep 37 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Keystep 37 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Keystep 37.
4. Make sure that the Keystep 37 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.