Korg Electribe 2 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Korg Electribe 2 is a versatile midi enabled synthesizer and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi enabled synthesizer is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Korg Electribe 2 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Electribe 2.

Article Contents

Does the Korg Electribe 2 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Korg Electribe 2 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Electribe 2 to ableton
How to midi map the Korg Electribe 2 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Electribe 2
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Korg Electribe 2 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Korg Electribe 2 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Electribe 2 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 Electribe 2 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 Electribe 2.

Does the Korg Electribe 2 come with ableton Live included?

The Electribe 2 does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

If you're looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Electribe 2 to ableton

Connecting the Korg Electribe 2 with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi enabled synthesizer.

1. Connect the Electribe 2 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Electribe 2 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 Electribe 2 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Electribe 2 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 Electribe 2 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Electribe 2 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 Korg Electribe 2 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 Electribe 2, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Electribe 2.
5. Moving the physical control on your Electribe 2 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 Electribe 2

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Electribe 2, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Electribe 2 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping indicates that each control on your Electribe 2 is capable of controlling only one parameter in Ableton Live.

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 Electribe 2, 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 Electribe 2's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Electribe 2,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Electribe 2, 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 Electribe 2 in Ableton Live?

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