Korg Nanokontrol Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Korg's Nanokontrol is a fantastically adaptable midi 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.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Korg Nanokontrol with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Nanokontrol.

Article Contents

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

Does the Korg Nanokontrol work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Korg Nanokontrol is usable with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Nanokontrol to multiple functions inside the program.

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 Nanokontrol will be usable 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 Nanokontrol.

Does the Korg Nanokontrol come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Nanokontrol, so it needs to be purchased separately.

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.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Nanokontrol to ableton

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

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

The Nanokontrol will now be setup and ready to use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After successfully connecting the Korg Nanokontrol to Ableton live following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to functionality within 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 Nanokontrol, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Nanokontrol.
5. Moving the physical control on your Nanokontrol 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 Nanokontrol

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Nanokontrol, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Nanokontrol 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Nanokontrol can only be assigned to 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 Nanokontrol, 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 Nanokontrol's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Nanokontrol,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Nanokontrol, 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 Nanokontrol in Ableton Live?

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