Korg Monologue Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Korg's Monologue is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi keyboard has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

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

Article Contents

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

Does the Korg Monologue work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Korg Monologue is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

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

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 Monologue is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Monologue.

Does the Korg Monologue come with ableton Live included?

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

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.

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 Monologue to ableton

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

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

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

Saving your Monologue Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping indicates that each control on your Monologue 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 Monologue, 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 Monologue's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Monologue,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Monologue, 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 Monologue in Ableton Live?

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