Behringer Motor 49 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Behringer's Motor 49 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 Behringer Motor 49 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Motor 49.

Article Contents

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

Does the Behringer Motor 49 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Behringer Motor 49 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Motor 49 can still be mapped to many of the software's 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 Motor 49 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 Motor 49.

Does the Behringer Motor 49 come with ableton Live included?

The Motor 49 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased 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.

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 Motor 49 to ableton

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

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

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

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

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

Saving your Motor 49 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 Motor 49 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Motor 49 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Motor 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 Motor 49.
4. Make sure that the Motor 49 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.