M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

M Audio’s Oxygen Pro 61 is an exceptionally flexible midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Oxygen Pro 61.

Article Contents

Does the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 work with Ableton Live?
Does the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Oxygen Pro 61 to ableton
How to midi map the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Oxygen Pro 61
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 is usable with Ableton Live.

Out of the box, the Oxygen Pro 61 has a midi remote script that is compatible with Ableton Live, so once you connect it (check the section below for more info) it is ready to go.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Oxygen Pro 61 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Oxygen Pro 61.

Does the M Audio Oxygen Pro 61 come with ableton Live included?

With the Oxygen Pro 61 you get a free copy of Ableton Live Lite, but its features are not nearly as comprehensive as those of Ableton Live Standard or Suite.

Ableton Live has 3 main versions, Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are very capable pieces of software, the Suite version packs more in, such as over 70GB of library sounds compared 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 Oxygen Pro 61 to ableton

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

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

With Ableton’s midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Oxygen Pro 61, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions…

Saving your Oxygen Pro 61 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Oxygen Pro 61 can only be assigned to 1 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 Oxygen Pro 61, 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 Pro 61’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Oxygen Pro 61,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Oxygen Pro 61, 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 Pro 61 in Ableton Live?

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