Novation Circuit Tracks Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Novation's Circuit Tracks is a fantastically adaptable midi enabled groovebox 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 guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Novation Circuit Tracks with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Circuit Tracks.

Article Contents

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

Does the Novation Circuit Tracks work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Novation Circuit Tracks is compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Circuit Tracks to a variety of 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 Circuit Tracks is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Circuit Tracks.

Does the Novation Circuit Tracks come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Circuit Tracks, so this must be bought 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'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 Circuit Tracks to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Novation Circuit Tracks 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 enabled groovebox.

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

The Circuit Tracks has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Novation Circuit Tracks to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in 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 Circuit Tracks, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Circuit Tracks.
5. Moving the physical control on your Circuit Tracks 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 Circuit Tracks

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

Saving your Circuit Tracks Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Be aware that when saving your mappings, they will be stored with the Ableton session. Therefore, starting a new session will require you to re-map your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

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