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

Roli's Lightpad Block Studio Edition is an exceptionally flexible midi controller and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Roli Lightpad Block Studio Edition with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Lightpad Block Studio Edition.

Article Contents

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

Does the Roli Lightpad Block Studio Edition work with Ableton Live?

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

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Lightpad Block Studio Edition 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 Lightpad Block Studio Edition is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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 Studio Edition.

Does the Roli Lightpad Block Studio Edition come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Lightpad Block Studio Edition, so this must be bought 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 Lightpad Block Studio Edition to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Roli Lightpad Block Studio Edition with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi controller.

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

The Lightpad Block Studio Edition 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 Roli Lightpad Block Studio Edition 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 Lightpad Block Studio Edition, 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 Studio Edition.
5. Moving the physical control on your Lightpad Block Studio Edition 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 Studio Edition

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

Saving your Lightpad Block Studio Edition 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

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

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