Just learned this today,the ultimate easy way to control just about everything in

your song with your basic controller keyboard's 8 knobs

First, follow the instructions given in a post in the Facebook Forum called Able
ton Live Producer and create a user remote script file. Its dead easy. Takes 2 m
inutes. You just need to know what channels your 8 knobs are on, which should be
on the keyboard screen.
If like me you have a basic keyboard with 8 knobs, they will now be assigned to
Ableton.
Whatever instrument you want to control, click the title bar to show the blue ha
nd
If it is an Ableton Instrument in the form of a rack, it will have 8 controls au
tomatically mapped as macros.
Takeover mode seems better than pickup (preferences)
If you load up a VST you select 'configure', tweak the knobs you wanna control,
and then map them to macros (group the instrument)
Simpler comes with 6 parameters ready mapped, you can add volume by grouping it
and mapping vol to macro 1 of the new group (click the blue hand)
The beauty of all this is it is simple. You dont need automap or different chann
els in your synth or anything. All you need is the one setting. No midi mapping.
Nothing. Just grouping and assigning macros. The only time you touch your synth
is to control the parameters by turning the knobs
edit: assign the Global Channel in the script to the number in your controller L
ESS ONE.
*Tech tip* 1
Make a few controller assignments enabling *any* controller to behave as if it w
ere a APC40...
For quick familiarity watch this video before reading on..
note, the instructions here apply to *any* midi controller !

The instructions following came about using a Mac OS 10.5.8 Leopard machine.

There is a file situated at 'User/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live 8.x/User remo

te scripts/UserConfiguration.txt
Copy this file to the desktop, it is your Ableton remote script that allows you
to make a few controller assignments enabling *any* controller to behave as if i
t were a APC40, quickly picking up on any of lives devices and controlling the f
irst 8 parameters offered instantly. Here is how to set it up.....
Open the 'user configuration.txt' file you copied to the desktop ..
You'll see a lot of old scribble.. scroll down to where it lists the 'encoders'
e.g.

encoder1: -1
encoder2: -1
encoder3: -1
encoder4: -1
encoder5: -1
encoder6: -1
encoder7: -1
encoder8: -1
now match the number where it says -1 to your controller number e.g.
encoder1: 24
encoder2: 25
encoder3: 26
encoder4: 27
encoder5: 28
encoder6: 29
encoder7: 30
encoder8: 31
now save this file.
From the desktop,
make a folder and call it the same name as your controller e.g. Korg Kontrol 49
& place this userconfiguration.txt file into it.
Now place this folder into 'User/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live 8.x/User remot
e scripts.. alongside the original 'Userconfiguration.txt file.
For proper midi handshaking between your hardware & software, the name of this f
older must match the name of your controller so if your not sure, open your OS m
idi manager and check what the OS Midi manager is calling your controller and si
mply copy that name to the name folder. Done.
From here open Ableton, open preferences, hit the midi sync tab
Under control surface select your controller, under input select the appropriate
port & do the same for the output tab.
Under midi ports hit both the track & remote buttons to on status.
To have this control using any midi controller that sends cc's is a real hands o

n programming trill for the Ableton Live producer.

The fun starts when you insert fx racks or instrument presets that are mapped to
the Macro knobs.
So time to dust off the ald box with knobs & start tweaking yal.

enjoy