M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

M Audio’s Oxygen 61 3rd Gen is a fantastically adaptable midi keyboard that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen.

Article Contents

  1. Does the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen work with Ableton Live?
  2. Does the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen come with ableton Live included?
  3. How to connect the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen to ableton
  4. How to midi map the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen in Ableton Live
  5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen
    1. Saving your Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Ableton live provides a default midi remote script for the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen, 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 61 3rd Gen 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 Oxygen 61 3rd Gen.

Does the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen come with ableton Live included?

Yes the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 Oxygen 61 3rd Gen to ableton

Linking the M Audio Oxygen 61 3rd Gen to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software’s parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen.
5. Moving the physical control on your Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen

For the fastest way to map your Oxygen 61 3rd Gen, you can’t go wrong with Ableton’s midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations…

Saving your Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen 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 Oxygen 61 3rd Gen, 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 61 3rd Gen’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Oxygen 61 3rd Gen,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Oxygen 61 3rd Gen, 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 61 3rd Gen in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen 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 61 3rd Gen.
4. Make sure that the Oxygen 61 3rd Gen is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.