12/11/2018 FL Studio Online Reference Manual

FL STUDIO BASICS

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How to use FL Studio - Making music O G  
FL Studio 20 Reference Manual
This section covers the FL Studio desktop and basic workflow. FL Studio allows you to load instruments
Title Page
and samples, play these live or manually enter the note data, record external sounds (from a
What is FL Studio? microphone for example) and play the whole mix back through the mixer (adding effects). The
What's New in FL Studio 20? completed project can be saved to a .flp or .zip and/or exported (rendered) to .wav, .mp3 or .ogg
audio.
Product Information
This section covers:
Purchasing & Registration
The main windows.
Introduction to FL Studio

What's New? Adding instruments to a project.

The user interface Composing & sequencing.

Video tutorials
Arranging & editing songs.
Making music
Mixing & levels.
Hardware controllers

Software controllers Exporting audio & saving.

Touch Controllers We also recommend you watch the FL Studio | Getting Started YouTube playlist.

IL Remote App
Main Windows
Keyboard & Mouse shortcuts
The FL Studio desktop is based on a number of windows, most of these are movable (with overlap),
Useful web-links
resizable, zoomable and switchable so if a window isn't visible open it using the Shortcut toolbar (or the
Getting Started function keys as noted in brackets). The main windows involved in FL Studio music creation are -
Main Windows Channel Rack ( F6), Piano roll ( F7). Mixer ( F9) and Playlist ( F5). The Browser ( Alt+F8)
is used to access audio files, plugins & presets (see the File setting options for adding folders elsewhere
Setup Wizard
on your computer to the Browser). NOTE: If you ever need to reset the position of all windows to their
Soundcard Setup default use ( Ctrl+Shift+H) or see the View menu options.

ASIO Driver Setup

Primary Sound Driver Setup

MIDI Setup

File Settings Setup

Next Steps

Options & Settings

System Settings

MIDI Settings

Audio Settings

Audio ASIO4ALL Settings

General Settings

File Settings

Debugging Information

Project Settings

Project Information

Project General Settings

Main Menu, Panels & Tool Bars

Workflow
Main Menu Bar
Once you have mastered the FL Studio interface, the next step is to learn the procedure for creating
File Menu
music - the FL Studio 'workflow'. The typical steps making a track are outlined below:
Edit Menu

Add Menu 1. Instruments

Patterns Menu The Channel Rack holds instruments (plugins) that create sound and internal generators that control
automation. Every pattern has access to all instruments in the rack. So, all patterns have access to all
View Menu
instruments in the Channel Rack. Patterns are not limited to a single instrument as they are in most
Options Menu other sequencers. Music data can come in the form of Step sequences and Piano roll scores. The height
Tools Menu of the Channel Rack will change dynamically as you add and remove plugins. The Step Sequencer, (
Video Here ) is a pattern-based grid sequencer ideal for creating drum loops when Channels are
Help Menu
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Help Menu
loaded with the native Sampler, that holds a single percussion sample per Channel.
Toolbar

Editing the Toolbar

Main Menu

Title & Hint Panel

Transport Panel

CPU & Memory Panel

Global Snap Panel

Output Panel

Online Panel

Pattern Panel

Shortcut Icons Instruments - Instrument plugins make the sounds used in a song and are loaded in the
Channel Rack. In the screen-shot above, the instrument interfaces are minimized and can be
Time Panel
accessed by Left-clicking on the Channel buttons. Instruments generally fall into two types,
Multilink Controllers Icon software synthesizers that create audio using an internal 'synthesis engine' or sample
Main Volume & Pitch Panel players that play back 'audio recordings' such as drum loops, percussion samples or
instrument samples.
Window Controls

File Browser There are several ways to load a new instrument, the first two below will auto-name
and auto-route the instrument to the Mixer track:
Plugin Database

Project Browser Load plugins from the plugin picker - Open the Plugin Picker ( F8) then
drag-and-drop a plugin on the desired Mixer track. The Mixer track will be
Advanced folder stuff
auto-named and plugin routed to that Mixer track. You can also double-click an
Channel Rack & Step instrument plugin in the Picker OR drag it to the Channel Rack and the
Sequencer instrument will be routed to the Master Mixer track.

Channel Button Menu

Load plugins from the Browser - Drag a plugin preset or samples/loops
Channel Settings from the Browser to a Mixer track. The Mixer track will be auto-named and
plugin routed to that Mixer track. You can also drop it on the Channel Rack and
Main Control
the instrument will be routed to the Master Mixer track.
Sampler Setting
+ - Use the Add channel button at the bottom of the Channel Rack. The
Instrument Setting
instrument will be routed to the Master Mixer track.
Miscellaneous Setting
Add menu - Use the Add menu.
Automation Clip Setting

Layer Setting Replace an existing instrument channel - Right-Click on a Channel button

and select 'Replace >' from the pop-up context menu.
Plugin Window Setting

Piano Roll In the case of samples & loops you can also drag these from the Browser to the
Playlist (see below). When you drag a sample to the Playlist an Audio Clip instrument
Piano Roll Arpeggiator
is automatically added to the Channel window. Alternatively you can Right-Click the
Piano Roll Articulator sample in the Browser and 'send' it to one of the instruments in the pop-up list.

Piano Roll Chopper

Add your own folders to the Browser with the F10 > File settings dialog.
Piano Roll Claw Machine
To open an instrument interface Left-click on the Channel button.
Piano Roll Flam Tool

Piano Roll Flip Tool Think of the Channel window as a rack of synthesizer/sampler modules that can be
routed to any one of the 99 Mixer Tracks using the Channel settings FX (Mixer Track
Piano Roll LFO Tool
Selector).
Piano Roll Key Limiter Tool

Piano Roll Menu 2. Composing & sequencing

Import MIDI Data Dialog

Piano Roll Quantizer

Piano Roll Randomizer

Riff Machine

Piano Roll Scale Level Tool

Piano Roll Strum Tool

Playlist

Patterns

Audio Clips

Automation Clips

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Performance Mode

Instrument / Generator
Plugins

Plugin Wrapper Composing - Musical notes and chords can be played live via a controller keyboard or entered
manually in the Piano roll (Right-Click the Channel buttons to open the Piano roll) OR use the
Wrapper: Menu
default Step Sequencer to trigger percussion samples. There is a Step Recording option on the
Wrapper: Additional Shortcut icons too.
Settings
When editing patterns, make sure you are in Pattern Mode so that when you press play
Wrapper: Plugin
the currently selected pattern is played.
Processing

3x Osc To the right of each instrument button in the Channel window is either a step-
sequencer display (rows of squares) or a mini-preview of a Piano roll (green lines).
Audio Clips

Autogun Step Sequencers and Piano rolls are interchangeable for each Channel.

Automation Clips New instruments start with an empty Step Sequencer pattern by default. Step
BassDrum Sequencers and Piano rolls hold the note data only for the instrument channel they are
associated with.
BeepMap

BooBass Step-sequencer 'steps' are activated by by Left-clicking the squares to turn them
on, or Right-Clicking to turn them off (great for percussion programming).
Channel Sampler

Control Surface To open an existing Piano roll, Left-click directly on the mini-preview window.

Dashboard Changing patterns - Left-click hold and slide up/down on the Pattern Selector (shown
DirectWave Sampler above) to change the pattern number and work on a new pattern.

FL Keys Up to 999 unique patterns can be created. The complete stack of channel instruments

FL Slayer and their Step sequence/Piano roll data is a single pattern. In the example above,
Pattern '1' consists of a Harmor Channel being played by a Piano roll and a Step
FL Studio Mobile
Sequence Hat Channel. In the example below Pattern 2 consists only of step-sequence
Home panel data playing the Kick & Hat channels.

Playlist As you step through the patterns with the Pattern Selector, the appearance of the
Rack channel window will change to reflect the note data associated with each pattern.

Instruments
The length of each pattern can vary and is determined by the number of bars spanned
Drum Sampler by the longest data in any one of the channels.

DirectWave
Piano rolls may be of any length. The 'LCD' window showing '--' in the top left corner of
MiniSynth the Channel window changes the number of Steps in the pattern (4 to 64 are possible).

GMS
3. Arranging & editing
Transistor Bass
The Playlist sequences all the elements of the project that play to make the final song. The Playlist
Effects
window is a stack of multi-purpose 'Clip Tracks' that can host Patterns Clips, Audio Clips and
Autoduck Automation Clips. Unlike most other sequencers, the Playlist tracks are not bound to any one
Chorus instrument, audio recording or even Clip type. You can put any Clip type anywhere and even
overlay Clips. Think of Clips as a little like notes in the Piano roll. When the play-head reaches a Clip,
Compressor
FL Studio plays whatever the Clip instructs it to do.
Distortion

Equalizer (Para)

Filter

Flanger

Graphic EQ

Leveller

Limiter

Multi FX

Phaser

Reverb
Arranging - A handy tool to use when arranging is the Picker Panel (shown above). Use this to
Stereoizer select, or drag and drop, Patterns, Audio and Automation Clips into the Playlist. It's also great
for managing content, allowing you to group rename and color Clips.
Tape Delay

Trance Delay Arranging with 'Producer edition' - Use the Playlist to hold three types of data, use
the Clip source selector (shown below) to select:
Mixer

Editors Pattern Clips (notes) - Patterns generally hold note data for sequencing Plugin
instruments, although they can also contain Automation Event data.
Controllers
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Controllers

FPC Audio Clips (audio/loops/samples) - If an Audio Clip already exists, it can be

selected from the 'Clip source selector', otherwise you can drag
Fruit Kick
sample/loop/audio files from the Browser directly into the Playlist. Add your
Fruity Dance own folders to the Browser with the F10 > File settings dialog.
Drumaxx
Automation Clips (control movements) - Automation Clips move knobs and
Drumpad controls on the FL Studio interface and plugins. To create an Automation

Fruity DrumSynth Live Clip Right-Click on an interface control and select 'Create automation clip'.

Fruity DX10 Arranging with 'Fruity Edition' - that only has access to the Pattern Clip type that
holds note data from Stepsequences or Piano rolls & Event Automation. The length of a
Fruity Envelope Controller
Pattern Clip will be determined by the length of the data in it, you are not restricted.
Fruity Granulizer
Audio - Since Audio Clips are not available in Fruity Edition, to insert track-
Fruity Keyboard Controller
length audio you can trigger a Sampler Channel from a Pattern using the
Fruity Layer Piano roll to control the duration of the sample. The note C5 will play the audio
Fruity Slicer at the original pitch.

Fruity Soundfont Player An alternative Clip selection method is to Right-Click a tab of the Playlist Clip Focus
Fruity Vibrator selector to show Clips of the desired category.

Fruity Video Player Once a Clip is selected, select Draw (Pencil) or Paint (Brush) mode Left-click on a
Groove Machine blank area of the Playlist. Dragging in Brush mode will repeat the Clip as you drag
horizontally.
Groove Machine Synth

Harmless Once placed, Pattern Clips can be clicked + dragged around (horizontally or
vertically) by the name-bar that runs along the top of the clip. The way the clip moves
Harmless Tutorials
will depend on the Playlist snap settings and zoom level.
Harmless Credits
The Playlist Clip Tracks can be named, colored, moved up/down or muted. These
Harmor functions are accessed by Right-Clicking on the Name area at the start of each
IL Remote track.

MIDI Out You can place any Pattern Clip in any Clip Track, or any number of different clips in
MiniSynth the same track. Clip tracks are just universal holding lanes for any and all data
types.
Morphine

Morphine: General Playback - Make sure you are in Song Mode so that the patterns are played from the
Settings & Controls Playlist. Otherwise, you will play only the selected pattern. There are Play buttons on
the top of the Channel window and Playlist, so you can also initiate a Pattern or Playlist
Morphine: Generator
play-back that way.
Page

Morphine: Resynthesis FL Studio is not limited to pattern-based sequencing, you can also enter an
unused Pattern Clip into the Playlist and play song-length data (patterns). Thus, FL
Morphine: Morph-Mix
Studio has the flexibility of being either a 'track-based' sequencer, a 'pattern-based'
Page
sequencer, or a combination of the two.
Morphine: Modulation
Page
4. Mixing
Morphine: Technical
The Channel Rack shows a Channel button for each instrument. The audio from each Channel is sent to
Information
one of the Mixer Tracks for effects processing and level mixing. Set the destination Mixer track from
Morphine: Credits the selector to the left side of the Channel Button. The same selector is also available from the
Ogun Instrument Channel Settings under the Channel Settings icon. Playlist Clip Tracks are not bound to
Mixer tracks, rather Channel Rack to Mixer routing decides the Mixer track/s that are used. So
Ogun Master
Instrument Channels are bound to Mixer tracks, not Playlist tracks. For example, a single
Ogun Synthesis Pattern Clip on a single Playlist track, could trigger every Channel Rack instrument, and so all Mixer

Ogun Effects tracks if they were routed accordingly. If you want to simulate 'traditional' sequencer workflow: Route
each Instrument to a separate Mixer track. Use one Instrument Channel per Pattern Clip and use one
Ogun Tutorial
song-length Pattern Clip per Playlist track.
Ogun Pad Harmonics
Tool

Patcher

VFX Color Mapper

VFX Key Mapper

VFX Keyboard Splitter

VFX Level Scaler

Plucked!

Poizone

Poizone: Master
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Controls

Poizone: MIDI

Poizone: LFO
Mixing - Sound from the instrument channels is routed to the Mixer using the Channel settings
Poizone: Envelope Mixer TRACK send (as shown above). Use the Mixer to set levels and add Effects (FX) such as
Generator reverberation (reverb), chorus and delay.
Poizone: ADSR
See the page Levels, Mixing & Clipping for more detailed Mixing advice, and in
(Amplifier)
particular the section Making tracks louder! (and good) for some tips on getting a great
Poizone: Oscillators 'commercial' sound.
Poizone: Filter
Almost all aspects of mixing are automatable, so fader movements and knob changes
Poizone: Arpeggiator become part of the overall performance.
Poizone: Effects
The Mixer is also the place where external audio from a microphone, guitar or
Poizone: Trance Gate synthesizer can be recorded along with the internal instruments.
ReWire
The recorded sound is displayed in the Playlist as an Audio Clip.
Sakura
NOTE: Routing Instrument Channels to Mixer tracks - The most efficient way to route one
Sawer
or more Channels to Mixer tracks is to:
Sawer: General Settings
1. Left or Right-Click the Channel Selector LED's to the right side of each
Sawer: Master Controls
Instrument Channel you want to route (Right-Clicking allows multiple selections).
Sawer: Oscillators
2. Right-Click the target Mixer track and select 'Link selected channels > to this
Sawer: Filter
track' from the pop-up menu. OR use 'Link selected channels > starting from this
Sawer: Modulation track' to assign multiple Channels to multiple Mixer tracks.

Sawer: Effects (Delay,

Chorus) 5. Exporting audio
Sawer: Arpeggiator

Sawer: MIDI Modulator

Sawer: Credits &

Information

SimSynth Live

Slicex

Slicex: Master Panel

Slicex: Articulation Panel

Slicex: Wave Editor

Slicex: Keyboard &

Piano roll

Speech Synthesizer

FL SynthMaker

Sytrus

Toxic Biohazard

Toxic Bio: Master

Toxic Bio: Oscillators

Toxic Bio: Filter

Toxic Bio: LFO

Toxic Bio: FM Matrix

Toxic Bio: MIDI CC

Toxic Bio: Sequencer

Toxic Bio: Effects

Exporting/Rendering - The final mix is exported from FL Studio to a .wav, .mp3 or .ogg file
Transistor Bass format by selecting the export option from the file menu in a non-real time process called
Wasp rendering.

Wasp XT CD? If you want to make an Audio CD you need to render to 16-Bit, 44.1 kHz .wav
Wave Traveller files. FL Studio does not burn audio CDs so you will need to use a 3rd party Audio CD
burning application.
Mixer & Mixing

Mixer Functions
That's it, go make some organized noise!
Mixer Menu

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Plugin Effects

Mixer Track Properties

Audio Input/Output Routing

Audio Recording

Levels, Mixing and Clipping

The dB Scale

Effect Plugins

Plugin Wrapper

Wrapper: Menu

Wrapper: Additional
Settings

Wrapper: Plugin
Processing

Control Surface

Edison Wave Editor &

Recorder

Edison: Sample
Properties

Edison: Amp Tool

Edison: Blur Tool

Edison: Convolution /
Reverb Tool

Edison: Claw Machine

Tool

Edison: Drum Tool

Edison: Equalize Tool

Edison: Noise Removal

Tool

Edison: Script Tool

Edison: Time Stretch /

Pitch Shift Tool

Edison: Tune Loop Tool

Effector

EQUO

Fruity 7 Band EQ

Fruity Balance

Fruity Bass Boost

Fruity Big Clock

Fruity Blood Overdrive

Fruity Center

Fruity Chorus

Fruity Compressor

Fruity Convolver (Reverb)

Fruity dB Meter

Fruity Delay

Fruity Delay 2

Fruity Delay 3

Fruity Delay Bank

Fruity Fast Distortion

Fruity Fast LP

Fruity Filter

Fruity Flanger

Fruity Flangus
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u ty a gus

Fruity Formula Controller

Fruity Free Filter

Gross Beat

Main Options

Gross Beat: Time

Settings

Gross Beat: Volume

Settings

Gross Beat: Envelope

Mapping Panel

Gross Beat: Envelope

Sequencer Tool

Gross Beat: Envelope

Smoothing Tool

Gross Beat: Envelope

Scaling Tool

Gross Beat: Information

Hardcore Guitar Effects

Fruity HTML Notebook

Fruity Love Philter

Fruity Limiter

Fruity LSD

Maximus Multiband
Maximizer

Maximus: Controls &

Options

Maximus: Tutorials &

Tips

Maximus: Credits

Fruity Mute 2

Fruity Multiband
Compressor

Newtone

Fruity NoteBook

Fruity NoteBook 2

Fruity PanOMatic

Patcher

VFX Color Mapper

VFX Keyboard Splitter

VFX Note Mapper

Fruity Parametric EQ

Fruity Parametric EQ 2

Fruity Peak Controller

Fruity Phase Inverter

Fruity Phaser

Pitcher

Razer Chroma

Fruity Reeverb

Fruity Reeverb 2

Fruity Scratcher

Fruity Send

Fruity Soft Clipper

Fruity Spectroman

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Fruity Squeeze

Fruity Stereo Enhancer

Fruity Stereo Shaper

Fruity Vocoder

Wave Candy

Fruity WaveShaper

Fruity X-Y Controller

Fruity X-Y-Z Controller

Soundgoodizer

SynthMaker

Transient Processor

Vocodex

Vocodex: Setup Inputs

Vocodex: Parameters

Vocodex: Carrier
Synthesizer

Vocodex: Tutorials

ZGameEditor Visualizer

Installing & Using VST / AU

Plugins

Installing & Using VST / AU

Plugins

Recording: Audio, Notes &

Automation

Audio Recording

Audio Interfaces (USB

Microphones)

Note Recording

Note Step Entry

Automation Recording

Linking USB/MIDI
Controllers

Preconfigured Controllers
(USB/MIDI)

Linking Internal Controller

Plugins

Mapping Formula

Automation Clips

Automation Event Editor

LFO Tool

Scale Levels Tool

Import MIDI Data Tool

Edison Wave Editor &

Recorder

Edison: Sample Properties

Edison: Amp Tool

Edison: Blur Tool

Edison: Convolution /
Reverb Tool

Edison: Claw Machine Tool

Edison: Drum Tool

Edison: Equalize Tool

Edison: Noise Removal

Tool
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Edison: Script Tool

Edison: Time Stretch /

Pitch Shift Tool

Edison: Tune Loop Tool

ReWire Support

Client Mode

Host Mode

FL Studio as a Plugin
(VSTi/DXi2)

FL Studio as a Plugin
(VSTi/DXi2)

Load & Save File Formats

Open & Import File

Formats

Open/Import File
Formats

FL Studio Loop File

Zipped Loop File

BeatCreator/BeatSlicer
Grid File

MIDI File

Save & Export File

Formats

Audio & MIDI

Raw FL Studio Project

(FLP)

Archive FL Studio
Project (ZIP)

Sample File Formats

DrumSynth Preset

Fast Tracker's Extended

Instruments

MS Waveform File

ReCycle Loops

SimSynth Preset

Speech Preset

Other File Formats

Other File Formats

FL Studio State File

FL Studio Score File

Humanize Preset File

MIDI File

Trouble Shooting & FAQ's

Offline help installation

FL Studio Editions &

Features

Troubleshooting FAQ

Optimizing CPU &

Maximizing Performance

Missing Plugins or Files

Locate the FL Studio

Installation

Plugins Behaving Badly

Pitch or Tempo Problems

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Updating & Upgrading
Procedure

Lost Registration
Codes/Login

Reset Settings

Lifetime Free Updates

Monitor Speakers

Copyright Cleared Content

Audio Myths & DAW Wars

Glossary

ACM Waveform

Cutoff and Resonance

Filter

Envelope

Gate

LFO

Acknowledgements

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