Ion Discover Dj Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Ion's Discover Dj 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 Ion Discover Dj with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Discover Dj.

Article Contents

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

Does the Ion Discover Dj work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Ion Discover Dj is compatible with Ableton Live.

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

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Discover Dj is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your Discover Dj.

Does the Ion Discover Dj come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Discover Dj, therefore it must be bought 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.

For those seeking the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we highly suggest purchasing Ableton Live Suite, as it offers significantly more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Discover Dj to ableton

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

Set up of the Discover Dj with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

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

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

Saving your Discover Dj 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Discover Dj can only be assigned to 1 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 Discover Dj, 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 Discover Dj's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Discover Dj,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Discover Dj, 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 Discover Dj in Ableton Live?

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