Worlde Blue Whale61 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

Worlde’s Blue Whale61 is an exceptionally flexible midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Worlde Blue Whale61 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Blue Whale61.

Article Contents

  1. Does the Worlde Blue Whale61 work with Ableton Live?
  2. Does the Worlde Blue Whale61 come with ableton Live included?
  3. How to connect the Blue Whale61 to ableton
  4. How to midi map the Worlde Blue Whale61 in Ableton Live
  5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Blue Whale61
    1. Saving your Blue Whale61 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 Worlde Blue Whale61 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Worlde Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 Blue Whale61.

Does the Worlde Blue Whale61 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn’t included with the Blue Whale61, so this must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of 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 Blue Whale61 to ableton

Connecting the Worlde Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Blue Whale61 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 Worlde Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Blue Whale61.
5. Moving the physical control on your Blue Whale61 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 Blue Whale61

With Ableton’s midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Blue Whale61, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions…

Saving your Blue Whale61 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 indicates that each control on your Blue Whale61 is capable of controlling only one 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 Blue Whale61, 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 Blue Whale61’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Blue Whale61,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Blue Whale61, 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 Blue Whale61 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Blue Whale61 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Blue Whale61 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Blue Whale61.
4. Make sure that the Blue Whale61 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.