Ever since the introduction of MIDI, we have seen a massive change in the process of music production, and not long after, MIDI packs, both paid and free hit the market. MIDI packs can be a great tool to any music producer no matter where they’re at in their careers. For beginners, it’s one of the fastest ways to learn about music theory, and creating melodies, chords and chord progressions. For intermediate and pro producers, MIDI packs can be just what you need to spark new ideas or break from old habits.
Although there are plenty of both free and paid MIDI packs available today, finding the best ones always proves to be a bit challenging. In this article, we’re going to go over a few free MIDI packs that I consider to be some of the best for use in FL Studio.
Cymatics Python MIDI Collection
In recent years, Cymatics has been at the helm of crafting free high-quality sample packs and the Python MIDI collection is certainly no exception. With this pack, they went even further. They brought in a Grammy-nominated pianist to the studio to jam and the results were beautiful melodies and chord progressions that would fit perfectly on any track.
The MIDI in the pack was primarily meant for Hip Hop, Trap, and R&B, but can fit any other genre with minor tweaks. The pack contains 51 MIDI loops that are sure to take your productions to the next level. Download it here.
Unison Free Mini MIDI Pack
Our next entry is from the guys over at Unison. Learning about chords and chord progressions can be intimidating for anyone, and that is the specific reason why Unison crafted this handy MIDI pack. The Unison Mini MIDI Pack contains plenty of chords and chord progression that are great for getting into the fundamentals of music theory and understanding how they work. Aside from learning, the MIDI contained in the pack also can be drag and dropped on any instrument and serve as the starting point of your next track.
Although it’s labelled a ‘mini’ pack, there is nothing small or little about its contents. The Unison Mini MIDI packs boasts of having a total of over 300 chords and chord progression, giving a wide variety of different styles and moods to pick from. Download it here.
W.A. Production’s Free MIDI Mega Pack
W.A. Production’s Free MIDI Mega Pack may just take the crown for the pack with the largest library on the list. This mega pack is a compilation of eight MIDI packs, yes, eight, bundled into one. Actually, it’s hard to believe that the pack is totally free because its value is priceless. It comes with 270 MIDI loops and 630 WAV loops. The loops contained in the pack were created with EDM in mind, but since you can always edit and rearrange MIDI, it makes it the perfect go-to pack whenever producer/beat block pops up. Also it can be a great starter MIDI kit if you’re looking to get into the wonderful world of EDM. You can download it here.
Unison Beatmaker Blueprint (Free Teaser Pack)
Unison scores its second entry on the list with the Unison Beatmaker Blueprint (Free Teaser Pack). From the name, it’s a preview of the premium Unison Beatmaker Blueprint, but the pack contains enough audio and MIDI for it to stand on its own.
The pack contains 449 one shots, MIDI, and loops for both drums and melodic elements modelled after the sounds of some of the biggest names in music. The pack also goes a few steps further by making sure the bass, drum, and melody loops each contain their matching MIDI files and stems. This opens up more options to incorporate the MIDI and sounds used in the pack to fit your specific style with minimal tweaks. Download it here.
Cymatics Oracle Sample Pack Bundle
Cymatics’ dedication to provide high quality sample packs to the music producer community shines brightly in the Oracle Sample Pack Bundle. The bundle contains the Oracle Sample Pack, the Oracle MIDI Collection, and the Oracle 808 Collection. Initially, Cymatics introduced the Oracle Bundle for a total price of $141, but have now made the bundle accessible for free on their website. The Oracle MIDI collection in particular, contains 100 carefully crafted MIDI loops ready to be used in your next production. Bundled, with the rest, the pack will surely become a staple in your productions. Download it here.
Roundel Sounds Key Chords (Freebie)
Roundel sounds released a freebie to act as the preview for their bigger Key Chords Sample Pack. It contains 10 breath-taking chord progressions that are sure to drum up new ideas and inspiration as soon as you drag and drop them on an instrument. Although this pack does not pack as much weight as the ones discussed before, the emotions evoked by the chord progressions found in this pack speak for themselves. They might be just what you need to listen to, edit, and tweak to discover new ways of creating and thinking about chord progressions. Download it here.
Final Thoughts
For me, when it comes to using MIDI packs and audio samples, my rule of thumb is that if the sample is instantly recognizable as soon as you hear it (unless that’s what you want), then more tweaking needs to be done. Here’s how you can tweak MIDI files to give them a more personal and unique touch.
- Rearrange the notes/chords to fit your style, genre, or track.
- Change the key of the MIDI loop by transposing it up or down on the piano roll.
- Making a MIDI chord progression more rhythmic by chopping the chords.
- Adding notes to make more complex chords and progressions.
Remember, a lot of producers use the same MIDI packs, make sure you apply some of the listed ways and get creative with the MIDI downloaded so you can stand out. As always, have fun experimenting.
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