Reloop Terminal Mix 2 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Reloop Terminal Mix 2 is a versatile midi and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Terminal Mix 2.

Article Contents

Does the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Terminal Mix 2 to ableton
How to midi map the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Terminal Mix 2
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Terminal Mix 2 to midi map to numerous functions in 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 Terminal Mix 2 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Terminal Mix 2.

Does the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Terminal Mix 2, 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 Terminal Mix 2 to ableton

Connecting the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi .

1. Connect the Terminal Mix 2 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Terminal Mix 2 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 Terminal Mix 2 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Terminal Mix 2 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 Terminal Mix 2 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Terminal Mix 2 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

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 Terminal Mix 2, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Terminal Mix 2.
5. Moving the physical control on your Terminal Mix 2 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 Terminal Mix 2

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Terminal Mix 2, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Terminal Mix 2 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Terminal Mix 2 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 Terminal Mix 2, 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 Terminal Mix 2's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Terminal Mix 2,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Terminal Mix 2, 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 Terminal Mix 2 in Ableton Live?

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