Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Maschine Mikro Mk3 from Native Instruments is an incredibly versatile midi controller 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 Maschine Mikro Mk3 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Maschine Mikro Mk3.

Article Contents

Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Maschine Mikro Mk3 to ableton
How to midi map the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Maschine Mikro Mk3
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Maschine Mikro Mk3 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 Maschine Mikro Mk3 will be usable 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 Mk3.

Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Maschine Mikro Mk3, so this 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.

If you're looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Maschine Mikro Mk3 to ableton

Linking the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Maschine Mikro Mk3 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Mk3 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Mk3 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Maschine Mikro Mk3 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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 Mk3, 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 Mk3.
5. Moving the physical control on your Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Mk3

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Maschine Mikro Mk3, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Maschine Mikro Mk3, 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 Mk3's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Maschine Mikro Mk3,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Maschine Mikro Mk3, 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 Mk3 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Maschine Mikro Mk3 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Maschine Mikro Mk3 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 Mk3.
4. Make sure that the Maschine Mikro Mk3 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.