VU Feedback in Ableton & Traktor

[phivos.iatropoullos]

Hi There,

I am having a problem getting the VU feedback working,

I have followed the RGB encoder video on youtube, but it doesn’t explain the settings page, and I am using my Yaeltex with things mapped to midi channels 15 & 16 so would need top change the VU to receive and send on a different channel. I was using an evolution uc-33 for many years, and had a lot of stuff mapped in Ableton to midi channels 01, 02 & 16 & 15, so wanted to keep those free, and change what the yealtex responds to. I have tried updated the firmware, changing midi channels, but still can’t get the VU working. Does the VU enable = True in the Ableton script need to be on if I am receiving information from Traktor?

It would be nice to get the VU feedback working in both Ableton and Traktor.

I am on an M5 mac running Tahoe 26.3.1

I also use an aggregate to send Ableton Audio to Traktor, and have mapped both on 4 x Banks which works fine, I only had an issue with the brightness on some Encoder (fills) on the RGBs were different on other banks, when they should have been the same. I changed the colours, and then changed them back to what they should have been as a workaround. ~ Slight bug me thinks

I have set the channels that connect with Traktor via usb & local, as this is the only way to get updated feedback when changing banks, but for channels connected to Ableton, they need to be set to usb ONLY? It’s a bit confusing, but aftyer many restarts, and tweaking, the midi control side of things works well, but occasionally see the rainbow startup, and it cuts out and restarts?

I have disabled rainbow start so it doesn’t take too long to restart if it does so during a performance as a safety measure.

Thank you for any help any can give me, as I have been trying since December 2025 to get the VU’s working at all.

Phivos

[Ale]

Hi @phivos.iatropoullos Let’s get those issues sorted.

Adjusting the VU Meter MIDI Channel
To keep channels 15 and 16 clear for your UC-33, you can change the global VU channel in Kilowhat. Click the Preferences (gear icon) and look under Controller Options for the MIDI CHANNELS section.
• Change the VUMETER dropdown from its default (16) to an open channel like 13 or 14.
• Once changed, ensure the individual encoder configuration cards for the ones you want as meters are specifically set to the “Vumeter CC” message type.

The Ableton Script vs. Traktor Feedback
Regarding the VU_METER_ENABLED = True flag in the Ableton Map.py file: this is strictly for the YURS (Yaeltex Universal Remote Script) translation layer. It tells Ableton to send metering data, but it has no effect on Traktor.
To get VUs working in Traktor, you’ll need to manually map Traktor’s deck levels as MIDI CC output messages within Traktor’s Controller Manager, ensuring they target the specific global VU channel and CC numbers you just assigned in Kilowhat.

Feedback Routing (USB vs. Local)
Because the Ableton script is designed to constantly “push” the state of the software to the hardware, setting those channels to USB Only is enough to keep the controller perfectly synced with the DAW’s internal state.
For Traktor, using Local + USB provides that immediate visual response when you touch a control, which is vital since Traktor doesn’t always “refresh” every parameter state as aggressively when you switch banks.

Power Stability
While the controller can run on bus power, driving 4 banks with a lot of RGB LED feedback—especially “fills”—can draw more current than a Mac’s USB port likes to give. Since you are performing live, I’d highly recommend using an external 5V / 3A (2.0mm, center positive) power supply. This takes the load off your Mac, stabilizes the connection, and automatically kicks the unit into High Power Mode for full LED brightness.

The Encoder color quirk
Is it possible that the General Bank Color in the Bank configuration menu was tweaked? That setting can act as a master override for the entire bank, which might explain why the color values were suddenly different across banks. If you change them back and the issue persists, let us know, but your current workaround of resetting the individual colors is the best way to regain control for now.

Quick question: Are you plugging your controller and the UC-33 directly into the Mac, or are they sharing a USB hub?

[phivos.iatropoullos]

Thank you Ale for your swift reply,

I have tried to change the VUMETER global midi channel to channel 6, and again for the Deck Feedback Out in Traktor as shown in the youtube tutorial, but I am still not getting any feedback. If I only have the VUMETER selected as my option for the fader, I lose the fill feedback, and the encoder shows a spot value. If I have the CC also selected as an Encoder Feedback option, The fill feeedback returns, but still with no VU shown on the Yaeltex?

I am using the encoder for volume as well as the visual VU, and also have the button mapped with a midi note which sends an Fx ON or OFF state. All that stuff works well.

I did notice that I had a lot of buttons which are mapped to notes on midi channel 2 for the scene box selection had the visual intencity option added, so I have removed the command as it was probaby adding more output data to the usb that wasn’t neccecary, everything is still working great, and probaby a little faster too… But I’m still not getting any visual feedback from the VU side, only where the volume is set as a coulred, or white fill, depending on the settings.

Thanks again for the swift reply,

I’m gonna keep tweaking and see what happens… lol

Phivos

[phivos.iatropoullos]

Also, I am not still using the uc33, only the midi mapping I had done on channels 1, 15 & 16,

I had stuff on midi channel 2, which I had to change because the scene box works on midi channel 2 and can’t be changed??

I am still no further to getting this beta version odf a release to work properly, and it is taking up too much of my time, and is very frustrating,

Also, The Kilowatt website often cuts out if you have a bad wifi connection (its crap) when programming, and you end up loosing about 20 mins worth of programming. To why is there not a desktop app I am baffled..

Still want to get this VU thing working,

What is the setup for getting Ableton to receive and send the VUMETER information, as this is not explained anywhere either..

Please, can someone recommend stuff that I haven’t already tried. Java scrip just ain’t my thing to be honest.

Thanks again for any useful help.

Phivos

[Ale]

I understand the frustration of troubleshooting complex MIDI routing, its definitive not the fun part.

1. The “Spot” vs “Fill”. When you configure an encoder as a Vumeter CC, the behavior you described—seeing only a “spot value”—is actually the correct hardware behavior. In this mode, the encoder ring uses a single spot (usually a white dot) to display the current physical position of your fader or volume knob. The “fill” feedback is reserved exclusively for the incoming audio VU data. The reason you are losing the fill and only seeing the spot is simply because the controller is not receiving the actual VU audio levels from either Traktor or Ableton on your new channel.

2. Fixing the Traktor VU Routing. To get the fill working in Traktor, you must ensure that Traktor is actually broadcasting the audio level out to the controller.

• In Traktor’s Controller Manager, you need to add an Output mapping for the Deck Level.

• Route this output to your controller.

• Crucial Step: Set the MIDI Channel for this output to Channel 6 (matching your new Global VUMETER channel in Kilowhat), and set the CC number to exactly match the CC parameter assigned to that specific volume encoder.

  

This is how it should look—in this case, using channel 16.

3. Fixing the Ableton VU Routing. You correctly set VU_METER_ENABLED = True In your Ableton Map.py script, but the VU still isn’t showing up because of a channel mismatch.

• The Yaeltex Universal Remote Script (YURS) is pre-programmed to broadcast VU data on the default hardware VU channel, which is Channel 16.

• Because you changed the controller’s Global VU channel to Channel 6 in Kilowhat, Ableton is broadcasting audio levels to an empty channel that the controller is no longer listening to for VU data.

• To fix this, you must either change the Global VU channel in Kilowhat back to 16, or edit your Map.py file to shift the script’s VU output to Channel 6 (keeping in mind that Python uses 0-based indexing, so Channel 6 is written as 5 in the script).

  This is the bit you need to change in the Map.py
  METER_CHANNEL = 15

4. Freeing Up Channel 2 in Ableton. You mentioned you had to abandon your old UC-33 mappings on Channel 2 because the YURS Session Box was locked to it. Good news: it is not locked. Just like you can redefine the channel in the Map.py file to move features to different channels, you can re-map the entire clip launcher and scene box to free up Channel 2 for your manual mappings.

The golden rule when editing the Python script is to ensure you do not assign the same MIDI message to two different functions!

To do that, find this bit of code in the Map.py

CLIPLAUNCH_CHANNEL = 1 (this is channel 2 on Kilowhat)

IMPORTANT: keep in mind that Python uses 0-based indexing, so Channel 6 is written as 5 in the script.

5. The Kilowhat Desktop App. You are right, and we are aware of this. We are developing a new standalone Kilowhat app, an offline application available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It completely removes the need for an internet connection, allows you to save and load local JSON configuration files directly from your computer, and is much faster than the web browser version. It’s not that far away.

Reminder: After editing Map.py, you must restart Ableton Live for the changes to take effect.

Let us know how it goes.

[phivos.iatropoullos]

Thank you Ale,

I will have just tried it, and hey presto, I am now getting the VU, but I can only turn the encoder level down, and it won’t turn up again? What has gone wrong here? lol

The information you have just given me, I would never have sussed out that channels 6 is actually 5… This is vital.

Also, I noticed that the CC midi numbers are actually wrong too. On a midi note chart, the notes are transposed up an octave for the note to be correct. I managed to work that one out myself with a bit of jiggery pokery, but for someone with no experience, I expect that would be very difficult.

The reason I liked using the uc33, was it is compact, easy to program, change midi channels, banks or edit faders or buttons directly from the unit, and it has a nice blue display which tells you the CC number and value when you turn or press anything (in the dark), and all in the box, usb powered with no extra software needed. Plus it never crashed, and has been used in some hot and sweaty, sweat box venues, and still managed to perform without crashing or with any issues of wrong assignments etc. I have noticed that even with the power connected, It decided to rainbow start, and re-connect during a performance, and on my last show, it lost connection mid-set, and I had to unplug the usb, and plug it in again to get it seeing Ableton, it was without any glitches to the audio, which was ok, but not ideal.

It also happened in Australia on one of the gigs there.

Another problem that I am having is that I have mapped 4 x buttons to control the search / selection box (midi channel 3) to scroll my Ableton session view up, down left or right, but when I click once, It jumps two or three steps forward and never on point. What are the correct settings in Kilowatt for this to be more precise?

Also, I have mapped an analogue controller to the master scroll up and down, which you can assign in Ableton, and I used to use it with the uc33, and it works much faster, smoother, and is more reliable, but only moves the view, and not the yellow box, so I end up scrolling with the Yaeltex, and engaging the track with the trackpad, as I have over 600 scenes, and it takes too long to scroll down to the bottom of the list by buttons, and a quick twist of the analogue rotary, goes top or bottom of page in an instant.

I have mapped an encoder in Traktor to scroll, and have it set to long jumps, and set to fine adjustment on click, but it still jumps + or - 10 tracks at a time when searching, so my workaround is to scroll to where it is close, and then use my assigned buttons up or down a few steps and I don’t need to touch the computer at all.

I can’t do that in Ableton yet, and still need to touch the track as my sets are not just working from top to bottom, I could be starting anywhere on the list, and pick out a track from any point so need to be able to view and select quickly as I tend not to drag tracks out too much during a set.

Also, the mapping of the tempo, was easier and more usable, when done directly to Ableton’s tempo box. I am not bothered about moving the tempo to -00.001 of a BPM when I only need to go up or down 0.10 ish, and not whole BPM’s, so the transition is not audible when using samples etc. (like a DJ)

Thank you so much for this valuable assistance good sir!

Sending best regards to you

Thanks again

Phivos

[phivos.iatropoullos]

Ok my bad,

I also have a fader, as well as an encoder for the same out. (which I want to keep, but I guess I don’t want the fader looking at any feedback? (or the other way around?)

I want to turn up the fader when I turn up the encoder.

At the moment, I can only turn up the volume using the fader, and not both?

I am investigating it now

Thanks again

Phivos

[phivos.iatropoullos]

Just a quick video describing the problem I’m having with the scroll / scene box sensitivity.

I have over 650 scenes, and have to use an assigned analogue rotary to skip down to the bottom of my list as it takes too long with the buttons..

Then I have to select manually via the trackpad on the computer, so only really use the box for stuff that’s at the top, or press and hold, and hope that it doesn’t get stuck and have to wait a minute until it reaches the bottom.

Yes, it sometimes locks up, and you can’t stop it. (it is like it is receiving a continuous command, instead of a single hit. I do like the fact that if pressed and held, it would give such a command, but you should at least get 2 seconds before it goes mental. Is it a bug?

Thank you, and looking forward to some feedback or even a solution.

Kind Regards

Phivos

*I only worked out pre-upload, that there is a 10 Meg limit, so trimmed the video down to fit.

[phivos.iatropoullos]

The problem now is that I have Faders, and an encoders mapped to the same channels, which I want to keep, but at the moment I can only use the faders for precise adjustments, as the encoders act weirdly, even when changed to encoder in Traktor.

I have them set to direct, and fader, as that is the only way I get any trusted movement via the actual fader.

I would live to also have on another bank, some visual feedback from the channels in Ableton, which I am going to experiment with now, and see if I get the same problem with the encoders or not.

Thanks for any help in advance

Phivos