Roland Fantom 07 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Roland Fantom 07 is a versatile midi enabled synthesizer and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi enabled synthesizer is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Roland Fantom 07 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Fantom 07.

Article Contents

Does the Roland Fantom 07 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Roland Fantom 07 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Fantom 07 to ableton
How to midi map the Roland Fantom 07 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Fantom 07
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Roland Fantom 07 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Roland Fantom 07 is compatible with Ableton Live.

The Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07.

Does the Roland Fantom 07 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Fantom 07, therefore it must be bought separately.

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

For those seeking the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we highly suggest purchasing Ableton Live Suite, as it offers significantly more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Fantom 07 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Roland Fantom 07 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi enabled synthesizer.

1. Connect the Fantom 07 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Fantom 07 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Roland Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Fantom 07.
5. Moving the physical control on your Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07

For the fastest way to map your Fantom 07, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Fantom 07 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 Fantom 07 can only be assigned to control a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton's internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren't currently possible. View a full list of Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Fantom 07, 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 Fantom 07's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Fantom 07,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Fantom 07, 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 Fantom 07 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Fantom 07 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Fantom 07 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Fantom 07.
4. Make sure that the Fantom 07 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.