$Page Connecting MIDI Controllers $TargetName Connecting MIDI Controllers Live allows hands-on control of most of its interface via external MIDI keyboards and control surfaces. This lesson will show you how to set up your MIDI controllers to play software instruments or add tactile remote control to your Live experience. This lesson assumes that your MIDI keyboard or control surface uses a *USB port* for communicating with the computer. If that is not the case and it has only MIDI jacks, then you'll also need an external *MIDI interface* to connect it to. Before we begin, please verify that your external MIDI keyboard or control surface is connected to your computer and powered on. -> To learn specifically about setting up *MIDI keyboards,* click on the *Next Page* button below. -> To learn specifically about setting up *MIDI control surfaces,* click $Link here . $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Connecting MIDI Keyboards $TargetName Connecting MIDI Keyboards You can easily play Live's software instruments by using a MIDI keyboard. This section of the lesson will help you configure Live so that notes played on your MIDI keyboard will reach your software instrument of choice. *Many common MIDI keyboard and control surfaces will be automatically configured by Live as soon as they're connected.* If you're using one of these controllers, you shouldn't need to adjust anything - your hardware will just work. But if you're using a non-standard controller or things aren't working as you expect, you may need to adjust some settings. Read on to learn how to do this. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page MIDI Keyboard Setup $TargetName MIDI Keyboard Setup Open Live's Preferences by selecting them from *Live* menu in macOS (or the *Options* menu in Windows), then click on the *Link/Tempo/MIDI* tab: MidiSyncTab.png You should see one or more entries for your keyboard in the *MIDI Ports* section of the Link/Tempo/MIDI tab. You may have to scroll the list to see all available ports. MidiPorts.png Both *input* and *output* ports are displayed in this list, if available. Since we're interested in getting your keyboard's notes *into* Live, we'll concentrate only on the input ports. Enable the *Track* switch of your keyboard's input port (if it's not on already): MidiInputTrackButton.png The other three columns here enable MIDI synchronization, $Link remote control of Live's interface elements, and MPE Mode for MPE-enabled controllers. You can now close the Preferences window. You can verify that your MIDI keyboard is communicating with Live by pressing one of its keys: Live's *MIDI Track In* indicator will flash whenever it recognizes incoming MIDI messages. MidiInputIndicator.png $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page MIDI Track Setup $TargetName MIDI Track Setup Live's software instruments and their presets are accessed through the *browser:* BrowserShowHide.png Instruments are played from Live's MIDI tracks. Please use the Create menu's *Insert MIDI Track* command to add a new MIDI track to your Live Set now. While the track is selected, you can add an instrument to it simply by double-clicking on a preset in the Device Browser. ClickPreset.png The instrument will appear in the Device View at the bottom of the application window: InstrumentInDeviceView.png $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Arming the Track $TargetName Arming the Track Finally, *arm* the track by engaging its *Arm* button (if it's not already engaged.) This allows the track to receive the MIDI notes that you play. TrackArmed.png That's all that is needed! You can now freely explore Live's instruments and presets. Fortunately, Live will remember your MIDI port preferences so that you'll be ready to play from now on. Continue the Lesson to learn about using your MIDI keyboard as a control surface for remote control of Live's interface. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Connecting MIDI Control Surfaces $TargetName Connecting MIDI Control Surfaces This portion of the lesson will show you how to set up your MIDI controllers to add tactile remote control to Live's interface. Please press the *Next Page* button below to continue. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Instant and Manual Mappings $TargetName Instant and Manual Mappings Live uses two complementary methods for interfacing with control surfaces: *Instant Mappings* and *manual mappings.* -> Live's Instant Mappings extend native support to many of the control surfaces available today. Instant Mappings provide a common approach to control which adapts whenever possible to the selected element in Live. After you've completed this lesson, you'll want to check out the $Link *Control Surface Reference* , which details how each natively-supported controller interacts with Live. -> If your MIDI controller is not supported natively, it can still control most of Live's interface through the creation of manual mappings. This approach defines fixed mappings between the parameters in Live and each button, knob, pad or slider on your control surface. Manual mappings can also be used to override Instant Mappings when both methods are enabled. After completing this lesson, you'll want to learn how to $Link create your own manual mappings . *Many common MIDI keyboard and control surfaces will be automatically configured by Live as soon as they're connected.* If you're using one of these controllers, you shouldn't need to adjust anything - your hardware will just work. But if you're using a non-standard controller or things aren't working as you expect, you may need to adjust some settings. Read on to learn how to do this. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Control Surface Setup $TargetName Control Surface Setup Open Live's Preferences by selecting them from the *Live* menu in macOS (or the *Options* menu in Windows), then click on the *Link/Tempo/MIDI* tab. MidiSyncTab.png The *MIDI* section defines up to six natively-supported control surfaces. Your first step will be to check whether your control surface is supported natively, by clicking on the first drop-down menu in the *Control Surface* column: RemoteSLControlSurface.png Select your control surface if you see it listed here. If not, you'll want to continue to the next page to enable manual mappings. After selecting your control surface, use the *Input* and *Output* choosers to define the MIDI ports which it is connected to: RemoteSLPorts.png If the *Dump* button to the right of the output port becomes enabled, then a *preset dump* is required to configure the chosen controller for use in Live. You should only need to dump to your controller once unless you've changed its internal settings: RemoteSLDump.png *Before pressing the Dump button, consult the manufacturer's documentation to ensure that your controller is ready to receive SysEx preset dumps.* The dump will change some settings within the controller; if you have customized these settings before, be sure to make a backup copy of them before pressing the Dump button. The Instant Mappings for your MIDI controller are now set up. With one more step, we can enable the additional use of manual mappings. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Enabling Manual Mappings $TargetName Enabling Manual Mappings Manual mappings between Live and your control surfaces are configured in the *MIDI Ports* section. All MIDI ports which are available to your computer are listed here. Each entry has three checkboxes: *Track, Sync,* and *Remote.* There is also a fourth checkbox to enable MPE Mode for MPE-capable devices. Enable the Remote switch for each *Input* port in this list which has a control surface connected to it. If native support for your control surface wasn't available on the previous page, you'll probably want to enable the Remote switch for your *Output* ports as well (so that Live can send feedback to the controller if possible): MidiInputRemoteButton.png Enabling an input port's Remote switch tells Live that it should listen for MIDI control messages arriving from that port. The other three columns enable this device for MIDI synchronization, for input to Live's MIDI tracks, and for receiving per-note expression on MPE-capable devices. For more information about these uses of MIDI in Live, please see the beginning of this lesson and read the Reference Manual's "Synchronizing with Link, Tempo Follower, and MIDI", "Routing and I/O" and "Editing MPE" chapters. You're now set up for remote control! The Preferences window can be closed. Next, we're going to verify your connections, then leave you with a useful technique for locking natively-supported controllers. Divider.tif *Tip:* If you have overridden Instant Mappings with manual mappings, you can easily switch back to the Instant Mappings by deactivating the Remote switch of the respective input port. Activating the switch again will re-establish your manual mappings. Divider.tif $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Verifying Remote Control Setup $TargetName Verifying Remote Control Setup You can always verify that your MIDI controller is communicating with Live by touching any of its knobs, faders or keys. As you do this, Live will acknowledge that MIDI messages are being received by flashing the *MIDI Track In* indicator in the upper-right corner of the application window: MidiInputIndicator.png If a knob, fader, or key is remotely controlling a parameter in Live, the *Key/MIDI In* indicator will flash when receiving messages from that control: MidiIndicator.png The indicator immediately below it flashes whenever Live sends feedback to a MIDI controller. This is used to keep motorized faders and status LEDs up to date. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Locking Control Surfaces to Devices $TargetName Locking Control Surfaces to Devices Most native control surfaces will focus on the currently selected device in the selected track. If one or more of these controls surfaces are active, you will notice a small icon in the title bar of the selected device. This icon moves along with the selection: OperatorHand.png If, however, you would like to control a specific device with your control surface regardless of whether it is selected or not, you can *lock* your control surface to that device. To do so, *$ContextMenu* on the device's title bar and select your control surface in the context menu's *Lock to Control Surface* section: OperatorLockMenu.png Some control surfaces don't support locking to devices; the option to lock to control surface will not appear in the device's context menu in such cases. To unlock the control surface from the device, simply repeat these steps. If you lock the same control surface to a different device without unlocking it first, the control surface will be automatically unlocked from the device it was previously locked to. $Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $Page Staying in Control $TargetName Staying in Control By setting up remote control, you've tapped into one of the most powerful and expandable ways to work with Live. We recommend that you read the following two lessons, which will teach you how to use your new abilities! Access Live's $Link Control Surface Reference at any time to see the specifics of each natively-supported controller's operation within Live. If you've enabled manual mappings, you'll definitely want to follow the lesson on $Link creating manual mappings . $Comment Status: Translate