Flying High with FL Studio 6

Dec 1, 2005 6:37 PM, Advertorial by Duncan Crockett

           

The World According to FL

FL Studio started out as a pattern-oriented sequencer with a suite of basic sound sources and effects and a library of percussion samples. Additions over the years have included audio tracks, automated beat-slicing, real-time scratching, amazingly deep automation features, a basic audio editor, and the best piano-roll MIDI editor in the industry.

FIG. 1: A pattern in FL Studio contains notes to be played by the various Generators (the column on the left).

The workflow for a typical FL project starts with a few patterns (see Fig. 1), which can be created either by clicking buttons on a rhythm grid or by recording into a piano-roll window. Patterns are then inserted into the Playlist with a pencil or paintbrush tool to arrange a finished song.

Sytrus, DirectWave, Speech Synthesizer, Wave Traveller, Wasp XT, and FL's other synths provide a full palette of sounds, but you might like to add a favorite plug-in synth from another manufacturer for a specialized tone or a vintage vibe. No problem; FL Studio hosts both VST and DX instruments and effects, and it