The History
That first version was a simple four-track drum machine – a simple TR-or Rebirth-style step programming interface, but it quickly developed to handle melodic sequencing and audio via a sample-based drum machine.
Its simple interface brought it a huge number of fans, especially in the US where it was adopted by high-profile producers in the hip hop community thanks to its beat programming prowess.
By the end of the 90s, VST support was added as well as a range of dedicated Fruity plug-ins.
With version 4.0, the name changed from FruityLoops to FL Studio and as the software developed through the 00s, it was all about integration with the outside world, with hardware controllers, audio formats and plug-ins.
In June 2011 FL Studio Mobile was announced and within a couple of years had become hugely popular across iOS and later Android devices.
At the present day you have two editions available: Fruity and Producer (plus two more titles, Signature and All Plug-ins, which are Producer with added content and plug-ins).
The 411 on FL Studio
The main crux of FL Studio is to compose short loops in channel racks and then arrange these on the playlist to make a song. The beauty is that you can have anything in a channel rack: beats, synths, instruments and a mixture thereof, and you can line up enough instruments to make a complete song in one sequence if you want. Even better, when you come to arrange these sequences, you can throw them at whatever ’track’ in the Playlist you want. It turns conventional sequencing on its head.
A piano roll editor allows you to record complete melodies with the many instruments in the software. The instruments and effects add up to over 80 instrument plug-ins in FL Studio 20 Producer and there are more than enough effects to carry out most tasks, The Browser is another FL favourite. It’s easy to use this to aid your workflow by linking folders, and organising data within projects.
And it’s this easy workflow that is – and has always been – the standout feature in FL Studio, and is maintained in v20. You are just one very shallow learning curve away from great sounding tunes and easy arrangements.
FL Studio News & Sound Kits
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Setting Up Your FL Studio
Ok so you’ve got your copy of FL Studio now the next step is setting up your FL Studio. Basically you…
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How to Export a Pattern from One FL Studio Project to Another
So you want to export a pattern from one FL Studio project and import it into another FL Studio project?…
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FL Studio goes mobile on iPhone, iPod & iPad!
Image-Line is pleased to announce FL Studio goes mobile and is now available from your local App Store. There are two…
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FL Studio 10 Free Download
If you would like to try a FL Studio 10 Free Download then you can download it here: FL Studio Ok…
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FL Studio Newtone
FL Studio Newtone is a new plugin in FL Studio 9.7 beta. It is a pitch corection and editor which…
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FL Studio Autosave
If you have been living under a rock for a while (as I have appear to been), FL Studio now…
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Conclusion
It might not turn you completely away from Logic or whatever, but even considered as just a plug-in within whatever you use FL Studio 20 is a fantastic idea, and as a complete DAW, well, there’s yet another great contender on the market for both platforms. As I said at the start, there really is no better time to be making music.
Summary
Key Features
- Mac and PC DAW with easy to understand interface for easy song creation
- Multitrack audio recording, time stretching, pitch shifting, audio editing.
- 80 plugins with the producer version
- Supports VST standard for more plugins
- Customize interface by resizing and rearranging
- Record and edit Automation
- Lifetime free updates! Yes, never pay for DAW updates again!
