FL Studio MCP

Connects AI assistants to FL Studio, letting producers control playback, mixer settings, plugins, and piano roll notes through plain-language commands

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FL Studio MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI assistants to control FL Studio through MIDI communication and Piano Roll scripts.

Quick Demo

dont mind the scuffed audio, i had to clip with my mic bc apple wouldnt let me record desktop audio lol

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d4fc668f-9fe5-4ab4-9f18-76cd661029c6

Original Audio

If you wanted to hear the better audio

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c2b1a5e7-1640-41fa-82bc-18ca7cbae9e8

Features

Transport Control

Play, pause, stop playback
Toggle recording
Set playback position
Get song length and position
Control loop mode (pattern/song)
Adjust playback speed

Mixer Control

Get/set track volume and pan
Mute/solo tracks
Arm tracks for recording
Set track names and colors
Stereo separation control

Channel Rack Control

List all channels
Get/set channel properties (volume, pan, name, color)
Mute/solo channels
Route channels to mixer tracks
Trigger MIDI notes in real-time
Step sequencer control (get/set grid bits)

Plugin Control

List plugin parameters
Get/set parameter values
Navigate presets (next/previous)
Query plugin info

Piano Roll Control

Add notes to the piano roll with precise timing
Add chords with a single command
Delete specific notes by MIDI number and time
Clear all notes from the piano roll
Read piano roll state to see all existing notes
Auto-triggering via keystroke (Cmd+Opt+Y on macOS, Ctrl+Alt+Y on Windows)

Important Limitations

Cannot Load Plugins

The FL Studio scripting API does not support loading new VST/AU plugins. You can only control parameters of plugins that are already loaded in your project.

Cannot Create Patterns

There is no API to programmatically create new patterns. You can only work with existing patterns.

Requirements

FL Studio 20.7+ (MIDI Controller Scripting API)
Python 3.10+
macOS or Windows
- macOS: IAC Driver (built-in, needs to be enabled)
- Windows: loopMIDI

Which AI Clients Work With This?

This is a standard MCP server that talks to clients over stdio — it isn't hardcoded to any one AI vendor. In principle, any MCP-compatible client can connect: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Gemini CLI/Gemini's MCP support, OpenAI's Codex CLI/Agents SDK MCP support, etc.

What's actually tested and auto-configured: only Claude Desktop and Claude Code, via scripts/install_mcp_for_claude.sh (macOS/Linux) and scripts/install_mcp_for_claude.ps1 (Windows). Other clients (Gemini, OpenAI-based tools, etc.) are not tested against this server and have no installer support — you'd need to manually add an equivalent MCP server entry to that client's own config, pointing at:

{
  "command": "uv",
  "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/fl-studio-mcp", "fl-studio-mcp"]
}

(adjust /path/to/fl-studio-mcp to your local clone). If you try this with a non-Claude client, please open an issue with what worked/didn't — the protocol should support it, but it hasn't been verified here.

Quick Installation

The easiest way to install is using the provided setup script for your platform.

macOS / Linux

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/karl-andres/fl-studio-mcp.git
cd fl-studio-mcp

# Run the one-command installer
./install.sh

Windows

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/karl-andres/fl-studio-mcp.git
cd fl-studio-mcp

# Allow running local scripts for this user (one-time)
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned -Force

# Run the one-command installer
.\install.ps1

install.ps1 is the Windows counterpart to install.sh — same steps, PowerShell instead of bash, and it installs Python 3.12 specifically (required for prebuilt python-rtmidi wheels on Windows).

Both installers will:

Install uv if not present
Install Python dependencies
Guide you through enabling virtual MIDI ports (IAC Driver on Mac, loopMIDI on Windows)
Install the FL Studio MIDI controller script
Install the Piano Roll script (ComposeWithLLM)
Configure Claude Desktop or Claude Code automatically (scripts/install_mcp_for_claude.sh / scripts/install_mcp_for_claude.ps1)

Windows piano-roll auto-trigger note: the Piano Roll script is launched by sending FL Studio a keystroke (Ctrl+Alt+Y). On Windows this requires briefly foregrounding the FL Studio window, so FL Studio will pop to the front for a moment each time a tool like fl_send_notes runs. This is expected. See Piano Roll script not triggering if it doesn't fire at all.

Manual Installation

1. Install Python Dependencies

# Using uv (recommended)
uv sync

# Or using pip
pip install -e .

2. Enable Virtual MIDI Ports

macOS (IAC Driver)

Open Audio MIDI Setup (search in Spotlight)
Press Cmd+2 or go to Window > Show MIDI Studio
Double-click on IAC Driver
Check "Device is online"
Click Apply

Windows (loopMIDI)

Download and install loopMIDI
Create a virtual port (any name works)
Keep loopMIDI running while using FL Studio

3. Install FL Studio Scripts

Copy the controller script to FL Studio's Hardware folder:

# macOS
mkdir -p ~/Documents/Image-Line/FL\ Studio/Settings/Hardware/FLStudioMCP
cp fl_controller/device_FLStudioMCP.py ~/Documents/Image-Line/FL\ Studio/Settings/Hardware/FLStudioMCP/

# Windows
mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Image-Line\FL Studio\Settings\Hardware\FLStudioMCP"
copy fl_controller\device_FLStudioMCP.py "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Image-Line\FL Studio\Settings\Hardware\FLStudioMCP\"

Copy the Piano Roll script:

# macOS
cp scripts/ComposeWithLLM.pyscript ~/Documents/Image-Line/FL\ Studio/Settings/Piano\ roll\ scripts/

# Windows
copy scripts\ComposeWithLLM.pyscript "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Image-Line\FL Studio\Settings\Piano roll scripts\"

4. Configure FL Studio

Restart FL Studio (if it's running)
Go to Options > MIDI Settings
Under Input, find your virtual MIDI port (e.g., "IAC Driver Bus 1")
Set the Controller type to FLStudioMCP
Enable the port (click to highlight it)

5. Configure Claude (or another MCP client)

Add to your Claude Desktop config:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fl-studio": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/fl-studio-mcp", "fl-studio-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Or for Claude Code, add to your MCP settings (~/.claude.json, or run claude mcp add).

Using a different MCP-compatible client (Gemini, an OpenAI-based tool, Cursor, etc.)? The same command/args pair above is all any MCP host needs — add it to that client's own MCP config in whatever format it expects. See Which AI Clients Work With This? for what's actually been tested.

Usage

Running the Server Manually

# Using uv
uv run fl-studio-mcp

# Or after installation
fl-studio-mcp

Piano Roll Workflow

Open FL Studio and select a channel
Open the Piano Roll (F7 or double-click the channel)
The first time, manually run the script: Tools > Scripting > ComposeWithLLM
After that, the MCP tools will auto-trigger the script

Available Tools

Connection

Tool	Description
`fl_connect`	Connect/reconnect to FL Studio
`fl_connection_status`	Get connection status

Transport

Tool	Description
`fl_play`	Start/pause playback
`fl_stop`	Stop playback
`fl_record`	Toggle recording
`fl_get_transport_status`	Get playback/recording state
`fl_set_song_position`	Set playback position
`fl_get_song_length`	Get song duration
`fl_set_loop_mode`	Switch between pattern/song mode
`fl_set_playback_speed`	Adjust playback speed (0.25x-4x)

Mixer

Tool	Description
`fl_get_mixer_track_count`	Get number of mixer tracks
`fl_get_mixer_track_info`	Get track details
`fl_get_all_mixer_tracks`	List all tracks
`fl_set_track_volume`	Set track volume
`fl_set_track_pan`	Set track pan
`fl_mute_track`	Mute/unmute track
`fl_solo_track`	Solo/unsolo track
`fl_arm_track`	Arm track for recording
`fl_set_track_name`	Rename track
`fl_set_track_color`	Set track color
`fl_set_stereo_separation`	Adjust stereo width

Channels

Tool	Description
`fl_get_channel_count`	Get number of channels
`fl_get_channel_info`	Get channel details
`fl_get_all_channels`	List all channels
`fl_get_selected_channel`	Get selected channel
`fl_select_channel`	Select/deselect channel
`fl_select_one_channel`	Select channel exclusively
`fl_trigger_note`	Trigger MIDI note (real-time)
`fl_set_channel_volume`	Set channel volume
`fl_set_channel_pan`	Set channel pan
`fl_mute_channel`	Mute/unmute channel
`fl_solo_channel`	Solo/unsolo channel
`fl_set_channel_name`	Rename channel
`fl_set_channel_color`	Set channel color
`fl_route_channel_to_mixer`	Route to mixer track
`fl_get_grid_bit`	Get step sequencer step
`fl_set_grid_bit`	Set step sequencer step
`fl_get_step_sequence`	Get full pattern
`fl_set_step_sequence`	Set full pattern

Plugins

Tool	Description
`fl_is_plugin_valid`	Check if plugin exists
`fl_get_plugin_name`	Get plugin name
`fl_get_plugin_param_count`	Get parameter count
`fl_get_plugin_params`	List all parameters
`fl_get_plugin_param_value`	Get parameter value
`fl_set_plugin_param_value`	Set parameter value
`fl_get_preset_count`	Get preset count
`fl_next_preset`	Next preset
`fl_prev_preset`	Previous preset
`fl_get_plugin_color`	Get plugin color

Piano Roll

Tool	Description
`fl_send_notes`	Add notes to the piano roll
`fl_send_chord`	Add a chord (multiple notes at same time)
`fl_delete_notes`	Delete specific notes
`fl_clear_piano_roll`	Clear all notes
`fl_get_piano_roll_state`	Read current piano roll notes
`fl_trigger_script`	Manually trigger the FL Studio script
`fl_get_piano_roll_info`	Get piano roll system info
`fl_clear_request_queue`	Cancel pending queued changes

Example Workflows

Adjusting a Mix

"Set the volume of mixer track 1 to 80% and pan it slightly left"

Creating a Drum Pattern

"Create a basic kick pattern on channel 0 with kicks on steps 0, 4, 8, and 12"

Adding a Melody to Piano Roll

"Add a C major arpeggio starting at beat 0: C4, E4, G4, C5 - each note quarter duration"

Adding Chords

"Add a C major chord at beat 0, then F major at beat 2, then G major at beat 4"

Automating Plugin Parameters

"List the parameters of the plugin on channel 0 and set the filter cutoff to 50%"

Troubleshooting

"Not connected to FL Studio"

Ensure FL Studio is running
Check that the FLStudioMCP controller is enabled in MIDI Settings
On Mac, verify IAC Driver is enabled in Audio MIDI Setup
On Windows, verify loopMIDI is running
Restart FL Studio after enabling the controller

"Timeout waiting for FL Studio response"

Make sure FL Studio is in focus
Check the Script output window in FL Studio (View > Script output)
Verify the controller is receiving MIDI (look for activity in MIDI Settings)

Piano Roll script not triggering

First time: manually run Tools > Scripting > ComposeWithLLM in FL Studio
On macOS: grant Accessibility permissions when prompted
On Windows: the MCP server foregrounds the FL Studio window automatically before sending the hotkey — if FL Studio isn't running or is minimized to the system tray, the trigger can't find it and will fall back to a warning telling you to press the hotkey manually
Try pressing Cmd+Opt+Y (macOS) or Ctrl+Alt+Y (Windows) manually to confirm the hotkey itself is bound to the script in FL Studio
If you just updated the server code (e.g. pulled a fix to the trigger logic), fully restart your MCP client (Claude Desktop/Code) — reconnecting the MCP server alone does not respawn the underlying process, so it can keep running stale code

No MIDI ports available

macOS: Enable IAC Driver in Audio MIDI Setup
Windows: Install and run loopMIDI

Architecture

This MCP server uses a hybrid approach:

┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   MCP Client    │────▶│           FastMCP Server                │
│  (Claude, etc)  │     │                                         │
└─────────────────┘     │  ┌─────────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  │
                        │  │ MIDI + JSON     │  │ Piano Roll   │  │
                        │  │ Tools           │  │ Tools (JSON) │  │
                        │  └────────┬────────┘  └──────┬───────┘  │
                        └───────────┼──────────────────┼──────────┘
                                    │                  │
                               MIDI + JSON        JSON Files +
                                    │              Keystroke
                                    ▼                  ▼
                        ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
                        │              FL Studio                   │
                        │  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐ │
                        │  │FLStudioMCP   │  │ Piano Roll Script│ │
                        │  │(MIDI Ctrl)   │  │ (ComposeWithLLM) │ │
                        │  └──────────────┘  └──────────────────┘ │
                        └─────────────────────────────────────────┘

How It Works

Transport/Mixer/Channels/Plugins:
- MCP server writes command to JSON file
- Sends MIDI trigger note to FL Studio
- FL Studio controller script reads JSON, executes API, writes response
- MCP server reads response
Piano Roll:
- MCP server writes note requests to JSON file
- Sends keystroke (Cmd+Opt+Y on macOS, Ctrl+Alt+Y on Windows) to trigger FL Studio script — on Windows, the FL Studio window is foregrounded first so the keystroke actually reaches it
- Piano Roll script reads JSON and modifies notes

Development

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+
uv (recommended)

Setup

# Install all dependencies including dev extras
uv sync --dev

# Or with pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Available Commands

Command	Description
`uv run fl-studio-mcp`	Run the MCP server
`uv run ruff check .`	Lint the codebase
`uv run ruff check --fix .`	Lint and auto-fix
`uv run pytest`	Run tests

Project Structure

fl-studio-mcp/
├── fl_controller/
│   └── device_FLStudioMCP.py    # FL Studio MIDI controller script (runs inside FL Studio)
├── scripts/
│   ├── setup.sh                  # FL Studio script installer
│   ├── install_mcp_for_claude.sh # Claude config installer (macOS/Linux)
│   ├── install_mcp_for_claude.ps1 # Claude config installer (Windows)
│   └── ComposeWithLLM.pyscript   # Piano Roll script (runs inside FL Studio)
├── src/fl_studio_mcp/
│   ├── server.py                # FastMCP server entry point
│   ├── tools/                   # MCP tool implementations
│   │   ├── channels.py
│   │   ├── mixer.py
│   │   ├── piano_roll.py
│   │   ├── plugins.py
│   │   └── transport.py
│   └── utils/
│       ├── connection.py        # FL Studio connection wrapper
│       ├── fl_trigger.py        # Piano roll keystroke trigger
│       └── midi_connection.py   # MIDI + JSON communication layer
├── install.sh                   # One-command installer (macOS/Linux)
└── install.ps1                  # One-command installer (Windows)

Credits

FL Studio API Stubs - API documentation
FastMCP - MCP server framework
mido - MIDI library for Python
calvinw/fl-studio-mcp - Piano Roll integration approach
Image-Line - FL Studio

License

MIT