Novation Impulse 49 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Novation Impulse 49 is a versatile midi keyboard and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi keyboard is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

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

Article Contents

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

Does the Novation Impulse 49 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Novation Impulse 49 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The Impulse 49 comes with a midi remote script to ensure it functions with Ableton Live, so just plug it in (see the instructions below to see how) and you're good to go.

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 Impulse 49 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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

Does the Novation Impulse 49 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Impulse 49, 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'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 Impulse 49 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Novation Impulse 49 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi keyboard.

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

The Impulse 49 has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Novation Impulse 49 to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in 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 Impulse 49, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Impulse 49.
5. Moving the physical control on your Impulse 49 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 49

For the fastest way to map your Impulse 49, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Impulse 49 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Impulse 49 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 Impulse 49, 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 49's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Impulse 49,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Impulse 49, 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 49 in Ableton Live?

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