fl-studio-mcp

An open-source MCP server that connects Claude (Claude Desktop or Claude Code) to Image-Line FL Studio. Ask Claude in plain language to start playback, set the tempo, gain-stage your mixer, program drum patterns, write chord progressions into the piano roll, or audit your mix for clipping.

Built by sorkthropic. MIT licensed.

How it works

FL Studio has no external API — only two Python environments inside it:

So this project bridges the gap with files + a virtual MIDI cable:

Claude ──MCP──▶ fl-studio-mcp server
                   │ 1. writes  ~/.fl-studio-mcp/request.json
                   │ 2. sends MIDI CC 110 through the virtual cable ("doorbell")
                   ▼
        FL Studio device script (device_FLStudioMCP.py)
                   │ 3. reads the request, calls the FL Studio Python API
                   │ 4. writes  ~/.fl-studio-mcp/response.json
                   ▼
        fl-studio-mcp server reads the response ──▶ Claude

Piano roll edits are special: FL Studio only allows note editing from on-demand piano roll scripts. Claude's note tools therefore queue the notes to ~/.fl-studio-mcp/pianoroll_queue.json, and you apply them by running Tools ▸ Scripts ▸ MCP PianoRoll inside the piano roll (one click; undo works normally).

Note: the mailbox lives in ~/.fl-studio-mcp/ rather than /tmp because /tmp doesn't exist on Windows and temp paths can differ per process on macOS — the home folder is the one path both sides always agree on.

Setup

1. Install this package

git clone https://github.com/alansork/fl-studio-mcp
cd fl-studio-mcp
pip install -e .        # or: uv sync

2. Create the virtual MIDI cable

Windows — loopMIDI

1. Install loopMIDI.

2. Open it and create a port named FL MCP (any name works; this one is auto-detected).

3. Leave loopMIDI running — the port only exists while it runs.

macOS — nothing to do

The server creates its own virtual port named FL MCP automatically the first time it needs one. FL Studio lists it as an input while the server is running. (If you prefer an always-on port that exists even when the server is down, enable the IAC Driver in Audio MIDI Setup — Window ▸ Show MIDI Studio ▸ double-click IAC Driver ▸ tick Device is online — and it will be used instead.)

If auto-detection picks the wrong port, set the environment variable FL_MCP_MIDI_PORT to (part of) the right port's name.

3. Install the FL Studio scripts

python3 install.py

This copies:

• device_FLStudioMCP.py → .../FL Studio/Settings/Hardware/FLStudioMCP/

• MCP_PianoRoll.pyscript → .../FL Studio/Settings/Piano roll scripts/

and offers to register the server in Claude Desktop's config.

4. Wire it up inside FL Studio

1. Restart FL Studio (it scans for scripts at startup).

2. Options ▸ MIDI Settings.

3. In the Input list, select your virtual port (FL MCP / loopMIDI / IAC).

4. Set Controller type to FL Studio MCP Bridge and click Enable.

5. You should see FL Studio MCP Bridge v0.1.0 ready in the script output (View ▸ Script output).

5. Register with Claude

Claude Desktop — install.py can do this for you, or add manually to claude_desktop_config.json:

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

Claude Code:

claude mcp add fl-studio-mcp -- uv run --directory /path/to/fl-studio-mcp fl-studio-mcp

Then ask Claude: "Run fl_check_bridge_status" — it should report the MIDI port and FL Studio answering the ping.

Tools

Transport (transport_tools.py)

Mixer (mixer_tools.py)

Channel rack (channel_tools.py)

Piano roll (pianoroll_tools.py) — queued; apply with the MCP PianoRoll script

Diagnostics (diagnostic_tools.py)

Development

Run the test suite (no FL Studio or MIDI hardware needed):

python3 -m unittest discover -s tests

Troubleshooting

License

MIT © sorkthropic