Donner Starrykey 25 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The Starrykey 25 from Donner is an incredibly versatile midi and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Donner Starrykey 25 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Starrykey 25.

Article Contents

Does the Donner Starrykey 25 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Donner Starrykey 25 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Starrykey 25 to ableton
How to midi map the Donner Starrykey 25 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Starrykey 25
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Donner Starrykey 25 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Donner Starrykey 25 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Starrykey 25 to a variety of functions.

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Starrykey 25 will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Starrykey 25.

Does the Donner Starrykey 25 come with ableton Live included?

The Starrykey 25 does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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 Starrykey 25 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Donner Starrykey 25 with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi .

1. Connect the Starrykey 25 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Starrykey 25 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 Starrykey 25 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Starrykey 25 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 Starrykey 25 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Starrykey 25 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 Donner Starrykey 25 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 Starrykey 25, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Starrykey 25.
5. Moving the physical control on your Starrykey 25 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 Starrykey 25

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Starrykey 25, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of…

Saving your Starrykey 25 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Starrykey 25 can only be assigned to 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 Starrykey 25, 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 Starrykey 25’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Starrykey 25,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Starrykey 25, 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 Starrykey 25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Starrykey 25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Starrykey 25 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Starrykey 25.
4. Make sure that the Starrykey 25 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.