Epsilon Quad Mix Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Epsilon's Quad Mix is an exceptionally flexible midi controller and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Epsilon Quad Mix with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Quad Mix.

Article Contents

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

Does the Epsilon Quad Mix work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Epsilon Quad Mix is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

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

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Quad Mix.

Does the Epsilon Quad Mix come with ableton Live included?

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

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.

If you're looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Quad Mix to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Epsilon Quad Mix with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi controller.

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

The Quad Mix 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 Epsilon Quad Mix 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 Quad Mix, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Quad Mix.
5. Moving the physical control on your Quad Mix 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 Quad Mix

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

Saving your Quad Mix 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

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

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