MIDI Keyboard Looping Setup! Ableton Live + BOSS RC-300 (Tutorial)

How to play software instruments from a MIDI keyboard and record them straight into a hardware loop station routing Ableton Live out to a BOSS RC-300 and back again, so you keep every VST you own and still loop with your feet. Chapters below 👇 🎸 GO DEEPER - BOSS RC-300 Ultimate Guide (full course): https://www.benrowlandsmusic.com/prod... WHY DO THIS AT ALL Loop inside your DAW and you're tied to a mouse or a controller. This setup lets you play any software synth, sampled piano or VST you own, and still record and trigger loops with a footswitch - DAW sound quality with hardware performance control. THE CABLING • Interface OUTPUT 3 → RC-300 LEFT (MONO) INPUT - this is the send • RC-300 MAIN OUTPUT (L/MONO) → Interface INPUT 1 - this is the return ABLETON PREFERENCES • Audio tab: set input and output device to your interface, then open Output Config and enable channels 3/4 as well as 1/2 — this is the step people miss • Link/MIDI tab: find your keyboard under MIDI Ports and enable Track and Remote on both its input and output THE ROUTING - THIS IS THE PART THAT TRIPS PEOPLE UP 1. One MIDI track with your instrument on it, and one audio track named for the looper 2. Create a Return Track and rename it "RC-300 IN" 3. On the MIDI track: turn Send C up to 0 dB, then change Audio To from Master to SENDS ONLY skip this and you'll hear the signal twice 4. On the Return Track: change Audio To from Master to EXT. OUT, and choose output 3 5. On the audio track: set Audio From to EXT. IN → 1, set Monitor to Auto, and record-arm it Play the keyboard and the sound now travels Ableton → output 3 → into the RC-300 → back out of the RC-300 → into input 1 → and out to your speakers. Hit record on the pedal and you're looping software instruments hands-free. 📌 USING LOGIC INSTEAD? The principle is identical what Ableton calls a Return Track, Logic calls a Bus, and you send that bus to an external output pair instead of the stereo out. The cabling doesn't change. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro & The Gear 0:51 - Connecting Everything Over USB 1:21 - Ableton Preferences: Audio & MIDI 2:41 - Setting Up The Tracks 3:40 - The Cables: What Goes Where 5:42 - Send & Return Routing In Ableton 8:00 - Demo 8:26 - Wrap Up 📚 MORE BOSS RC-300 TUTORIALS BOSS RC-300 How To Record Via USB:    • BOSS RC-300 How To Record Via USB - Tutorial   4 BOSS RC-300 Tips You Need To Know:    • 7 of the BEST BOSS RC-300 Tips You Need To...   BOSS RC-505 + Ableton Live MIDI Clock Sync:    • BOSS RC-505 + Ableton Live: MIDI Clock Syn...   🔔 Subscribe for loop pedal tutorials, gear breakdowns and live looping technique:    / @benrowlandsmusic   Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you it directly funds the tutorials on this channel. Thank you for the support. #LiveLooping #AbletonLive #BOSSRC300