Roland Dj 808 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Roland's Dj 808 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.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the Roland Dj 808 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Dj 808.

Article Contents

1. Does the Roland Dj 808 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Roland Dj 808 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Dj 808 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Roland Dj 808 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Dj 808
   1. Saving your Dj 808 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 Roland Dj 808 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Roland Dj 808 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Dj 808 to multiple functions inside the program.

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Dj 808 will be usable 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 Dj 808.

Does the Roland Dj 808 come with ableton Live included?

The Dj 808 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased separately.

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.

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 Dj 808 to ableton

Linking the Roland Dj 808 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 Dj 808 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Dj 808 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 808 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Dj 808 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 808 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Dj 808 will now be setup and ready to use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After successfully connecting the Roland Dj 808 to Ableton live following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to functionality within 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 Dj 808, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Dj 808.
5. Moving the physical control on your Dj 808 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 808

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Dj 808, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your Dj 808 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 Dj 808 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 808, 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 808's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dj 808,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dj 808, 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 808 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Dj 808 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Dj 808 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 808.
4. Make sure that the Dj 808 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.