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

Native Instruments's Komplete Kontrol 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 explain all you need to know on using the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Komplete Kontrol.

Article Contents

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

Does the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Ableton live provides a default midi remote script for the Komplete Kontrol, meaning it will work with Ableton Live as soon as you connect it (see the section below on how to connect to ableton).

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 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.

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

Yes the Komplete Kontrol comes with a free copy of Ableton Live Lite. Although it has unlimited usage, the available features are a lot less than what is available in the full versions of 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.

For those who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Komplete Kontrol to ableton

Linking and configuring the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi keyboard.

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

The Komplete Kontrol 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 Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol 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 Komplete Kontrol, 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.
5. Moving the physical control on your Komplete Kontrol 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

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Komplete Kontrol, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Komplete Kontrol Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Komplete Kontrol can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton's internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren't currently possible. View a full list of 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, 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's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Komplete Kontrol,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Komplete Kontrol, 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 in Ableton Live?

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