FL Studio's Piano roll has the well deserved reputation as the best Piano roll in the business. The Piano roll is used to send note and automation data to plugin instruments (sequencing). It includes a wide range of tools to aid complex score editing and manipulation. Well I'll have to clean this tutorial soon. I've been writing all the code in a note pad file. So I once I'm done with it. I'll add it to the tutorial. Then I'll pretty it up a bit. Not sure why I felt like saying 'people underestimate this tool'. Even though that has been said many many times.
Music is the power that connects people, experiences, and emotions, but there is much more behind music than just an idea of that. The process that holds and unites sounds and effects in order to present the power to the world has never been this flexible and exciting. In this FL Studio tutorial series, you will be learning how to use one of the most famous music producing software — FL Studio 12 by Image-Line company.
Whether you are EDM lover, classic rock enthusiast or you do not have any particular genre that you like, producing music digitally relies on a good virtual studio. In this case, Image Line’s FL Studio will be in our limelight. People using this software for the first time might be confused by the interface it presents. Many buttons, menus and numbers have their function which you’ll get to know throughout this series, but a good thing to know is that the UI is totally adjustable to your tastes. The biggest part of the software is occupied by the ‘’Playlist’’ or ‘’Timeline’’.
That is the core of your music production because every track you record or make virtually will have to be put there if you want it to be part of the final project. Top of the program displays Navigation Panel that you will get to know in the next few tutorials. On your left, you have the browser of files, plugins, and your history. ‘’Pattern Window’’ or ‘’Channel Rack’’ is the workshop of your beats and the ‘’Mixer’’ is where everything comes to a life.
But… before any kind of serious work, there are few crucial things you have to be familiar with before you start using this software:
1. ASIO4ALL Driver
This driver comes in handy when using the FL Studio. It allows you to bypass the sound mixer of your system and uses direct pass through layers and layers of commands to make things swifter and more stable.
Highly recommended for you to install it and use it!
To set it up open FL Studio 12 and navigate to OPTIONS (upper right corner) > Select the AUDIO tab > Under the DEVICE select ASIO4ALL. If you are experiencing glitches in the performance of FL Studio 12, navigate to the same menu, but click the rectangle that says Show ASIO panel and set different buffer length (higher value) until the glitches are gone.
2. VST (Virtual Studio Technology)
This is a software interface that integrates various synthesizers, audio plugins with your virtual studio. It is basically an extension to your FL Studio that makes things more fun. It impairs many virtual instruments or effects that you can use to create different sounds. Some of the most famous ones are from Tone2, Native Instruments, iZotope, reFX, Arturia or Steinberg.
3. Packs and Samples
These are small samples or loops that can be used in your projects. Drum samples are the most common ones (such as kicks, snares, hats…). Some producers have an enormous library of drum loops packs and samples just to enrich the sound of their music but remember — quality is always more important than quantity.
This is just a tip of the music production iceberg. You are almost ready to get your fingers clicking various patterns and becoming an FL Studio pro!
FL Studio is a popular DAW (digital audio workstation) for making electronic music. It’s come a long way since it’s inception back in 1997, when it was originally called Fruity Loops. FL Studio has risen throughout the ranks as a serious music production software suite in recent years, gaining traction with adoption by big-name artists like Avicii, Martin Garrix, Porter Robinson, Madeon, Afrojack, and many more. Learn how to use FL Studio to make electronic music with this library of free written FL Studio tutorials.
Featured Tutorial
Perhaps second in importance only to knowledge and experience on your music production journey is your audio gear selection. Detailed, in-depth gear reviews and buying guides serve as a reference to help you make a choice that is right for you. You will learn what the best products on the market are, and more importantly why they are the best from a technical standpoint. Check out the Product Reviews section for in-depth reviews and buying guides.
Featured Review
Part of Synaptic Sound’s vision is to create a community of electronic music producers, musicians, artists, fans, and enthusiasts. The Free Downloads section is a place where artists can upload VST presets and samples or loops they’ve created, along with a link to their SoundCloud profile. The artist with the highest number of downloads appears at the top of the list, increasing their exposure. Contributions are welcome and encouraged!