How do I setup my Keystation 49e?

coolio · Post by **coolio** » Wed May 30, 2007 11:25 pm

How do I setup my Keystation 49e to Ableton?
It's not on the list of midi controllers and I can't figure out how to do it.
I've got a PC in case anyone needs to know.
Thanks

coolio · Post by **coolio** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 2:05 am

anyone?

dru · Post by **dru** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:41 am

Just to let you know, if you haven't got a quick response, then it probably means you'd be able to sort out the problem yourself it you tried harder.

Basically, if you've plugged it in and installed the proper drivers, Live should recognise it right away. Look in the MIDI settings tab in Live preferences and enable the device, simple as that. The Keystation 49e has minimal controls (keys and bender pretty much i think). Open a device on a MIDI channel, arm the track and play/record away..

Oh.. and RTFM.

coolio · Post by **coolio** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:32 pm

I tried for a while I just didn't know what settings to put on the midi in thing. What drivers do you need. The keystation is class compliant so it's supposed to be plug and play but I can't figure out how since it is not in the list of preprogrammed midi controllers.
Sorry to ask such a "stupid" question.
I tried hard believe me. I'm just not an Ableton genius like you guys.
And what does RTFM mean?

dru · Post by **dru** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:55 am

RTFM .. Read The Fucking Manual.

Ok, so describe what you're doing exactly from when you plug the USB cable from the Keystation into your mac/pc.

That 'list' you're talking about in Ableton is for Control Surfaces. Control Surfaces are used to control Ableton and it's nothing to do with what you're trying to do with the Keystation.

Once plugged in and you've started Live, in the MIDI/Sync preferences, do you see the Keystation device where there's headings Track, Sync, Remote? Maybe it's listed as USB Device or something.

Anyway, also make sure that you're actually ARMING the MIDI track so the track knows where it's receiving input from. The ARM button is the button with a record circle at the bottom of the track in Session view, it turns red when it's armed.

algarcia · Post by **algarcia** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:12 am

You dont need anything... just plug it and it works
Plug it and turn it on BEFORE launching Live, then start the program, select a midi instrument and ARM that track (press the RECORD thing on the track until it turns on red) and youre ready to go. that's it!

Pasha · Post by **Pasha** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:41 am

Hi I got a K61e. Just the same with more keys.
You can use K49 in two ways: By USB and By MIDI cable (you need
a separate MIDI interface for that).
Unfortunately, as a controller the K49e is very poor so don't expect too much.
I have mapped the Volume slider to Live's Master Volume control in the Live template and you can use the Mod Wheel to map something you need but be careful that if some sound generator expects MW you lose it by mapping it.
You still have your Keyboard record MIDI Notes, Velocity, Hold Pedal (that can be used as a Start/Stop Pedal)

- Hope it helps
- Pasha

wastrel · Post by **wastrel** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:12 pm

Or it could be that, like me--also a newbie (to MIDI, that is), the 49e shows up fine in the OS list of devices as 'enabled' but doesn't show up at all in the Live (Lite 6, which came with the 49e) Preferences in MIDI/Sync as an Input device--it just *ain't* there. So, it's hard to make it work if Live doesn't see it, which may be the same problem as yours. I'd say my problem with it looks like a problem with the OS talking to Live. But, presuming my 49e isn't actually defective, I'll figure it out. If I discover anything useful as a "solution", then I'll certainly post it here. HTH

Update 03Aug2007: Well, I've "fixed" my problem (more or less)--I plugged the keyboard into another PC and, VOILA!, it works fine; it looks like the drivers for the sound card on the first PC would not allow the keyboard (or any USB device?) to be seen as a MIDI device--it doesn't show up in the drop-down list of MIDI playback devices, so it isn't even selectable. A new set of drivers for the card (a rather high-end Sound Blaster, used primarily to drive a surround sound system) might resolve the situation. So, any comments to the effect that you can just "plug it in and it works" are simply presumptive--you can never count on anything working the way you think it should on a PC that you've "customized".

Pasha · Post by **Pasha** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:27 am

wastrel wrote: Update 03Aug2007: Well, I've "fixed" my problem (more or less)--I plugged the keyboard into another PC and, VOILA!, it works fine; it looks like the drivers for the sound card on the first PC would not allow the keyboard (or any USB device?) to be seen as a MIDI device--it doesn't show up in the drop-down list of MIDI playback devices, so it isn't even selectable. A new set of drivers for the card (a rather high-end Sound Blaster, used primarily to drive a surround sound system) might resolve the situation. So, any comments to the effect that you can just "plug it in and it works" are simply presumptive--you can never count on anything working the way you think it should on a PC that you've "customized".

You're right. As a Mac/PC owner I have to say that 99% of times it works as an USB Class compliant for XP/MAC OS X. When this does not happen it's because there's something blocking it. I guess it might be some non standard configuration. Most people on Macs would say that plug'n'play is 100% reliable as I do. Glad you fix it!

kollider · Post by **kollider** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:53 am

Well, this post is wayyyyy old, but I ran into the same problem with my Keystation 49e, and Ableton 9. I had used a Digirack 3 with Protools, but just bought a Duet 2, so I had to plug my keyboard straight into the Mac. Well, Ableton wouldn't recognize it, and it didn't show up in Audio/MIDI set-up on my iMac. After much digging, on the Avid website, it says that the drivers for Protools conflict with the drivers for the keystation, so I had to uninstall Protools to get it to work. Since I have the latest Live, I don't really need Protools anyways. Restarted my computer, and it worked. The keyboard showed up in the MIDI/Sync table in Ableton Preferences.

If this info helps just one person...

Aira-ites · Post by **Aira-ites** » Sat Feb 17, 2024 4:47 am

It's 2024 I've actually got an M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3, and I am pulling my hair out.

I go to ableton 11 preferences, look at the midi tab, And the check section for track/sync/remote/MPE, the first instance of Keystation shows up in red.
Also, I'm seeing no midi indicator, top right in ableton flicker when I hit a keystation key. I only get a swift flash when I change preferences.

Also, no one here is telling me, in control surface/in/out choices, which of the two keystation choices for in and out are chosen for each? Does it matter?
The choices I am offered are for ''Keystation 49 MK3'', and for ''Keystation 49 MK3 (Port 2)''. Which?
I can see why Keystation needs a midi in to ableton to trigger notes, or pitch/octave slides/changes, I'm unsure why it needs to be output to from ableton.

However, I'm seeing no midi sugnal indicated (Both Laptop and Keystation have worked with each other previously, however breifly, and appeared to work well without my having to really do anything much I can remember.)
This time around, it's cliff jumping time.

A lot of the folk writing fixes here? They might be giving great info that seems abvious to them now, but not always aware of how much of this is not at all obvious to the uninitiated. Not all brains connect info the same way. That's normal, rather than average.
Be nice to see a simple, yet detailed, systematic instruction take on all of this.

dou^all · Post by **dou^all** » Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:49 pm

Not exactly the same problem, but this is how I fixed it:
(using Windows 11, Ableton Live 12, usb2/printer cable connected to a usb3 converter into the laptop)

Verified that the driver was there:
Device Manager>Sound, video and game controllers>Keystation 49
...but Ableton Live 12 would not recognize the Keystation 49 as an Input Port...hmm...

This was the fix I applied:
Command Prompt (search cmd and right click on the Command Prompt app and select Run as administrator)

type the following in the command prompt and hit the return key
>msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

click through all the prompts which will restart your PC.

After that, I loaded up Live (with the Keystation already connected) and the Keystation was recognized.
In Ableton Live preferences I am now seeing:
Input Ports
Keystation 49
Keystation 49 (Port 2)

Loaded up a midi piano and verified pressing any key on the Keystation 49 triggers the appropriate note in the Live piano.

If this doesn't work for you, my only other advice is to try a shorter printer cable. I noted that when testing a longer usb cable, Live wouldn't recognize my keyboard... The longer cable might be broken but I have been told before that some devices don't perform well with long printer cables.

How do I setup my Keystation 49e?

How do I setup my Keystation 49e?

RTFM? Absolutely...

Re: RTFM? Absolutely...

Re: How do I setup my Keystation 49e?

Re: How do I setup my Keystation 49e?

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