Ik Multimedia IRig Pads Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Ik Multimedia IRig Pads is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the IRig Pads.

Article Contents

Does the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads work with Ableton Live?
Does the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the IRig Pads to ableton
How to midi map the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the IRig Pads
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the IRig Pads 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 IRig Pads 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 IRig Pads.

Does the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads come with ableton Live included?

The IRig Pads 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. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared to Standard's 10GB.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the IRig Pads to ableton

Linking and configuring the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi controller.

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

Set up of the IRig Pads with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Ik Multimedia IRig Pads 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 IRig Pads, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the IRig Pads.
5. Moving the physical control on your IRig Pads 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 IRig Pads

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

Saving your IRig Pads Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your IRig Pads can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the IRig Pads is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the IRig Pads is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the IRig Pads.
4. Make sure that the IRig Pads is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.