Novation 49 Sl Mk3 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Novation's 49 Sl Mk3 is a fantastically adaptable midi keyboard that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the 49 Sl Mk3.

Article Contents

Does the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the 49 Sl Mk3 to ableton
How to midi map the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the 49 Sl Mk3
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Ableton live provides a default midi remote script for the 49 Sl Mk3, meaning it will work with Ableton Live as soon as you connect it (see the section below on how to connect to ableton).

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the 49 Sl Mk3 is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your 49 Sl Mk3.

Does the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 come with ableton Live included?

Yes the 49 Sl Mk3 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 of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared 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 49 Sl Mk3 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Novation 49 Sl Mk3 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 49 Sl Mk3 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the 49 Sl 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 49 Sl Mk3 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the 49 Sl 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 49 Sl Mk3 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The 49 Sl Mk3 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 Novation 49 Sl Mk3 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 49 Sl Mk3, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the 49 Sl Mk3.
5. Moving the physical control on your 49 Sl 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 49 Sl Mk3

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your 49 Sl Mk3, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your 49 Sl Mk3 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your 49 Sl Mk3 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 49 Sl 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 49 Sl Mk3's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your 49 Sl Mk3,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your 49 Sl 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 49 Sl Mk3 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the 49 Sl Mk3 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the 49 Sl 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 49 Sl Mk3.
4. Make sure that the 49 Sl Mk3 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.