The document provides instructions for setting up and using the Arturia KeyLab MKII controller with FL Studio. It describes connecting the controller, setting up an FL Studio project, and using the controller knobs, buttons, pads and screen to control FL Studio functions like the channel rack, mixer, step sequencer and plugins in different modes of operation.
The document provides instructions for setting up and using the Arturia KeyLab MKII controller with FL Studio. It describes connecting the controller, setting up an FL Studio project, and using the controller knobs, buttons, pads and screen to control FL Studio functions like the channel rack, mixer, step sequencer and plugins in different modes of operation.
The document provides instructions for setting up and using the Arturia KeyLab MKII controller with FL Studio. It describes connecting the controller, setting up an FL Studio project, and using the controller knobs, buttons, pads and screen to control FL Studio functions like the channel rack, mixer, step sequencer and plugins in different modes of operation.
The document provides instructions for setting up and using the Arturia KeyLab MKII controller with FL Studio. It describes connecting the controller, setting up an FL Studio project, and using the controller knobs, buttons, pads and screen to control FL Studio functions like the channel rack, mixer, step sequencer and plugins in different modes of operation.
- 1. Pads : Control the Step Sequencer and trigger sounds
- 2. Useful FL Studio functions - 3. Screen and navigation knobs : Ease the browsing, visual feedback - 4. Midi channel - 5. Pitch and Mod wheels - 6. Internal functions - 7. Keybed - 8. Knobs and sliders : Control parameters of Mixer, Plugins and Channel rack
This spec highlights a script that integrates the KeyLab mkII into FL Studio.
2.FL Studio Setup
As there are many different workflows associated with this software, we implemented generic scripts that handle all basic features for performance mode with visual feedback.
a. Set up the controller
File Location
Make sure you place the folder KeyLab MkII V.1 containing the script files at the end of this path: Memory Selection
The first thing to do is to set the Live program by long pressing on the DAW button on the hardware and then by selecting the right program. At the end, there will be an update to create an FL Studio memory slot.
Now your controller is set for FL Studio.
FL Studio MIDI Settings
Windows
Figure 2.
Mac OS Select the right script in the Controller type box under the “Input Section” Select a MIDI port for each Input as long as the input port and the output port of the same instance match ( see above )
Project Setup Prepare your project before using the controller exclusively. During the performance, only the Channel Rack, the Mixer, the plugin Windows and some functions of the general UI will be managed by the controller
Figure 3.
Set the plugins that you want as channels to use during the performance. It can be done by clicking on the “+” under the last track or by drag and drop from the browser on the left.
Figure 4.
If you use Arturia’s VST like Analog Lab V on the picture above, please make sure to connect the plugin to the MIDI input 10:
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
If you are using an Arturia software, make sure you linked the correct device when you open the plugin Figure 7.
You are now ready to use Arturia’s controller exclusively.
3.FL Studio Setup
● DAW Mode You can enter the DAW Mode by pressing the ‘DAW’ button. The Daw Mode will make you able to control the DAW functions, the plugin parameters, the mixer and the step sequencer
Figure 8.
Knobs
Figure 9.
The central knob is the main navigator knob. When the knob is turned and the Channel Rack Window is selected, it will navigate in the Channel Rack. In the picture below, the “Piano Plugin” has been selected by the user. Figure 10.
When the central knob is pressed, it will show/close the plugin window of the selected channel if the selected channel is a plugin. On the picture below, the window of the drum plugin is shown
Figure 11.
When the knob is turned and the Browser is selected, it will navigate in the Browser. Figure 12.
Figure 13.
When the knob is turned and the Mixer is selected, it will navigate in the tracks. Pressing the encoder in the mixer mode will toggle the selected track arm state.
Figure 14. There are 9 physical encoders on the KeyLab mkII:
Figure 15.
● In Channel Rack Mode, the 8 firsts encoders control some parameters of the currently focused plugin
Figure 16.
The 9th encoder control the pan of the current mixer track selected
● In Mixer Mode, the 8 first encoders control the pan of the current track bank
Figure 17.
The 9th encoder control the pan of the master track
Sliders There are 9 physical sliders on the KeyLab mkII: Figure 18.
● In Channel Rack Mode, the 8 firsts sliders control some parameters of the currently focused plugin
Figure 19.
The 9th encoder control the volume of the current mixer track selected
● In Mixer Mode, the 8 first sliders control the volume of the current track bank
Figure 20.
The 9th slider control the volume of the master track
Buttons The KeyLab mkII is fitted with a lot of buttons that can be assign to different functions:
Transport function : Figure 21.
<< : Rewind / Step Seq Offset
>> : fast Forward / Step Seq Offset Stop : Puts the song marker at the beginning Play/Pause : Play/Pause the Pattern/Song Record : Start recording ( blink if recording, lights if ready to record ) Loop : Activate loop recording ( lights if activated )
DAW Functions
Figure 22.
From top-left to bottom-right :
Solo : Solo the selected track
Mute : Mute the selected track Record : Change the snap Mode Read : Tap Tempo Off : Cut the pattern of the selected channel Save : Drum Mode / Step Sequencer Mode In : Switch Channel Rack window and Browser window Out : Enable/Disable Overdub Metro : Activate metronome Undo : Undo the last change
In DAW mode, Next / Previous offset the effect of knobs and sliders by 8 It allows the user to control more than 8 tracks or channels with the keyboard. The Bank button should be on to access this function. Figure 23.
Figure 24.
These button jog between channels pages and mixer pages depending of the selected mode
On the other side of the controller, there are 9 RGB buttons. The lights indicate the state of the 8 current tracks or channels depending on the mode (CR or Mixer ).
Figure 25.
Blue light : Track available in Mixer
Purple Light : Channel available in Channel Rack Yellow light :Channel/Track available and selected Red light : Track available but muted Offlight : No channel in this slot
Pads ● Drum Mode
They are 16 physical pads on the KeyLab mkII. They are useful for drum tracks to trigger and organize drum sound Figure 26.
All pads trigger a MIDI Note that have been mapped to fit FPC GUI. They are mapped by default to the 16 pads of FPC.
Figure 27.
● Sequencer Mode
You can enter the Sequencer Mode by pressing the “Save” button. The 16 pads represented the 16 steps of the 1st Bar of the Sequencer Figure 28.
You can offset the red rectangle to have access to a longer pattern via “<<” and “>>” buttons
Here is an example of pattern that the user can make:
Figure 29.
The pads send visual feedbacks with RGB that can be useful : Light blue : Step off Yellow : Step On Blue / Red : Metronome indicator
You can edit each step by holding them and tweaking one of the 8 encoders to change variable parameters
Figure 30.
Figure 31. Figure 32.
● Analog Lab Mode
Enter the Analog Lab Mode by pressing Analog Lab Make sure The plugin receive MIDI on the port 10
Figure 33.
Figure 34.
Figure 35.
The Analog Lab mode allows the user to control the focused plugin (browsing preset, change parameters etc…) To control a plugin, make sure you have focused the window by selecting it with the center knob
Figure 36. Figure 37.
Figure 38.
● Screen The screen displays feedbacks for almost all function that the user triggers The screen returns the current pattern, the name and the number of the channel selected in DAW Mode. It also returns the name of the tweaked parameter and its value for all plugin mapped in the database In Plugin Mode, the screen displays the Analog Lab and Plugin parameter. It can also display the Analog Lab Browser.
Figure 39.
Here Is the Plugin Database implemented for the KeyLab mkII :
