Dear all, welcome to this complete tutorial on how to use Fruity Loops
Studio 21 from Image-Line, one of the very best DAWs you can use to make
your own tracks, beats and melodies applying outstanding audio effects
and corrections!
This is available for Windows and MacOS in different versions under a
perpetual license and free updates forever after your purchase! In this
video we are going to use the Producer edition, seeing everything you need
to learn to start as a beginner or even from zero.
When you open FL Studio its main interface opens, showing the main Tool bar
on top, the Browser panel on the left - collecting samples, plugins and
effects - and the main workspace where you work on different windows you
can move, open and close. If you do not find any window you can reopen
it with any of the buttons on top.
To start with a new project go to File, New or New from template to pick
any ready template. At first this is completely empty, as you can see from
the Playlist window that you can open with the first button on top.
This window represents your entire project, where you import audio samples,
make recordings and add pattern compositions made with synthesizers or
external instruments. These clips, put together, realize the song you
export in the end.
The best way to understand how to use FL Studio is to start composing with
the Channel Rack or Step Sequencer. You can open it with the third button
on top.
This Channel Rack is perfect to make beats and percussions, generating
independent Patterns that you can paste on the Playlist window where
needed.
Each Pattern is a collection of channels - one per row - which can be audio
samples, entire loops, beats or voice recordings that play every time you
enable any Step.
By default the Channel Rack shows four percussion channels in a single
pattern called Pattern 1. You can turn ON any channel by clicking on any
step and turn it OFF by right-clicking on its steps. You can listen to the
result in loop with the Spacebar key, with the button on top of the Channel
Rack or with the main player on top in PAT mode. The time counter is shown
on the display in bars, beats and ticks or in seconds if you click on it.
When making compositions you may need to adjust the tempo in BPM, setting
the number of beats per minute. You can click and drag on the Tempo up or
down to increase or decrease it or simply right-click on it to get quick
values.
The time signature is 4/4 by default, so four Beats per Bar, as you can see
from the Channel Rack, where each Beat has its own color. Go to Options,
Project general settings to set another time signature.
On top you can adjust the Pattern duration in steps by clicking and
dragging above and also apply some swing with the Swing knob.
To add other channels use the plus button below, selecting any Drum or any
digital synthesizer. From the Browser window you can also import short
Impulses, entire Loops, Risers and Vocals under Packs and Speech. You can
also drag and drop your own samples directly on the Channel Rack.
Pay attention that each Step is always an entire playback of the channel,
so make sure that the Pattern is long enough and do not put steps to
close, in order to avoid sound overlapping.
Right-click on any channel to rename, colorize or delete it. Whereas click
on its name to change its properties and check its waveform - in particular
when the channel is a rendered sample. If you click on a channel with a
synth, its interface opens instead - so that you can adjust its sound.
On the left click on the green light to mute or unmute any channel and
use the knobs to adjust stereo panning and volume level.
Once the first pattern is done, you can create another pattern, for example
a new beat pattern or another to make melodies. To create a new pattern
click on the plus button and define its name. The Channel Rack shows the
pattern that is selected from the top.
Consider that these patterns always share the entire list of channels,
changing only when these are ON or OFF. Also the Pattern length can differ.
To manage the current pattern make sure to click on the left arrow on top.
Now let's see how to make melodies! In this case you have to open the Piano
Roll from the second button on top, in order to set when any channel must
be played and also at which note and octave.
The Piano Roll shows the channel selected from the top. If this channel
has steps defined from the Channel Rack these are shown as short impulses
around the default C5 note. You can also test other notes from the left
keyboard, with the letter representing the note and the number the octave.
If you select a channel with a loaded synthesizer you can test how this
sounds. Some of these collect different percussions as you can see from
the keyboard.
To drop any note enable the Draw tool and click on the right row. You can
adjust its length by dragging its edges and move it in time or in another
row by clicking and dragging it. This will snap to the grid set by the
grid options in the top left corner unless you hold down the ALT (or the
Option) key to avoid snappings.
To remove notes, just right-click on these. Use your mouse wheel while
holding down the CTRL (or CMD) key to zoom in and out.
If you check the Channel Rack the channels modified on the Piano Roll
discard the steps and show all notes as rectangles and impulses as
triangles.
The Control section at the bottom allows you to adjust the properties for
each single note or the entire channel in time. You can click and drag on
any note to adjust its velocity, panning or release level or switch to
Channel controls to set volume, panning and pitch in time by drawing their
envelope. You can also double-click on any note to correct its complete set
of properties.
Once your patterns are ready you can reopen the Playlist window to compose
your project. Select the pattern from the left and use the Draw tool to
drop several copies, as you do with notes on the Piano Roll. You can also
import audio samples that get listed on the left as audio clips.
The Playlist window shows the main timeline on top in bars and beats and
several rows or Tracks collecting patterns and samples - shown with their
name, audio waveform or notes and controls applied. You can move these
clips, adjust their length or remove these with a right-click.
To play and stop the Playlist content use the Spacebar key. To play and
pause the button on top instead.
You can also use the main player of the Tool bar, as long as it is in SONG
mode. Next to it you get two knobs: use the first one to adjust the master
volume and the second one to set the project pitch of your compositions,
without affecting rendered samples.
To playback a specific region right-click on the Playlist timeline and
drag on it. This red selection region will be continuously repeated.
Click on the green button on the left to mute or unmute an entire track and
enable the Mute tool to disable specific clips of the Playlist. You can
also use the Playback tool to play single clips on-the-go by clicking on
these.
With the forth button on top you open the Mixer, very useful to adjust the
output from each channel connected from the Channel Rack.
Next to each channel you get a number that corresponds to the Insert number
of the Mixer, so that you can manage multiple selected channels in one
place. For example you can mute/unmute, adjust stereo panning or their
volume level while checking the meter. On the right you get slots to add
effects, filters and audio corrections by selecting these from the list.
Next to each effect you can use the Mix knob to tune the percentage of the
sound effect over the channel output and click on the green light to
disable or enable each effect.
Now let's see how to record with your microphone on one of the Playlist
tracks. Select an empty Insert channel and connect it to a track by
right-clicking on it and going to Track mode, Audio track. At this point
select the Insert channel, set the correct input source on the right and
check if the channel is armed and responsive. If not, make sure to check
your input sources from Options, Audio settings.
If the Insert channel is responsive you can start recording with the Record
button on top, getting the result on the chosen Playlist track. You can
stop the recording by clicking again on top.
To save the project use CTRL (or CMD) and S, saving it as a .flp file. You
may not be able to save it if you use a trial version.
To export your Playlist song go to File, Export and select the file format.
Define file name, destination folder and complete options including bit
depth and quality!
On Mode select what to export, selecting Full song for the complete
Playlist content; Pattern for the current pattern selected or Song
selection to export the Playlist content within the selected red region you
have. Click on Start to export!
Thank you very much for watching this video! Do not forget to visit our
YouTube channel and our website for more free and outstanding music
tutorials!