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

The Radium 61 from M Audio is an incredibly versatile midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

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

Article Contents

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

To put it briefly, the M Audio Radium 61 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Ableton live provides a default midi remote script for the Radium 61, 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 Radium 61 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Radium 61.

Does the M Audio Radium 61 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Radium 61, so it needs to be purchased 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 Radium 61 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the M Audio Radium 61 with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi keyboard.

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

The Radium 61 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the M Audio Radium 61 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Radium 61, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of…

Saving your Radium 61 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

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