FL Studio Mobile — Full Operations Manual

1. Setup & MIDI

• Open FL Mobile → tap "+" for a new project. Settings (gear icon) → Audio → sample rate 44100 Hz, buffer size medium (adjust up if crackling, down for less latency).
• MPK Mini IV: Connect via USB-C OTG cable. FL Mobile auto-detects — all 25 keys, pitch wheel, mod wheel, and 8 knobs send MIDI immediately. No configuration needed. Velocity-sensitive for dynamic playing.
• Tempo: Tap the BPM display at the top to change. Range 10-999 BPM. Tap-tempo available.

2. Instruments — Deep Dive

DirectWave (Most Important Instrument)

• A full-featured sampler that loads WAV files AND .SF2 soundfonts. This is how unlimited instruments become available on mobile.
• Loading a soundfont: Add a channel → select DirectWave → tap the folder icon → navigate to a .sf2 file on the device → load. A dropdown shows every instrument in the soundfont — piano, strings, brass, bass, drums, synths, ethnic instruments, choirs, pads, everything. One soundfont file = 128+ instruments.
• Loading WAV samples: Tap folder → navigate to any WAV file → load. The sample maps chromatically across the keyboard — play it at any pitch. Pitch shifts automatically based on which key is pressed.
• Free soundfonts worth downloading: GeneralUser GS (128+ GM instruments), FluidR3 GM (warm, realistic), Timbres of Heaven (enhanced orchestral), and genre-specific packs (chiptune, retro game, orchestral, ethnic). Search "free SF2 soundfont download" for hundreds of options.

GMS (General MIDI Synth)

• Hundreds of patches organized by category: acoustic pianos, electric pianos, organs, guitars, basses, strings, brass, woodwinds, synth leads, synth pads, synth basses, drums, percussion, sound effects.
• Every patch responds to velocity (play harder = louder/brighter) and pitch wheel. Quick access to usable sounds without loading external files.

Transistor Bass

• Emulates the Roland TB-303 — the synthesizer that defined acid house, techno, and electronic bass music.
• Sawtooth and square waveforms. Resonant low-pass filter with cutoff and resonance that can self-oscillate (the "squelch"). Accent and Slide controls per step for the classic 303 sequencer behavior.
• Envelope decay controls how quickly each note fades. Short = plucky, long = sustained. Combined with filter resonance = the acid sound.

Drummer

• 16 velocity-sensitive pads. Load custom WAV drum samples onto each pad — kicks, snares, hats, claps, percussion, anything.
• Per-pad controls: volume, pan, tuning (pitch each hit independently), mute group (for hi-hat choke behavior).
• Built-in kits included. Import kits from third-party sample packs (Cymatics, Producers Buzz, etc.).

MiniSynth

• Simple subtractive synthesizer: oscillator (saw, square, triangle, sine), low-pass filter with resonance, amplitude envelope (ADSR), LFO routed to pitch or filter. Quick and lightweight for leads, basses, and pads when DirectWave or GMS is overkill.

3. Recording Samples Into Audio Tracks

• From mic: Add a track → set input to Microphone → arm → Record. Capture vocals, instruments, room sounds, a record player, beatboxing — anything the mic picks up becomes an audio clip on the timeline.
• Import audio: Tap "+" → Import → browse device storage for WAV/MP3 files. Dropped directly onto the timeline.
• DirectWave as sampler: Record a sound into an audio track → load that WAV file into DirectWave → now it's a playable instrument across the keyboard. One recording = full chromatic instrument. Record a single piano note, a vocal stab, a glass clink — load into DirectWave and play melodies with it.
• Resampling workflow: Play a pattern with effects → record the output as an audio clip (screen record audio or export and reimport) → chop the result → use pieces as new source material.

4. Pattern-Based Workflow

FL Mobile uses the same pattern system as desktop FL Studio. Understanding this is understanding the entire app.

Channel Rack (Step Sequencer)

• The top section shows your instruments, each with its own step sequencer row. Tap squares to add hits — this creates your pattern.
• Default: 16 steps per channel. Each step = one 16th note at 4/4 time. Adjust step count per channel for different patterns.
• Steps are velocity-sensitive — tap lightly for ghost notes, firmly for accents (or long-press a step to adjust velocity manually).

Piano Roll

• Tap the piano roll icon on any channel to switch from step view to note view.
• Tap to place notes. Drag to move. Pinch to zoom. Long-press to select for deletion or copying.
• Note length: Drag the right edge of any note to extend or shorten.
• Slide notes: Add a slide flag → the note glides into the next note (portamento). Essential for 303-style acid bass lines and smooth melody transitions.

Playlist (Arrangement)

• The bottom section is the Playlist — the timeline where patterns are placed and arranged.
• Each row corresponds to a pattern. Place pattern blocks in the playlist to build song structure.
• Drag the right edge of any pattern block to repeat it as many bars as needed.
• Multiple patterns: Create Pattern 1 (verse drums), Pattern 2 (chorus drums with extra percussion), Pattern 3 (bridge with stripped-back drums). Arrange them in the playlist for a complete song structure.

5. Quantize

• Snap grid: Menu → Snap → choose resolution: 1/4 (quarter notes), 1/8 (eighth), 1/16 (sixteenth), 1/32 (thirty-second), None (free placement).
• When Snap is active, all note placement and movement operations align to the grid. This IS the quantize — notes land on grid positions as placed.
• Step sequencer: Inherently quantized — each step IS a grid position by definition. No quantize needed.
• Piano roll post-quantize: Select notes → Menu → Quantize → snaps existing notes to the current snap grid.
• Swing: FL Mobile doesn't have a built-in swing parameter. Workarounds: manually nudge every other hi-hat hit slightly late in the piano roll (drag right by one fine grid unit). Or: program the swing pattern in desktop FL Studio, export the MIDI, import into FL Mobile.

6. Transpose

• Piano roll: Select all notes → drag up/down. Each grid row = one semitone. Shift+drag = one octave (if supported) or manually drag 12 rows.
• Per-instrument tuning: In each instrument's settings panel, a Tune/Pitch knob adjusts the base pitch. Shift the entire instrument up/down in semitones.
• DirectWave: The Tune parameter shifts the loaded sample/soundfont's base pitch without changing the MIDI data. Non-destructive transposition at the instrument level.

7. Importing MIDI Files Into FL Mobile — Without Starting Over Every Time

This is the single most-asked question about FL Mobile on Android and the one the official docs glossed over for years. You found a MIDI melody online, exported a pattern from Cubase, or built something in another app — and you want to drop that .mid file into your current FL Mobile project without losing your work. The trick is knowing where FL Mobile looks for MIDI files on Android, and using the import workflow that brings the MIDI into the open project instead of opening it as a new project.

The Core Rule — FL Mobile Reads MIDI From Its Own Folder

FL Mobile on Android scans a specific folder on your device for importable MIDI files. If the .mid file isn't in that folder, it won't show up in the import dialog. Put it in the right folder once and every project from then on can access it instantly.

• The folder lives at Internal Storage / FL Studio Mobile / My MIDI on most Android devices. On some devices it's at Android / data / com.imageline.FLM / files / My MIDI depending on Android version (10+).
• If the folder doesn't exist, open FL Mobile once and let it create the default folder structure, then close it. The "My MIDI" folder will be there waiting.
• Use any Android file manager (Files by Google, Solid Explorer, your phone's built-in Files app) to copy or move your .mid files into that "My MIDI" folder.
• Some devices on Android 11+ block direct app folder access. If "My MIDI" isn't visible in your file manager, use FL Mobile's Import button instead — see Method 2 below.

Method 1 — Browse-In Import (The Default Way, Use This First)

This is the workflow when your project is already open and you want to ADD a MIDI file's notes to an existing track or as a new track. The project stays open. Your work isn't lost. The MIDI lands inside the current session.

• Open your current FL Mobile project (or keep working in the one you have).
• Tap the "+" button on the empty space in the Channel Rack or Playlist.
• Select Import from the popup menu.
• Navigate to the MIDI file's location. If you put it in "My MIDI", it'll be at the top of the browser. If it's elsewhere on your device, browse out to find it.
• Tap the .mid file to select it.
• FL Mobile parses the file and creates new channels for each MIDI track inside the file. Default instruments (usually GMS preset 0) are assigned automatically.
• The notes land in patterns ready to play. Your current project is untouched outside the new additions.

Method 2 — "Share With" Import (The Cloud-Friendly Way)

This is the workflow when the MIDI file is in Dropbox, Google Drive, an email attachment, or any cloud / messaging app. FL Mobile can receive shared files directly from other apps. Your current project stays open.

• Open the source app (Drive, Dropbox, Gmail, etc.).
• Find the .mid file. Long-press it (or tap the three-dots menu).
• Select Share or Open With.
• Choose FL Studio Mobile from the list of apps that can receive the file.
• Android hands the file to FL Mobile. The file is added to your currently open project — not as a new project. The notes appear as new channels with default instruments assigned.

This is the method I use most often. I keep a "MIDI library" folder in Google Drive on my Indiana setup. When I want a melody for the project I'm working on, I open Drive, find the file, share to FL Mobile, done. The current project absorbs it. No "new project" prompt, no lost work.

Method 3 — Pre-Load Into "My MIDI" Before You Start

For session prep before a long studio block, dump every MIDI file you might want into the "My MIDI" folder ahead of time using a file manager. Now during the session, every project's Import dialog shows the whole library instantly — no app-switching needed.

• Plug your phone into a computer via USB, or use Android's file manager.
• Copy your entire MIDI collection (drum patterns, melodies, chord progressions, MIDI packs from Splice or Cymatics) into FL Studio Mobile / My MIDI.
• Organize into subfolders by genre or category — "drums", "chords", "melodies", "basslines". FL Mobile's import browser respects subfolders.
• Now every session, every project, the import dialog shows your entire prepared MIDI library. Drop melodies in instantly without leaving FL Mobile.

What Happens to the MIDI After Import

• Each MIDI track becomes a channel. A multi-track .mid file (drums, bass, melody, chords) imports as 4 channels in the Channel Rack. You can edit each independently.
• Default instruments get assigned. FL Mobile assigns GMS preset 0 (piano) or the original General MIDI program from the file if present. Almost always you'll want to replace these with DirectWave soundfonts or other instruments.
• Notes are fully editable. Open any imported channel's piano roll and edit notes exactly like you wrote them yourself — tap, drag, resize, delete, slide.
• Tempo/key conflicts: If the imported MIDI was at 90 BPM and your project is at 140, FL Mobile keeps the original note positions and just plays them at your project's tempo. The melody plays faster but at correct relative timing. If you want the original timing/feel, change your project tempo to match the MIDI's source tempo first.

Replacing the Default Instrument After Import

The piano sound that FL Mobile assigns is rarely what you want. The fix:

• Tap the imported channel's name in the Channel Rack.
• Tap the instrument slot — usually showing "GMS" or "Piano".
• Replace with DirectWave loaded with your favorite soundfont, or any other FL Mobile instrument.
• The notes stay; only the sound playing them changes.

Common MIDI Workflow Patterns for Producers

• Pre-built drum patterns: Buy a MIDI drum pack (Cymatics, Splice). Pre-load into "My MIDI". When starting a beat, import the pattern that fits the genre, replace the default kit with your DirectWave drum kit. 30 seconds from idea to playable drums.
• Chord progressions: Same flow with chord MIDIs — import the .mid, replace the instrument with a Rhodes or pad soundfont, and you have chord scaffolding without touching the piano roll.
• Cubase-to-FL handoff: Write a melody in Cubase on the desktop, export as MIDI, drop into Google Drive, share-to FL Mobile on the phone. Now I can finish the beat on the phone with the melody intact. This is my Indiana mobile-studio workflow.
• FL Mobile to desktop FL: Reverse trip — export your FL Mobile project as MIDI, open in desktop FL Studio (or any DAW) for full VST production. The MIDI travels; the platform changes.

8. Looping — Every Scenario

Patterns Loop Automatically

• While building a pattern in the step sequencer, it loops continuously. The loop IS the pattern — program it and hear it repeat in real time.

Playlist Looping

• Tap the Loop icon on the transport bar. Set loop start/end markers in the playlist ruler.
• Drag the right edge of any pattern block to repeat it. A 4-bar drum pattern dragged to 32 bars = 8 repetitions.

Independent Track Lengths

• Place pattern blocks of different lengths on different rows. Drums span bars 1-32. Bass only bars 1-16 (stops at bar 16). Synth pad enters at bar 8. The absence of pattern blocks = silence on that track.
• Different patterns can overlap on the same row — place Pattern 1 for 16 bars, then Pattern 2 for the next 16. Variations without reprogramming.

Single Sample Loop

• In DirectWave: enable Loop mode on the loaded sample. The sample sustains and cycles as long as the key is held. Set loop start/end points within the sample for seamless cycling.

Making Tracks Play/Stop During Export

• Mute channels not wanted → export. Only unmuted render.
• Solo a channel → export → only that channel renders. Repeat for each to create stems.

9. Mixing & Effects

• Swipe right to open the mixer view. Each channel gets its own mixer slot with volume, pan, and insert effects.
• Available effects:
  • Parametric EQ: Multi-band frequency shaping. Cut lows on vocals, boost presence on drums, remove muddiness on bass.
  • Compressor: Threshold, ratio, attack, release, gain. Tame peaks, add punch and consistency.
  • Reverb: Room, Hall, Plate. Mix, decay, damping controls. Add depth and space.
  • Delay: Time, feedback, mix. Tempo-syncable. Stereo width.
  • Chorus: Width and depth. Thickens thin sounds.
  • Phaser / Flanger: Sweeping modulation effects. Rate and depth controls.
  • Distortion: Multiple types. Subtle warmth to heavy overdrive.
  • Limiter: Prevents audio from exceeding 0 dB. Essential on the master channel before export.
  • Auto Pitch: Pitch correction for vocals. Set key → corrects in real time.
• Master channel: Far right of the mixer. Add a Limiter here to prevent clipping. Keep the master fader at or below 0 dB.
• Effect chain order: Signal flows top to bottom through inserts. EQ before compressor vs after = different results. Experiment.

10. Exporting

• Share icon → Export → choose format:
  • WAV: 16-bit 44100 Hz for streaming (SoundCloud, BandLab). Lossless quality.
  • MP3: 320 kbps maximum quality for sharing. Smaller file size.
  • FLAC: Lossless compressed. Same quality as WAV at smaller file size.
  • MIDI: Exports note data only (no audio). Open in Cubase, Ableton, or any desktop DAW. Melodies and drum patterns transfer across platforms.
• .flm project: Export as FL Mobile project file. Can be opened in desktop FL Studio (with desktop license) for continued production with full VST access.
• Stems: Solo each channel → export individually. Import stems into desktop DAW for professional mixing.
• Share directly to SoundCloud, email, cloud storage from the export screen.

11. Keyboard Shortcuts (Touch Gestures)

12. Pro Tips — The Kokumo Method

• DirectWave + soundfonts = unlimited instruments. One .SF2 file gives 128+ instruments. Download 2-3 free soundfonts and FL Mobile has more instruments than most paid apps. This is the cheat code.
• Layer patterns, don't cram. Drums in Pattern 1. Bass in Pattern 2. Melody in Pattern 3. Chords in Pattern 4. Arrange in the playlist. More patterns = more control over the arrangement.
• Step sequencer for drums, piano roll for melodies. The right tool for the right job. Steps are fast for percussion. Piano roll is precise for pitched instruments.
• 303 acid bass. Load Transistor Bass → program a 16-step pattern with accent and slide flags → crank the resonance → instant acid. The sound that built electronic music, on a phone.
• Export MIDI for desktop. Great melody on the phone? Export as MIDI → open in Cubase or Ableton with professional synths and mixing tools. The idea survives the platform transition.
• Import everything into DirectWave. Record a vocal stab. A door slam. A glass clink. A bird call. Load into DirectWave → play it chromatically. Everything becomes an instrument. Sound design from the world around.