Support and discussion for all of Akai’s modern standalone MPCs including the MPC X / X SE, MPC Live 1, 2 & 3, MPC One / One+, MPC Key 37/61.
By Schnooker Fri Jan 30, 2026 11:40 pm
Hi!

I'd like to know how to be able to record (in Ableton) the midi info from when I hit the Live 3's pads.
I have a drum rack setup in Ableton, and I can see the midi indicator light up when I hit a pad, but Ableton will not record any midi for me.

Any help?
By Elijah Sat Jan 31, 2026 6:01 am
To send MIDI from the MPC to an external DAW like Ableton, you need to create a MIDI track on the MPC first. On that MIDI track, choose the appropriate MIDI output depending on your connection method: MPC for DIN MIDI, Remote for network MIDI, or USB-C MIDI for MIDI over USB. In Ableton, make sure the corresponding MIDI input is enabled and selected on the track you want to record.

However, playing the pads directly on a MIDI track is not always ideal. MIDI tracks are affected by features like Pad Perform, and the note layout often does not match Ableton’s Drum Rack, which is typically mapped starting from C1.

A more reliable workaround is to use a Drum Track on the MPC instead. Set the Drum Track’s I/O “Send To” destination to the MIDI track you created earlier. With this setup, the pads in Bank A will always send notes starting from C1, which lines up correctly with Ableton’s Drum Rack and allows MIDI to be recorded properly in Ableton.