Behringer X Touch Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Behringer X Touch is a versatile midi controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi controller is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Behringer X Touch with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the X Touch.

Article Contents

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

Does the Behringer X Touch work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Behringer X Touch is compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the X Touch to a variety of functions.

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 X Touch is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 X Touch.

Does the Behringer X Touch come with ableton Live included?

The X Touch does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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.

Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.

How to connect the X Touch to ableton

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

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

The X Touch has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Behringer X Touch to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in 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 X Touch, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the X Touch.
5. Moving the physical control on your X Touch 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 X Touch

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your X Touch, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your X Touch Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Be aware that when saving your mappings, they will be stored with the Ableton session. Therefore, starting a new session will require you to re-map your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping indicates that each control on your X Touch is capable of controlling only one 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 X Touch, 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 X Touch's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your X Touch,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your X Touch, 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 X Touch in Ableton Live?

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