Roland Aira Vt 4 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Roland's Aira Vt 4 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi enabled synthesizer 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 Roland Aira Vt 4 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Aira Vt 4.

Article Contents

Does the Roland Aira Vt 4 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Roland Aira Vt 4 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Aira Vt 4 to ableton
How to midi map the Roland Aira Vt 4 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Aira Vt 4
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Roland Aira Vt 4 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Roland Aira Vt 4 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Aira Vt 4 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 Aira Vt 4 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Aira Vt 4.

Does the Roland Aira Vt 4 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Aira Vt 4, so it needs to be purchased separately.

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 Aira Vt 4 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Roland Aira Vt 4 with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi enabled synthesizer.

1. Connect the Aira Vt 4 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Aira Vt 4 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 Aira Vt 4 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Aira Vt 4 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 Aira Vt 4 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Aira Vt 4 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Roland Aira Vt 4 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Aira Vt 4, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Aira Vt 4 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Aira Vt 4 can only be assigned to control a single 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 Aira Vt 4, 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 Aira Vt 4's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Aira Vt 4,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Aira Vt 4, 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 Aira Vt 4 in Ableton Live?

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