Ableton Forum

I've seen youtube videos of people using the korg kp3 kaoss pad as a controller for ableton, so I know it's possible...

And I've read a few similar threads on this forum pertaining to the topic, but I didn't seem to understand them very well.

I just can't figure out how to do it. I've mapped my Numark Stealth controller to some software so i'm not a TOTAL noob to midi mapping but I still don't know a lot.

I've set up the KP3 in Ext Ctrl mode and installed the drivers, but other than that I can't get any further. I simply don't know what to do. Ableton doesn't seem to detect it.

Could someone with some experience with this hardware explain how to get started? ^^;...thanks in advance...

If it helps to know, I'm running Ableton 7.0.3 still.

For no particular reason here's a link to the guy's video on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvz8BX2Y5go

To have it set up like that would be amazing = ]

i used to have a kp3 for a short while and i had the chance to use it as a controller in ableton. Did u configure it, in the midi options, so that the remote and track option is on? But first, does it appear at all in that list?

Yes remote and track is on. Ableton does not recognize it as the yellow dot in the top right never blinks.

Also it is not on the list...

Unless it has a different name that is unexpected..

wait, if its not in the list, you could not see if it the track and remote are on.
Why dont you take a screenshot of your midi settings and post it here.

Have you tried with another usb cable?
Are you turning the kp3 on before starting ableton?

Also, when you press a sample button, for example, does the a little gray square in the right upper corner turn yellow? If it is, then ableton is receiving midi messages from the kp3

Nope it does not turn yellow. I checked for that earlier.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/ ... nnnnnn.jpg
(The piano portable input is from my keyboard..)

Yes the KP3 is turned on, fully functional and in Ext Cntrl mode before opening Ableton. It says P.001 on the display towards the top. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be switched to Direct/Send or Input mic/Select Line or anything though.

Also the cable has no problems I use it with my numark stealth and it works perfectly...

no, it should work. Im guessing its a problem with the drivers or something like that.
¿Have you updated the kp3 firmware to 2.0?
here: http://www.korg.com/product.aspx?pd=269

Try this:
- disconnect the kp3 from the computer
- Uninstall drivers
- Restart your comp
- Download the latest drivers and install them
-Restart comp
- Plug your kp3 and let the computer recognizes it
- Then switch it to ex ctrl and runn ableton.

I hope this works.

Omg.. I feel like a dummy.

This entire time I've thought I had the driver installed, I had actually downloaded the korg usb midi driver TOOLS... I actually had to open them and install the kp3 device.

Now I am getting a yellow blinking dot in ableton (Happy).

What's the next step? :]

Thank you so much for helping thus far by the way. I eagerly await getting this working when I get home from work tonight!

next step: midi map and enjoy

Cool I got confused for a bit cos I had to turn remote back on hehe. =]

I've been mapping it and messing around with it but I am not an experienced Midi mapper. I read through the built in lesson, But I still have 2 more questions off the top of my head...

1) Any idea how to make each column a control for the volume of a track like the guy in that video I posted a link to ? I've selected the volume control and tried rubbing up and down, but it doesn't exactly work. . .

2) Do you know how to make rolls? (Holding down a button to rapidly start a clip, it sounds cool with drum sounds)


I really appreciate the help, by the way!

1) in the kp3 editor you can edit the way the XY pad behaves when in ext ctrl mode. Search there.

2) im not sure if u can make rolls with the kp3. The padkontrol has a roll function, but not the kp3


Search for a guy that modified the kp3 to use it as a monome controller. I dont know if he got any progress on that but it looked promising.

ok thanks a lot :]

here's a video of the kp-3 as a monome clone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ACSPPMg3o