Turn Your Game Controller into a Drum Machine for Ableton Live

Load your own drums and samples, perform beats with your PlayStation or Xbox controller, and record your performance as editable MIDI.

Mesh Gamepad Sampler is a Max for Live device that transforms your PlayStation, Xbox, or compatible game controller into a customizable sampler and live performance instrument inside Ableton Live.

Load your own drums, vocal chops, bass sounds, effects, one-shots, and other samples directly onto 14 gamepad buttons. Then use your controller to play beats, perform live, create transitions, experiment with sounds, and record your performance as editable MIDI.

You are not limited to the included sounds. Every sample pad can be customized with your own audio files, allowing you to build a completely personal gamepad instrument for beatmaking, music production, or live performance.

What You Can Do

• Load your own samples onto 14 gamepad buttons
• Play drums, bass sounds, vocal chops, effects, and one-shots
• Record your gamepad performance as editable MIDI
• Play recorded MIDI clips back through the sampler
• Replace or edit samples after recording
• Create tempo-synced note repeats
• Add quantization and swing
• Control the volume of individual sample pads
• Apply saturation and soft clipping
• Trigger glitch effects from the controller
• Instantly stop all playing samples
• Use the device for beatmaking, sound design, or live performance

Gamepad Performance Controls

Use L2 to trigger tempo-synced 1/16 note repeats and R2 for fast 1/32 triplet repeats. The Touchpad, Guide, or Home button can trigger the Glitch effect, depending on the controller. A dedicated Stop control instantly cuts all playing samples.

Quantization and swing help tighten your performance while still allowing you to create grooves directly from the gamepad.

Record and Edit Your Performance

Mesh Gamepad Sampler can record your performance as MIDI inside Ableton Live.

After recording, you can edit individual notes, adjust timing, change velocity, move sounds, replace samples, or rearrange the performance just like a regular MIDI clip.

This gives you the spontaneous feeling of performing with a game controller while keeping the full editing capabilities of Ableton Live.

Compatible Controllers

Mesh Gamepad Sampler supports popular SDL-compatible controllers, including:

• PlayStation DualSense and DualShock controllers
• Xbox One and Xbox Series controllers
• Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
• 8BitDo controllers
• Other compatible USB and Bluetooth gamepads

No separate controller-specific version or manual MIDI mapping is required.

Compatibility

• Ableton Live Suite 12.2 or later
• Or Ableton Live 12.2 or later with Max for Live
• Max 9
• macOS and Windows
• USB and Bluetooth controllers

The device is delivered as one self-contained .amxd file. No additional scripts or separate installation files are required.