DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

DJ Tech Tools's Midi Fighter Spectra is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi controller has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Midi Fighter Spectra.

Article Contents

Does the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra work with Ableton Live?
Does the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Midi Fighter Spectra to ableton
How to midi map the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Midi Fighter Spectra
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Midi Fighter Spectra can still be midi mapped to many functions within 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 Midi Fighter Spectra is a MIDI enabled device, it will work 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 Midi Fighter Spectra.

Does the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Midi Fighter Spectra, 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 Midi Fighter Spectra to ableton

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

The Midi Fighter Spectra is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the DJ Tech Tools Midi Fighter Spectra 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 Midi Fighter Spectra, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Midi Fighter Spectra.
5. Moving the physical control on your Midi Fighter Spectra 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 Midi Fighter Spectra

For the fastest way to map your Midi Fighter Spectra, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Midi Fighter Spectra Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Midi Fighter Spectra can only be assigned to control a single 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 Midi Fighter Spectra, 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 Midi Fighter Spectra's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Midi Fighter Spectra,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Midi Fighter Spectra, 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 Midi Fighter Spectra in Ableton Live?

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