FLAQ
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About FL Studio
What is FL Studio?
ED. NOTE: The following is from the FL Studio online helpfile, published by Image-Line Software, FL Studio's makers.
FL Studio is a full-featured sequencer perfectly suited for creation of complex songs and realistic drum loops, with 32 bit internal mixing and advanced MIDI support. The resulting song or loop can be exported to a WAV/MP3 file and all MIDI events can be exported to a standard MIDI file.
FL Studio is a pattern based sequencer, which means you create your songs in pieces (patterns) using the Step Sequencer and the Piano Roll view and then weld those pieces together using the Playlist window (the Playlist also supports full-featured audio tracks with hardrrive streaming). Then you can add a wide range of effects to your instruments (reverb, phaser, flanger etc.) and route the resulting mixer tracks in any way you like to create complex mixing chains with ease.
Main Features:
- Internal 32 bit floating point mixing, up to 96kHz stereo.
- Supports DirectSound and ASIO enabled sound cards for audio output.
- Ability to function as a VSTi, DXi and a ReWire client.
- Ability to host ReWire clients itself.
- Realtime linear interpolation & sophisticated interpolation algorithms at rendering time.
- Open architecture allowing third-party instruments (enhanced proprietary FL instruments standard, VSTi and DXi2) and effects (enhanced proprietary FL effects standard, VST, VST2 and DirectX).
- A full set of high-precision mastering and special effects filters: reverb, compressor, procedural equalizer, distortion, phaser, flanger, bass boost, delay line and other.
- Advanced sequencing methods allowing quick entering of realistic drum loops (step sequencing grid) and composing complex instrumentals (advanced piano roll, arpeggiator, keyboard tracking, real-time gate).
- Unique note properties morphing ability (pitch, cutoff, resonance, panning).
- Advanced mixer: 68 mixer tracks (64 insert and 4 send tracks) supporting up to 8 filters each; mixer tracks rerouting for creating of complex mixer chains; track recording with ASIO input support (for recording MIDI, vocals etc.); integrated procedural equalizer, volume and panning for each mixer track.
- Integrated instruments: Sampler, TS404 (the popular bassline engine), 3xOSC (subsynth), Plucked! (plucked strings), MIDI Out, DX10 (FM synth), Scratcher (turntable emulator), WaveTraveller (wave bend synth), Wasp (demo), SimSynth Live (demo), and more.
- Advanced playlist & full-featured audio tracks.
- Live recording of control movements & integrated automation events editor.
- Easy MIDI remote controlling of most parameters (VST plugins supported as well).
- Procedural control over parameters by using special controller plugins.
- Click removal & volume ramping to avoid pops.
- Imports *.WAV, *.SYN (SimSynth 1 & 2), *.DS (DrumSynth) files, with effects applied.
- Imports MIDI sequences and controller events.
- Exports audio to 16Bit or 32Bit *.WAV file, *.MP3.
- Can export MIDI notes & controller events to a standard MIDI file.
What flavors does it come in?
There are three different editions of FL Studio available:
- Express Edition
- Fruityloops Edition
- Producer Edition
The demo version contains all the available features (Producer edition). If you purchase one of the other editions, only those features will be unlocked with your license key; the other features will remain in demo mode. For a feature comparison of the three editions, see this chart.
There is also the XXL package available, which combines the Producer Edition (or an upgrade to it if you already own one of the other editions) with all of the additionally available plugins at a significant discount.
Where can I find out more about it?
More info is available at the FL Studio website, flstudio.com.
Where can I get the demo of FL Studio?
The downloadable demo of the latest version is available at Tucows.
Great Odin's Raven! FL Studio is fantastic! Where can I purchase it?
Yeah, pretty freakin' awesome, ain't it? You can purchase a license for the downloadable versions in the online shop accessible at flstudio.com. Boxed CD versions are also available at various music retailers.
Generators
Why can't I save a project with Sytrus (or Wasp, or Simsynth, etc.)?
All editions of FL Studio (except the XXL package) come with DEMO versions of several additional generator plugins. To unlock the ability to save them with projects, you must purchase a license. For a list of which generator plugins are included and which are available for separate purchase, see insert link here.
Where's the Fruity Scratcher generator?
Fruity Scratcher is an effect, not a generator (as you don't play it with MIDI notes). You'll find it on the list in the mixer FX slots.
Why does my sample only play back at one pitch in the sampler channel?
Some samples have info saved in the header file that automatically enables FL Studio's timestretching/pitch shifting. This is useful for loops but not so much for one-shot or instrument note samples. To disable it and play the sample normally, set the timestretching controls time knob to "none" (right click and choose "none" or turn fully left, 000:00:000) and set the timestretching mode to "resample."
Step Sequencer
How do I color the channel buttons with gradients?
- Right-click the channel LED's to the right of the channel buttons for each channel you wish to color (or double click any LED to select all channels.
- On the Channel menu, select color>gradient (or use alt+c).
- Select the starting color in the color dialog and hit OK.
- The color dialog will remain open. Select the ending color and hit OK.
Playlist
Why won't my patterns line up exactly to the playlist grid?
You need to turn the snap control on. The global snap control is on the recording panel, and you can select the desired value for all windows here. Additionally, the piano roll, playlist, and automation editor each have a snap control that can be used to override the global snap value.
Why do my patterns only line up to the playlist grid?
You need to turn the snap control off. The global snap control is on the recording panel, and you can set the value to "none" to turn off snapping for all windows here. Additionally, the piano roll, playlist, and automation editor each have a snap control that can be used to override the global snap value.
How do I color the pattern bars with gradients?
- Ctrl+left click-drag over the pattern names of the patterns you wish to color (the patterns all need to be adjacent to each other).
- On the Playlist menu, select patterns>color selected (or use alt+c)
- Select the starting color in the color dialog and hit OK.
- The color dialog will remain open. Select the ending color and hit OK.
Piano Roll
Why won't my notes line up exactly to the piano roll grid?
You need to turn the snap control on. The global snap control is on the recording panel, and you can select the desired value for all windows here. Additionally, the piano roll, playlist, and automation editor each have a snap control that can be used to override the global snap value.
Why do my notes only line up to the piano roll grid?
You need to turn the snap control off. The global snap control is on the recording panel, and you can select the desired value for all windows here. Additionally, the piano roll, playlist, and automation editor each have a snap control that can be used to override the global snap value.
Why do my notes stretch from both ends? Why can't I just move them?
You need to disengage your Caps-Lock key. When Caps-Lock is enabled, FL will do a double-ended stretch, rather than note movement.
Mixer
Why is "none" the only selection available in the input dropdown box?
It means you don't have ASIO drivers enabled for FL. Enable them under Options>Audio Settings>Output. If you don't see a selection here for "ASIO", you don't have ASIO drivers installed for your soundcard and cannot use the mixer input box. See [link] for more details.
Using VST/DXI/ReWire Synths and Effects
How do I send different outputs of a multi-out VST (Battery, Sampletank, Kontakt, etc.) to different mixer channels?
- Check "Enable multiple outputs" on the VST wrapper menu
- Set the FX track number in the channel settings window to the mixer channel to which you want the first output of your VST routed (or use "Link selected channels>to this track" on the mixer menu). Your VST's remaining outputs will be routed consecutively from there. For example, if your VST has four outputs and and you route it to mixer channel 1, the four outputs will be routed to mixer channels 1,2, 3, and 4, respectively.
See your VST's documentation for info on how to set up/route to it's outputs.
How do I play different instruments in a multi-timbral VST (Sampletank, Kontakt, etc.)?
There are two ways to achieve this:
MIDI Out Method
- Set the port number on the VST wrapper to an unused port number
- Insert a MIDI out channel
- Set the MIDI Out port number to the same as that on the VST
- Set the MIDI Out channel number to that of the instrument/voice on the VST you wish to control
- Program or record notes in the MIDI Out channel piano roll or step sequencer. This data will control the corresponding MIDI channel on the VST
- Repeat for each instrument/voice on the VST that you wish to control
This method is practical if you like to think of each of the voices as its own unique instrument channel. It offers more flexibility, but requires more setup.
Note Colors Method
- In the Piano Roll, click on the note color pallette
- Hover your mouse over any of the 16 available colors to see which MIDI Channel it represents
- Click the desired color to program in the corresponding MIDI Channel. You can also use Alt+C to change the color of any selected notes.
This method is practical if you like to think of all of the voices as part of one channel. It limits your live playback ability and range of CC communication, but is much faster to work with.
See your VST's documentation for how to set the MIDI channel on which individual instruments/voices receive.
How can I Automate VST synths and FX?
You can automate VST synths or FX's in any of the following ways
- Tweak the desired control on the VST, then select "last tweaked parameter on the VST wrapper menu. From there you can select:
- Edit events to open the automation editor and draw your automation
- Link to controller to link to your MIDI controller and record real time tweaks as automation. In the remote control dialog that appears, make sure auto-accept is checked and tweak control on your MIDI controller, or enter a MIDI CC number manually. You can also select an the internal controller in internal controller drop down box.
- Create automation clip to add an automation clip.
- In the browser, go to current project>generators>(desired generator) and right click on the desired parameter. Then select any of the methods above.
For info on automating DXi synths, see Recording and Automation
How can I link a VST control to my MIDI controller or an internal controller?
Tweak the desired control on the VST, then select "last tweaked parameter on the VST wrapper menu. Then select Link to controller. Alternatively, in the Browser select Current Project>generators>(desired generator), right click on the desired parameter and select Link to controller
In the remote control dialog that appears, make sure auto-accept is checked and tweak control on your MIDI controller, or enter a MIDI CC number manually. You can also select an internal controller in the internal controller drop down box.
For info on linking DXi synth controls to a MIDI controller or internal controller, see Using MIDI Controllers or Internal Controller Plugins.
How can I Automate DXi Synths?
You have to use a MIDI Out channel to send MIDI CC's to a DXi synth, and then automate the MIDI out generator. You'll need the documentation of the DXi's MIDI implementation to know what MIDI CC's to send. To set it up:
- Set the port number on the DXi wrapper to an unused port number
- Insert a MIDI Out channel
- Set the MIDI Out channel's port number to the same assigned to DXi.
- Right-click a control on the MIDI Out generator that you wish to send a MIDI CC and select Configure
- Enter the CC #. You can also type a name for the control, as well as select from other controller types. Hit accept.
- Repeat 4 and 5 for each parameter on the DXi you wish to control
You can now automate the controls on the MIDI Out channel to control the DXi parameters.
How can I Link a DXi control to my MIDI controller or an internal controller?
You have to use a MIDI Out channel to send MIDI CC's to a DXi synth, and then link your MIDI controller or internal controllers to the MIDI Out generator's controls. You'll need the documentation of the DXi's MIDI implementation to know what MIDI CC's to send. To set it up:
- Set the port number on the DXi wrapper to an unused port number
- Insert a MIDI Out channel
- Set the MIDI Out channel's port number to the same assigned to DXi.
- Right-click a control on the MIDI Out generator that you wish to send a MIDI CC and select Configure
- Enter the CC #. You can also type a name for the control, as well as select from other controller types. Hit accept.
- Repeat 4 and 5 for each parameter on the DXi you wish to control
You can now link the controls on the MIDI Out channel to your MIDI controller or internal controllers, and use them to control the DXi parameters.
How do I ReWire FL Studio with Reason?
Check out this awesome tutorial by The FLipside's own Singing Crane.
Recording Audio
Can I record my voice with a mike (or even a mic)?
Yes, you can record directly into FL Studio, if and only if:
- You have FL Studio Producer Edition.
- Your audio interface (soundcard) has ASIO drivers. See ASIO for more info
For instructions on how to record audio if you have both of those, see Audio Recording.
There are workarounds using external apps or plugins if you don't have those two requirements.
How do I record Audio?
Yes, you can record directly into FL Studio, if and only if:
- You have FL Studio Producer Edition.
- Your audio interface (soundcard) has ASIO drivers. See ASIO for more info
To record audio:
- Make sure that your soundcard's ASIO driver is selected under Options>Audio Settings>Output. If you don't see a selction here that says "ASIO", you don't have ASIO drivers installed and you can't record audio directly into FL. See ASIO for more details on ASIO drivers, and [link not available yet] for possible workarounds using external plugins or apps.
- Select an input in the mixer input drop down box. This will automatically arm the mixer channel for recording (disk recording icon lights up orange) and will auto-name the file and save it to the default directory (NOTE: if the only selection available in the input box is "none", see step 1 above).
- If you want to name the file yourself and/or select the folder to save to yourself, click the disk recording icon to unarm the mixer track, then click it again to arm it and bring up the save dialog.
- Click the record button in the transport controls.
- Hit play to begin recording.
How do I use Audio Tracks to Freeze?
FL Studio, believe it or not, has a very effective freeze functionality that few are able to utilize. Once you understand, however, the process is very easy.
- In your mixer, go to "properties" and enable "auto-create track". This will create audio tracks that are dropped into the playlist when you record mixer tracks and are great for live input recording
- Select a portion of the song containing the synth part you want to bounce (or, if you like, select the whole song, as this will give you the standard "freeze" effect found in most hosts).
- Right-click the disk on the mixer track you wish to freeze.
- Hit "Alt+R" to render that mixer track and drop the audio clip into the playlist.
- Disable all of the synths and effects you just rendered.
When I input audio to a mixer track, why does it sound delayed?
The delay is called latency. When you input audio in FL (or any audio recording app), it takes some time for the signal to be input into the soundcard buffer, processed by the app, and output back to soundcard buffer. The larger the buffer that must be written to and read from, the larger the latency, or delay.
To reduce the latency, lower the buffer size in your soundcard's ASIO control panel. Typically, it will need to be 10ms or less for monitoring audio input.
Alternatively, if you don't need to hear the input signal processed through any FX or EQ in the FL mixer, you can mute the signal there and instead monitor directly through your soundcard or hardware mixer.
Why do I hear an echo through my monitors or headphones when I input audio into a mixer track?
You are hearing the original signal from your soundcard or hardware mixer, along with the signal after it passes through the FL mixer (which introduces some latency, or delay).
- To hear the signal directly from your soundcard or hardware mixer only, route the track that you are arming to record into another unused track and turn down the volume of that track.
- To hear the signal from the FL mixer only (useful if you want to monitor through FX), consult your soundcard or hardware mixer documentation for the proper configuration to mute its direct monitoring. Note that you'll need a pretty low ASIO latency to make this useful.
Why are other instruments being recorded along with my audio input when I record audio?
One of two reasons:
- You are recording into a mixer track that has other instruments or audio routed to it. FL merges the audio input of a mixer track with any other audio routed through it. Always record through a mixer track that has no other signals routed through it (unless of course you want to blend them into one audio file).
- Your soundcard or hardware mixer is mixing FL's output back in with the audio input. You'll have to check your soundcard or hardware mixer documentation for the proper configuration to avoid this.
