Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Hercules's Dj Control Inpulse 300 is a fantastically adaptable midi DJ controller that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Dj Control Inpulse 300.

Article Contents

Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Dj Control Inpulse 300 to ableton
How to midi map the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Dj Control Inpulse 300
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Dj Control Inpulse 300 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the Dj Control Inpulse 300 is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function 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 300.

Does the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Dj Control Inpulse 300, therefore it 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.

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 300 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Dj Control Inpulse 300 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Dj Control Inpulse 300 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 300 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Dj Control Inpulse 300 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 300 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Dj Control Inpulse 300 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Hercules Dj Control Inpulse 300 to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

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 300, 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 300.
5. Moving the physical control on your Dj Control Inpulse 300 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 300

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Dj Control Inpulse 300, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Dj Control Inpulse 300 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Dj Control Inpulse 300 can only be assigned to a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Dj Control Inpulse 300, 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 300's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dj Control Inpulse 300,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dj Control Inpulse 300, 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 300 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Dj Control Inpulse 300 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Dj Control Inpulse 300 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 300.
4. Make sure that the Dj Control Inpulse 300 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.