Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

Worlde's Orca Pad64 A Pro 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.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Orca Pad64 A Pro.

Article Contents

Does the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro work with Ableton Live?
Does the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Orca Pad64 A Pro to ableton
How to midi map the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Orca Pad64 A Pro
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro work with Ableton Live?

To sum it up, the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro is fully compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Orca Pad64 A Pro to multiple functions inside the program.

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 Orca Pad64 A Pro is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Orca Pad64 A Pro.

Does the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Orca Pad64 A Pro, 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.

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 Pad64 A Pro to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they're connected you'll be able to adjust the software's parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Orca Pad64 A Pro to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Orca Pad64 A Pro 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 Pad64 A Pro from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Orca Pad64 A Pro 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 Pad64 A Pro (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Orca Pad64 A Pro 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 Worlde Orca Pad64 A Pro 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 Orca Pad64 A Pro, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Orca Pad64 A Pro.
5. Moving the physical control on your Orca Pad64 A Pro 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 Pad64 A Pro

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Orca Pad64 A Pro, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Orca Pad64 A Pro Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Orca Pad64 A Pro can only be assigned to control a single 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 Orca Pad64 A Pro, 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 Pad64 A Pro's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Orca Pad64 A Pro,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Orca Pad64 A Pro, 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 Pad64 A Pro in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Orca Pad64 A Pro is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Orca Pad64 A Pro 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 Pad64 A Pro.
4. Make sure that the Orca Pad64 A Pro is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.