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

Behringer's X Touch Compact is a fantastically adaptable midi 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.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Behringer X Touch Compact with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the X Touch Compact.

Article Contents

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

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

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the X Touch Compact 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 X Touch Compact is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible 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 X Touch Compact.

Does the Behringer X Touch Compact come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the X Touch Compact, so this must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 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 X Touch Compact to ableton

Linking the Behringer X Touch Compact to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi controller.

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

The X Touch Compact 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 X Touch Compact 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 X Touch Compact, 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 Compact.
5. Moving the physical control on your X Touch Compact 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 Compact

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

Saving your X Touch Compact 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your X Touch Compact can only be assigned to a single 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 Compact, 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 Compact's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your X Touch Compact,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your X Touch Compact, 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 Compact in Ableton Live?

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