Intech En16 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

Intech’s En16 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi controller has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Intech En16 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the En16.

Article Contents

Does the Intech En16 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Intech En16 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the En16 to ableton
How to midi map the Intech En16 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the En16
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Intech En16 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Intech En16 is usable with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the En16 can still be midi mapped to many functions within 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 En16 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 En16.

Does the Intech En16 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the En16, therefore it must be bought separately.

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.

If you’re looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the En16 to ableton

Linking the Intech En16 to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software’s parameters from your midi controller.

1. Connect the En16 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the En16 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 En16 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the En16 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 En16 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The En16 is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Intech En16 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 En16, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the En16.
5. Moving the physical control on your En16 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 En16

Ableton’s midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your En16, however, you must take into account some potential limitations…

Saving your En16 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your En16 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 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 En16, 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 En16’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your En16,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your En16, 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 En16 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the En16 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the En16 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the En16.
4. Make sure that the En16 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.