Radial Engineering Key Largo Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

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

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Radial Engineering Key Largo with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Key Largo.

Article Contents

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

Does the Radial Engineering Key Largo work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Radial Engineering Key Largo is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

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

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 Key Largo is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Key Largo.

Does the Radial Engineering Key Largo come with ableton Live included?

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

Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.

How to connect the Key Largo to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Radial Engineering Key Largo with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi controller.

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

Set up of the Key Largo with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Radial Engineering Key Largo 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 Key Largo, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Key Largo.
5. Moving the physical control on your Key Largo 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 Key Largo

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

Saving your Key Largo 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping indicates that each control on your Key Largo is capable of controlling only one 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 Key Largo, 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 Key Largo's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Key Largo,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Key Largo, 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 Key Largo in Ableton Live?

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