Rane Sixty-two Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Rane Sixty-two is a versatile midi DJ controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi DJ controller is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Rane Sixty-two with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Sixty-two.

Article Contents

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

Does the Rane Sixty-two work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Rane Sixty-two is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Sixty-two 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 Sixty-two 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 Sixty-two.

Does the Rane Sixty-two come with ableton Live included?

The Sixty-two does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

Ableton Live has 3 main versions, Intro, Standard and Suite. Whilst Intro and Standard are very capable pieces of software, the Suite version packs more in, such as over 70GB of library sounds compared 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 Sixty-two to ableton

Linking the Rane Sixty-two to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

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

The Sixty-two is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Rane Sixty-two 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 Sixty-two, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Sixty-two.
5. Moving the physical control on your Sixty-two 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 Sixty-two

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

Saving your Sixty-two 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 Sixty-two 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 Sixty-two, 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 Sixty-two's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Sixty-two,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Sixty-two, 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 Sixty-two in Ableton Live?

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