Omnitronic Fad 9 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Omnitronic's Fad 9 is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi controller has a wealth of features that make it ideal for use with Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Omnitronic Fad 9 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Fad 9.

Article Contents

1. Does the Omnitronic Fad 9 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Omnitronic Fad 9 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Fad 9 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Omnitronic Fad 9 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Fad 9
   1. Saving your Fad 9 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 Omnitronic Fad 9 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Omnitronic Fad 9 is usable with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Fad 9 to multiple functions inside the program.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Fad 9 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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 Fad 9.

Does the Omnitronic Fad 9 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Fad 9, so it needs to be purchased separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are highly functional, Suite includes an additional 70GB library of 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 Fad 9 to ableton

Linking the Omnitronic Fad 9 to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi controller.

1. Connect the Fad 9 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Fad 9 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 Fad 9 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Fad 9 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 Fad 9 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Fad 9 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 Omnitronic Fad 9 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 Fad 9, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Fad 9.
5. Moving the physical control on your Fad 9 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 Fad 9

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Fad 9, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Fad 9 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Fad 9 can only be assigned to 1 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 Fad 9, 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 Fad 9's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Fad 9,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Fad 9, 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 Fad 9 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Fad 9 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Fad 9 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Fad 9.
4. Make sure that the Fad 9 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.