Voxvoa C50 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Voxvoa's C50 is a fantastically adaptable midi DJ controller that is extremely useful when coupled with Ableton Live. This device has a great range of features, making it ideal as an Ableton Live controller.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Voxvoa C50 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the C50.

Article Contents

1. Does the Voxvoa C50 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Voxvoa C50 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the C50 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Voxvoa C50 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the C50
   1. Saving your C50 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 Voxvoa C50 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Voxvoa C50 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the C50 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

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 C50 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 C50.

Does the Voxvoa C50 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the C50, so it needs 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.

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 C50 to ableton

Linking the Voxvoa C50 to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the C50 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the C50 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 C50 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the C50 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 C50 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The C50 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 Voxvoa C50 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 C50, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the C50.
5. Moving the physical control on your C50 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 C50

With Ableton's midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your C50, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions...

Saving your C50 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 C50 can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your C50, 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 C50's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your C50,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your C50, 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 C50 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the C50 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the C50 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the C50.
4. Make sure that the C50 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.