Keith Mcmillen 12 Step Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Keith Mcmillen's 12 Step is a fantastically adaptable midi foot controller that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the 12 Step.

Article Contents

Does the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step work with Ableton Live?
Does the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the 12 Step to ableton
How to midi map the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the 12 Step
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the 12 Step can still be mapped to many of the software's 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 12 Step 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 12 Step.

Does the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the 12 Step, 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.

For those seeking the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we highly suggest purchasing Ableton Live Suite, as it offers significantly more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the 12 Step to ableton

Linking and configuring the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi foot controller.

1. Connect the 12 Step to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the 12 Step 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 12 Step from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the 12 Step 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 12 Step (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the 12 Step with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Keith Mcmillen 12 Step 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 12 Step, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the 12 Step.
5. Moving the physical control on your 12 Step 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 12 Step

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your 12 Step, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your 12 Step 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your 12 Step can only be assigned to control a single 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 12 Step, 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 12 Step's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your 12 Step,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your 12 Step, 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 12 Step in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the 12 Step is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the 12 Step is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the 12 Step.
4. Make sure that the 12 Step is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.