Connect your MIDI controller to your PC. If you have a USB MIDI controller, connect it to the corresponding port on your PC. If you have a traditional MIDI keyboard with 5-pin MIDI jacks, connect a MIDI cable to the "MIDI Out" jack on the controller and to the "MIDI In" jack on a MIDI USB interface. You can find these at music supply stores. After connecting your MIDI cable to your interface, connect the USB side of the cable to your computer's USB port.
Open FL Studio. To create a new music project, click (File > New) on the menu bar. Click (File > Open) if you would prefer to work on an already-existing project.
Click (Options > MIDI Settings) on your menu bar. Click the "Input" drop-down menu and select your MIDI controller from the list that appears. Some MIDI controllers require you to install software before operating. If your controller does not show up on the list, make sure you have installed the software. Click "Enable" to save your changes.
Click the "Channels" menu on your main project window and click "Add." A list of software instruments will appear. They include keyboard sounds, bass sounds, drums and strings. Click any software instrument and begin playing the keys on your MIDI controller to hear what the instrument sounds like. Select several different instruments and explore your options.
Click the "Playlist" button, which appears near the top of your project window, beside the "Tempo" box. (You also can access it by clicking "F5" on your keyboard). Your multi-track viewer will appear on your screen. It looks like a series of horizontal bars.
Click the drop-down menu in the upper left corner of your "Playlist" window and select "Live Mode," which allows you to record MIDI notes in real time, rather than inputting patterns.
Click the numbered boxes in the left column of the first horizontal track. Select instrument sounds and effects to set up your track for recording.
Click "Record" to begin recording an audio sequence using your selected instrument sound. The "Record" button appears as a shaded circle in the left column of the horizontal track. Click it again when you want to stop recording.