Teenage Engineering Tx 6 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Teenage Engineering Tx 6 is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi enabled controller 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 Teenage Engineering Tx 6 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Tx 6.

Article Contents

1. Does the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Tx 6 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Tx 6
   1. Saving your Tx 6 Midi Mappings is cumbersome
   2. Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one
   3. Limited Ableton parameter options to map to
   4. A great solution to these problems
6. Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 is usable with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Tx 6 to multiple functions inside the program.

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Tx 6 will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Tx 6.

Does the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Tx 6, so it needs to be purchased 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 Tx 6 to ableton

Connecting the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi enabled controller.

1. Connect the Tx 6 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Tx 6 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 Tx 6 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Tx 6 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 Tx 6 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Tx 6 will now be setup and ready to use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After successfully connecting the Teenage Engineering Tx 6 to Ableton live following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to functionality within 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 Tx 6, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Tx 6.
5. Moving the physical control on your Tx 6 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 Tx 6

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Tx 6, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Tx 6 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Tx 6 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not include every control options, options such as selected track control and selected device control unfortunately aren't possible. You can view a comprehensive list of all Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Tx 6, 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 Tx 6's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Tx 6,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Tx 6, 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 Tx 6 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Tx 6 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Tx 6 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Tx 6.
4. Make sure that the Tx 6 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.