Roland Dj 707m Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Roland's Dj 707m is a fantastically adaptable midi DJ controller that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Roland Dj 707m with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Dj 707m.

Article Contents

Does the Roland Dj 707m work with Ableton Live?
Does the Roland Dj 707m come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Dj 707m to ableton
How to midi map the Roland Dj 707m in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Dj 707m
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Roland Dj 707m work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Roland Dj 707m is usable with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Dj 707m to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 Dj 707m is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live's components with your Dj 707m.

Does the Roland Dj 707m come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Dj 707m, 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.

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 Dj 707m to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Roland Dj 707m with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Dj 707m to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Dj 707m 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 Dj 707m from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Dj 707m 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 Dj 707m (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Dj 707m 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 Roland Dj 707m 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 Dj 707m, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Dj 707m.
5. Moving the physical control on your Dj 707m 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 Dj 707m

For the fastest way to map your Dj 707m, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Dj 707m Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping indicates that each control on your Dj 707m is capable of controlling only one 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 Dj 707m, 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 Dj 707m's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dj 707m,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dj 707m, 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 Dj 707m in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Dj 707m is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Dj 707m is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Dj 707m.
4. Make sure that the Dj 707m is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.