Worlde Blue Whale37 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Worlde Blue Whale37 is a versatile midi keyboard and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi keyboard is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Worlde Blue Whale37 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Blue Whale37.

Article Contents

Does the Worlde Blue Whale37 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Worlde Blue Whale37 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Blue Whale37 to ableton
How to midi map the Worlde Blue Whale37 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Blue Whale37
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Worlde Blue Whale37 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Worlde Blue Whale37 is usable with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Blue Whale37 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the Blue Whale37 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 Blue Whale37.

Does the Worlde Blue Whale37 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Blue Whale37, therefore it must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of sounds, in comparison 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 Blue Whale37 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Worlde Blue Whale37 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 Blue Whale37 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Blue Whale37 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 Blue Whale37 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Blue Whale37 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 Blue Whale37 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Blue Whale37 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Worlde Blue Whale37 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 Blue Whale37, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Blue Whale37.
5. Moving the physical control on your Blue Whale37 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 Blue Whale37

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Blue Whale37, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Blue Whale37 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Blue Whale37 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 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 Blue Whale37, 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 Blue Whale37's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Blue Whale37,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Blue Whale37, 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 Blue Whale37 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Blue Whale37 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Blue Whale37 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Blue Whale37.
4. Make sure that the Blue Whale37 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.