Dj Tech Kontrol One Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Kontrol One from Dj Tech 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 show you the whole process of how to operate the Dj Tech Kontrol One with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Kontrol One.

Article Contents

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

Does the Dj Tech Kontrol One work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Dj Tech Kontrol One 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 Kontrol One to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Kontrol One is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Kontrol One.

Does the Dj Tech Kontrol One come with ableton Live included?

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

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of sounds, in comparison to Standard's 10GB.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Kontrol One to ableton

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

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

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

Saving your Kontrol One Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

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