Korg Nanokey Studio Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Korg Nanokey Studio is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

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

Article Contents

1. Does the Korg Nanokey Studio work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Korg Nanokey Studio come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Nanokey Studio to ableton
4. How to midi map the Korg Nanokey Studio in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Nanokey Studio
   1. Saving your Nanokey Studio Midi Mappings is cumbersome
   2. Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one
   3. Limited Ableton parameter options to map to
   4. A great solution to these problems
6. Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Korg Nanokey Studio work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Korg Nanokey Studio is usable with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Nanokey Studio to a variety of functions.

All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the Nanokey Studio is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 Nanokey Studio.

Does the Korg Nanokey Studio come with ableton Live included?

The Nanokey Studio does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 Nanokey Studio to ableton

Linking the Korg Nanokey Studio to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi keyboard.

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

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

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

Saving your Nanokey Studio 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 button or knob on your Nanokey Studio 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 provide every control option, so options such as controlling the selected track or selected device aren't possible. A full list of Ableton midi mapping options can be found here.

We have a great solution to these problems

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

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