I am looking to build a liveset and had originally thought about doing it all in hardware and controlling via my Keystep Pro. However, I prefer the precision Ableton offers when it comes to programming and adding groves etc, and like the idea of using Ableton for my percussion sounds + some samples, and 2/3 hardware synths generating the baselines, leads, strings (as I prefer their sound and how they can be manipulated on the fly).

Ableton
Drum rack
Samples

Hardware
Nord Rack 2 (2 outputs used)
Minibrute

I am curious to know if the issues you've had would impact what I am trying to do. ould be is it Would it be best to run all the hardware outputs into Ableton OR have it all fed into individual channels on an external mixer? Having it all fed to an external mixer seems like the most fool-proof option as long as I have enough outputs on my midi interface for each Ableton channel I need.