Korg Minilogue Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Korg Minilogue 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 teach you everything needed in order to use the Korg Minilogue with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Minilogue.

Article Contents

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

Does the Korg Minilogue work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Korg Minilogue is compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Minilogue to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Minilogue will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Minilogue.

Does the Korg Minilogue come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Minilogue, so this must be bought separately.

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison 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 Minilogue to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Korg Minilogue with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi enabled synthesizer.

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

The Minilogue is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Korg Minilogue and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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

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

Saving your Minilogue 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 Minilogue can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Minilogue, 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 Minilogue's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Minilogue,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Minilogue, 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 Minilogue in Ableton Live?

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