Worlde Orca Pad 48 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Worlde's Orca Pad 48 is an exceptionally flexible midi keyboard and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Worlde Orca Pad 48 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Orca Pad 48.

Article Contents

Does the Worlde Orca Pad 48 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Worlde Orca Pad 48 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Orca Pad 48 to ableton
How to midi map the Worlde Orca Pad 48 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Orca Pad 48
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Worlde Orca Pad 48 work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Worlde Orca Pad 48 is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Orca Pad 48 to a variety of functions.

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 Orca Pad 48 will be usable with Ableton Live.

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Orca Pad 48.

Does the Worlde Orca Pad 48 come with ableton Live included?

The Orca Pad 48 does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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.

For those seeking the full range of Audio and MIDI effects, we highly suggest purchasing Ableton Live Suite, as it offers significantly more than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Orca Pad 48 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Worlde Orca Pad 48 with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Orca Pad 48 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Orca Pad 48 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 Orca Pad 48 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Orca Pad 48 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 Orca Pad 48 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Orca Pad 48 has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Worlde Orca Pad 48 to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in 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 Orca Pad 48, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Orca Pad 48.
5. Moving the physical control on your Orca Pad 48 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 Orca Pad 48

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Orca Pad 48, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Orca Pad 48 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 Orca Pad 48 can only be assigned to 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 Orca Pad 48, 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 Orca Pad 48's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Orca Pad 48,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Orca Pad 48, 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 Orca Pad 48 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Orca Pad 48 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Orca Pad 48 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Orca Pad 48.
4. Make sure that the Orca Pad 48 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.