Akai Mpk Mini Play Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The Akai Mpk Mini Play 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.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Akai Mpk Mini Play with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Mpk Mini Play.

Article Contents

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

Does the Akai Mpk Mini Play work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Akai Mpk Mini Play is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Mpk Mini Play can still be mapped to many of the software’s functions.

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the Mpk Mini Play is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function 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 Mpk Mini Play.

Does the Akai Mpk Mini Play come with ableton Live included?

Yes the Mpk Mini Play comes with a free copy of Ableton Live Lite. Although it has unlimited usage, the available features are a lot less than what is available in the full versions of Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared 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 Mpk Mini Play to ableton

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

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

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Mpk Mini Play, there are however, some limitations to be aware of…

Saving your Mpk Mini Play Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Mpk Mini Play can only be assigned to control a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode does not provide every control option, so options such as controlling the selected track or selected device aren’t possible. A full list of Ableton midi mapping options can be found here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you’re looking to get the most out of your Mpk Mini Play, 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 Mpk Mini Play’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Mpk Mini Play,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Mpk Mini Play, 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 Mpk Mini Play in Ableton Live?

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