FL Studio is a powerful software solution that allows the creation of songs and loops using professional tools such as state of the art mixers, equalizers, integrated instruments and more. Always running in full screen, this application encompasses a lot of functions in the left side of the screen, while the right side is exclusively used for mixing the uploaded tune. A virtual piano is also included, so that you can be sure you can create the song or effect you had stuck in your head.
Plugins can be added for improved functionality, although the software comes with almost everything one might need for taking the first steps as a beginner, such as instruments, mixers, special effects, filters and many other tools.
FL Studio is quite light on computer resources, yet a faster machine allows users to perform more actions in the same time or edit tracks without being bothered by huge loading times. Also, you should know that significant storage space is required for saving the generated tunes, as well as the additional samples and instruments that one may download from the Internet.
Notable New Features:
Fully reworked scalable interface
- Any screen size or resolution you use, FL Studio will always fit
Multi-touch
– Multi-touch capability extends to the Mixer.
Browser
– New category tabs and the ability to delete content on right-click
Channel Menu
- The Channel Options Menu have moved from the Toolbar Menus to the Channel rack.
Channel settings
- Have been integrated into the Plugin Wrapper (no more Channel settings pop-up).
Pattern Menu
- The Pattern Menu has moved from the Channel rack to the Toolbar Menu and Pattern Selector.
Piano roll
- Piano roll Auto-zoom can now be deselected from Settings > General > Auto zoom in piano roll
Playlist
- Multiple drag and drop for audio files onto Playlist (from a Windows file browser).
Stepsequencer
- Step sequences are now interchangeable with Piano rolls.
VST Plugins
- VST plugin installation & discovery improved and simplified.
Fruity Formula Controller
- Updated, new UI.
Fruity Envelope Controller
- Updated, 8 Articulators, Mod X/Y env, Smart Knobs, New UI.
Fruity Keyboard Controller
- Attack smoothing, new UI.
New Plugins
* BassDrum – Deep Kick-Bass percussion synthesizer with sample layering. BassDrum was developed due to strong and loud customer demand for punchy kicks with a big bottom end. Our solution was to take a hybrid synthesis/sample route to provide unlimited customization for the perfect kick sound.
* GMS (Groove Machine Synth) - Multi-timbral hybrid synthesizer & FX channel lifted from Groove Machine. Another plugin by popular demand.
* Effector - 12 performance oriented effects: Distortion, Lo-Fi bit reduction, Flanging, Phasing, Filter (low/high pass), Delay, Reverb, Stereo panning & binaural effect, Gating, Granulizer, Vocal formant and Ring modulation effects. Effector was introduced to compliment Performance Mode and is perfect for use with multi-touch displays & controllers.
* Patcher – Introduced with FL Studio 10 to provide a means of saving and recalling commonly used effects and plugin chains. It’s in the new section as, aside from being overhauled with animated connections and a fresh interface, patcher has gained two, of many more to come, Voice Effects (VFX).
* VFX Key Mapper – Allows note inputs, live or from the Piano roll, to be transposed, keychanged, chorded or creatively remapped.
* VFX Color Mapper – Leverages FL Studio’s 16 Piano roll note colors that have traditionally mapped to MIDI channels. Now inside Patcher note colors can control 16 independent generators/instruments or groups of generators