Roland A 01 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

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The Roland A 01 is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi enabled synthesizer has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Roland A 01 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the A 01.

Article Contents

  1. Does the Roland A 01 work with Ableton Live?
  2. Does the Roland A 01 come with ableton Live included?
  3. How to connect the A 01 to ableton
  4. How to midi map the Roland A 01 in Ableton Live
  5. The Limitations of midi mapping the A 01
    1. Saving your A 01 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 Roland A 01 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Roland A 01 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the A 01 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

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 A 01 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 A 01.

Does the Roland A 01 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the A 01, therefore it must be bought separately.

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.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the A 01 to ableton

Connecting the Roland A 01 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 enabled synthesizer.

1. Connect the A 01 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the A 01 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 A 01 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the A 01 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 A 01 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the A 01 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Roland A 01 to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

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 A 01, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the A 01.
5. Moving the physical control on your A 01 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 A 01

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your A 01, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your A 01 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your A 01 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 A 01, 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 A 01's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your A 01,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your A 01, 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 A 01 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the A 01 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the A 01 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the A 01.
4. Make sure that the A 01 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.