Novation has officially launched the FLpad and FLpad Mini, its first dedicated pad controllers built exclusively for FL Studio. Available now, the full-size FLpad is priced at $219.99/£179.99, while the more compact FLpad Mini comes in at $139.99/£99.99 — and both arrive as a direct extension of Novation’s ongoing partnership with Image-Line, the developer behind FL Studio.
The announcement follows the FLkey 2 MIDI keyboard controller range, which launched back in May and gave FL Studio producers a keyboard-first hardware option that actually understood the DAW’s internal logic. FLpad takes that same philosophy and applies it to a grid format, this time centred specifically around the Channel Rack. Novation’s Mario Buoninfante put it plainly in the press release: “This understanding has led us directly to FLpad — a grid controller made specifically to augment FL Studio’s unique workflows in intuitive and inspiring new ways.”
Both models share an 8×8 grid of 64 RGB-backlit pads and are flanked on two sides by dedicated controls for transport, undo/redo, and a range of FL-specific functions. From the controller, producers can navigate the Channel Rack and Step Sequencer, create and duplicate Patterns, switch between Pattern and Song modes, and adjust levels through a Channel Rack Mixer mode. Custom layouts can also be built out through Novation’s Components app for producers who want to adapt the hardware to their own setup.
Novation is keen to draw a clear line between FLpad and its Launchpad family. While the controllers take obvious visual cues from the Launchpad X and Launchpad Mini in terms of form factor, the company says the user interface, firmware, and DAW scripts were built from the ground up around FL Studio’s workflow rather than adapted from an existing product. FL Studio has always operated with its own internal logic — the Channel Rack, Pattern-based composition, FPC, Slicex, Fruity Slicer, and the Graph Editor all function differently from the clip-launch paradigm that most grid controllers are designed around. FLpad is built to meet those habits rather than work around them.
Where the two models diverge is in feel and intended use. The full-size FLpad features velocity-sensitive pads, making it the stronger option for expressive finger drumming and live part creation. The FLpad Mini drops velocity sensitivity in favour of a smaller footprint and a lower price point, targeting producers who want the core Channel Rack workflow in something that fits a travel bag or a tighter desk setup. Both support dedicated layouts for FPC, Slicex, and Fruity Slicer, and both allow melodic playing either chromatically or locked to a chosen scale — a practical inclusion for writing basslines or melodies without getting buried in note mapping.
One of the more interesting functional details is that FLpad supports step sequencing for up to four instruments simultaneously. For a DAW that already encourages rapid Pattern creation, that capability positions the controller less as a remote and more as a hands-on sketchpad — something closer to a groovebox experience than a traditional MIDI peripheral. FL Studio has always been fast for producers who know it well, but it remains a screen-heavy environment. FLpad appears designed to move the early stages of idea-building back into the hands.
The launch also lands in the context of a recently updated DAW. Image-Line released FL Studio 2026 in July, an update that introduced an agentic AI chatbot, a redesigned Flex synth, and cloud-based project backup. FLpad arrives as that version of the software settles in, and both controllers ship bundled with six months of access to FL Studio Producer Edition, alongside instruments and effects from UVI, GForce, and Klevgrand.
For FL Studio producers who have been waiting for grid-based hardware that actually speaks the DAW’s language rather than forcing a workaround, FLpad and FLpad Mini are available now directly through Novation.
Sources: Magnetic Magazine, Latest from MusicRadar
