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

M Audio’s Oxygen 25 Mkiv is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi keyboard has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the M Audio Oxygen 25 Mkiv with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Oxygen 25 Mkiv.

Article Contents

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

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

The Oxygen 25 Mkiv is pre-programmed with a midi remote script in Ableton Live, so all you have to do is connect it (refer to the information below on how to do that).

All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the Oxygen 25 Mkiv is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 Oxygen 25 Mkiv.

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

The Oxygen 25 Mkiv includes a complimentary version of Ableton Live Lite, but its available features are not as extensive as those in 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 Mkiv to ableton

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

The Oxygen 25 Mkiv is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the M Audio Oxygen 25 Mkiv 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 Oxygen 25 Mkiv, 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 Mkiv.
5. Moving the physical control on your Oxygen 25 Mkiv 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 Mkiv

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

Saving your Oxygen 25 Mkiv 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Oxygen 25 Mkiv can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren’t currently possible. View a full list of 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 Mkiv, 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 Mkiv’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Oxygen 25 Mkiv,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Oxygen 25 Mkiv, 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 Mkiv in Ableton Live?

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