How To Connect Your 5-Pin MIDI Controller to Ableton Live

MIDI controller only have 5-pin and not USB? No problem — you can still connect it to your computer and control Ableton Live.

I’ll teach you how to connect your MIDI controller to your computer as well as how to configure Ableton to make the magic happen.

What you‘ll learn:

-Using an audio interface with 5-pin DIN MIDI ports
-Using a dedicated MIDI interface
-Using the MioXC (5-pin DIN to USB-C/USB-A)
-Configuring Ableton’s preferences
-Understanding Track, Sync, Remote, and MPE

PS. Are you using 5-pin MIDI to connect to your computer? Leave a comment and let me know what gear you’re using and why you like it!

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0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Connecting the Controller to the Computer
1:44 - Dedicated MIDI Interface
2:49 - MIDI to USB Adapter
6:05 - Subscribe to the Channel for more Tutorials
6:38 - Link Tempo MIDI tab in Preferences
8:09 - Options for Using MIDI Controller
10:37 - The Control Surface Options
12:36 - The Takeover Mode
14:30 - Outro

[luizemerich]

This video is great! I've searched many videos and web pages in order to find out why my Arturia KeyLAB49 does not run if connect only with MIDI cable - 5pin MIDI cable, MIDI out on controller and MIDI In on interface. The video explains that, when using only the MIDI cable, some controllers will need an additional power connection. I have not tried this yet, but it is a great tip. You got one more subscriber.

[yaeunsteviechoi]

Could you bypass the mio xc (5pin midi out/in to usb adaptor) and connect the audio/midi interface to the computer using the USB port on the interface?

[Le_Voile_Music]

It would have been nice to see a few more steps beyond just plugging it in, such as making sure you're receiving a signal/ basic testing

[Marissa]

I have a question I'm sort of new to using my mio 2 midi connector with ableton 11.The problem I am have is that I can not get ableton to recognize the signal to a midi track.I have setep mio2 so it's receiving signal when I play a track from the mpc live but I don't see a signal in the track I want to record.I have tried all options in the midi track itself but still nothing.Any suggestions would be helpful.

[jimsuber]

Thanks, so quickly. Can I connect via usb from my arturia mkii to my computer, and from my volt 276 to my computer then from the outs in the volt to my mixer? For live performance.

[MicahPounders]

I have stop cues built into my Ableton sets. If I try and midi map a button on the controller to be a stop button it makes my stop cues not function anymore. Is there a workaround for this?