Roland Tr 8s Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

Roland’s Tr 8s is an exceptionally flexible midi controller and is a powerful tool when is used with Ableton Live. This midi controller has a plethora of features, making it perfect for Ableton Live.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Roland Tr 8s with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Tr 8s.

Article Contents

Does the Roland Tr 8s work with Ableton Live?
Does the Roland Tr 8s come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Tr 8s to ableton
How to midi map the Roland Tr 8s in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Tr 8s
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Roland Tr 8s work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Roland Tr 8s is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the lack of a default MIDI remote script existing within Ableton Live, it is still possible to midi map the Tr 8s to a variety of functions.

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 Tr 8s 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 Tr 8s.

Does the Roland Tr 8s come with ableton Live included?

The Tr 8s does not have Ableton Live Lite, it must be purchased independently.

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 Tr 8s to ableton

Linking the Roland Tr 8s to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software’s parameters from your midi controller.

1. Connect the Tr 8s to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Tr 8s 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 Tr 8s from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Tr 8s 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 Tr 8s (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Tr 8s has been configured and is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Once you have connected the Roland Tr 8s to Ableton Live by following the steps above, you can now MIDI map the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to the corresponding functions in 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 Tr 8s, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Tr 8s.
5. Moving the physical control on your Tr 8s 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 Tr 8s

Ableton’s midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly map your Tr 8s, there are however, some limitations to be aware of…

Saving your Tr 8s Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Tr 8s can only be assigned to a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren’t currently possible. View a full list of Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you’re looking to get the most out of your Tr 8s, 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 Tr 8s’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Tr 8s,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Tr 8s, 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 Tr 8s in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Tr 8s is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Tr 8s is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Tr 8s.
4. Make sure that the Tr 8s is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.