Icon Ikeyboard 6x Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Icon's Ikeyboard 6x 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.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Icon Ikeyboard 6x with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Ikeyboard 6x.

Article Contents

Does the Icon Ikeyboard 6x work with Ableton Live?
Does the Icon Ikeyboard 6x come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Ikeyboard 6x to ableton
How to midi map the Icon Ikeyboard 6x in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Ikeyboard 6x
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Icon Ikeyboard 6x work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Icon Ikeyboard 6x is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Ikeyboard 6x can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Ikeyboard 6x is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your Ikeyboard 6x.

Does the Icon Ikeyboard 6x come with ableton Live included?

The Ikeyboard 6x doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased separately.

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.

Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.

How to connect the Ikeyboard 6x to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Icon Ikeyboard 6x 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 Ikeyboard 6x to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Ikeyboard 6x 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 Ikeyboard 6x from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Ikeyboard 6x 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 Ikeyboard 6x (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Ikeyboard 6x with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Icon Ikeyboard 6x 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 Ikeyboard 6x, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Ikeyboard 6x.
5. Moving the physical control on your Ikeyboard 6x 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 Ikeyboard 6x

For the fastest way to map your Ikeyboard 6x, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Ikeyboard 6x 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 indicates that each control on your Ikeyboard 6x is capable of controlling only one 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 Ikeyboard 6x, 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 Ikeyboard 6x's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Ikeyboard 6x,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Ikeyboard 6x, 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 Ikeyboard 6x in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Ikeyboard 6x is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Ikeyboard 6x is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Ikeyboard 6x.
4. Make sure that the Ikeyboard 6x is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.