Nektar Panorama T6 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Nektar's Panorama T6 is an exceptionally flexible midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Nektar Panorama T6 with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Panorama T6.

Article Contents

Does the Nektar Panorama T6 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Nektar Panorama T6 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Panorama T6 to ableton
How to midi map the Nektar Panorama T6 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Panorama T6
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Nektar Panorama T6 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Nektar Panorama T6 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Panorama T6 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the Panorama T6 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible with Ableton Live.

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 Panorama T6.

Does the Nektar Panorama T6 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Panorama T6, so this must be bought separately.

Ableton Live has 3 main versions, Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are very capable pieces of software, the Suite version packs more in, such as over 70GB of library sounds compared to Standard’s 10GB.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Panorama T6 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Nektar Panorama T6 with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Panorama T6 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Panorama T6 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 Panorama T6 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Panorama T6 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 Panorama T6 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Panorama T6 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 Nektar Panorama T6 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 Panorama T6, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Panorama T6.
5. Moving the physical control on your Panorama T6 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 Panorama T6

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Panorama T6, there are however, some limitations to be aware of...

Saving your Panorama T6 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Panorama T6 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 Panorama T6, 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 Panorama T6's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Panorama T6,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Panorama T6, 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 Panorama T6 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Panorama T6 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Panorama T6 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Panorama T6.
4. Make sure that the Panorama T6 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.