Complete FL Studio keyboard shortcuts reference — 153 shortcuts across 10 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & macOS.
FL Studio's keymap is deep because it has a separate set of bindings for each window — Playlist, Piano roll, Channel Rack, Mixer — and Image-Line documents all of them. The transport and window keys are global and worth learning first; the per-window tool keys only apply when that window has focus. The table follows the manual's grouping.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Alt + Z | Undo step-by-step |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo/Redo last edit |
| Alt + 0 | Open recent files 0..9 |
| Ctrl + N | Save new version |
| Ctrl + O | Open file |
| Ctrl + R | Export wave file |
| Ctrl + S | Save file |
| Ctrl + Shift + H | (Re)arrange windows |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Export MIDI file |
| Ctrl + Shift + R | Export mp3 file |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Save As |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Select patterns 1..9 |
| - | Previous pattern |
| Ctrl + F4 | Next empty pattern |
| F2 | Open name editor for selected pattern. Repeated presses randomly choose colors |
| F4 | Next empty pattern with naming dialog |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Down-Arrow | Select Channel below |
| Page Down | Select previous Channel Group |
| Page Up | Select next Channel Group |
| Up-Arrow | Select Channel above |
| Alt + C | Clone selected Channels |
| Alt + Del | Delete selected Channel/s |
| Alt + Down-Arrow | Moves the selected Channel/s down |
| Alt + G | Group selected Channels |
| Alt + M | Toggle Mixer Track Selectors |
| Alt + U | Unzip selected Channel/s |
| Alt + Up-Arrow | Moves the selected Channel/s up |
| Alt + Z | Zip selected Channel/s |
| Ctrl + 1 | Solo/UnSolo first 10 Channels |
| Ctrl + Alt + R | Force restretch of all Audio Clip Channels |
| Ctrl + C | Copy Channel Steps/Score |
| Ctrl + L | Route selected Channel/s to free mixer track/s |
| Ctrl + V | Paste Channel Steps/Score |
| Ctrl + X | Cut Channel Steps/Score |
| Ctrl + Enter + Return | Focus Playlist |
| Shift + Ctrl + Left-Arrow | Shift Steps Left |
| Shift + Down-Arrow | Moves Channel selection Down |
| Shift + Up-Arrow | Moves Channel selection Up |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 (NumPad) | Fast forward |
| * (NumPad) | Next bar (Song mode) |
| L | Switch Pattern/Song mode |
| R | Switch On/Off recording |
| Backspace | Toggle Line/None Snap |
| Space | Start/Stop Playback |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle blend notes |
| Ctrl + E | Toggle Step Edit mode |
| Ctrl + H | Stop sound (panic) |
| Ctrl + I | Toggle wait for input to start recording |
| Ctrl + M | Toggle metronome |
| Ctrl + P | Toggle recording metronome precount |
| Ctrl + Space | Start/Pause Playback |
| Ctrl + T | Toggle typing keypad to piano keypad |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Toggle Max/Min Playlist |
| Esc | Closes a window |
| F1 | This Help |
| F5 | Toggle Playlist |
| F6 | Toggle Step Sequencer |
| F7 | Toggle Piano roll |
| F8 | Open Plugin Picker |
| F9 | Show/hide Mixer |
| F10 | Show/hide MIDI settings |
| F11 | Show/hide song info window |
| F12 | Close all windows |
| Tab | Cycle nested windows |
| Alt + F8 | Show/hide Sample Browser |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| S | Solo Current track |
| Alt + L | Select the Channels Linked to the selected mixer track |
| Alt + R | Render Armed tracks to .wav |
| Alt + S | Alt Solo - Activate Current track and all tracks Routed TO/FROM It |
| Alt + W | Toggle Peak-meter 'Wave' view |
| Ctrl + A | Select all mixer tracks |
| Shift + Ctrl + L | Link selected Channels STARTING From selected mixer track |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| 5 | Zoom on selection |
| 6 | Zoom on Performance Clips |
| 7 | Transpose down |
| 8 | Transpose up |
| 9 | Reverse (Audio Clips) |
| B | Paint tool |
| C | Slice tool |
| D | Delete tool |
| E | Select tool |
| P | Draw tool (pencil) |
| T | Mute tool |
| Y | Playback tool |
| Z | Zoom tool |
| Alt | Bypass snap |
| Del | Delete selected clip/pattern source data |
| Home | Move playback marker to start |
| Insert Key | Slice Clip at cursor position |
| Alt + P | Open the Picker Panel |
| Alt + Shift + M | Unmute selection |
| Alt + T | Add Time marker |
| Ctrl + Alt + C | Consolidate selected Clips starting from first Clip |
| Ctrl + Alt + G | Grid Color |
| Ctrl + Alt + Home | Toggle Resizing from Left |
| Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C | Consolidate selected Clips from start of Playlist |
| Ctrl + D | Deselect selection |
| Ctrl + Del | Delete space according to timeline selection |
| Ctrl + F8 | Open Project Picker |
| Ctrl + Ins | Add space according to timeline selection |
| PgUp | Zoom in/Zoom out |
| Shift + 0 (zero) | Center Playlist to play-head position |
| Shift + 1 to 3 | Horizontal Zoom levels 1 to 3 |
| Shift + 4 | Horizontal Zoom, show all |
| Shift + 5 | Zoom to selection |
| Shift + 6 | Fit Performance Zone |
| Shift + Alt + T | Set a Time Signature |
| Shift + C | Select all Clips by source |
| Shift + G | Group selected Clips |
| Shift + I | Invert selection |
| Shift + M | Switch stretch mode |
| Shift + Q | Quick quantize Clip start times |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F | Show next property in event lane |
| G | Select the Channel above |
| H | Select the Channel above with note data |
| J | Select the Channel below with note data |
| K | Select the Channel below |
| M | Keyboard view mode (toggle) |
| O | Portamento (toggle) |
| Alt + A | Arpeggiator |
| Alt + Arrow keys | Nudge position |
| Alt + B | View note helpers |
| Alt + E | Riff machine |
| Alt + F | Flam |
| Alt + K | Open Limit tool |
| Alt + N | Switch waveform helper view |
| Alt + O | Open LFO tool |
| Alt + Q | Quantize |
| Alt + V | Ghost Channels ON/OFF |
| Alt + X | Open Scale Levels tool |
| Alt + Y | Open Score Flipper tool |
| Ctrl + Delete | Delete space equal to selection |
| Ctrl + G | Glue selected notes |
| Ctrl + Insert | Insert space equal to selection |
| Ctrl + Q | Quick Quantize |
| Ctrl + Return | Select time around selection |
| Ctrl + U | Quick Chop |
| Ctrl + Up-Arrow | Transpose selection 1 Octave |
| Draw tool + Shift | Extend note length |
| Shift + Ctrl + V | Paste from MIDI clipboard |
| Shift + D | Discard selected note lengths |
| Shift + F | Cycle through note properties |
| Shift + H | Select next Channel with notes |
| Shift + K | Select the next Channel |
| Shift + L-Arrow | Move selection Left/Right |
| Shift + N | Turn off selected chord |
| Shift + R | Select at random |
| Shift + Up | Move selection Up/Down |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift + Arrow Up | Step through items with preview |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F3 | Open tool selector for active window |
| Alt + Ctrl + Space | Add a long space when entering text |
| Alt + Number-Pad 2-6 | Change octave of typing keyboard |
| Alt + Shift + Space | Add a short space when entering text |
The function keys open the main windows: F5 Playlist, F6 Step Sequencer (Channel Rack), F7 Piano roll, F8 the plugin picker, F9 Mixer and F12 closes them all. Space starts and stops playback from the beginning of the selection; Ctrl + Space pauses in place instead. L switches between Pattern and Song mode, which decides whether Space plays the current pattern or the whole arrangement, and R arms recording. Ctrl + H is the panic key that stops all sound when a note hangs.
With the Playlist focused, single letters pick tools: B paint, P pencil, C slice, E select, D delete, T mute and Z zoom. Holding Alt bypasses snap while dragging. Shift + 4 zooms to show the whole song and Shift + 5 to the selection; Ctrl + Del and Ctrl + Ins remove or add space equal to the timeline selection, which is how you cut a bar out of an arrangement. Alt + T adds a time marker and Shift + G groups the selected clips.
In the Piano roll, Alt + Q opens the quantize tool and Ctrl + Q quick-quantizes to the current snap; Ctrl + G glues selected notes, Ctrl + U chops them, and Ctrl + Up-Arrow transposes the selection an octave. Alt + A, Alt + F and Alt + E open the arpeggiator, flam and Riff machine tools. In the Channel Rack, Alt + C clones a channel, Alt + G groups selected channels and Ctrl + L routes them to free mixer tracks. Ctrl + T turns the computer keyboard into a piano for playing ideas in without a controller.
You are in Pattern mode. Press L to switch to Song mode, which plays the Playlist arrangement.
Ctrl + H (panic) silences all sound immediately.
Ctrl + T toggles the typing keyboard to piano keyboard; Alt + Number-Pad 2-6 changes its octave.
Select the range in the Playlist timeline and press Ctrl + Del to delete that space, closing the gap.
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"