FL Studio can play any sample file (wav), generator (Fruityloops soft- synth, VSTi & DXi) or midi instrument you feed it.
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. Then you can add a wide range of effects, then automate them for dynamic sweeps, rolling bass lines and texture changes that really make your music stand out from the crowd.
FL Studio is a fun product but still helps you to create great sounding music. Use it on its own or as a fantastic complementary product for Cakewalk's SONAR, SONAR 2, Home Studio, Music Creator, etc, Syntrillium's Cool Edit Pro 2, Steinberg Cubase, Cubasis, etc, ACID etc.
FL Studio comes in two flavours: Fruityloops Edition and Producer Edition. The Producer Edition includes everything found in the Fruityloops edition, plus audio recording and editing capabilities.
FLStudio Fruityloops Edition & Producer Edition both feature:
- TS404 analogue bass line synth
- Boobass acoustic bass simulator
- Wave Traveller scratch synth
- BeepMap image-based synth
- Granulizer synth
- Fruityloops Sampler
- 3xOsc subtractor synth
- Plucked! plucked strings synth
- Unlimited synth layering
- Reverb & Compressor by Ultrafunk
- 28 additional audio effects
- Effects on input while recording
- Multi-chord arpeggiator
- Fruityslicer: slice and rearrange loops
- Piano Roll and Step Sequencer
- Dashboard controller designer
- Full automation of parameters
- Live Mode & Playlists
- DXi and VSTi synth support
- DirectX and VST FX support
- Output up to 96kHz audio
Boxed version exclusives:
- Printed getting started manual (78 pages)
- FL Studio on CD (no worries if you have to re-format your system)
- DreamStation DXi analogue synth
- 3,000+ royalty-free samples
- 300+ loops
- 100 songs
- UK Phone support
Producer Edition also features:
- Record & mix up to 999 tracks of audio
- Use effects on input while recording
- 64 channel Mixer with per-track EQ
- Integrated WaveEditor
Sequencing tools
Step Sequencer
The step sequencer is the heart of FLStudio. In this view you assign channels to sound generators. It contains a button for each channel in your song, from which you can access its Channels Settings, Piano Roll, etc. It also contains a pattern grid, where you can create drum loops and simple melodies.
Simply clicking the dots allows you to trigger sampler channels, the integrated synths that come with Fruityloops, or any existing VST 2.0 or DXi plug-in. If you want to change the pitch of the samples you simply pull down the piano keyboard and create a melody.
Piano Roll
The Piano Roll allows you to compose complex tracks for your songs, that would be hard or impossible to do with the Step Sequencer. Create melodies and chord changes, with control over note lengths and pitch, slides, panning, velocity, cut off, resonance, and more. All parameters can be controlled on a note by note basis, and by using slides you can make your notes slide from the one to the other.
MIDI users can input notes directly from their keyboard or other MIDI controller. You can also import a MIDI files or use the PC keyboard to compose the notes.
Playlist
The Playlist is where you arrange your composition. This is where you specify which patterns or audio clips you want to play, when you want them to sound, and for how long.
Want to add pre-recorded voices, guitar parts or other recorded audio? Just drag any wav file to the Playlist and position it to the time you want to have it played back. In the Producer Edition, you can also record audio directly into FLStudio.
FL Studio includes a wide range of soft synths
Dreamstation DXi - accurately reproduces analogue synth sounds by modeling analogue circuits and oscillators.
Wave Traveller - Load Wave files, then create multiple paths back and forth through the audio to create convincing DJ-style scratches. Multiple paths per-sample can be key mapped.
3xOsc - a combination of 3 oscillators that feed the FLStudio Sampler. It generates bright sounds that can be filtered by the channel's instrument tools. It can also produce a unique kind of stereo chorus.
Fruity Granulizer - a granular synth. Granular synths split wave samples into small pieces ("grains") and then plays them back according to defined settings. Stretch audio without altering its pitch; create complex special effects; even start with normal playback and then "morph" your audio.
BeepMap - generates sound based on imported image files.
BooBass - a realistic acoustic bass synth.
Fruity Kick -a simple kick drum synth.
Plucked! - a plucked string synth.
Fruity Scratcher - a vinyl turntable simulator. Load samples and record your performance in real-time.
Fruity LSD - adds the functionality of the DirectMusic software synthesizer to FLStudio and provides 16 MIDI instruments with an option to import DLS level 1 banks.
Fruity Wrapper - adds support for DXi and VST instruments.
MIDI Out - a plug-in that allows you to use FLStudio to control your external MIDI devices.
FLStudio includes a versatile mixer
- 64 tracks
- 4 send tracks
- Individual VU meters and sliders
- Full re-routing of effects (Producer Edition only)
- ASIO in recording (Producer Edition only)
- Bounce to disk option
Each track has:
- 8 effect channels
- 3-band parametric equaliser (Producer Edition only)
- Stereo separator
- Post Effects VU meter with peaks (Producer Edition only)
- Volume, pan, and stereo separation
Included effects
- Fruity 7 Band EQ
- Fruity Balance
- Fruity Bass Boost
- Fruity Blood Overdrive
- Fruity Center
- Fruity Chorus
- Fruity Compressor
- Fruity Delay
- Fruity Delay 2 (image)
- Fruity Fast Dist
- Fruity Fast LP
- Fruity Filter
- Fruity Flanger
- Fruity Free Filter
- Fruity Mute
- Fruity PanOMatic
- Fruity Parametric EQ
- Fruity Phase Inverter
- Fruity Phaser
- Fruity Reeverb
- Fruity Send
- Fruity Soft Clipper
- Fruity Spectroman spectrum analyzer
- Fruity Stereo Enhancer (image)
- Fruity Vocoder (image)
- Fruity Wrapper adds support for DirectX and VST effects.
Controllers
FLStudio provides a number of unique ways for you to control your music, effects and synths.
Fruity Peak Controller
An internal controller that allows you to modify any wheel, knob or switch by feeding it a sound or beat. It tracks the audio peaks from your source and then uses it to modulate whatever controls you have designated.
Fruity Formula Controller
An internal controller that accepts user defined formulas for modulating other parameters.
Fruity X-Y Controller
An internal controller that allows you to control parameters along an X-Y axis. You can also use a joystick with this controller to get hands on control of your mix.
Dashboard
Create software interfaces for your external MIDI hardware, such as keyboards, mixers, samplers etc. Use the integrated automation system to record changes as your song progresses. Also set up interfaces that act as internal controllers.
Dashboard includes several preset panels for popular MIDI devices, ready to use in your projects. You can customize the existing panels or create new ones from scratch. This way you can adapt Dashboard for any MIDI device you own.
Audio Recording (Producer Edition only)
Add vocals, guitar lines, or any recorded audio you can imagine to your soft synth compositions in FLStudio Producer Edition.
Record and mix up to 999 tracks of audio. Use effects on input while recording. Mix audio using the 64 channel Mixer with per-track EQ. More.
Audio Editing (Producer Edition only)
FLStudio Producer Edition has a built-in Wave Editor that allows you to perform basic audio editing and also to record new audio files.
You can fade, normalize, reverse, invert, trim, and add loop points to any audio clip.
The Audiotracks in FLStudio allow you to lay out your vocals, guitar parts or external synth leads visually in the Playlist.
Mixer Window
- 64 mixer tracks
- Track rerouting and chaining
- Track recording with ASIO input channels support
- Integrated track equalizer, volume and panning controls
- Automated effects mute and effects mix level
Vastly Improved Playlist Window
- Audio tracks with waveform preview & support for cue points
- "Piano Roll" playlist style, showing the accurate pattern lengths
- Patterns can start at any time (not aligned to bars anymore)
- Live Mode for live performances and quick tests
Per-Pattern Grid Length in the Step Sequencer
- Now supports custom grid length for each individual pattern
- Improved Randomizer
Miscellaneous
- A Randomizer now available in the Piano Roll as well
- Cut & Paint tools are available in the Playlist (including audio clips) and Piano Roll windows
sequence stretching in the Piano Roll window (select several notes and resize while holding SHIFT)
- "display black keys" mode in Piano Roll
- The BeatSlicer engine is now fully integrated in FL Studio
- FL Studio now accessible as a DXi plugin.
Plugins
- Wave Traveller - Create realistic scratches with a full control over the smallest details.
- BooBass - Realistic fender bass synthesizer.
- DashBoard - Create your own internal controller and MIDI interfaces.
- Vocoder - An advanced vocoder with a wide range of adjustable parameters and zero latency.
System Requirements
The faster the CPU, the more channels you will be able to run simultaneously. The more memory you have, the larger the samples that you will be able to load.
- Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP
- Latest version of DirectX and DirectX-supported video & soundcard recommended
- Pentium Class 200 MHz, Pentium III processor or higher recommended
- 64 MB or higher recommended
- 800x600 video display
- 30 MB free disk space
- Windows sound card
- CD-ROM Drive
- ASIO drivers required for synchronized audio recording in Producer Edition
