Behringer Ddm4000 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Ddm4000 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 show you the whole process of how to operate the Behringer Ddm4000 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Ddm4000.

Article Contents

Does the Behringer Ddm4000 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Behringer Ddm4000 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Ddm4000 to ableton
How to midi map the Behringer Ddm4000 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Ddm4000
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Behringer Ddm4000 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Behringer Ddm4000 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000 is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your Ddm4000.

Does the Behringer Ddm4000 come with ableton Live included?

The Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Behringer Ddm4000 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Ddm4000 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Ddm4000.
5. Moving the physical control on your Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000

For the fastest way to map your Ddm4000, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Ddm4000 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Ddm4000 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 Ddm4000, 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 Ddm4000's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Ddm4000,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Ddm4000, 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 Ddm4000 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Ddm4000 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Ddm4000 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Ddm4000.
4. Make sure that the Ddm4000 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.