Electrix Tweaker Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Electrix's Tweaker is an exceptionally flexible midi controller and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Electrix Tweaker with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Tweaker.

Article Contents

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

In a nutshell, the Electrix Tweaker is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

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

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 Tweaker is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Tweaker.

Does the Electrix Tweaker come with ableton Live included?

The Tweaker does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 Tweaker to ableton

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

The Tweaker has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Electrix Tweaker to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in Ableton Live by doing the following:

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

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Tweaker, there are however, some limitations to be aware of...

Saving your Tweaker Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Tweaker can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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

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