Arturia Minilab 3 relative encoders with Ableton

The Lounge Other Gear
1

For some reason, I couldn’t find the steps for using the updated relative encoder modes with Ableton. I wanted them to work automatically with any highlighted device (to lessen the amount of midi mapping). Here’s what worked for me:

  1. Create a new User Template using Arturia’s MIDI Control Center
    a. Set the encoders to Relative 1
  2. Save into a User (Drag the Template into Device Memories)
  3. Create a UserConfiguration.txt (steps for that here)
    a. Under [DeviceControls], set encoders to corresponding CC’s in the user template
    i. By default, mine were
    Encoder1: 74
    Encoder2: 71
    Encoder3: 76
    Encoder4: 77
    Encoder5: 93
    Encoder6: 18
    Encoder7: 19
    Encoder8: 16
    b. At the end of the [DeviceControls] section, change EncoderMapMode from Absolute to
    LinearBinaryOffset
  4. In Ableton preferences, select the Control Surface you created for the UserConfiguration.txt
    a. Make sure Remote Input MIDI port is selected
  5. Press Shift + Pad3 (Prog) until you are using your user template
  6. Highlight a device and start tweaking (I recommend mapping parameters in a group to know
    what you’re tweaking)

Let me know if cyou tried using other relative modes. With relative 2 and 3, I found that they would jump at higher intervals. I don’t know if they need to be set to different EncoderMapMode values (all of which are listed in the UserConfiguration.txt). Hope this helps! :slight_smile:

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2

Hey! I guess that following your approach will make the “default” Control Surface integration not working, as we are switching from the DAW to custom profile mode?
By “default” Control Surface integration I mean navigating the Session View with the main knob, or launching/stopping the clips features.

3

Correct, you would lose those features. Honestly, I mostly use the DAW mode, but switch to custom when I want to tweak many different devices (especially while recording).

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