Pioneer Djm 700 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

Pioneer’s Djm 700 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.

This tutorial will show you the whole process of how to operate the Pioneer Djm 700 with Ableton Live. It will cover the steps of connecting, setting up and midi mapping the Djm 700.

Article Contents

Does the Pioneer Djm 700 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Pioneer Djm 700 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Djm 700 to ableton
How to midi map the Pioneer Djm 700 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Djm 700
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Pioneer Djm 700 work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Pioneer Djm 700 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Djm 700 can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 Djm 700 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

You can create your own custom Ableton midi mappings easily, which allows you to control much of the functionality in Ableton Live with your Djm 700.

Does the Pioneer Djm 700 come with ableton Live included?

The Djm 700 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.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Djm 700 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Pioneer Djm 700 with Ableton Live is a simple task, after they’re connected you’ll be able to adjust the software’s parameters from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Djm 700 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Djm 700 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 Djm 700 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Djm 700 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 Djm 700 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Djm 700 is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Pioneer Djm 700 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 Djm 700, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Djm 700.
5. Moving the physical control on your Djm 700 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 Djm 700

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Djm 700, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of…

Saving your Djm 700 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 indicates that each control on your Djm 700 is capable of controlling only one 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 Djm 700, 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 Djm 700’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Djm 700,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Djm 700, 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 Djm 700 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Djm 700 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Djm 700 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Djm 700.
4. Make sure that the Djm 700 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.