Vavdo A2 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The Vavdo A2 is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Vavdo A2 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the A2.

Article Contents

Does the Vavdo A2 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Vavdo A2 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the A2 to ableton
How to midi map the Vavdo A2 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the A2
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Vavdo A2 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Vavdo A2 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the A2 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 A2 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your A2.

Does the Vavdo A2 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the A2, so it needs to be purchased separately.

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.

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 A2 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Vavdo A2 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software’s settings from your midi controller.

1. Connect the A2 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the A2 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 A2 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the A2 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 A2 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The A2 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 Vavdo A2 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 A2, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the A2.
5. Moving the physical control on your A2 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 A2

With Ableton’s midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your A2, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions…

Saving your A2 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your A2 can only be assigned to a single 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 A2, 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 A2’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your A2,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your A2, 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 A2 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the A2 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the A2 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the A2.
4. Make sure that the A2 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.