Reloop Beatpad Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Reloop's Beatpad is an incredibly multi-faceted midi controller and is a powerful addition to any Ableton Live setup. This midi DJ 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 Reloop Beatpad with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Beatpad.

Article Contents

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

In short, yes, the Reloop Beatpad 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 Beatpad 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 Beatpad 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 Beatpad.

Does the Reloop Beatpad come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Beatpad, 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 prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Beatpad to ableton

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

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

For the fastest way to map your Beatpad, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Beatpad 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

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

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