Worlde Ks61a Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Worlde Ks61a 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 guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Worlde Ks61a with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Ks61a.

Article Contents

1. Does the Worlde Ks61a work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Worlde Ks61a come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Ks61a to ableton
4. How to midi map the Worlde Ks61a in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Ks61a
   1. Saving your Ks61a 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 Ks61a work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Worlde Ks61a is compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Ks61a to a variety of functions.

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 Ks61a is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Ks61a.

Does the Worlde Ks61a come with ableton Live included?

The Ks61a does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 Ks61a to ableton

Connecting the Worlde Ks61a 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 Ks61a to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Ks61a 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 Ks61a from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Ks61a 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 Ks61a (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Ks61a has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Worlde Ks61a to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in 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 Ks61a, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Ks61a.
5. Moving the physical control on your Ks61a 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 Ks61a

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Ks61a, there are however, some limitations to be aware of...

Saving your Ks61a 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 indicates that each control on your Ks61a is capable of controlling only one 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 Ks61a, 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 Ks61a's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Ks61a,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Ks61a, 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 Ks61a in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Ks61a is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Ks61a is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Ks61a.
4. Make sure that the Ks61a is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.