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

The Dj Control Jogvision from Hercules is an incredibly versatile midi DJ controller and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

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

Article Contents

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

Does the Hercules Dj Control Jogvision work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Hercules Dj Control Jogvision is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

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

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Dj Control Jogvision will be usable 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 Jogvision.

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

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

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library sounds, in comparison 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 Dj Control Jogvision to ableton

Linking the Hercules Dj Control Jogvision to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

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

The Dj Control Jogvision 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 Jogvision 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 Jogvision, 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 Jogvision.
5. Moving the physical control on your Dj Control Jogvision 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 Jogvision

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

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

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