American Audio Radius 2000 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The Radius 2000 from American Audio is an incredibly versatile midi DJ controller and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will explain all you need to know on using the American Audio Radius 2000 with Ableton Live. This includes connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Radius 2000.

Article Contents

  1. Does the American Audio Radius 2000 work with Ableton Live?
  2. Does the American Audio Radius 2000 come with ableton Live included?
  3. How to connect the Radius 2000 to ableton
  4. How to midi map the American Audio Radius 2000 in Ableton Live
  5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Radius 2000
    1. Saving your Radius 2000 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 American Audio Radius 2000 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the American Audio Radius 2000 is compatible with Ableton Live.

The lack of a MIDI remote script in Ableton Live does not restrict users from midi mapping the Radius 2000 to multiple functions inside the program.

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Radius 2000 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

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 Radius 2000.

Does the American Audio Radius 2000 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not provided with the Radius 2000, so it needs 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 Radius 2000 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the American Audio Radius 2000 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 DJ controller.

1. Connect the Radius 2000 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Radius 2000 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 Radius 2000 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Radius 2000 are checked.
4. Ensure that the proper ‘Track’, ‘Remote’ and ‘Sync’ boxes are checked for both input and output.

  • Track: When checked, this allows MIDI notes and CC messages to be sent/received.
  • Sync: This option enables MIDI clock syncing between Ableton live and the external device.
  • Remote: Allows external MIDI controllers to remotely control parameters within Ableton Live.

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In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Radius 2000 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Radius 2000 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 American Audio Radius 2000 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 Radius 2000, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Radius 2000.
5. Moving the physical control on your Radius 2000 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 Radius 2000

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Radius 2000, there are however, some limitations to be aware of…

Saving your Radius 2000 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Be aware that when saving your mappings, they will be stored with the Ableton session. Therefore, starting a new session will require you to re-map your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each button or knob on your Radius 2000 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 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 Radius 2000, 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 Radius 2000’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Radius 2000,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Radius 2000, 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 Radius 2000 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Radius 2000 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Radius 2000 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Radius 2000.
4. Make sure that the Radius 2000 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.