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

Hercules's Dj Control Wave 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.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Hercules Dj Control Wave with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Dj Control Wave.

Article Contents

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

In summary, the Hercules Dj Control Wave is usable with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Dj Control Wave to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 Wave 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 Wave.

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

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Dj Control Wave, so it needs 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.

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 Dj Control Wave to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Hercules Dj Control Wave 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 DJ controller.

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

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

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Dj Control Wave, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Dj Control Wave 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 means that each button or knob on your Dj Control Wave can only be assigned to control 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 Wave, 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 Wave's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dj Control Wave,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dj Control Wave, 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 Wave in Ableton Live?

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