Worlde Ks49c Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Worlde Ks49c 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 Worlde Ks49c with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Ks49c.

Article Contents

1. Does the Worlde Ks49c work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Worlde Ks49c come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Ks49c to ableton
4. How to midi map the Worlde Ks49c in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Ks49c
   1. Saving your Ks49c 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 Worlde Ks49c work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Worlde Ks49c is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Ks49c can still be midi mapped to many functions within 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 Ks49c is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your Ks49c.

Does the Worlde Ks49c come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Ks49c, 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.

Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.

How to connect the Ks49c to ableton

Connecting the Worlde Ks49c 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 keyboard.

1. Connect the Ks49c to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Ks49c 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 Ks49c from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Ks49c 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 Ks49c (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Ks49c is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Worlde Ks49c to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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 Ks49c, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Ks49c.
5. Moving the physical control on your Ks49c 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 Ks49c

For the fastest way to map your Ks49c, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Ks49c 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Ks49c can only be assigned to 1 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 Ks49c, 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 Ks49c's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Ks49c,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Ks49c, 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 Ks49c in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Ks49c is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Ks49c is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Ks49c.
4. Make sure that the Ks49c is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.