Ableton Live with Mixer?!! DJM 900?

[marlsound]

Hey!

I DJ with Ableton and love it. I don't use instruments / vsts when i perform, only mp3s and wavs. My setup is my MacBook and an APC40...I use Tarekiths effects which are great, but it is not the same using the effects on a Pioneer mixer. Apart from this, the only problem i have with Ableton is the EQing. Therefore I am looking to use a mixer in my setup.

Even though the Pioneer mixers are SOOO expensive, I would love a DJM 900 (Wouldn't we all). If i had one, and i mapped 4 channels in Ableton to the 4 channels on the mixer, I was wandering if this is possible:

1) Can i MIDI map the volume on the mixer to the volume in Ableton?
2) Is it possible to use the normal EQs of the mixer over the top of what is playing in Ableton... If so, would it sound like it normally would if i was playing on CDJs?
3) Can i use the 900s effects over the top of what is playing in Ableton? More importantly, would it be quantized?
4) Would I need an external Sound card out of my laptop then into the mixer?

If anybody could mention other great mixers that are MIDI enabled with cool effects this would be amazing.

Thanks a lot!

Love//

[Jim Deasy]

I have a djm600, and I recently purchased a NI Komplete Audio 6 Audio interface to do exactly what your talking about. With the audio interface, you can just assingn the output of each channel in abelton to the channels on your mixer and then you're able to use your mixers controls to effect the songs playing out of abelton. Fun! Trouble is if you want to record, you have to run the the audio back out of the mixer and then into the laptop again and record using another program like audacity or something? Hope this helps.

[docprosper]

I don't have a DJM 900, but find this topic fascinating in a grass-is-greener sort of way as my DJM 500 is not midi-enabled.

As for feeding audio back into your laptop to record, You could try recording a live set back into Ableton into a new track. I've done this internal to Live when using devices (like the original Octop4d) that wouldn't allow me to record actions in arrangement, and it worked a treat; >1 hr mix with plenty of FX, M4L devices, etc. with no hiccups on the recording side. My next test will be piping multi-channel audio into the DJM & recording the analog mix back into Live.

-Hamish

[S4racen]

Hi there,

When you activate the midi function of the DJM 900 it will send out midi messages from all of the applicable controls, however these same controls will still effect the sound routed through them....

So if you midi mapped a fader on the DJM to a fader in ABleton it would not only turn ableton up and down but also the volume of the track on the DJM.... It's more applicable to linking the usual mixer duties to lighting or similar rather than as a switchable midi controller....

Cheers
D

[docprosper]

Darren - Interesting, I was wondering about that myself. I supposed you could still use two channels to control the track volume via midi in Live & route the same two tracks (by splitting the copper) to the other two channels of the DJM 900, which you could then mix down your master from. Still a terrible waste of two channels, IMO.

So my love affair with this DJM 900 is quite short and fleeting! There are plenty of other decent controllers to control things like track volume in Ableton (I personally use a Faderfox); the huge advantage of DJM-900 midi controls would be the nice track volume visual you get from the HW. Seems like the only way to use this is to mix in analog or waste two mixer channels unless you're not interested in the DJM-900 lights. oh, well.

-Hamish

[S4racen]

Darren - Interesting, I was wondering about that myself. I supposed you could still use two channels to control the track volume via midi in Live & route the same two tracks (by splitting the copper) to the other two channels of the DJM 900, which you could then mix down your master from. Still a terrible waste of two channels, IMO.

So my love affair with this DJM 900 is quite short and fleeting! There are plenty of other decent controllers to control things like track volume in Ableton (I personally use a Faderfox); the huge advantage of DJM-900 midi controls would be the nice track volume visual you get from the HW. Seems like the only way to use this is to mix in analog or waste two mixer channels unless you're not interested in the DJM-900 lights. oh, well.

-Hamish

My love affair heightened when i got the manual, but the pioneer team answered a few questions and it was over as soon as it started...

Cheers
D

[ashesfall]

I'm not sure what the issue is here guys.

The DJM 900 is an 8 channel two way audio interface. Download the drivers, connect it via USB, and you can use it with Ableton, Traktor, Serato, and more natively.
I have the DJM 900 and it works perfectly; exactly as you would expect. With each of the four channels mapping directly on to four channels in ableton live.
I've also used it successfully with Logic Pro, traktor, and a few other programs.
Let me know if you have trouble setting it up; I'm happy to help. I'm pretty positive there is nothing you could want to do that this mixer can't do.

(And as to the post above about midi control, one of the midi modes allows you to disable the normal function of the knobs so you can use it just as a control surface; I haven't done this personally)

-m

[docprosper]

Interesting... Can you disable specific knobs/sliders or is it all or nothing?

Perhaps my only problem is that I can't afford one...

[S4racen]

(And as to the post above about midi control, one of the midi modes allows you to disable the normal function of the knobs so you can use it just as a control surface; I haven't done this personally)

-m

Which is the exact opposite of what the team at Pioneer told me due to the fact that they unit doesn't have motorised sliders which would lead to audio jumps when switching between modes.... Has there been a firmware update to change this provision??

Cheers
D

[hrtbrkd]

Hey!

I DJ with Ableton and love it. I don't use instruments / vsts when i perform, only mp3s and wavs. My setup is my MacBook and an APC40...I use Tarekiths effects which are great, but it is not the same using the effects on a Pioneer mixer. Apart from this, the only problem i have with Ableton is the EQing. Therefore I am looking to use a mixer in my setup.

Even though the Pioneer mixers are SOOO expensive, I would love a DJM 900 (Wouldn't we all). If i had one, and i mapped 4 channels in Ableton to the 4 channels on the mixer, I was wandering if this is possible:

1) Can i MIDI map the volume on the mixer to the volume in Ableton?
2) Is it possible to use the normal EQs of the mixer over the top of what is playing in Ableton... If so, would it sound like it normally would if i was playing on CDJs?
3) Can i use the 900s effects over the top of what is playing in Ableton? More importantly, would it be quantized?
4) Would I need an external Sound card out of my laptop then into the mixer?

If anybody could mention other great mixers that are MIDI enabled with cool effects this would be amazing.

Thanks a lot!

Love//

1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes since your routing Ableton sound using the DJM-900 sound card it will be quantised.
4) No You will use a USB cable from the DJM-900 into your computer, In ableton you will go into your options, select audio and the djm-900 asio driver will be a selectable item. That is if you installed the DJM-900 driver and utility. YOu will then need to activate the mono or stearchannel.

[marlsound]

Hey guys.... just had to edit my post because i found the solution to my problem. (thanks for everyones posts by the way!)

Okay so i bought the 900! Its absolutely class!

I've been using it w turntables but i have just started mapping it to ableton in the last day or two.

Okay ill try and go through it as concisely as i can! Basically, I CAN play my set AND record the DJMs actions at the same time, all through USB. I have a seperate track, arm record and we are away. However, there is massive crackling in the background... im not a massive expert on audio but ive tried my best.

1) When the 900 utility settings come up, ive changed the 7/8 Output to: REC OUT

2) In Ableton, Preferences inputs and outputs are both set to DJM 900... Inputs only (7/8)...... I have then got 3 channels, the outputs set to: Ext. In (1/2) Ext. In (3/4) and Ext. In (5/6) respectively which are on channels 1,2,3 on the djm.

3) On the 'Recording Channel' I have got 'Audio From: Ext In. (7/8)' ... Monitor: OFF (I don't know why but it doesnt make a difference to the crackling if its on) and Audio To: Master

4) Then on the master channel i have 'Master Out: (7,8)

I can potentially see a few things that might be wrong... ill keep plugging away ive probably done something obviously wrong... or is this a silly way of doing it?!

Thanks for reading! Hope to hear from you soon! X

[marlsound]

Okay... i just downloaded a driver to allow my sl3 to be used as a soundcard...

just changed the inputs to the sl3 (in ableton) and got rca cable running from rec out of the mixer to the aux in on the sl3...

I can get a good recording... with effects and no crackling! However, im having to turn the gain up the whole way on the mixer to get a REASONABLE sound... its good but when i do effects over the top its very distorted (cos of the gain)... anyway i can get it louder without cranking the gain all the way ?

Would still be less hassle getting a recording out of the djm 900 so yeah, please help and thanks !

[ebenextra]

Hi Guys, thanks to all who have answered all my question before i even had to ask!! Ableton forum is the best!

I have some slight OT questions- Can the djm2000 also do these???

1) Can i MIDI map the volume on the mixer to the volume in Ableton?
2) Is it possible to use the normal EQs of the mixer over the top of what is playing in Ableton... If so, would it sound like it normally would if i was playing on CDJs?
3) Can i use the 2000s effects over the top of what is playing in Ableton? More importantly, would it be quantized?

[YEAH!]

This video explains how to use the DDJ-SX2 mixer to perform live with Ableton Live combining two external sound cards

https://youtu.be/nCD4h1MwoN8

Hope that helps!

[Uge]

I'm not sure what the issue is here guys.

The DJM 900 is an 8 channel two way audio interface. Download the drivers, connect it via USB, and you can use it with Ableton, Traktor, Serato, and more natively.
I have the DJM 900 and it works perfectly; exactly as you would expect. With each of the four channels mapping directly on to four channels in ableton live.
I've also used it successfully with Logic Pro, traktor, and a few other programs.
Let me know if you have trouble setting it up; I'm happy to help. I'm pretty positive there is nothing you could want to do that this mixer can't do.

(And as to the post above about midi control, one of the midi modes allows you to disable the normal function of the knobs so you can use it just as a control surface; I haven't done this personally)

-m

Darren - Interesting, I was wondering about that myself. I supposed you could still use two channels to control the track volume via midi in Live & route the same two tracks (by splitting the copper) to the other two channels of the DJM 900, which you could then mix down your master from. Still a terrible waste of two channels, IMO.

So my love affair with this DJM 900 is quite short and fleeting! There are plenty of other decent controllers to control things like track volume in Ableton (I personally use a Faderfox); the huge advantage of DJM-900 midi controls would be the nice track volume visual you get from the HW. Seems like the only way to use this is to mix in analog or waste two mixer channels unless you're not interested in the DJM-900 lights. oh, well.

-Hamish

My love affair heightened when i got the manual, but the pioneer team answered a few questions and it was over as soon as it started...

Cheers
D