Roland’s A 88 Mk2 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 tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Roland A 88 Mk2 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the A 88 Mk2.
Article Contents
- Does the Roland A 88 Mk2 work with Ableton Live?
- Does the Roland A 88 Mk2 come with ableton Live included?
- How to connect the A 88 Mk2 to ableton
- How to midi map the Roland A 88 Mk2 in Ableton Live
- The Limitations of midi mapping the A 88 Mk2
- Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?
Does the Roland A 88 Mk2 work with Ableton Live?
In short, yes, the Roland A 88 Mk2 is compatible with Ableton Live.
Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the A 88 Mk2 to a variety of functions.
All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the A 88 Mk2 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible with Ableton Live.
You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your A 88 Mk2.
Does the Roland A 88 Mk2 come with ableton Live included?
Ableton Live Lite isn’t included with the A 88 Mk2, so this 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.
Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.
How to connect the A 88 Mk2 to ableton
Connecting the Roland A 88 Mk2 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 A 88 Mk2 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the A 88 Mk2 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 88 Mk2 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the A 88 Mk2 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 88 Mk2 (Sync can also be optionally checked).
The A 88 Mk2 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 Roland A 88 Mk2 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 A 88 Mk2, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the A 88 Mk2.
5. Moving the physical control on your A 88 Mk2 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 88 Mk2
For the fastest way to map your A 88 Mk2, you can’t go wrong with Ableton’s midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations…
Saving your A 88 Mk2 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
A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your A 88 Mk2 can only be assigned to control 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 A 88 Mk2, 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 88 Mk2’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your A 88 Mk2,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your A 88 Mk2, 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 88 Mk2 in Ableton Live?
There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the A 88 Mk2 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the A 88 Mk2 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 88 Mk2.
4. Make sure that the A 88 Mk2 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.