Rekordbox MIDI Learn vs Pad Editor: the real differences.

If you have ever searched for how to change your controller pads’ actions in rekordbox, you will have encountered two names that always appear together but mean different things: MIDI Learn and Pad Editor. Choosing the wrong tool produces no error: you simply cannot find what you want, and end up convinced your equipment cannot do it.

They are not two versions of the same thing. They are two tools for two different jobs, and one is not even available on every device.

What MIDI Learn actually does

MIDI Learn freely assigns rekordbox functions to MIDI-controllable equipment. The official documentation defines it as allowing free assignment of rekordbox Performance-mode functions to MIDI equipment, so you can put Play/Pause or Hot Cue on the buttons and knobs you choose. If the equipment is rekordbox-compatible, you can also change its factory preset mapping.

One official warning deserves a plain reading: the function is intended for AlphaTheta products, and support is not provided for configuring third-party products. This does not mean another brand will not work; it means there is nobody to claim support from if it does not.

The assignment table and its columns

The MIDI window is not a black box: it is a table with specific columns, and understanding them is half the work.

• Function: the assigned function’s name.
• Deck: the deck number, in 4-digit hexadecimal.
• MIDI IN: the MIDI code arriving from the equipment, also in 4-digit hex. This is the trigger. With LEARN on, rekordbox captures it when you move the control; you can also enter the code manually.
• Type: the control type.
• MIDI OUT: the code sent to the equipment. This is the key to indicators: if the function includes a light, the MIDI IN code is automatically sent to MIDI OUT.
• Comment: your notes.

Supported control types

Controls differ, and the Type column reflects that:

• Button, Button(for Pad), and Pad: for buttons and pads.
• Knob/Slider (0h-7Fh) or (0h-3FFFh): for knobs and faders, at your chosen resolution: 128 or 16 384 steps. That jump is exactly the difference between a coarse control and a fine one, and why you should choose carefully rather than keep the default.
• Rotary: for an endless encoder.
• Indicator: sends lighting information to the equipment. Important detail: for this type, you cannot assign the function by operating the control; enter the MIDI OUT code directly.
• Value: for Needle Search and sampler speed, requiring manual code entry.

What can be saved and restored

Here MIDI Learn is clearly more convenient than Pad Editor:

• The setting saves automatically when you close the window.
• EXPORT also saves a named copy, your actual backup.
• IMPORT overwrites the selected equipment’s current setting with the imported file.
• ADD, DUPLICATE, and DELETE manage rows. DUPLICATE is the practical way to put the same function on decks 1, 2, 3, and 4 without repeating the work.
• DEFAULT returns to factory settings if the equipment is rekordbox-compatible. Otherwise, MIDI settings become undefined, rather than restored to something functional. Know this before pressing it.

The limitation you need to know

The documentation is explicit: one MIDI code cannot be assigned to multiple functions.

If you want one button to do two different things, MIDI Learn alone cannot deliver it: you need a layer, a modifier, or equipment that sends different codes depending on its state. This is the same boundary found in every application, stated directly here.

What Pad Editor actually does

Pad Editor is completely different. Its official definition: it changes the pad modes assigned to pad-mode buttons and customises each pad’s function.

Notice what it says and what it does not. It does not mention MIDI. It does not mention general software functions. It talks about pads, pad modes, and each pad’s function.

Compatible equipment

Here is why many people cannot find this tool: it exists only for specific equipment. The official list is:

• DDJ-FLX10
• DJM-S7
• DJM-S11
• DDJ-XP2
• DDJ-800
• DDJ-1000
• DDJ-XP1

If your equipment is not listed, Pad Editor does not appear, and no amount of MIDI Learn replaces it. Check this before losing an afternoon.

It also requires a USB cable connection with the equipment powered on, in PERFORMANCE mode. Open it with [PAD].

Pad modes and templates

The tool works at two levels:

1. Each ASSIGN supports 8 pad modes. Two blocks of eight in total.
2. Each mode has templates. Choose a template as a base, then adjust pad by pad.

Available modes include the classics—Hot Cue, Pad FX 1 and 2, Beat Jump, Sampler, Keyboard, Key Shift, Beat Loop, Slicer, Active Censor, Sequence Call, SP.Scratch—the eight customisable USER 1 to USER 8 modes, and one deserving particular attention: STEMS.

STEMS mode divides a track into VOCAL, INST, BASS, and DRUMS, playing the audio accordingly. Its pad functions include Active Stem for each of the four, Active Stem FX for each, and Active Stem Mute/Solo.

This answers a frequently searched question: if your equipment is on the Pad Editor list, Stems on pads are not a mod or trick: they are an official software function. I leave that thread for its own guide because there is much to cover.

The surprising note: it applies to all decks

The documentation states it in one line: Pad Editor is applied to all decks.

You cannot configure pads one way on deck 1 and another way on deck 2. It is a global configuration. If you wanted different pads per deck, this is not the tool, and probably neither is any other within rekordbox.

Comparison: MIDI Learn and Pad Editor

The table places both tools side by side. If your equipment is not in the Pad Editor column, that column simply does not exist for you.

Which to use for your goal

The practical rule is simpler than it seems:

• You want a knob to do something new. MIDI Learn.
• You want to reorder each pad’s action. Pad Editor, if your equipment supports it.
• You want Stems on your pads. Pad Editor, with STEMS mode.
• You want custom pad combinations. Pad Editor, USER 1 to 8 modes.
• You want a configuration backup you can restore. MIDI Learn, with EXPORT and IMPORT. Pad Editor does not help here.
• Your equipment is absent from the Pad Editor list. MIDI Learn, accepting the boundary: you can reassign functions, but cannot reorder pad modes.

Common mistakes

• Looking for Pad Editor without compatible equipment connected. It cannot appear, so it does not.
• Trying to export pad configuration as MIDI mapping. It is not that kind of file.
• Pressing DEFAULT before exporting. Compatible equipment returns to factory settings; incompatible equipment gets undefined settings. Either way, your work is lost.
• Assigning the same MIDI code to two functions. This is prohibited; it is a rule, not a fault.
• Assuming Pad Editor changes only one deck’s pads. It applies to all.
• Assuming it works with any equipment. The list is closed and short.

Next step

The boundary is now clear: MIDI Learn reassigns functions, Pad Editor reorders pads and, if your equipment is listed, provides Stems officially. That is the most sought-after case in this section, so the next step is to examine it in detail: how to add Stems to a DDJ-1000 or DDJ-800.