Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Komplete Kontrol A25 from Native Instruments 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 Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Komplete Kontrol A25.

Article Contents

Does the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Komplete Kontrol A25 to ableton
How to midi map the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Komplete Kontrol A25
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 is compatible with Ableton Live.

The Komplete Kontrol A25 is equipped with a standard midi remote script in Ableton Live, so you just need to connect it (see instructions below) to get it working.

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 Komplete Kontrol A25 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your Komplete Kontrol A25.

Does the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 come with ableton Live included?

The Komplete Kontrol A25 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.

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 Komplete Kontrol A25 to ableton

Linking the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 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 Komplete Kontrol A25 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Komplete Kontrol A25 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 Komplete Kontrol A25 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Komplete Kontrol A25 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 Komplete Kontrol A25 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Komplete Kontrol A25 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A25 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 Komplete Kontrol A25, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Komplete Kontrol A25.
5. Moving the physical control on your Komplete Kontrol A25 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 Komplete Kontrol A25

For the fastest way to map your Komplete Kontrol A25, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Komplete Kontrol A25 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Komplete Kontrol A25 can only be assigned to a single parameter in Ableton Live.

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 Komplete Kontrol A25, 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 Komplete Kontrol A25's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Komplete Kontrol A25,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Komplete Kontrol A25, 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 Komplete Kontrol A25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Komplete Kontrol A25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Komplete Kontrol A25 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Komplete Kontrol A25.
4. Make sure that the Komplete Kontrol A25 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.