American Audio Vms4t Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

American Audio's Vms4t is a fantastically adaptable midi DJ controller that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the American Audio Vms4t with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Vms4t.

Article Contents

1. Does the American Audio Vms4t work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the American Audio Vms4t come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Vms4t to ableton
4. How to midi map the American Audio Vms4t in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Vms4t
   1. Saving your Vms4t 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 Vms4t work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the American Audio Vms4t is compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Vms4t to multiple functions inside the program.

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the Vms4t is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Vms4t.

Does the American Audio Vms4t come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Vms4t, 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.

For those who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Vms4t to ableton

Connecting and setting up the American Audio Vms4t 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 Vms4t to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Vms4t 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 Vms4t from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Vms4t 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 Vms4t (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Vms4t 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 Vms4t 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 Vms4t, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Vms4t.
5. Moving the physical control on your Vms4t 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 Vms4t

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Vms4t, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Vms4t Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Vms4t can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton's internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren't currently possible. View a full list of Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Vms4t, 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 Vms4t's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Vms4t,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Vms4t, 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 Vms4t in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Vms4t is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Vms4t is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Vms4t.
4. Make sure that the Vms4t is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.