Behringer Umx 610 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Umx 610 from Behringer is an incredibly versatile midi keyboard 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 Umx 610 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Umx 610.

Article Contents

Does the Behringer Umx 610 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Behringer Umx 610 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Umx 610 to ableton
How to midi map the Behringer Umx 610 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Umx 610
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Behringer Umx 610 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Behringer Umx 610 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Umx 610 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

All versions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, are able to be utilized in collaboration with any equipment that sends MIDI data. This is applicable to all releases of Live, such as 9, 10, and 11. As the Umx 610 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Umx 610.

Does the Behringer Umx 610 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Umx 610, so this must be bought separately.

Ableton Live has 3 main versions, Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are very capable pieces of software, the Suite version packs more in, such as over 70GB of library sounds compared 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 Umx 610 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Behringer Umx 610 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Umx 610 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Umx 610 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 Umx 610 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Umx 610 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 Umx 610 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Umx 610 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Behringer Umx 610 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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 Umx 610, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Umx 610.
5. Moving the physical control on your Umx 610 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 Umx 610

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Umx 610, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Umx 610 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Umx 610 can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

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 Umx 610, 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 Umx 610's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Umx 610,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Umx 610, 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 Umx 610 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Umx 610 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Umx 610 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Umx 610.
4. Make sure that the Umx 610 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.