FL Studio: Difference between revisions
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FL Studio is written in [[Borland Delphi]] and as a result there are no known plans to develop a native [[Linux]] or [[Mac OS X]] port. |
FL Studio is written in [[Borland Delphi]] and as a result there are no known plans to develop a native [[Linux]] or [[Mac OS X]] port. |
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Musical artists like [[Soulja Boy]], [[Nickelback]] and [[Mike Oldfield]] are known to use FL Studio in their music. |
Musical artists like [[Soulja Boy]], [[Hurricane Chris (rapper)|Hurricane Chris]], [[Hinder]], [[Nickelback]] and [[Mike Oldfield]] are known to use FL Studio in their music. |
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==Editions== |
==Editions== |
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Revision as of 20:57, 6 August 2008
| File:FLStudioXXL8.png | |
| File:FL Studio Screenshot.JPG FL Studio 8 Producer Edition XXL running on Windows XP | |
| Developer(s) | Image-Line Software |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 8.0.3
/ July 2008 |
| Written in | Delphi |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Digital Audio Workstation |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | http://www.flstudio.com |
FL Studio (originally Fruity Loops) is a digital audio workstation, developed by Belgian company Image-Line Software. Didier Dambrin, also known by his nickname "gol", is the lead programmer responsible for the development of the program.
FL Studio features a fully automatable workflow centered around a pattern-based music sequencer. The environment includes MIDI support and incorporates a number of features for the editing, mixing, and recording of audio. Completed songs or clips may be exported to Microsoft WAV, MP3, and as of FL Studio 8, the OGG Vorbis format. FL Studio saves work in a proprietary *.FLP format.
The program is acclaimed for its professional DAW features at an attractive price point. Scoring to video is possible using the video-player plugin, but there is no support for traditional music notation.
FL Studio is written in Borland Delphi and as a result there are no known plans to develop a native Linux or Mac OS X port.
Musical artists like Soulja Boy, Hurricane Chris, Hinder, Nickelback and Mike Oldfield are known to use FL Studio in their music.
Editions
FL Studio comes in multiple versions. Each edition is available as a download or in a box (with the exception of the express edition[specify]). Downloaded editions come with free lifetime upgrades and updates, whilst those buying the 'boxed' version have the option of adding lifetime downloadable updates for an additional, one-off, $29 USD.
FL Studio Express Edition
Offers drum-machine-like functionality with many features disabled. Only a few built-in effects and sound generators are available.
FL Studio FruityLoops Edition
Introduces the piano-roll editor and the ability to use FL Studio itself as a plugin for other VST compatible hosts.
FL Studio Producer Edition
As the most popular edition,[citation needed] it offers full audio editing and producing capability. This edition also enables automation envelopes.
FL Studio XXL Edition
The XXL edition combines all features of the producer edition with the addition of many extra plugins, such as the video player. Having all the plugins included in this version is 40% cheaper than buying all the plugins separately on top of the Producer Edition.
User interface
The FL Studio user interface is composed of five main windows:
- Channel Window
- allows the user to insert generator plugins(VST instruments, audio tracks, samplers etc.) and assign them to a mixer track. The channel window also contains the Step Sequencer which enables quick assembly of drum patterns and short melodic parts.
- Piano Roll
- a two dimensional grid for composing purposes. The vertical axis represents pitch, and the horizontal axis represents time. There is also another grid for note intensity.
- Playlist
- allows the arrangement of sets of patterns and audio files for assembling a complete song.
- used for balancing audio levels, adding effects processors (VST plugins, etc.), and recording audio input.
- Sample Browser
- allows for quick access of audio samples, plugins, presets, and other FL Studio song files (FLPs).
Functionality & features
FL Studio processes audio using an internal 32-bit floating-point engine. It can support sampling rates up to 192kHz using either WDM or ASIO enabled drivers. The audio engine in version 7 introduces limited multi-threading and multi-core support for some generators. Effects cannot be threaded in the present version.
The mixer interface allows for any number of channel configurations. This makes mixing in 2.1, 5.1, 7.1 surround sound possible, granted the output hardware interface has an equal number of outputs. The mixer permits audio-in, enabling FL Studio to act as a multi-track audio recording solution.
FL Studio comes with many plugins and generators (software synthesizers) written in the program’s own native plugin architecture. This API has a built in wrapper for full VST, VST2, DX, and ReWire compatibility.
An included plugin called Dashboard allows users to create full automation-enabled interfaces for their hardware MIDI devices. This allows FL Studio to control hardware from within the program.
FL Studio 8 includes a version of SynthMaker, the popular graphical programming environment for synthesizers.
Sources
- Image-Line's FL Studio site
- The FL Studio Online Store
- Unofficial Dutch site about FLstudio, including forums / Tutorials
- Warbeats User Community of Free FL Studio Tutorial Videos, Projects and Sound Kits
External links
- Large collection of Free Skins for FL Studio
- Hip Hop Tutorial Learn How to Use FL Studio
- Feature Comparison of the different FL Studio editions available
- KVR User Reviews of FL Studio
- FL Studio Video Tutorials FL Studio Video Tutorials