Akai Ewi 5000 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Akai Ewi 5000 is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Akai Ewi 5000 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Ewi 5000.

Article Contents

Does the Akai Ewi 5000 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Akai Ewi 5000 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Ewi 5000 to ableton
How to midi map the Akai Ewi 5000 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Ewi 5000
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Akai Ewi 5000 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Akai Ewi 5000 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Ewi 5000 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 Ewi 5000 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

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 Ewi 5000.

Does the Akai Ewi 5000 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Ewi 5000, so this 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 Ewi 5000 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Akai Ewi 5000 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI).

1. Connect the Ewi 5000 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Ewi 5000 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 Ewi 5000 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Ewi 5000 are checked.
4. Ensure that the proper 'Track', 'Remote' and 'Sync' boxes are checked for both input and output.

Track: When checked, this allows MIDI notes and CC messages to be sent/received.
Sync: This option enables MIDI clock syncing between Ableton live and the external device.
Remote: Allows external MIDI controllers to remotely control parameters within Ableton Live.

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In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Ewi 5000 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Ewi 5000 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Akai Ewi 5000 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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 Ewi 5000, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Ewi 5000.
5. Moving the physical control on your Ewi 5000 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 Ewi 5000

For the fastest way to map your Ewi 5000, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Ewi 5000 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping indicates that each control on your Ewi 5000 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 Ewi 5000, 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 Ewi 5000's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Ewi 5000,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Ewi 5000, 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 Ewi 5000 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Ewi 5000 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Ewi 5000 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Ewi 5000.
4. Make sure that the Ewi 5000 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.