Novation Impulse 25 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Novation's Impulse 25 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi keyboard has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Novation Impulse 25 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Impulse 25.

Article Contents

Does the Novation Impulse 25 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Novation Impulse 25 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Impulse 25 to ableton
How to midi map the Novation Impulse 25 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Impulse 25
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Novation Impulse 25 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Novation Impulse 25 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Out of the box, the Impulse 25 has a midi remote script that is compatible with Ableton Live, so once you connect it (check the section below for more info) it is ready to go.

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 Impulse 25 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Impulse 25.

Does the Novation Impulse 25 come with ableton Live included?

The Impulse 25 does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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 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 Impulse 25 to ableton

Connecting the Novation Impulse 25 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 keyboard.

1. Connect the Impulse 25 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Impulse 25 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 Impulse 25 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Impulse 25 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 Impulse 25 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Impulse 25 is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Novation Impulse 25 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 Impulse 25, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Impulse 25.
5. Moving the physical control on your Impulse 25 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 Impulse 25

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Impulse 25, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Impulse 25 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 Impulse 25 can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Impulse 25, 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 Impulse 25's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Impulse 25,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Impulse 25, 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 Impulse 25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Impulse 25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Impulse 25 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Impulse 25.
4. Make sure that the Impulse 25 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.