Icon Ikeyboard 8nano Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Ikeyboard 8nano from Icon 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.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Ikeyboard 8nano.

Article Contents

Does the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano work with Ableton Live?
Does the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Ikeyboard 8nano to ableton
How to midi map the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Ikeyboard 8nano
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Ikeyboard 8nano can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 8nano 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 8nano.

Does the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Ikeyboard 8nano, therefore it must be bought 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 8nano to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano 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 Ikeyboard 8nano to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Ikeyboard 8nano 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 8nano from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Ikeyboard 8nano 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 8nano (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Ikeyboard 8nano is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Icon Ikeyboard 8nano 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 Ikeyboard 8nano, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Ikeyboard 8nano.
5. Moving the physical control on your Ikeyboard 8nano 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 8nano

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Ikeyboard 8nano, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Ikeyboard 8nano Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Be aware that when saving your mappings, they will be stored with the Ableton session. Therefore, starting a new session will require you to re-map your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Ikeyboard 8nano can only be assigned to 1 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 8nano, 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 8nano's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Ikeyboard 8nano,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Ikeyboard 8nano, 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 8nano in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Ikeyboard 8nano is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Ikeyboard 8nano 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 8nano.
4. Make sure that the Ikeyboard 8nano is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.