Turn on Key mapping by clicking on the Key button in the upper right hand corner of Live or hit Cmd + K (Mac) or Ctrl + K (Windows).

This is also possible with the computer keyboard in which case it’s called Key mapping. MIDI controllers cannot only be used to play MIDI instruments, but also to control parameters in Live.

C and V let you adjust the incoming note velocity by intervals of twenty.

Pressing Z lowers the octave range while X raises it.

The black keys on a piano correspond to the upper letter row of computer keys (W, E, T, Y, U, O – on an English keyboard).

The centre row of letter keys on the keyboard will play notes corresponding to the white keys on a piano, beginning with A playing C3.

Another press of the key turns it off again. To turn it on, either click on the icon or press the M key. From Live 10, it’s now off by default.If it’s not, you can turn it on with a click. For this, the Computer MIDI Keyboard button in the top right corner of Live needs to be turned on.

So it’s best to only activate it when needed in these Live versions. But what if you don’t have one? Then you can use the computer keyboard to play MIDI instruments.ĮDIT: in Live 10 and up, having the computer MIDI keyboard active, deactivates some of the added one key shortcuts. I’ve already written a tutorial about setting up MIDI controllers.

Record midi ableton