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Installing MIDI Controller Scripts

Before you can use 3rd-party scripts, you'll need to install them so that FL Studio can find them. This tutorial explains the basic steps for how to set up scripts to use them with FL Studio.

Note that many official (OEM) scripts are automatically downloaded and installed by FL Studio, and so following these instructions isn't necessary for them.

Download the script

Once you've found a compatible script from the working scripts list, download its files. Most forum posts either attach the script files, or provide a download link. In most cases, the download will be a .zip archive, or a Python script file (.py).

Create the script folder

Launch the file explorer program, and navigate to Image-Line/FL Studio/Settings/Hardware. By default, the Image-Line user data folder is placed within your documents.

Within this folder, create a folder to place your script. It is recommended to set up a folder with the same name as your MIDI controller to make it easier to find later. For example, in this screenshot, we have created a script folder for devices which use Native Instruments' Komplete Kontrol system.

A screenshot of the Image-Line hardware folder, showing a script folder named "NI Komplete Kontrol"

Keep your file explorer opened to your "script folder", as you will add files there later.

Extracting the script

Open a separate file explorer window, and navigate to your downloads folder.

If you have downloaded a (.py) Python script file, move it into your script folder.

If you downloaded a .zip file, open it, and check its contents. If it contains a folder (but no top-level files), navigate into that folder. Then, select the full contents of the archive and move them to your script folder.

In this example, the script contained two folders docs and nihia, as well as numerous Python files. All of them have been copied to the script folder.

A screenshot of the script folder, containing script files

Configuring the script in FL Studio

Now that your script is installed, it's time to set it up. Launch FL Studio, or if it is already running, close and re-open it. Open the MIDI settings.

Some scripts support automatic setup within FL Studio. If you notice that your MIDI controller already works as intended, there's no need to do anything more, you're all set!

For scripts that don't support automatic setup, you will need to assign your MIDI controller's inputs and outputs to a port.

Within this screenshot, notice how the "Novation Launchkey Mk3 MIDI" is set to use port number 1 in both the input and output sections.

A screenshot of FL Studio's MIDI settings, showing a Novation Launchkey device configured with correct ports and script

After you have configured your device's input and output ports, you should select the script to use for your device. Select your controller within the "Inputs" selection, then use the "Controller type" drop-down to select your chosen script. For example, in the above screenshot, the controller type is set to "Demo Device (Starter)".

Now your device should be working correctly with your script. If it isn't, make sure to check for any device-specific setup instructions. For example, some devices have a "MIDI" port and a "DAW" port, and require different scripts for each one.