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By vandands Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:55 am
Hey guys,
I, as many of the people who come here, am new to this world.

I've recently bought the new Akai product (LPD8) to start with this. I am a basic Ableton Live (7) user, but I have never used any MIDI or anything.

As you know, the LPD 8 is USB friendly, so i've plugged it in and opened Live. So I set up a new MIDI in the sequence, use for example Impulse-->HAL 9000 and hoped to set up each beat (like the Kick, for example) to one of the pads in the product.

I thought it was by clicking the MIDI button at the right top corner, which turns everything blue, and selecting the kick for example while pressing the pad. But nothing happens. The same with the knobs. I wanted to use a knob to control a delay for example but still it has no answer.

I've checked if it was connected right by going to Preferences, MIDI and on MIDI ports the USB device was noticed and turned ON. But still no answer. It evens shines the yellow light when I push a pad like it's receiving it well...

What am I doing wrong?

I've read the posts where you guys warn all the newbies. I've searched for LPD8 help but haven't found anything here, sorry if I am making a question that has already been made.

Thankies,

- Andy
By master-ceo Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:54 am
Your LPD should have came with a Editor Software. You should fire it up and it should have a PRESET for Ableton.
By vandands Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:01 am
It did came with a little software, but I honestly don't understand it. I've looked for any help but since the product is so fresh there isn't any yet...Also the little PDF manual isn't really helpful for beginners.

Image

That's the software. I just don't understand it. Wouldn't know how to make the preset or how to use it in Ableton...
By master-ceo Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:43 am
Ok. Go to Akai site. Download the Editor.
http://www.akaipro.com/lpd8 (Docs & Downloads)

Their is a Folder named PRESETS. It has the Ableton Preset File in their along
with three others.

Connect the LPD, Load up the Editor and "Load Preset", navigate to the Preset folder select the "Ableton Preset" and walla!.

Go to Page 2 in the Manual "Loading and Saving Presets".

Midi 101
http://www.tweakheadz.com/how_to_get_st ... _midi.html

Peace!
By vandands Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:25 am
Thanks for the help.
I've opened the editor, loaded up the preset and clicked on Commit-Upload. Then closed the Editor. Opened up Ableton Live, and now it doesn't even recognize it. What should I do once I opened up Ableton Live? Because I went into Preferences, chosen in the input IN the USB device but it still won't recognize it...
I'm sorry i'm being so persistent.

EDIT: it recognized it now, thank you very much! But still, when I press the MIDI button that turns the interface blue, I move a knob to command an effect on it, but still it doesn't recognize it, why would that be??
By master-ceo Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:49 am
no problem.

Hit the Program button on the LPD and you hit a Pad 1-4 to choose the Preset.
Ableton Preset should be on Pad 3. If not try the others.
By frusciante88 Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:17 pm
I have the same problem!
I have a 2 hours old LPD8 and ableton live 8.
I'm a beginner when it comes to midi. I've installed the editor, loaded the ableton preset, enabled remote control in the midi/sync tab in ableton, but when I try to map for example a clip to a pad, nothing happens in the Midi Mappings browser, it doesn't apply my mapping.
Can't figure it out!
Thanks!
By brad813 Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:16 am
I just got a LPD8 over the holidays and have been experimenting with various software packages, and have narrowed it down to working with Ableton Live Intro 8 and Sony Acid Pro 7 demos for now, with ProTools coming when I buy my interface. I do wonder where these presets are exactly because they are nowhere to be found on Akai's site.
By brad813 Fri May 07, 2010 10:01 pm
Thanks. I have been looking for something since Christmas. I have learned to use Ableton almost as well as I can use GarageBand, but since I do not have a Mac yet, I have to stick with what I have available.
By TonyWonder Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:36 am
Hello fellow LPD8 users,

Something has bugged me about the LPD8, and I hope there is a workaround. Using the LPD8 Editor Software for Mac, the pad assignments allow the setting to be 'Toggle' or 'Momentary.' What really frustrates me is that there is no way to individually set one of the two options one way for the 'Note #', and the other way for the 'CC#', under the same Preset/Program.

In other words, under the same Program/Preset, I want to be able to use the Pad option to trigger 'momentary' instances for drum sample playback, but when I switch to CC on the same Program/Preset, I don't see why I can't have the same pads set to 'toggle.' I mean, I am changing from the Pad button to the CC button, which changes the function, and yet, I can only have one master Toggle/Momentary setting per pad, per program/preset. It's very annoying. Is what I want to do clear?

I have seen people do some cool tricks with the LPD8 online. Does anyone know of a way to tweak settings outside of the editor software so that I would be able to have this preference available? I really want to maximize all that I can do with each preset, so I would hate to have to have a whole other program/preset just to use the CC functions as 'toggle' the way that I want to.

Thanks for your time!
By MPbeatsMV Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:22 am
Hey guys. I have a similar dilemma as the op original post. I go to live, everything seems connected, when I press an LPD8 pad or turn a knob I see the light flashing in the upper right hand corner indicating that ableton is detecting something. I have midistroke and the midi signals are being picked up. Question is how come I can't midi map anything in live ?
By 4saikat Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:09 pm
Hey Guys.. Kindly give the Akai LPD8 Software --- LPD8 Editor.exe ----- I lost my Original CD that came with the package... I need it badly Kindly some one help me .... my mail --- [email protected]
By Holden Smith Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:53 pm
Hi guys,
I'm also new to this, just bought an LPD8, and I'm having problems using it with Ableton.

I have followed all the instructions to the letter, but I still can't seem to do anything with the LPD8 in ableton. It briefly worked, and I could map various things to the controller, but upon re opening ableton I now can't do that.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance