FL Studio
From Free net encyclopedia
FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops, still available in Fruity Loops edition) is a music production software package created by Image-Line Software. Music is made by recording and mixing audio and MIDI data together to create a WAV or mp3 file.
FL Studio is a pattern based music sequencer, which allows the artist to create songs in pieces (patterns) using the Step Sequencer and the Piano Roll view and then weld those pieces together using the Playlist window. The Effects Panel provides access to a wide range of software effects that can be automated for dynamic sweeps, rolling bass lines and texture changes.
The original name "Fruity Loops" was abandoned in favor of "FL Studio" in order to promote a more professional image and to remove the possibility of a trademark infringement lawsuit from Kellogg's who produce Froot Loops breakfast cereal.
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User Interface
The FL Studio user interface comprises 5 main screens:
- Step Sequencer - enables quick assembly of drum patterns and short melodic parts.
- Piano Roll - a two dimensional grid for composing. The vertical axis represents pitch, and the horizontal axis represents time.
- Playlist - where you can arrange sets of patterns and audio files to assemble a complete song.
- Mixer - used for balancing audio levels, adding effects processing, and recording audio input.
- Sample Browser - allows quick access of audio samples, plugins, presets, and other FL Studio song files.
Features
FL Studio has become widely used by both amateur musicians and professionals alike, because of its easy-to-use step sequencer and piano roll, its good monetary value, its wide support of industry standards, its extensive automation abilities, and its quality effects. One progressive feature of FL Studio (of the online version) is that all upgrades are free.
As of version 6.0.1, FL Studio is now compiled in Delphi, all the mixer tracks can be used as Send tracks, multiple MIDI devices can be used, a new popup engine, and many more updates.
Instrumental effects include reverb, chorus, flanger and the like. It uses internal 32 bit floating point audio mixing, at one of the six available sampling frequencies (default: 44 KHz).
The demonstration version of FL Studio includes quite a number of generators (software synthesizers). Some of these must be purchased separately. Generally, these additional plugins are inexpensive. The "Producer Edition" includes a mixer and multi-track audio recording capabilities for sound hardware with ASIO drivers. The "FL Studio XXL" offer includes all optional components with a 40% price reduction. FL Studio uses its own plugin API but it can use VST, Buzz, ReWire and DirectX plugins via adapter plugins, allowing it to work with a gigantic amount of synthesizers and effects processors.
Included generators
- 3x OSC - a flexible 3 oscillator virtual analog synth with custom wave-shapes, a tempo-synced DAHDSR envelope and LFO for Volume, Filter, Resonance, and Pitch, an LFO for panning, a pitched MIDI delay for unison effects
- BeepMap - generates unusual sounds based on an image.
- BooBass - a realistic bass guitar simulation.
- Buzz Generator Adapter - used to run most Buzz plugins.
- Dashboard - customizable interface for controlling external MIDI hardware as well as controlling specific internal parameters.
- FL Slayer - an electric guitar simulator.
- FL Keys - a multi-sampled synth for various piano sounds.
- Keyboard controller - internal controller for patterned based filter applications, trance-gates, etc.
- Fruit Kick - for generating synthesized kick-drum sounds.
- Fruity Granulizer - for applying granular synthesis effects to a sample.
- Fruity Slicer - A tool which slices and enables the rearrangement of audio files with well-defined transients (akin to ReCycle).
- FPC - Software drum machine modelled after the Akai MPC series.
- WaveTraveller - spline-based playback of samples, useful for record-scratch effects.
- MIDI Out - provides MIDI control of external hardware.
- Plucked - a Karplus-Strong plucked string generator.
- Sampler - a simple but flexible sampler that has the same envelopes, LFOs, and MIDI delay as the 3x OSC described above.
Optional generators (require additional purchase)
- Sytrus - a powerful FM synthesizer featuring 6 customizable operators for FM, RM, VA and plucked-string synthesis, numerous multi-point, tempo-syncable envelopes and LFOs, 12 filter types & 3 waveshapers, a unique programmable unison mode, and an effects module consisting of chorus, 3 delay lines, and reverb.
- Slayer II - a guitar simulation that improves upon the included FL Slayer
- SimSynth Live - 3 oscillator MiniMoog simulation combined with Oberheim style SVF filters
- Wasp - a broad analog emulation synth with an aggressive distortion effect
- DX10 - FM sound with a simple, intuitive interface
- Soundfont Player - gives the ability to load, play and render soundfonts (.sf2 files)
- DrumSynth Live - a complex drum synthesizer
- BeatSlicer - easily 'slice' any wav file (not only loops) into its specific parts and edit those slices
- EZ-Editor - An audio editing program (not needed if you have Producer Edition)
- SimSynth Standalone - A free-standing program that is used to generate synth sounds in WAV or SYN format.
- DirectWave - A multisampler that can sample VSTi instruments directly
FL Studio supported standards
Driver support
- ASIO Driver
- DirectSound Driver
Effects Plugins
- Buzz Effect Adapter - is a wrapper for Buzz effect machines. You can find a huge collection of Buzz machines at BuzzMachines.com
- Fruity Big Clock - Displays songtime in various formats
- Fruity dB Meter - Shows the Decibel level of sound sent to the dB Meters' specific FX track
- Fruity Delay 2 - An effect causing the sound to echo
- Fruity Fast Dist - A simple distortion effect
- Fruity Flangus - Allows you to enrich the stereo panorama of your mix, add complex flange effects and simulate unison mode synthesis via a set of controllable "stacked" flangers
- Fruity Formula Controller - Allows you to write a formula returning a value which is then used to control an internal parameter.
- Fruity HTML NoteBook - The same as the Fruity Notebook but with the ability to use HTML.
- Fruity LSD - Wraps the functionality of the DirectMusic software synthesizer to FL Studio and provides 16 MIDI instruments with an option to import DLS level 1 banks.
- Fruity NoteBook - It's basically wordpad, but in fruity loops.
- Fruity PanOMatic - Pans and controls volume of sounds sent to its FX track.
- Fruity Parametric EQ - A parametric Equalizer for sounds traveling through its FX track. Each band can act as high shelf, low shelf, peaking, band pass, notch, high pass or low pass filter. The plugin also contains global gain wheel to adjust the overall volume
- Fruity Peak Controller - An internal controller which returns a value based on the peak level of sound sent to the controllers specific FX track. By default, it mutes the sound being sent to it. The returned value is used to control any internal parameter.
- Fruity Scratcher - Simulates a turntable. Load a .wav file and play with it like it's a record.
- Fruity Send - Sends its input to one of the 4 send Mixer tracks. This allows you to include effects in the insert track after the signal is sent to a sent track
- Fruity Soft Clipper - Very similar to the compressor, except it is more CPU friendly.
- Fruity Spectroman - Monitors the spectrum of its specific FX track
- Fruity Stereo Enhancer - A filter and processor for sound being sent to the FX track
- Fruity Vocoder - Takes left and right channels of sound being sent to its specific FX track and combines them in such a way where one channel modulates the other.
- Fruity Wrapper - Brings compatibility with Steinberg's VST2/VSTi plugins and DXi2 plugins
- Fruity X-Y Controller - An internal controller using a coordinate plane to return an X value and Y value which can both be used to control any internal parameter.
Versions of FL Studio
FL Studio is available in four editions, each one having a different set and amount of features.
- Express Edition - This is the smallest version, and with the most limited selection of features. It is meant to be used more as a drum-machine rather than a full-fledged audio production program.
- Fruityloops Edition - This is the second version, and is meant to be an "entry level virtual studio", according to the Image-Line store. It is more-or-less a stripped down version of the Producer Edition. It is included with more plug-ins than Express, but not as many as the Producer Edition.
- Producer Edition - The highest, and most feature-filled, version. It comes with a full set of VSTi and DX plugins.
- XXL Edition - Basically a bundle of the Producer Edition, and a few extra VST plug-ins