American Audio Dv2 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

American Audio's Dv2 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi DJ controller has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the American Audio Dv2 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Dv2.

Article Contents

1. Does the American Audio Dv2 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the American Audio Dv2 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Dv2 to ableton
4. How to midi map the American Audio Dv2 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Dv2
   1. Saving your Dv2 Midi Mappings is cumbersome
   2. Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one
   3. Limited Ableton parameter options to map to
   4. A great solution to these problems
6. Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the American Audio Dv2 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the American Audio Dv2 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Dv2 to multiple functions inside the program.

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Dv2 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Dv2.

Does the American Audio Dv2 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Dv2, so it needs to be purchased separately.

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

If you're looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Dv2 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the American Audio Dv2 with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Dv2 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Dv2 and your computer.
2. Launch Ableton Live and open the MIDI preferences.
Double click the Ableton Live icon to launch the software. Then, in the top menu of Ableton, go to the Preferences menu by opening the ‘Live’ menu and clicking ‘Preferences’.
3. Select the Dv2 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Dv2 are checked.
4. Ensure that the ‘Track’, ‘Remote’ and ‘Sync’ boxes are all checked.
In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Dv2 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Dv2 will now be setup and ready to use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After successfully connecting the American Audio Dv2 to Ableton live following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to functionality within Ableton Live by doing the following:

1. Select the MIDI Map Mode button in the top right corner of the Live window. The button should turn orange, indicating that the MIDI Map Mode is enabled.
2. Select the parameter you wish to control in Ableton by clicking it with the cursor, the parameter will become highlighted.
3. Move a control on the Dv2, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Dv2.
5. Moving the physical control on your Dv2 will now move the position of the corresponding parameter in Ableton.
6. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for any other parameters you wish to map.
7. When you’re finished mapping, press the MIDI Map Mode button again to disable it.

The Limitations of midi mapping the Dv2

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Dv2, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Dv2 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Dv2 can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not include every control options, options such as selected track control and selected device control unfortunately aren't possible. You can view a comprehensive list of all Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Dv2, our Ableton Midi Script Creator tool 'Control Surface Studio' is exactly what you need!
With it, you'll be able to:
- save and re-use your Dv2's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dv2,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dv2, than Live's internal midi mapping mode allows.

Learn more about Control Surface Studio and see how it can help you by clicking here!

FAQ / Troubleshooting

Why can't I hear my Dv2 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Dv2 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Dv2 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Dv2.
4. Make sure that the Dv2 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.