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

Behringer's X Touch One 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 guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Behringer X Touch One with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the X Touch One.

Article Contents

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

Does the Behringer X Touch One work with Ableton Live?

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

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the X Touch One can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the X Touch One is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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 One.

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

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the X Touch One, therefore it must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 One to ableton

Connecting the Behringer X Touch One with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi controller.

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

The X Touch One is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Behringer X Touch One to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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 One, 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 One.
5. Moving the physical control on your X Touch One 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 One

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

Saving your X Touch One 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

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

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