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FL Studio

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Image-Line FL Studio
Developer(s)Image-Line Software (International)
Initial releaseDecember 18, 1997 (1997-12-18)
Stable release
10.0.2 / May 19, 2011
Written inDelphi
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeDigital Audio Workstation
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.FLstudio.com

FL Studio (formerly known as FruityLoops) is a digital audio workstation developed by the Belgian company Image-Line Software. FL Studio features a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer. The program is available in four different editions for Microsoft Windows, including FL Studio Express, Fruity Edition, Producer Edition, and the Signature Bundle.[1] Image-Line differentiates FL Studio from competing software[2] by offering lifetime free updates to the program, meaning customers receive all future updates of the version they purchase for free.[3] Image-Line released FL Studio Mobile on June 21, 2011 so the program can be used on iPods, iPhones, and iPads.[4]

FL Studio can be used as an instrument in other audio workstation programs such as Cubase, Sonic Solutions, and Sonar, and is also compatible with dozens of Image-Line and third-party plugins such as the DJ mixing program Deckadance and the synthesizer Sytrus.[5] FL Studio is used by electronic musicians and DJs such as Afrojack,[6] deadmau5, Lex Luger, 9th Wonder, and Basshunter.[7]

History

The first version of Fruity Loops (1.0.0) was developed by Didier Dambrin for the Belgian company Image-Line Software, and was partially released in December 1997. Its official launch was in early 1998, when it was still a four-channel[8] MIDI drum machine.[9] Dambrin became Chief Software Architect for the program,[2][10] and it quickly underwent a series of large upgrades that made it into a popular and complex digital audio workstation. FL Studio had undergone ten major updates since its inception, and FL Studio 10 was released in March 2011. Noted programmer Arguru contributed to various editions of FL Studio.[11]

Software Overview

Editions

FL Studio Express

This version allows for step sequencer-only editing, and is chiefly suited for 64-step loop creation.[1] Each pattern can consist of an unlimited number of instruments, either samples, native, or VST instruments. Instruments in the pattern can be routed to the Mixer tool for effects processing, and effects as of version 10.0 include Delay, Delay Bank, Equo, Flangus, Love Philter, Vocoder, Parametric EQ & EQ2, Multiband Compressor, Spectroman, Stereo Enhancer, Wave Candy, Wave Shaper, and Soundgoodizer. There is no piano roll, playlist ability, automation, audio recording, or VST/ReWire client.[5]

Fruity Edition

The Fruity Edition allows users to access the playlist, the piano roll, and event automation, which allows for complex and lengthy arranging and sequencing. There is also VST/Rewire support so that FL Studio can be used as an instrument in other hosts such as Cubase, Sonic Solutions, Logic, and other software. As of version 10.0 this edition includes the Simsynth Live synthesizer instrument, the DrumSynth live percussion synthesizer, the DX10FM synthesizer, and the Wasp/Wasp XT synthesizers. There is no audio recording feature.[5]

Producer Edition

The Producer Edition includes all of the features of the Fruity Edition, as well as full recording for internal and external audio and post-production tools. It allows for hand-drawing point and curve based splines. Plugins include Edison, the loop slicer and re-arranger Slicex, Vocodex, and Synthmaker. It also allows for waveform view of audio clips and the ability to add cue points.[5]

Signature Bundle

File:FLStudioMobilescreenshotv1.png
FL Studio Mobile version 1.0 for iOS

This edition includes the Producer Edition as well as a series of plugins such as Sytrus, Maximus, the Fruity Video player, DirectWave Sampler, and the Hardcore Guitar Effects Suite.[5]

Free Demo

The free demo version includes all of the program's features and most plugins, and allows users to render project audio to WAV, MIDI, MP3, and OGG.[1]

Mobile

On June 21, 2011, Image-Line released FL Studio Mobile, which supports the ability to create multi-track projects on iOS devices such as iPods, iPhones, and iPads.[4]

Mac

The FL Studio team announced in early September 2011 that they are seeking experienced FL Studio users with a registered copy of FL Studio to test a beta version that runs natively on Mac OS X. According to the thread on the Image-Line forum in which they announced this information, the Mac version will run in a customized CrossOver wrapper, a Windows emulator/wrapper, which doesn't require the user to install neither CrossOver nor Boot Camp. Beta testing will start sometime late September or early October of 2011.[citation needed]

System requirements

FL Studio 10.0 works on Windows XP/Vista/7/2000 or on Intel Macs with Boot Camp.[3] It runs on computers with either 32-bit or 64-bit processors,[3] and is compatible with 2Ghz AMD or Intel Pentium 3 CPU's with full SSEI support. It requires one Gb of free disk space and a gigabyte or more of free RAM is recommended.[3]

FL Studio processes audio using an internal 32-bit floating-point engine. It can support sampling rates up to 192 kHz using either WDM or ASIO enabled drivers.[2]

Program features

FL9 introduced support for multi-core effects processing, and improved on the already supported multicore processing for instruments.[2][9]

The mixer interface allows for any number of channel configurations. This makes mixing in 2.1, 5.1, or 7.1 surround sound possible, as long as the output hardware interface has an equivalent number of outputs. The mixer also permits audio-in, enabling FL Studio to act as a multi-track audio recording solution.[9]

Tools allows users to time-strech, pitch-shift, beat-slice, chop, and edit audio,[10] and as of FL8 the program can record up to 64 simultaneous tracks of audio.[10] Other key features include a digital Piano Roll.[10] Songs may also be saved or imported/exported as WAV, MP3, OGG, MIDI, ZIP, or the native project format .FLP.[2][10][10]

Plugins

FL Studio comes with a variety of plugins and generators (software synthesizers) written in the program’s own native plugin architecture. FL Studio also has support for third-party VST and DirectX plugins.[12] The API has a built in wrapper for full VST, VST2, VST3, DX, and ReWire compatibility. Many of the plugins also function independently as standalone programs.

  • Dashboard - 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. As of version 9.0 it also supports multiple controllers for different generators and/or effects.
  • Edison - Edison is a wave-form editor and recording tool in VST format, though Image-Line also produces a stand-alone version that does not require FL Studio to run. It comes included in the Producer Edition, and allows spectral analysis, convolution reverb, loop-recording, and loop-construction, as well as support of cue points.[5][10]
  • Fruity Video Player - Included in the Bundle Edition, it allows for users to compose and synchronize music to video.[5]
Deckadance logo (program screenshot)
  • Deckadance (often referred to as DD) a standalone DJ console and mixing program developed by Image-Line software, which can also be used in conjunction with FL Studio as a VST plugin. Initially released in May 2007, it was made available starting with the release of FL Studio 7 as an optional part of the download package.
  • Maximus - Maximus is a multi-band audio limiter and compressor for mastering projects or tracks. It also serves as a noise gate, expander, ducker, and de-esser, and is included in the Bundle edition.[5][13]
  • Riff Machine - introduced with FL Studio 9, this tool self-generates melodies in the piano roll using a randomly selected instrument, with parameter controls for shaping melodies.[9][12]
  • Fruity Stereo Shaper - introduced with FL Studio 9, this plugin is a stereo processor with a mixer for left/right channels and their inverted equivalents, and controls for channel delay and phase offset[9]

Virtual effects

FL Studio automatically comes with a variety of Sound Processing Effects, including common audio effects such as chorus, compression, delay, flanger, phaser, reverb, equalization, vocoding, maximization, and limiting.[10]

  • Gross Beat - A time-, pitch-, and volume-manipulation effect.[9]
  • Hardcore Guitar Effects Suite - A multi-effects suite of plugins designed to resemble guitarists' stompboxes, which works for any instrument[5]
  • Juice Pack - A collection of Image-Line proprietary plugins ported to VST format for use in other music hosts. The contents of this pack has changed since its release; at the time of this writing it includes the Delay, Delay Bank, EQUO, Flangus, LovePhilter, Multiband Compressor, Notebook, Parametric EQ, Parametric EQ 2, Spectroman, Stereo Enhancer, Vocoder, Wave Candy, and Wave Shaper plugins.[14]
  • Fruity Vocoder - a real-time vocoder effect[9]
  • Vocodex - an advanced vocoder included in the Producer Edition of FL10[5][9]
  • NewTone - introduced as a demo with FL10, NewTone is a pitch-correction and time manipulation editor that allows for slicing, correcting, and editing vocals, instrumentals, and other recordings.[15]
  • Pitcher - introduced as a demo with FL10, it serves as a real-time pitch-correction, manipulation, and harmonization tool for creating or correcting 4 voice harmonies under MIDI control from a keyboard or the piano roll.[15]
  • Patcher - free plugin for chain effects that can then be quickly uploaded in new projects[15]
  • ZGameEditor Visualizer - free visualization effect plugin based on the open source ZGameEditor, with movie rendering capability[15]

Samplers

  • DirectWave Sampler - A software sampler that provides sample recording, waveform editing, and DSP effects (works for both VST and live instruments)[5]
  • SliceX - a beat-slicing sampler for processing and re-arranging recorded drumloops, included in the Producer Edition[5]

Synthesizers

File:Synthmaker logo.png
SynthMaker plugin logo
  • SynthMaker - FL Studio 8 Producer Edition introduced a version of SynthMaker, a popular graphical programming environment for synthesizers. It allows for the creation and sharing of new instruments without the need to understand programming code.[5][10]
  • Toxic Biohazard - A virtual FM synthesizer similar to Sytrus, using FM and subtractive synthesis.[14][16]
Sytrus plugin logo (program screenshot)
  • Sytrus - a software synthesizer. The first version was released with FL Studio version 4.5.1. on December 29, 2003. The second version of Sytrus (introduced with FL Studio 6), comes with an array of presets covering many types of sounds. Sytrus uses a combination of subtractive synthesis, Additive synthesis, FM modulation and ring modulation, thus allowing sounds produced to range from drum sets to organs. Sytrus provides a large number of adjustments and controls, including shape shifting, harmonics editing, EQ, a modulator, several filters, reverb, delay, unison, detune, etc.[16][17]
  • FL Slayer - FL Slayer is an electric guitar simulator originally developed by reFX, which is equipped with a high quality amp section and effects tools to allow for the realistic recreation of hundreds of guitar sounds and effects boxes. It is a VSTi plugin, and is included in every version of FL Studio.[18]
  • Sakura - Sakura is a physical-modeling synthesizer which is designed to emulate string instruments.[14][16]
  • Drumaxx - a phyiscal modeling synthesizer designed to emulate and create the sound of percussion instruments[14]
  • Ogun - An advanced additive synthesizer chiefly for creating metallic timbres. The free version, Autogun, generates several million semi-random presets, allowing for favorite presets to be bookmarked.[9][16]
  • PoiZone - subtractive synthesizer with non-essential control removed for easy navigation[16]
  • Morphine - additive synthesizer that allows voices to be mixed and morphed under user control.[16]
  • Sawer - a vintage-modeling synthesizer which attempts to emulate Soviet Union era subtractive synthesizers.[16]
  • DrumSynth Live - included in all Editions, the program allows for percussion synthesis.[5][9][16]
  • WASP/WASP XT - a 3 oscillator synthesizer created by Richard Hoffman[9][16]
  • SimSynth Live - modeled after the classic analogue synthesizers of the 1980s with three oscillators, with a programmable LFO section, created by David Billen, Frederic Vanmol, and Didier Dambrin[9][16]
  • DX10FM - included on Fruity Editions and up, it recreates a classic FM[5][16]
  • Harmless - performs subtractive synthesis using an additive synthesis engine[16]

Version history

Version Release Notes
1.0.0 12/18/1997 MIDI program only, never fully released
1.3.56 9/1/1998 Pitch for notes added
1.4.0 12/16/1998 Loops in sample browser, up to 64 notes per pattern, drumkits added, rendering to mono, animation added
1.5.23 5/3/1998 VST plugin support added, beta version
2.0.1 11/21/1999 Support for DirectX plugins added, redesign, live recording added
2.1.1. 1/19/2000 Now using LAME .mp3 encoder, BeatSlicer engine added, Fruity center plugin added[19]
2.5.1 4/19/2000 Set of FruityPlugins added, including Fruity Reeverb and the 7-band FruityEqualizer[19]
2.7.0 7/22/2000 Fruity Fast LP plugin added
2.7.1 9/25/2000 Fruity Phaser plugin by Smart Electron:x added[19]
3.0.0 1/25/2001 piano roll and metronome added, typing keyboard to MIDI option added, new layout.[19] DrumSynth upgraded, new plugins include 3x Osc, BeepMap image synth, Fruity PanOMatic, Fruity NoteBook, MIDI out, and others[19]
3.3.0 10/15/2001 Added ASIO output, Fruity db meter, multiple MIDI device controller, up to 8 plugins per track, velocity and kb[disambiguation needed] tracking to all channels. New plugins included Fruity Slicer, Fruity Granulizer, and Fruity Big Clock[20]
3.5.4. 6/19/2002 Allowed copy/pasting/saving automation, program available as VSTi plugin[20]
4.0.0 3/5/2003 New playlist, FX window made into mixer, mixer given 64 insert tracks, piano roll improvements, Fruity Slicer upgrade, program now available as DXi plugin[20]
4.1.0 4/7/2003 Free vocodor plugin added[20]
4.5.1 12/29/2003 New plugins included Sytrus and the Fruity Flangus effect[20]
5.0.0 11/22/2004 Fruity Slicer upgrade, basic loop recording added, Elastique time-stretching and pitch-shifting in audio tracks, added tempo detector for imported audio tracks. New plugins included Fruity WaveShaper effect and Fruity Pad Controller (FPC).[20]
6.0.1 12/8/2005 FL compiled with Delphi 2005, multiple MIDI input devices accepted, Sytrus improvements, new GM for DrumSynth Live. New plugins included Wasp XT synth and DirectWave sampler.[20]
7.0.0 1/30/2007 Programming language switched to Delphi 2006, BeepMap allows drag and drop function, Sytrus upgrades, support for AIFF files in sampler channels, support for Apple Loops AIFF extensions, DirectWave support for AIFF. New plugins included Fruity Parametric EQ 2, Edison audio editor and Fruity Love Philter effect.[20]
8.x 11/8/2008 Support for MIDI SysEx input, Love Philter allows piano keys to be assigned to patterns, updated to LAME 3.97, program support and some plugin support for .OGG format, added OGG Vorbis rendering target, default audio device changed to ASIO4ALL, FL-Chan character added in wallpapers, Edison plugin upgrade. New plugins included Slicex drumloop slicing generator, SynthMaker.[20]
9.0.0 9/9/2009 Wave Candy upgraded, support added for Korg nanoKey, nanoPad, and nanoKontrol controllers, new Riff Machine piano-roll tool, Fruity Dance upgrades, upgrade to LAME 3.98.2, Edison upgraded to export to OGG files. New plugins included Ogun (+Autogun) synthesizer, Gross Beat beat re-arranger effect, Vocodex, Sakura string synth, and Fruity Stereo Shaper.[20]
9.1.0 5/5/2010 New Fruity Convolver effect added, MP3 export capabilities added to Edison plugin. New plugins included Harmless synthesizer.[20]
10.0.0 3/29/2011 Allowed Fruity Edition access to Playlist Pattern Clips, and added the ability to save the piano roll as sheet music. New plugins included ZGame Editor Visualizer, Patcher, Newtone and Pitcher.[15] Includes 64 Bit Memory management and 64 Bit plugin hosting.[20]

Support

Support for the software is provided through extensive HTML help documents. Users may also register for the official Image-Line forums, which are commonly recognized as a focal-point for the FL Studio community. After buying the initial software, all future updates are free for life.[2][3]

Notable users

For a more complete list, see Category:FL Studio users Template:Multicol

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "What is FL Studio?". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "FL Studio Video". OVGuide. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e "FL Studio Overview". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  4. ^ a b "FL Studio Mobile". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Editions". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  6. ^ a b "Interview: Afrojack". The Fresh Beat. December 23. Retrieved 2011-05-28. I use and always used for almost 10 years now Fruity Loops, started with Fruity Loops 3, and now its FL Studio 8, its been a while. I use almost only standard Fruity compressors for effects, my main synths come out of the Arturia Juno and NI Massive / Pro 53, but also Fruity's old 3xosc, for the mastering. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "FL Studio Power Users". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  8. ^ Silva, Joe. "Review: Image-Line FL Studio 8". Music Tech Magazine. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Tech Reviews: Image-Line FL Studio 9". Music Radar. October 27, 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i "FL Studio 8 XXL". Quick Selling Software. March 2, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  11. ^ "Edition History". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  12. ^ a b Kirn, Peter (March 2011). "Image-Line FL Studio 9: Creative Jump-Starter Like No Other". Keyboard Magazine. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  13. ^ "Maximus". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  14. ^ a b c d "FL Studio Features". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  15. ^ a b c d e "FL Studio 10: New Features". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Plugins". Deckadance. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  17. ^ "Sytrus". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  18. ^ "Fruity Slayer". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  19. ^ a b c d e "FruityLoops Versions". Sonic Spot. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Version History". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arty_(musician) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Boi-1da [Interview] HipHopCanada. Accessed on November 25, 2009.
  23. ^ O'Connell, Sharon (4 October 2006). "Dubstep". Time Out London. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  24. ^ Beastie Mania (2009). Interview with Taco Zip, Max Tannone and DJAK47." Beastie Mania'.' Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  25. ^ "In the Studio: 9th Wonder". XLR8R. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
  26. ^ "Mike Oldfield << Power Users List". Image-Line. Retrieved 2011-07-21.

External links

Reviews

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