Roli Lightpad Block Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Roli Lightpad Block is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Roli Lightpad Block with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Lightpad Block.

Article Contents

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

Does the Roli Lightpad Block work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Roli Lightpad Block is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Lightpad Block can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 Lightpad Block will be usable 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 Lightpad Block.

Does the Roli Lightpad Block come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Lightpad Block, therefore it 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 Lightpad Block to ableton

Linking and configuring the Roli Lightpad Block to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi controller.

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

The Lightpad Block is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Roli Lightpad Block to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Lightpad Block, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Lightpad Block Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Lightpad Block can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton's internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren't currently possible. View a full list of Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Lightpad Block, 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 Lightpad Block's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Lightpad Block,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Lightpad Block, 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 Lightpad Block in Ableton Live?

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