Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 is a versatile midi DJ controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi DJ controller is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Dj Control Inpulse 200.

Article Contents

Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Dj Control Inpulse 200 to ableton
How to midi map the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Dj Control Inpulse 200
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 is compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Dj Control Inpulse 200 to multiple functions inside the program.

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 Dj Control Inpulse 200 is a MIDI enabled tool, it will be completely compatible with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Dj Control Inpulse 200.

Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 come with ableton Live included?

The Dj Control Inpulse 200 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased 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.

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 Inpulse 200 to ableton

Connecting the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 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 Inpulse 200 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Dj Control Inpulse 200 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 Inpulse 200 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Dj Control Inpulse 200 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 Inpulse 200 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Dj Control Inpulse 200 will now be setup and ready to use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After successfully connecting the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 200 to Ableton live following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to functionality within Ableton Live by doing the following:

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 Inpulse 200, 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 Inpulse 200.
5. Moving the physical control on your Dj Control Inpulse 200 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 Inpulse 200

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Dj Control Inpulse 200, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Dj Control Inpulse 200 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 means that each control on your Dj Control Inpulse 200 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 Inpulse 200, 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 Inpulse 200's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dj Control Inpulse 200,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dj Control Inpulse 200, 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 Inpulse 200 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Dj Control Inpulse 200 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Dj Control Inpulse 200 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 Inpulse 200.
4. Make sure that the Dj Control Inpulse 200 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.