Setting up FL Studio for Miles on Mac
Miles talks to FL Studio through a small MIDI script called NolvraMILES. Miles installs it for you from a button in the app; then you restart FL Studio and check its MIDI settings. The four steps, and what the status line says when something is off.
One script, installed by Miles
In FL Studio, Miles follows your project through a MIDI script named NolvraMILES. FL Studio only runs scripts that sit in its own Hardware folder, so the first time, Miles puts the script there for you from a button in the app. Then you restart FL Studio and check its MIDI settings once.
This guide is for FL Studio on a Mac. On Windows, FL Studio connects through two loopMIDI ports: the guide Setting up FL Studio for Miles on Windows with loopMIDI walks through it.
Step 1: install the script from Miles
Open Miles with FL Studio running
With FL Studio open, open Miles. The Miles panel shows an Install FL script button under the line FL Studio is open, but Miles' FL script isn't installed. There is no menu to look for: the button appears in the panel by itself.
Press Install FL script
Miles copies its NolvraMILES script into FL Studio's Hardware folder, at ~/Documents/Image-Line/FL Studio/Settings/Hardware/NolvraMILES/. There is nothing to download and nothing to copy by hand.
Step 2: restart FL Studio
Quit and open FL Studio again
FL Studio reads its scripts only when it starts, so quit FL Studio and open it again.
Step 3: check FL Studio's MIDI settings
Choose NolvraMILES
In FL Studio open Options > MIDI Settings. In the Input list select NolvraMILES, set its Controller type to NolvraMILES and make sure Enable is on. FL Studio usually does this by itself, so this is mostly a check.
Step 4: see that Miles is connected
Look at the status line
The status line at the top of the Miles panel shows FL Studio and your project's tempo.
Updates to the script
Each time Miles opens, it checks the NolvraMILES script in FL Studio's Hardware folder and updates it by itself when needed. You install it once.
What the status line says
- FL Studio connected: the script is talking and Miles is following your project.
- FL Studio is open but not sending: FL Studio is running but the NolvraMILES script is not sending anything. Miles's help text for this state reads: FL Studio is open but its Nolvra MILES script is not sending. Check FL's MIDI settings. Check that FL Studio was restarted after the install, then the MIDI Settings above.
- Miles is following FL Studio: the help text when everything is working.
When it stops working
- A window is open in FL Studio. A plugin's notice or a loading message stops the script until it closes, and Miles says: Close the open FL Studio window and I'll see your project again.
- Your project has unsaved changes. In Expert mode Miles reads your chords from the saved project file, so it says: Your FL project has unsaved changes, so I couldn't read your chords. Save in FL Studio and ask again.
- Another MIDI device has Miles's port number. Miles says: Another MIDI device in FL Studio is using my port number, so I can't see your project: quit and reopen FL Studio and I'll move to a free one. Quit FL Studio, open it again, and Miles moves to an unused number by itself.
- Ableton Live is open too. Miles follows one DAW at a time and Live comes first: Ableton and FL Studio are both open, so I'm following Ableton. Close Live and I'll switch to FL Studio.
What Miles sees in FL Studio
Your FL Studio project: the status line shows FL Studio and its tempo. It does not see the notes in your piano roll; it hears your song's key with the ear and asks you to confirm it, for example I'm hearing F minor, is that right? The guide on connecting Miles to your DAW covers Ableton Live, and the guide on Miles Expert mode covers what Miles writes into FL Studio.
Nolvra Miles is an AI assistant for Ableton Live and FL Studio. It reads your song and writes the part you ask for.
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