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

The Maschine 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.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Native Instruments Maschine Mk3 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Maschine Mk3.

Article Contents

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

Does the Native Instruments Maschine Mk3 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Native Instruments Maschine Mk3 is usable with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Maschine Mk3 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

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 Maschine Mk3 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Maschine Mk3.

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

The Maschine Mk3 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased separately.

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'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 Mk3 to ableton

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

Set up of the Maschine Mk3 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Native Instruments Maschine Mk3 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 Maschine 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 Mk3.
5. Moving the physical control on your Maschine 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 Mk3

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

Saving your Maschine 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Maschine Mk3 can only be assigned to a single 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 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 Mk3's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Maschine Mk3,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Maschine 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 Mk3 in Ableton Live?

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