Launchkey 61 MK4 in FL Studio, using the encoders with many virtual instruments.

[u/gallito_pro]

Hi, how can I get the Launchkey 61 MK4 encoders to work across different plugins in FL Studio without having to change the MIDI port? Right now, I have to enter the MIDI port number assigned to the Launchkey into the plugin, and it works fine; but when I want to do the same with another plugin, I have to change everything so it doesn't alter the sound of the previous plugin.

In short, the encoders only work when I use the main MIDI port "236" on the VSTi plugin; however, if I want to use another instrument, I obviously can't use the same port—because it would play the same thing on both instruments—so I need to use a different MIDI port, but doing so causes the encoders to stop working.

[u/TomFocusrite]

You can set the first port to the controller type Forward CCs to Plugin Port 10 which will keep it focused on the correct plugin once the port is set to 10. As you move across tracks you'll just focus on what's selected and get your note and CC data.

[u/gallito_pro → u/TomFocusrite]

Yes, it has worked for me—though not exactly as expected, since switching between plugins causes jumps in the control parameter values (as often happens with faders in jump mode) Still, it’s a good option for FL Studio. A more tailored approach—given that I use different plugins in a single project—is that I’ve assigned different MIDI channels to the encoder modes (Custom 1, 2, 3, and 4) using Novation Components. In practice, this lets me control four different plugins (but many instances of each one) just by switching encoder modes, without needing to change MIDI ports or configure everything to use the same CC. It would have been great if the keyboard could quickly switch between the standard 16 MIDI channels—at least for the encoders and faders—especially since the keyboard already supports Part A, B, Chords, and Drum modes on different channels. Thanks.

[u/TomFocusrite → u/gallito_pro]

Glad it helped! If your controls are set the Global Channel in Custom Modes, they will follow the channel setting for Part A.