Applies to FLkey 37 & FLkey Mini

This article describes the various functions of the editor for the FLkey MIDI controllers.

Components is a tool used to manage the firmware and templates on many of our products. You can download a standalone version when you register your FLkey or access our web-based version in browsers that support WebMIDI such as Chrome, Opera and Microsoft Edge from this link: components.novationmusic.com 

If using a browser, you may need to allow the page access to your MIDI devices, as prompted when first loading the page: 

You do not need to log in to use Components, but doing so allows you to back up all of your data to your account. 

You can make templates in the editor whether the FLkey is connected to Components or not. To see if the FLkey is connected, check the indicator in the top right which can be one of 3 colours.

Red: this means that the device cannot be seen by Components.

If the device is in this state it could either mean the device is not connected, not powered, or you are using a browser which does not support WebMIDI

Yellow: this means the device is connected and recognised, but is in the wrong state, in this case, it could mean the FLkey is in Bootloader mode. Pressing the Play button will let it start as usual. If not, please try reinstalling the firmware from the Updates tab. 

Green: The FLkey is connected and is ready to use.

In each case, you can click the connection icon in the top right to find out more. 

In Components, you can create and edit Custom Modes. This is broken into sections for the Pots and Pads.  A separate tab is available for the Sustain Pedal.

Custom Modes:

Down the left-hand side of Components you'll have access to your templates as well as the stock templates we have provided:

Selecting a template shows you the details of this. For example, as below, when you select the 'Factory Pad Custom Mode 1', this tells you the pads are layout with the notes of the C Minor Scale.

The other stock templates allow you to access special preset mappings in FL Studio, but be sure to go to 'Options > MIDI Settings' in FL Studio and follow the instructions in the template details to make these work:

When you first click 'Create Custom Mode' or 'Get Custom Mode from FLkey' you'll be asked to select the type of Custom Mode you want to manage. These are separate and relate to a different set of controls on the keyboard.

Pots: 

This screen lets you edit the dials at the top of the FLkey, you can set custom CC messages to be used for controlling hardware and software. This customised setting for the pots can be accessed by holding 'Shift' and pressing the pad labelled 'Custom'.

Pads:

On this screen you can edit the MIDI the pads send, the colour they turn when pressed (On Colour) and the colour they are when not pressed (Off Colour). To access the Custom Mode, press and hold 'Shift' and select the pad labelled 'Custom':

You can set each pad to have a different note number, note number values correspond to a note, as listed in this image (some devices and DAWs may interpret these differently): 

You can also set the MIDI channel for each pad and select the behaviour between Momentary and Toggle.

NOTE: You can edit the name of the custom mode at any time and save it to your Components account when you are logged in.  You can then send it to the FLkey when you have a device connected.

Sustain Pedal:

This lets you customise the CC message sent by the sustain pedal, which by default is 64. Note that changing this message will change how it is received, so if it is not set to 64 it may not be interpreted as a sustain/hold command.

Updates:

On the updates page, you can update and reinstall the firmware of your FLkey When you first get the FLkey it is worth checking here to see that you have the latest firmware. This will list all the changes we've made to the firmware as well in the Release Notes.

You can calibrate the Pitch and Modulation wheels within this area and also access re-installing the firmware by pressing "Having Problems?". These functions can be useful for problem-solving, but it isn't something you'll need to do often: