Tool Bar

From FLStudio Wiki

The Tool Bar consists of the Menu Bar and moveable Panels for ease of use and operation.

Contents 1 Menu Bar 1.1 File Menu 1.2 Edit Menu 1.3 Channels Menu 1.4 View Menu 1.5 Options Menu 1.6 Tools Menu 1.7 Help Menu 2 More Basic FL Stuff

Menu Bar

The Menu bar is located in the Main panel and provides access to the main menus of FL Studio.

File Menu

The File menu ( F3) contains commands for managing files:

• New - Starts a new empty project using the last selected drumkit template as a start point. You will be prompted to save changes to the currently opened project, if any.
• Open ( Ctrl+O) - Opens an existing project. The Open File dialog in FL Studio is enhanced with a Favorites section.
• Templates - Contains a submenu with channel presets you can use for quick start of a new project. You will be prompted to save changes to the currently opened project, if any.
• Save ( Ctrl+S) - Updates your current project by overwriting its last saved copy on disk. For a list of available save formats, go to File Formats pages. If the current project was never saved before, this command works like Save As.
• Save As ( Shift+Ctrl+S) - Lets you save your current project under different name and/or format. For a list of available formats, go to File Formats pages. The Save File dialog in FL Studio is enhanced with a Favorites section.
• Save New Version ( Ctrl+N)- Saves the current project in a file with unique name (so it won't overwrite any existing file). For example, if you have a project called MyProj, this command saves a file MyProj_2, next time it will be MyProj_3 etc. Useful for quickly saving variations of the project without overwriting the original file.
• Import - Loads files that are not in FL Studio native projects. For a complete list of file types you can import into FL Studio, go to *Open/Import File Formats pages. The Import File dialog in FL Studio is enhanced with a Favorites section.
• Export - Converts the current project to various file formats. For a complete list of file types you can export to, go to File Formats pages. The Export File dialog in FL Studio is enhanced with a Favorites section.
• Export / Project Data - Saves copies of all samples, TS404 shapes and SimSynth/DrumSynth presets and other plugin data you use in the current project into a single folder of your choice.
• Export / Project Bones - Use this command as a shortcut to export all generator/effects settings as presets (*.FST files) and score/automation data as score files (*.FSC files) used in the current project. This is useful feature when you want to merge features from one project into another. Also, a *.NFO file will be created in the folder you selected to store the preset/score data, that is used by the Browser.
• Exit - Closes FL Studio. You will be prompted to save changes to your current project, if any.
• Recent Projects ( Alt+ 1-8) - Appears as a list of 8 most recently opened projects at the bottom of the File menu, with the most recent one at the top.

Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains commands for selecting and editing channels and notes:

• Undo/Redo ( Ctrl+Alt+Z/Ctrl+Z) - These two commands allow you to step through the edit history of FL Studio (to see a list of the actions currently stored in the history, open the Project Browser / History folder). Ctrl+Alt+Z steps back through the history. Ctrl+Z steps forward through the history, unless you are at the latest step (in this case, Ctrl+Z works as the standard one step undo/redo shortcut).
• Cut ( Ctrl+X) - Cuts the notes from all selected channels in the Step Sequencer to clipboard. Currently the automation events can not be cut with this command.
• Copy ( Ctrl+C )- Copies the notes from all selected channels in the Step Sequencer to clipboard. Currently the automation events can not be copied with this command.
• Paste ( Ctrl+V ) - Pastes notes from clipboard starting with the topmost selected channel in the Step Sequencer.
• Shift Left ( Shift+Left) - Shifts the notes from all selected channels in the Step Sequencer one step left. First notes become last ones.
• Shift Right ( Shift+Right) - Shifts the notes from all selected channels in the Step Sequencer one step right. Last notes become first ones.
• Randomize ( Alt+R / Alt+H) - Brings up the Randomizer dialog that lets you create random notes and randomize the note properties for all selected channels in the Step Sequencer.
• Send to Piano Roll - Moves the notes from all selected channels in the Step Sequencer to the Piano Roll of each channel. Shuffle is preserved (see Step Sequencer).

Channels Menu

The Channels menu contains commands for managing channels.

• Add One - Contains a list of all generators selected as favorites. Choosing a generator from this menu will add a single instance of it at the bottom of the Step Sequencer window. Click More... to open the Select plugin window, that contains a list of all generators present in FL Studio (including VSTi and DXi).
  • To open a channel containing a plugin - double-click the generator name.
  • To mark a generator as a 'favourite' - click the check box preceding the generator name (all plugins preceded by a check mark will appear in the favorites list).
  • To see newly installed plugins - click Refresh in the bottom of the 'Select plugin' window and select Fast Scan (use 'Fast Scan' rather than 'Scan & Verify', because it takes a long time to scan since every plugin is opened and verified (which can crash FL Studio if there are buggy plugins). Scan & Verify does however sort instruments and FX. VSTi's (instruments) are put into a VSTi folder (Channels > Add one > More), and VST's (FX) in the VST folder (found in the mixer when choosing the VST effect).
• Clone Selected ( Shift+Ctrl+C) - Insert a clone of each selected channel in the Step Sequencer right after it. The clone retains the generator type of the original, as well as all of its settings, but does not contain its notes and events.
• Delete Selected ( Ctrl+Del)- Removes all selected channels in the Step Sequencer.
• Move Selected Up ( Alt+Up) - Moves all selected channels one step up in the Step Sequencer.
• Move Selected Down ( Alt+Down) - Moves all selected channels one step down in the Step Sequencer.
• Group Selected ( Alt+G) - Adds all selected channels to a group (a popup window displays to enter the name of the group). If a group with the name you specified doesn't exist, it will be automatically created. For more information on channel grouping see the Channel Filtering section in the Step Sequencer page.
• Color Selected Several options for colouring channel buttons. Useful for grouping instrument types/sections.
  • Gradient ( Alt+C) - Opens a dialog where you pick the start and end colors. All selected channels will be colored in sequence from the start to end points in the color space selected.
    
  • Random ( Ctrl+Alt+C) - Randomly colors channels, this function contains some rules on coloring so it won't look as bad as you may expect.
• Zip Selected ( Alt+Z) - Turns all selected channels in the Step Sequencer into compact view mode. Right-click the button of a zipped channel to unzip it.
• Unzip All ( Alt+U) - Unzips all channels in the Step Sequencer.
• Restretch All - Only active when tempo automation is used. When the tempo is automated the auto-restretch feature is disabled as it is not a real-time process. This feature allows you to adjust the tempo manually and force a restretch.

View Menu

The View menu contains commands for showing/hiding and arranging FL Studio' windows.

Windows

• Playlist ( F5) - Shows/hides the Playlist window.
• Step Sequencer ( F6) - Shows/hides the Step Sequencer window.
• Piano Roll ( F7) - Shows/hides the Piano Roll window.
• Browser ( F8) - Shows/hides the Browser window.
• Mixer ( F9) - Shows/hides the Mixer window.
• Channel Settings - Shows/hides the Channel Settings window.

Layout

• Close All Windows - ( F12) Closes all windows in FL Studio.
• Arrange Windows
  • Default - ( Shift+Ctrl+H) - Restores the default layout.
  • Alternate - Simply an alternate layout, try it you may like it :)
  • Outside bottom taskbar - Extends the Fl studio desktop so that it is under the Windows taskbar.
  • Save current arrangement - Save the current layout, to be used next time FL Studio is restarted.
• Background - Choose wallpaper for FL Studio main window. There are two sub-options.
  • Set bitmap wallpaper - Choose an image for FL Studio main window background.
  • Set HTML document - Choose a HTML document for the main window background.

Browser

• Undo History - Expands the history section in the Project Browser.
• Automation - Expands the history section in the Project Browser.
• Generators in Use - Expands the generators section in the Project Browser.
• Effects in Use - Expands the effects section in the Project Browser.
• Remote Control - Expands the remote control section in the Project Browser.

Options Menu

The Options menu contains commands that set options in FL Studio.

System

• MIDI Settings ( F10) - Shows/hides the MIDI Settings window.
• Audio Settings - Shows/hides the Audio Settings window.
• General Settings - Shows/hides the General Settings window.
• File Settings - Shows/hides the File Settings window.

Project

• Project Info ( F11) - Shows/hides the Project Info window.
• Project general settings - Shows/hides the Project Settings window.

MIDI

• Enable MIDI Remote Control - When not checked, you will not be able to use MIDI remote control in FL Studio, but the device you use for remote control will be released for use in other applications you run simultaneously with FL Studio.
• Enable MIDI Output - When not checked, you will not be able to use MIDI output in FL Studio, but the device you use for output will be released for use in other applications you run simultaneously with FL Studio.
• Enable MIDI Master Sync - If checked, FL Studio will sync (as a master) with an external MIDI device or a sequencer. You can choose a device to sync with in the MIDI Settings window.

Switches

• Typing Keyboard to Piano ( Ctrl+T) - When turned on, you can use your typing keyboard to record notes as you would do with a real MIDI keyboard.
• Metronome ( Ctrl+M) - When turned on, you will hear a short "metronome" sound in the beginning of each beat with an accent at the beginning of each bar. It is especially useful when you need to keep yourself "synced" with song tempo when recording a melody from a MIDI keyboard.
• Recording Precount ( Ctrl+P) - When turned on, you will hear countdown metronome ticks before the start of a recording session.
• Start on Input ( Ctrl+I) - When turned on, pressing the play button will set FL Studio in waiting mode and actual playing/recording begins at the moment input data is received (for example, when key is pressed on the MIDI keyboard).
• Blend Recorded Notes ( Ctrl+B) - When turned on, the notes you record will blend with any already existing ones, otherwise recorded notes will overwrite the old ones.
• Step edit ( Ctrl+E) - Switches step recording on and off.
• Loop record - Loop record will continuously repeat the selection marked in the Play List (Shift + Left-click and drag in the bar-marker region) to allow you to layer upon layer MIDI or audio data. For audio to automatically be placed in the Play List on each loop, turn on 'auto create audio clip' in the Mixer Menu > 'Disk recording' options.
• Auto scrolling - Turns on/off the auto scrolling feature in the Play List and Piano Roll.

Tools Menu

The Tools menu contains useful tools for working with channels, patterns, effects and provides the ability to use external applications as tools inside FL Studio.

• Browser smart find - ( Ctrl+F)This will search the directories in your browser for any text entered here.
• One-click auto recording - Sets FL Studio to record into the Master track, checks for ASIO inputs and asks the user to select one.
• Macros
  • Rename current pattern - ( F2) Launches the pattern rename dialog.
  • Jump to next empty pattern ( F4) - Switches to the next pattern that does not contain any note events (either in the Step Sequencer or the Piano Roll) in any channel.
  • Stop sound ( Ctrl+H) - Stops all notes playing.
  • Cancel recording - Cancels the current recording and purges the WAV file.
  • Switch Smart Disable for all Effects - Turns on Smart Disable for all effects, this turns off FX when they are not processing audio to save CPU power.
  • Prepare for MIDI export - Replaces all channels with auto-configured MIDI-out channels. Use this before rendering to MIDI.
  • Select unused channels - Selects all channels that do not contain any notes (neither in the Step Sequencer or the Piano Roll) in any pattern.
  • Purge unused audio clips - Removes any audio-clips that do not have associated note data or appear in the play-list, in other words are not being used in the current project.
• Save audio clipboard to browser - Creates a WAV file of the current audio clip-board and saves it in \Data\Patches\Clipboard files of the FLStudio installation directory.
• Saves MIDI clipboard to browser - Creates a MIDI file of the current MIDI clip-board data and saves it in \Data\Patches\Clipboard files of the FLStudio installation directory.
• External tools... - Opens the External Tools dialog that allows you set external applications (wave editors, sample browsers etc.) as tools in FL Studio.

Help Menu

The Help menu contains commands for access to this reference system and other help documents.

Help

• Contents ( F1)- Opens this help system.

Registration

• Ordering information - Click here if you want to buy and register the demo of FL Studio.
• Additional products - This is a link to a web page where you can check out other products available from Image-Line.
• Plugins that I own - Will take you to a help page that allows you to browse the FL Studio version, plugins, applications and sample CDs that you are registered for.
• Paste registration key - If you have not yet registered FL Studio this will allow you to paste in your registration details.
• Registration website - Takes you to the 'My FL Studio' section of the Image-Line website.

Internet links

• BeatSlicer & Zero-X BeatCreator homepage - This is a link to the homepage of BeatSlicer. The BeatSlicer engine is integrated with FL Studio and is used in the Beat to Slice feature. You can use the standalone BeatSlicer editor with FL Studio as well.
• Create your own (music) website - This is a link to the EZ Generator home page. EZ Generator is another Image-Line software package.
• DrumSynth homepage - This is a link to the homepage of DrumSynth. FL Studio can render DrumSynth presets directly.
• FL Studio diagnostic tool - This is a link to a diagnostic tool to help tech-support understand any problems you may be having.
• FL Studio homepage - FL Studio central!
• FL Studio tutorials - Links to the tutorial section (videos etc) on the FL Studio website.
• LAME MP3 encoder homepage - This is a link to the homepage of LAME MP3 Encoder. LAME MP3 Encoder is integrated in FL Studio and is used for exporting MP3 files. Despite the name this is arguably the best quality encoder available.
• SoftVoice Text-to-Speech homepage - Links to the website of the speech synth as used in FL Studio.
• Sytrus synthesizer homepage - Sytrus is the flagship Synthesizer plugin used in FL Studio.

About

• About... - Opens the 'About box' to display version number and credits etc.

More Basic FL Stuff

• User Interface
• External Tools Dialog
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Controllers