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

Vestax's Vci 400 One 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 teach you everything needed in order to use the Vestax Vci 400 One with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Vci 400 One.

Article Contents

Does the Vestax Vci 400 One work with Ableton Live?
Does the Vestax Vci 400 One come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Vci 400 One to ableton
How to midi map the Vestax Vci 400 One in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Vci 400 One
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Vestax Vci 400 One work with Ableton Live?

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

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Vci 400 One can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

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 Vci 400 One is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

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 One.

Does the Vestax Vci 400 One come with ableton Live included?

The Vci 400 One 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. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast 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 One to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Vestax Vci 400 One with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

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

Set up of the Vci 400 One with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Vestax Vci 400 One 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 Vci 400 One, 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 One.
5. Moving the physical control on your Vci 400 One 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 One

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Vci 400 One, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Vci 400 One 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Vci 400 One can only be assigned to control a single 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 Vci 400 One, 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 One's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Vci 400 One,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Vci 400 One, 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 One in Ableton Live?

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