Roland A-800 Pro Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Roland A-800 Pro is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Roland A-800 Pro with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the A-800 Pro.

Article Contents

Does the Roland A-800 Pro work with Ableton Live?
Does the Roland A-800 Pro come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the A-800 Pro to ableton
How to midi map the Roland A-800 Pro in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the A-800 Pro
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Roland A-800 Pro work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Roland A-800 Pro is compatible with Ableton Live.

The A-800 Pro is pre-programmed with a midi remote script in Ableton Live, so all you have to do is connect it (refer to the information below on how to do that).

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 A-800 Pro 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 A-800 Pro.

Does the Roland A-800 Pro come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the A-800 Pro, therefore it 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.

For those who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the A-800 Pro to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Roland A-800 Pro 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 A-800 Pro to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the A-800 Pro 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 A-800 Pro from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the A-800 Pro 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 A-800 Pro (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the A-800 Pro with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Roland A-800 Pro 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 A-800 Pro, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the A-800 Pro.
5. Moving the physical control on your A-800 Pro 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 A-800 Pro

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your A-800 Pro, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your A-800 Pro Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your A-800 Pro can only be assigned to 1 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 A-800 Pro, 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 A-800 Pro's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your A-800 Pro,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your A-800 Pro, 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 A-800 Pro in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the A-800 Pro is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the A-800 Pro is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the A-800 Pro.
4. Make sure that the A-800 Pro is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.