Mixars Quattro Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Mixars's Quattro 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 teach you everything needed in order to use the Mixars Quattro with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Quattro.

Article Contents

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

Does the Mixars Quattro work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Mixars Quattro is usable with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Quattro 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 Quattro will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Quattro.

Does the Mixars Quattro come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Quattro, 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.

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 Quattro to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Mixars Quattro with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

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

The Quattro 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 Mixars Quattro 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 Quattro, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Quattro.
5. Moving the physical control on your Quattro 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 Quattro

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Quattro, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Quattro 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 Quattro can only be assigned to a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not include every control options, options such as selected track control and selected device control unfortunately aren't possible. You can view a comprehensive list of all Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

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

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