M Audio Accent Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Accent from M Audio is an incredibly versatile midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the M Audio Accent with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Accent.

Article Contents

1. Does the M Audio Accent work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the M Audio Accent come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Accent to ableton
4. How to midi map the M Audio Accent in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Accent
   1. Saving your Accent 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 M Audio Accent work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the M Audio Accent is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Accent can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Accent is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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

Does the M Audio Accent come with ableton Live included?

The Accent offers a complimentary copy of Ableton Live Lite, but its features are limited in comparison to Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

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.

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 Accent to ableton

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

Set up of the Accent with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the M Audio Accent to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

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

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

Saving your Accent 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Accent can only be assigned to 1 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 Accent, 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 Accent's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Accent,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Accent, 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 Accent in Ableton Live?

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