INSTRUMENTS / GENERATORS

MIDI Out

The MIDI Out plugin does not make any sound on its own, it acts as a MIDI controller, sending standard MIDI messages to internal (plugins) or external MIDI hardware. Up to 8 pages of 9 controllers (72 in total) are freely assignable on the MIDI Out plugin to parameters on the target MIDI device. Fruity LSD is your friend: The MIDI Out plugin is a great companion to the Fruity LSD (effect) plugin. Once MIDI Out has been set to the same Port number as the Fruity LSD plugin you can play sounds direct from your Soundcard internal sampler/synth through the FL Studio mixer.

Using external synthesizers, drum machines & other MIDI devices

If you want to incorporate the sounds from external MIDI hardware, so it is exported along with the rest of your internal plugins in the final render, you will need to first record the external hardware performance as an audio track in FL Studio while it's simultaneously played by a MIDI Out plugin. The steps to do this are as follows:

1. Set the Port numbers - Select your MIDI interface Output in the MIDI Settings and make sure the Port number matches the Port number on MIDI Out.
2. Send master sync - In the MIDI Settings, select your MIDI interface and turn ON 'Send master sync'. This is transport control information (start, stop, tempo, etc). Ensure your external MIDI device is set to receive (slave to) MIDI sync data AND is set to the same 'Synchronization type', (MIDI clock, MTC 24, etc), as per the manufacturers instructions.
3. Make MIDI connections - Make a MIDI connection from your MIDI interface (MIDI OUT) to your MIDI device (MIDI IN) as per the manufacturers instructions.
4. Set the MIDI Channels - Set your external MIDI device to the same MIDI Channel as the MIDI Out plugin. There are 16 Channels that allow you to control different MIDI devices on each channel. Set your outboard gear to Omni mode and it will respond to all MIDI Channels.
5. Connect the audio - Make audio connections from your MIDI device's audio outputs to your soundcard audio inputs. This will usually be a line-level input, not a microphone input.
6. Sequence your MIDI device - Enter or record your score data in the Piano roll or Step Sequencer associated with the MIDI Out channel controlling the external hardware.
7. Make a live recording - Record the device back into FL Studio, as it is played by the MIDI Out channel.
8. Audio clips - Place the recorded Audio Clip in the Playlist and render the final track.

NOTE: MIDI is not an audio connection, see the Wizard section 'How do I connect my keyboard/controller/synth to my PC' for advice and further links on setting up external MIDI hardware to be recorded in FL Studio.

Controlling internal VST plugins

Match Port numbers - Set the Input Port number on the VST plugin's wrapper to the same Port number as MIDI Out. 256 Ports are available, the Port number setting you use is arbitrary, it's up to you. Multiple MIDI channels - If the VST plugin can respond to multiple MIDI channels you can load multiple MIDI Out plugins and set their Port numbers to the VSTs Input Port number. This will allow you to control each MIDI channel in the plugin with a separate Piano roll. NOTE: Alternatively you can use note colors to control independent MIDI channels, set in the plugin, from its own Piano roll.

Parameters

• Channel - There are 16 MIDI 'Channels'. These are 16 independent channels over which note/controller data can flow (i.e. to play up to 16 separate instruments on a single 'multitimbral' instrument). Generally channel #10 is used for drums channel.
• Bank (Coarse & Fine) - The patch bank number. 127 banks are available.
• Port - This is an independent communications channel between the MIDI Out plugin and the target plugin or your MIDI Interface. 256 Ports are available. Matching port numbers on the MIDI Out plugin and the target instrument/plugin links them. If you are controlling external MIDI hardware the Port number here should match the MIDI Settings Output port number set for your MIDI Interface.
• Patch (and drop-down menu to the right) - The patch (instrument) number. 127 patches (per bank) are available. This parameter may be automated. The menu displays the name of the general MIDI instrument for the selected patch number. It may not match the current instrument if your device is not using a general MIDI mapping. For some devices, the patch number also selects the drum kit for drum channels. To hear these sounds as General MIDI instruments, load a Fruity LSD plugin into the mixer and set it to the same port number as the MIDI Out plugin.
• Page - There are 8 pages of 9 assignable controllers. Each page holds 8 knobs and 1 slider. Right-click to rename the page. All controllers are automatable.
• Controller Knobs/Sliders - Continuous controllers (CC) on the target plugin/hardware, such as mod wheels, volume, pan, LFO, filter-cutoffs, etc, have MIDI CC (control change) numbers assigned to them. These are specific 'addresses' for these controls. Each knob represents a single programmable CC controller. The unassigned knobs in each page are labeled with three dashes (---). Click the label to enable/disable the corresponding controller (all controllers are disabled by default). To link a control knob to a MIDI controller (internal or external), Right-click a control and select 'configure', and then set the CC number, range, etc. You will need to consult the third party documentation to learn the CC numbers.
• Reset - Sends a reset (CC #121) message to your MIDI device, then updates all enabled controls. This switch is handy when you have disabled a control and you want its assigned controller to be reset by the MIDI device.

Notes & Tips

• Pan, filter cutoff & resonance per note (by the graph edit or the Piano roll) are not supported - the MIDI standard only supports velocity per note.
• As there is no standard rule for mapping velocity values (0..127) to dB, the level scale of MIDI channels may not fit the internal mixer levels.

Plugin Credits: Didier Dambrin