Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Native Instruments Maschine Mikro is a versatile midi controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi controller is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Maschine Mikro.

Article Contents

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

Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro is compatible with Ableton Live.

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

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Maschine Mikro is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Maschine Mikro.

Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Maschine Mikro, therefore it must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of sounds, in comparison 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 Maschine Mikro to ableton

Connecting the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi controller.

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

The Maschine Mikro is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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

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

Saving your Maschine Mikro 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 indicates that each control on your Maschine Mikro is capable of controlling only one parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not include every control options, options such as selected track control and selected device control unfortunately aren't possible. You can view a comprehensive list of all Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

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

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