AUTOMATION & RECORDING

Live Recording Using MIDI Controller

During a recording session, you have to move the wheels and sliders in FL Studio' interface to automate their movement. However, if you own an external MIDI controller, you can control all these controls from it. If the device you use can also send note events (usually these are MIDI keyboards), you can use it to record melodies in FL Studio (see MIDI Settings for various options concerning keyboard input). To use your MIDI controller/keyboard in FL Studio, first ensure you have selected the proper driver in the Remote Control Input combo box, located in the MIDI Settings page. Then check if the Enable MIDI Remote control option is enabled in the Options menu.

Linking control to MIDI device

Right-click a control to be linked and from the menu that appears click Link to Controller. The Remote Control Settings dialog appears.

MIDI Controller:

In addition to the standard MIDI controllers, FL Studio supports several types of custom MIDI controllers (endless wheels, switches etc.). For more information, see MIDI Settings.

Internal Controller:

This section allows you to link the property to an internal controller plugin. It appears only if you have added at least one controller plugin. For more information see Internal Controllers Plugins.

Remove Conflicts

When this option is checked, FL Studio will remove conflicts, like linking two wheels to the same controller (either MIDI or internal).

Reset

Click this button to reset the remote control settings, including mapping formula & smoothing.

Mapping Formula:

Here you can enter a formula that is used to map the controller values to the property you link. The default formula is 'Input', Input is the variable that holds the value of the controller (1:1 mapping). Now you can enter an expression to alter the default 1:1 mapping. For example: 'Input*2' multiplies the controller value by 2. When you write an expression, press Enter. If you see message "Compiled OK" the formula was successfully compiled and you can press the OK button to apply it to the linked control. If a red text appears below, the formula is wrong (usually syntax error or unsupported variable/function was used). Correct the error and press Enter again. For a full list of supported variables and function click here.

Smoothing:

This feature allows you to smoothen the motion produced by the remote control hardware and/or internal plugin. This reduces the need to manually refine recorded automation after live sessions and ensures proper ramping of the control motion to avoid abruptly changes.

Linking effects

If you want to automate a FL Studio effect, you can proceed with it's controls exactly as with any FL Studio control - right-click it to launch a pop-up menu, from where you can display the Remote Control Settings dialog box. The same goes for VST effects that do not have their own editor's interface. Then FL Studio provides interface for the plugin, and all wheels can be automated as usual.

To link VST effects that have their own interface, call the FX pop-up menu (see Mixer window) and select Link to MIDI controller item. From the submenu that appears, either select All to link all effect's controls at once (for example, if you select controller 8, the first control is mapped to controller 8, the next one to controller 9 etc.), or select a property name to link it alone instead. Be warned that many third-party VST effects do not report properly their settings, and might crash when trying to link them to a MIDI controller. It is highly recommended that you save your project before mapping VST settings for remote control.

Unfortunately, there is no way to link DirectX effects to a MIDI controller. That limitation comes from the DirectX specifications, not from FL Studio itself. Some DirectX plugins might have MIDI remote controller functionality, but NOT through the DirectX interface (so they can not be linked right inside FL Studio). To link such effect, follow the help instructions that come with your DirectX plugin.