Roland Fc 300 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Roland Fc 300 is a versatile midi foot controller and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi foot 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 Roland Fc 300 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Fc 300.

Article Contents

1. Does the Roland Fc 300 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Roland Fc 300 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Fc 300 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Roland Fc 300 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Fc 300
   1. Saving your Fc 300 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 Fc 300 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Roland Fc 300 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Fc 300 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

All editions of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, can be used with any device that sends out MIDI data. This is the case for all versions of Live, 9, 10, or 11. Seeing as the Fc 300 is a MIDI capable device, it is fully suited to function with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Fc 300.

Does the Roland Fc 300 come with ableton Live included?

The Fc 300 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need 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.

If you're looking to make sure you have the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest you go with Ableton Live Suite, as it has far more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Fc 300 to ableton

Connecting the Roland Fc 300 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 foot controller.

1. Connect the Fc 300 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Fc 300 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 Fc 300 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Fc 300 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 Fc 300 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Fc 300 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Roland Fc 300 to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

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 Fc 300, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Fc 300.
5. Moving the physical control on your Fc 300 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 Fc 300

Ableton's midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Fc 300, however, you must take into account some potential limitations...

Saving your Fc 300 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

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Fc 300 can only be assigned to 1 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 Fc 300, 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 Fc 300's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Fc 300,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Fc 300, 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 Fc 300 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Fc 300 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Fc 300 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Fc 300.
4. Make sure that the Fc 300 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.