Behringer Cmd Studio 4a Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Cmd Studio 4a from Behringer is an incredibly versatile midi DJ controller and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Cmd Studio 4a.

Article Contents

Does the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a work with Ableton Live?
Does the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Cmd Studio 4a to ableton
How to midi map the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Cmd Studio 4a
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Cmd Studio 4a 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 Cmd Studio 4a is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Cmd Studio 4a.

Does the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a come with ableton Live included?

The Cmd Studio 4a doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need 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 Cmd Studio 4a to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Behringer Cmd Studio 4a 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 Cmd Studio 4a to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Cmd Studio 4a 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 Cmd Studio 4a from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Cmd Studio 4a 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 Cmd Studio 4a (Sync can also be optionally checked).

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

For the fastest way to map your Cmd Studio 4a, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Cmd Studio 4a 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 button or knob on your Cmd Studio 4a can only be assigned to control a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not provide every control option, so options such as controlling the selected track or selected device aren't possible. A full list of Ableton midi mapping options can be found here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Cmd Studio 4a, 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 Cmd Studio 4a's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Cmd Studio 4a,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Cmd Studio 4a, 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 Cmd Studio 4a in Ableton Live?

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