Dj Tech Dragon Two Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The Dj Tech Dragon Two is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi DJ controller has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

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

Article Contents

Does the Dj Tech Dragon Two work with Ableton Live?
Does the Dj Tech Dragon Two come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Dragon Two to ableton
How to midi map the Dj Tech Dragon Two in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Dragon Two
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Dj Tech Dragon Two work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Dj Tech Dragon Two is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Dragon Two can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 Dragon Two is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live’s components with your Dragon Two.

Does the Dj Tech Dragon Two come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Dragon Two, therefore it must be bought 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 Dragon Two to ableton

Linking and configuring the Dj Tech Dragon Two to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software’s settings from your midi DJ controller.

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

The Dragon Two is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Dj Tech Dragon Two to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Dragon Two, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of…

Saving your Dragon Two 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

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Dragon Two 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 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 Dragon Two, 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 Dragon Two’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Dragon Two,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Dragon Two, 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 Dragon Two in Ableton Live?

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