Hercules Dj Control Compact Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Hercules's Dj Control Compact is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi DJ controller has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Hercules Dj Control Compact with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Dj Control Compact.

Article Contents

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

In a nutshell, the Hercules Dj Control Compact 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 Dj Control Compact 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 Dj Control Compact 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 Dj Control Compact.

Does the Hercules Dj Control Compact come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Dj Control Compact, so it needs to be purchased 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.

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 Dj Control Compact to ableton

Connecting the Hercules Dj Control Compact 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 DJ controller.

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

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

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

Saving your Dj Control 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 Dj Control 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 provide every control option, so options such as controlling the selected track or selected device aren't possible. A full list of Ableton midi mapping options can be found here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Dj Control 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 Dj Control Compact's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dj Control Compact,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dj Control 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 Dj Control Compact in Ableton Live?

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