M Audio Oxygen 25 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The M Audio Oxygen 25 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 tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the M Audio Oxygen 25 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Oxygen 25.

Article Contents

  1. Does the M Audio Oxygen 25 work with Ableton Live?
  2. Does the M Audio Oxygen 25 come with ableton Live included?
  3. How to connect the Oxygen 25 to ableton
  4. How to midi map the M Audio Oxygen 25 in Ableton Live
  5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Oxygen 25
    1. Saving your Oxygen 25 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 M Audio Oxygen 25 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the M Audio Oxygen 25 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Ableton live provides a default midi remote script for the Oxygen 25, meaning it will work with Ableton Live as soon as you connect it (see the section below on how to connect to ableton).

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 Oxygen 25 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Oxygen 25.

Does the M Audio Oxygen 25 come with ableton Live included?

Yes the Oxygen 25 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. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 Oxygen 25 to ableton

Linking and configuring the M Audio Oxygen 25 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software’s settings from your midi keyboard.

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

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

For the fastest way to map your Oxygen 25, you can’t go wrong with Ableton’s midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations…

Saving your Oxygen 25 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Oxygen 25 can only be assigned to a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you’re looking to get the most out of your Oxygen 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 Oxygen 25’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Oxygen 25,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Oxygen 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 Oxygen 25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Oxygen 25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Oxygen 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 Oxygen 25.
4. Make sure that the Oxygen 25 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.