Pioneer Djm 900nxs Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

Pioneer’s Djm 900nxs 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 teach you everything needed in order to use the Pioneer Djm 900nxs with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Djm 900nxs.

Article Contents

  1. Does the Pioneer Djm 900nxs work with Ableton Live?
  2. Does the Pioneer Djm 900nxs come with ableton Live included?
  3. How to connect the Djm 900nxs to ableton
  4. How to midi map the Pioneer Djm 900nxs in Ableton Live
  5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Djm 900nxs
    1. Saving your Djm 900nxs 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 Pioneer Djm 900nxs work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Pioneer Djm 900nxs 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 Djm 900nxs can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

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 Djm 900nxs will be usable with Ableton Live.

You can easily create midi mappings for Ableton, allowing you to access many functions of Ableton Live with your Djm 900nxs.

Does the Pioneer Djm 900nxs come with ableton Live included?

The Djm 900nxs does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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 who want to guarantee they have access to the largest selection of Audio and MIDI effects, we suggest investing in Ableton Live Suite, as it has a much larger selection than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Djm 900nxs to ableton

Connecting the Pioneer Djm 900nxs with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you’ll be able to adjust the software’s parameters from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Djm 900nxs to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Djm 900nxs 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 900nxs from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Djm 900nxs 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 900nxs (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Djm 900nxs 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 900nxs 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 900nxs, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Djm 900nxs.
5. Moving the physical control on your Djm 900nxs 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 900nxs

Ableton’s midi mapping system is a great solution for quickly mapping your Djm 900nxs, however, you must take into account some potential limitations…

Saving your Djm 900nxs 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

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Djm 900nxs can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

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 Djm 900nxs, 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 900nxs’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Djm 900nxs,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Djm 900nxs, 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 900nxs in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Djm 900nxs is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Djm 900nxs 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 900nxs.
4. Make sure that the Djm 900nxs is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.