M Audio Venom Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

M Audio’s Venom 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 Venom with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Venom.

Article Contents

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

To sum it up, the M Audio Venom is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Venom can still be mapped to many of the software’s functions.

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 Venom 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 Venom.

Does the M Audio Venom come with ableton Live included?

Yes the Venom 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 with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison 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 Venom to ableton

Connecting and setting up the M Audio Venom with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they’re connected you’ll be able to adjust the software’s parameters from your midi keyboard.

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

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

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

Saving your Venom Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Be aware that when saving your mappings, they will be stored with the Ableton session. Therefore, starting a new session will require you to re-map your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Venom is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Venom is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Venom.
4. Make sure that the Venom is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.