Vestax Vci 400 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Vestax's Vci 400 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 Vestax Vci 400 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Vci 400.

Article Contents

1. Does the Vestax Vci 400 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Vestax Vci 400 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Vci 400 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Vestax Vci 400 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Vci 400
   1. Saving your Vci 400 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 Vestax Vci 400 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Vestax Vci 400 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Vci 400 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 Vci 400 will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Vci 400.

Does the Vestax Vci 400 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Vci 400, so it needs to be purchased separately.

There are three main versions with Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Though Intro and Standard are both comprehensive, Suite offers much more, such as 70GB of library 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 Vci 400 to ableton

Connecting the Vestax Vci 400 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 DJ controller.

1. Connect the Vci 400 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Vci 400 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 Vci 400 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Vci 400 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 Vci 400 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Vci 400 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 Vestax Vci 400 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 Vci 400, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Vci 400.
5. Moving the physical control on your Vci 400 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 Vci 400

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Vci 400, there are however, some limitations to be aware of...

Saving your Vci 400 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 Vci 400 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 provide every control option, so options such as controlling the selected track or selected device aren't possible. A full list of Ableton midi mapping options can be found here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Vci 400, 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 Vci 400's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Vci 400,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Vci 400, 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 Vci 400 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Vci 400 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Vci 400 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Vci 400.
4. Make sure that the Vci 400 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.