Garnish Music Production School

Ableton Live

How to Connect Hardware to Ableton Live

Ableton Live allows for seamless integration of external hardware such as synthesizers, drum machines and samplers through the use of MIDI.

This is a quick list of things to take into account when connecting your hardware to Ableton Live:

  • Install the hardware drivers.

 

  • Connect your hardware. MIDI OUT of your interface to MIDI IN on your hardware device with a 5DIN cable or USB from HW to computer and AUDIO OUT of your hardware to AUIDO IN of your interface.

connecting hardware to Ableton Live

  • Configure Audio and MIDI preferencesin Ableton Live and on hardware.

connecting hardware to Ableton Live midi ports

connecting hardware to Ableton Live midi ports

  • Load an ´External Instrument´ to a MIDI track and configure MIDI to your hardware, and AUDIO IN (The number of input your are using on your interface to get audio signal from your hardware).

connecting hardware to Ableton Live midi

  • Configure MIDI channel both in the External Instrument and in the HW. (You probably need to read the manual of your gear to set the appropriate channel).
  • Play notes on your master keyboard while the channel ´External Instrument´ is armed and have fun. If the hardware has a sequencer, you can press play on it and launch the sequences straight from it.

connecting hardware to Ableton Live play

  • If we want the hardware to to be the master clock, we need to activate ´sync´on the MIDI preferences and ´External Sync´ under the Options Menu or click on the ´Ext´ icon on the upper left corner.

connecting hardware to Ableton Live step 7

Learn more on how to connect hardware to Ableton Live by watching our YouTube video below:

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