Pioneer Ddj Sr Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Pioneer Ddj Sr is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi DJ 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 Pioneer Ddj Sr with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Ddj Sr.

Article Contents

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

To sum it up, the Pioneer Ddj Sr is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Ddj Sr can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 Ddj Sr is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Ddj Sr.

Does the Pioneer Ddj Sr come with ableton Live included?

The Ddj Sr does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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 who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Ddj Sr to ableton

Linking and configuring the Pioneer Ddj Sr to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi DJ controller.

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

The Ddj Sr is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Pioneer Ddj Sr to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Ddj Sr, there are however, some limitations to be aware of...

Saving your Ddj Sr Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

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

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