If you're looking for an FL Studio tutorial to get started making music with this powerful DAW, then you're in the right place!
So where do we begin?
With what seems like a million buttons, getting started can seem intimidating.
But there’s no need to fear! This article will guide you through the menus and tools in FL Studio’s interface, so you can learn everything you need to get started without opening up the manual!
The menu bar contains many useful functions and panels. You will find yourself using these windows frequently, so be sure to become familiar with the features and their locations.
File is an important section in FL Studio. Like most programs, the File tab is where you can create a new project, open a project, save a project, import/export a project, and quickly access recent projects.
While all these operations are standard ones that are easy to use, there is one important button you should know more about.
The one we’re referring to is called “New from template”. Clicking this will open an additional window. In this additional window, you can open a blank project with specific pre-determined features.
These pre-determined features include a kick, clap, hi hat and snare and the type of master output you’d like. Each template includes a description, so you can read through the different templates and select the one that best suits your needs.
Since you’ll be using this feature and the others located in the File tab frequently, we’ve laid out some of the hotkeys below for you to memorize:
This way, you’ll be able to save time throughout the creation process. It might not seem like much time, but when you’re constantly using these keys, you’ll be thankful for these shortcuts.
Open = Ctrl + O
Save = Ctrl + S
Save as = Shift + Ctrl + S
Save new version = Ctrl + N
Recent Projects = Alt + 1
The Edit tab is relatively brief but does contain very important controls. Undo, cut, copy, and paste are all incredibly important tools to use in FL Studio.
Using undo will erase your most recent action, which comes in handy when you make a mistake.
Cutting a selected object ‘cuts’ it off of your screen so that you can paste it somewhere else. You’ll use this often when you feel as though a piece of your track, like a snare or vocal, sounds better in another part of the song. It takes a lot of tries to get your track sounding completely cohesive, so this will be done regularly.
Using the copy function will simply allow you to duplicate a selection. This is great for when you finally create a beat you like and want to spread it throughout the entire track. All you would need to do is simply copy the beat and paste it throughout your song.
While using the Edit tab to implement these controls is acceptable, memorizing the hotkeys will be more favorable for your efficiency and workflow.![Select Select](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119504074/228727242.jpg)
Undo = Ctrl + X
Cut =Ctrl + X
Copy = Ctrl + C
Paste = Ctrl + V
The add menu is very important, because it is where you can select VSTs to add to your composition. In other words, if you want to load a virtual instrument, this is one way you can load VSTs into your project.
Note that you’ll be able to do the same thing by clicking the “+” in the channel rack.
And to help you find the VSTs you’re looking for faster, toggle between categories, simple, and tree. This will change the way the VSTs are organized. Using the simple option keeps everything in alphabetical order, which is most helpful when hunting for a specific VST to select.
You can also click “More plugins...” to search for newly-downloaded VSTs.
Alternatively, you can select patterns from the drop-down window above the playlist.
The View tab in FL’s menu bar will allow you to choose which windows are visible. This will help you keep things organized as you’re producing.
The first thing you need to know about this tab is that the windows that are currently open will have a black checkmark next to them.
You’ll also notice that there’s a toolbars section in the View tab. This will allow you to select which tools to include in the toolbar. This means you have the ability to remove certain sections from the toolbar should you want to make more room for other tools.
This will further help you stay organized, because you’ll be able to have your most used tools all in one place.
One of the most useful controls in the View section though, is the ability to close all windows. If your CPU starts to overload or things start to lag, simply click “Close all windows” to help things move steadily again!
The hotkey to close all windows is F12.
The options tab is where you can configure the settings within your DAW.
The MIDI settings can configure your MIDI devices and which ones are connected, while the Audio settings can control your inputs and outputs and so on.
Be sure to explore these settings to customize your production experience.
In the tools section, one of the most helpful options is the browser smart find.
Clicking this will allow you to search your browser for a specific sample. This is incredibly useful when you know you want a specific sample but can’t remember which folder it is located in.
From the tools section, you will also have the ability to quickly set up audio recordings or even create a random a riff melody for some instant inspiration.
The help section will provide you with miscellaneous resources to understand more about your DAW.
The help index will link you to a web page within Image-line’s reference manual, which will contain the answer to any questions you may have.
Additionally, this is where you can register FL Studio and find links to other various web resources!
Next to the menu bar, you will find other useful tools.
Clicking the button to the left of the play/pause button will allow you to switch between playing a playlist audio or the audio from a pattern.
The play button will play/pause your song, and the stop button will set your playhead to the beginning of the playlist. The record button will allow you to record various information, such as MIDI and audio into your DAW.
Just below the play button, the horizontal line will allow you to drag your playhead position to different periods of time in your playlist. This way, if you’re working on one specific portion of your track, you’ll be able to playback only that portion instead of listening to the whole track.
The BPM (beats per minute) can also be adjusted in this section. This will be useful when trying to create a specific genre, which requires a specific BPM.
Lastly, the song position box will tell you where the playhead is located in minutes/seconds, or by beats if you click in the window. You’ll use this more than you think if you have a lengthy track (like a full mix) and can’t remember where you last left the playhead at.
Just below it is your pattern picker, which we will explain in more depth later on in the article.![Fl studio 11 select multiple mixer channels Fl studio 11 select multiple mixer channels](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119504074/707729280.png)
Here in the browser, you will find a multitude of important sections that are useful in creating your music. We will cover the most essential objects located in the browser section.
The current project section of the browser will show you the resources and history from the project that is currently open.
By clicking on history, you can see all of the recent changes made in your project. Clicking on one of these will revert the project to the selected history’s data. This way, if you end up liking your first version of the song better, you can just simply restore it.
You also have the ability to select and view different patterns from here. Additionally, you can view the effect plugins, VSTi, and samples from your project in the current project section.
And finally, the remote control section is used for automation clips.
The plugin database will allow you to select and browse both effect plugins and VSTi. Clicking and dragging them to the mixer or channel rack respectively will open the selected plugin.
You can also add new plugins with this section by clicking “more plugins” in the add section in the menu bar. Newly-found VSTs will be placed in the “new” folder for ease of access.
The backup section is very useful as it contains autosaved versions of your project. Should you chose to load one of the auto-saved versions of your project, simply give it a double click!
The packs section of the browser is where all of your samples will be organized. This is an incredibly useful section of the browser because most, if not all, of your percussion sounds will be located in this section.
FL comes with some stock samples, mostly residing in the Legacy folder. However it is crucial that you expand your sample library to add diversity to your tracks. If you need more samples, check out these free downloads!
It is important to keep these folders organized for ease of access to your samples.
Now that you understand the fundamental tools and their locations in the FL, let’s dive a little deeper!
The Channel rack, previously known as the step sequencer, is where you can arrange drums and other sounds.
In its earlier versions, the main focus of FL was its step sequencer, which allowed the user to sequence sounds easily and intuitively.
Over the years, the sequencer has evolved into the channel rack, which is now much more advanced and versatile.
To sequence drums, try clicking on the grey and red buttons. Then play it back to hear what you create!
Each color change from grey to red represents each beat in the time signature. As you can see below, it has four beats. This is considered a 4/4 time signature.
The speaker icon next to “Channel rack” will play your pattern.
Just to its left, you will find a drop down menu containing folders. This allows you to organize samples and VSTs that you add by specific sections!
Even your automation clips will be categorized into their own folder! To create an automation clip, right click the parameter and adjust the anchor points of the generated clip to manipulate the automation.
The green ‘lights’ let you know that the corresponding channel is active. Clicking any green light will effectively mute the channel.
Similarly, holding ctrl while clicking on one of the green lights will solo the corresponding channel.
Next to the mute/solo lights, you will find the pan and volume knobs. More precise volume and pan controls can also be found in the mixer.
Clicking and dragging on the numbers to the right of the volume knobs will affect which mixer channel the elements are assigned to, which leads us into the next section.
The mixer is what all of your audio will funnel into.
Starting on the right side, you will notice ten slots. These slots are where you can apply channel effects like a reverb on a single channel, or a limiter on the master channel as seen in this screenshot.
Below the effects slots you will find an EQ (Equalizer). This EQ is useful for very quick fixes, but using an EQ plugin in the effects slots will always give you more control and flexibility.
In the middle of the mixer, you will notice inserts 1-125. Remember those numbers we talked about earlier in the channel rack? They correspond with the numbers in the mixer’s inserts so that you can apply EQ, reverb, delay, and many more effects to specific sounds!
Just like the channel rack, clicking the green ‘lights’ can be used to mute or solo the insert. This way you have control over the elements that you want to focus on while creating your track. This is crucial during the mixing process.
Below the mute/solo buttons, you will find a pan knob. Below the pan you will find a volume fader. Levels are one of the most important things to control to achieve a clean mix, so using the faders in the mixer is very important.
And of course, all the way to the left you will find the master channel. You can also view your master db from this section.
You might have seen videos of old pianos that can play music on their own.
Those special pianos are fed note information that tell it what keys to play and when.
In today’s digital age, producers can create music in a similar fashion with what is known as a piano roll.
Piano rolls allow the user to sequence note information (known as MIDI). This is where you will write all of your melodies, chords, bass lines, etc.
To draw a note, simply click in the piano roll’s window.
Dragging the note up or down will change which key on the piano roll it plays, while clicking and dragging the end of the note left or right will make it shorter or longer.
Double-clicking a note will allow you to change its pan, volume, release, and even its numerical duration.
From the main menu drop-down menu, you can open MIDI files, export note information, create arps, generate ghost notes, and much more.
Take a look at the drop down menu and play around with the settings until they are configured to your liking!
To delete a note, simply give it a right click. Alternatively, you can select groups of notes with the select tool and hit your delete key to remove a large portion of notes at once.
The playlist is the last section that we will cover to help you get started with FL Studio.
In this section of the DAW, you will lay out all of the elements of your track.
The main menu (1) is similar in its controls to the piano roll, so check out its settings and configure them to your liking. You will find many useful tools here like snap settings and the ability to add time markers (2).
The tool bar is where you will find many useful controls for the playlist. To select a tool, simply click on it.
The magnet symbol (3) controls how the grid ‘snaps.’ The smaller the interval, the looser things will feel when you arrange them in your playlist. The larger the interval, the stiffer arranging objects will feel. Usually, keeping things on the stiffer side will make things easier to manage.
Next is the draw tool (4), which places your selected item in your playlist and instantaneously gives you the option to drag it left or right.
Similarly, the paintbrush tool (5) will allow you to click to add your item to the playlist, while dragging to the left and right will duplicate the item. This is useful for arranging percussion and patterns that repeat!
The delete tool (6) deletes anything that you click. Right-clicking objects will also delete them, even when the delete tool is not in-use.
The mute tool (7) will mute any object that you click without deleting it. Re-clicking the object will unmute it. An object will appear ‘greyed-out’ to let you know it is muted.
The slip tool (8) will allow you to shift the contents of a sample or pattern object left or right within the clip while retaining the duration and starting/ending points. Simply click and drag to ‘slip’ the content. This can be used creatively to mix and match audio samples.
The slice tool (9) slices objects into as many sections as you need. Simply click and drag the line generated by the tool vertically against the object to split it into multiple sections. This is useful for truncating bits of audio, instead of a tedious and repetitive click and drag of several objects.
Next, the select tool (10) selects objects. Click an object to select it, or click and drag to select many objects at once. You know an object is selected when it turns red.
The zoom tool (11) allows you to adjust the duration displayed on your playlist. Another quick way to zoom is to hold control + scrolling up and down.
The playback tool (12) will allow you to playback individual objects. To do this, simply click on the object.
To make selections, like the one shown in the image, simply right click and drag in the dark greenish/grey where the numbers of each bar are. This will create a red selection, and when played, this section will loop.
And finally, to deselect the section, simply double click on the timeline (bars).
Now that you understand the locations and features of the fundamental tools in FL Studio, it’s time to get your feet wet and start applying your knowledge!
But first, here are a few quick reminders:
For a more in-depth FL Studio tutorial, check out the “FL Studio Essential Training Level 1: Beginner” course on Academy.fm.
Check out this excerpt from the course taught by SeamlessR.
Right now, you can actually access this course and hundreds of others like it for free by clicking here.
Now we want to hear from you!
What else would you like to see in an FL Studio tutorial?
Let us know in the comments section below!
- Fl Studio Select Multiple Mixer Channels For Sale
- Fl Studio Select Multiple Mixer Channels Manual
- Fl Studio 20 Select Multiple Mixer Channels
- Fl Studio Select Multiple Mixer Channels List
- Fl Studio Mixer
How to assign multiple audio channels to mixer tracks in FL Studio:1)Right click channel led to select multiple tracks. 2)Right click first mixer track,r. When using virtual instruments such as EZDrummer or Kontakt which utilize multiple outputs, you need to assign them to individual Mixer channels and update the routing within the virtual instrument. TIP: The output channel you select in your virtual instrument is offset by one on the Mixer.
So where do we begin?
With what seems like a million buttons, getting started can seem intimidating.
But there’s no need to fear! This article will guide you through the menus and tools in FL Studio’s interface, so you can learn everything you need to get started without opening up the manual!
The Menu Bar
The menu bar contains many useful functions and panels. You will find yourself using these windows frequently, so be sure to become familiar with the features and their locations.
File
File is an important section in FL Studio. Like most programs, the File tab is where you can create a new project, open a project, save a project, import/export a project, and quickly access recent projects.
While all these operations are standard ones that are easy to use, there is one important button you should know more about.
The one we’re referring to is called “New from template”. Clicking this will open an additional window. In this additional window, you can open a blank project with specific pre-determined features.
These pre-determined features include a kick, clap, hi hat and snare and the type of master output you’d like. Each template includes a description, so you can read through the different templates and select the one that best suits your needs.
Since you’ll be using this feature and the others located in the File tab frequently, we’ve laid out some of the hotkeys below for you to memorize:
This way, you’ll be able to save time throughout the creation process. It might not seem like much time, but when you’re constantly using these keys, you’ll be thankful for these shortcuts.
Open = Ctrl + O
Save = Ctrl + S
Save as = Shift + Ctrl + S
Save new version = Ctrl + N
Recent Projects = Alt + 1
Edit
The Edit tab is relatively brief but does contain very important controls. Undo, cut, copy, and paste are all incredibly important tools to use in FL Studio.
Using undo will erase your most recent action, which comes in handy when you make a mistake.
Cutting a selected object ‘cuts’ it off of your screen so that you can paste it somewhere else. You’ll use this often when you feel as though a piece of your track, like a snare or vocal, sounds better in another part of the song. It takes a lot of tries to get your track sounding completely cohesive, so this will be done regularly.
Using the copy function will simply allow you to duplicate a selection. This is great for when you finally create a beat you like and want to spread it throughout the entire track. All you would need to do is simply copy the beat and paste it throughout your song.
While using the Edit tab to implement these controls is acceptable, memorizing the hotkeys will be more favorable for your efficiency and workflow.
![Select Select](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119504074/228727242.jpg)
Undo = Ctrl + X
Cut =Ctrl + X
Copy = Ctrl + C
Paste = Ctrl + V
Add
The add menu is very important, because it is where you can select VSTs to add to your composition. In other words, if you want to load a virtual instrument, this is one way you can load VSTs into your project.
Note that you’ll be able to do the same thing by clicking the “+” in the channel rack.
And to help you find the VSTs you’re looking for faster, toggle between categories, simple, and tree. This will change the way the VSTs are organized. Using the simple option keeps everything in alphabetical order, which is most helpful when hunting for a specific VST to select.
You can also click “More plugins...” to search for newly-downloaded VSTs.
Patterns
Fl Studio Select Multiple Mixer Channels For Sale
The patterns section will allow you select different patterns that you create from the channel rack, which we will talk more about later in the article.Alternatively, you can select patterns from the drop-down window above the playlist.
View
The View tab in FL’s menu bar will allow you to choose which windows are visible. This will help you keep things organized as you’re producing.
The first thing you need to know about this tab is that the windows that are currently open will have a black checkmark next to them.
You’ll also notice that there’s a toolbars section in the View tab. This will allow you to select which tools to include in the toolbar. This means you have the ability to remove certain sections from the toolbar should you want to make more room for other tools.
This will further help you stay organized, because you’ll be able to have your most used tools all in one place.
One of the most useful controls in the View section though, is the ability to close all windows. If your CPU starts to overload or things start to lag, simply click “Close all windows” to help things move steadily again!
The hotkey to close all windows is F12.
Options
The options tab is where you can configure the settings within your DAW.
The MIDI settings can configure your MIDI devices and which ones are connected, while the Audio settings can control your inputs and outputs and so on.
Be sure to explore these settings to customize your production experience.
Tools
In the tools section, one of the most helpful options is the browser smart find.
Clicking this will allow you to search your browser for a specific sample. This is incredibly useful when you know you want a specific sample but can’t remember which folder it is located in.
From the tools section, you will also have the ability to quickly set up audio recordings or even create a random a riff melody for some instant inspiration.
? (Help)
The help section will provide you with miscellaneous resources to understand more about your DAW.
The help index will link you to a web page within Image-line’s reference manual, which will contain the answer to any questions you may have.
Additionally, this is where you can register FL Studio and find links to other various web resources!
Toolbar Panels
Next to the menu bar, you will find other useful tools.
Clicking the button to the left of the play/pause button will allow you to switch between playing a playlist audio or the audio from a pattern.
The play button will play/pause your song, and the stop button will set your playhead to the beginning of the playlist. The record button will allow you to record various information, such as MIDI and audio into your DAW.
Just below the play button, the horizontal line will allow you to drag your playhead position to different periods of time in your playlist. This way, if you’re working on one specific portion of your track, you’ll be able to playback only that portion instead of listening to the whole track.
The BPM (beats per minute) can also be adjusted in this section. This will be useful when trying to create a specific genre, which requires a specific BPM.
Lastly, the song position box will tell you where the playhead is located in minutes/seconds, or by beats if you click in the window. You’ll use this more than you think if you have a lengthy track (like a full mix) and can’t remember where you last left the playhead at.
Just below it is your pattern picker, which we will explain in more depth later on in the article.
![Fl studio 11 select multiple mixer channels Fl studio 11 select multiple mixer channels](/uploads/1/1/9/5/119504074/707729280.png)
The Browser
Here in the browser, you will find a multitude of important sections that are useful in creating your music. We will cover the most essential objects located in the browser section.
Current Project
The current project section of the browser will show you the resources and history from the project that is currently open.
By clicking on history, you can see all of the recent changes made in your project. Clicking on one of these will revert the project to the selected history’s data. This way, if you end up liking your first version of the song better, you can just simply restore it.
You also have the ability to select and view different patterns from here. Additionally, you can view the effect plugins, VSTi, and samples from your project in the current project section.
And finally, the remote control section is used for automation clips.
Plugin Database
The plugin database will allow you to select and browse both effect plugins and VSTi. Clicking and dragging them to the mixer or channel rack respectively will open the selected plugin.
You can also add new plugins with this section by clicking “more plugins” in the add section in the menu bar. Newly-found VSTs will be placed in the “new” folder for ease of access.
Backup
The backup section is very useful as it contains autosaved versions of your project. Should you chose to load one of the auto-saved versions of your project, simply give it a double click!
Packs
The packs section of the browser is where all of your samples will be organized. This is an incredibly useful section of the browser because most, if not all, of your percussion sounds will be located in this section.
FL comes with some stock samples, mostly residing in the Legacy folder. However it is crucial that you expand your sample library to add diversity to your tracks. If you need more samples, check out these free downloads!
It is important to keep these folders organized for ease of access to your samples.
Now that you understand the fundamental tools and their locations in the FL, let’s dive a little deeper!
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The Channel Rack
The Channel rack, previously known as the step sequencer, is where you can arrange drums and other sounds.
In its earlier versions, the main focus of FL was its step sequencer, which allowed the user to sequence sounds easily and intuitively.
Over the years, the sequencer has evolved into the channel rack, which is now much more advanced and versatile.
To sequence drums, try clicking on the grey and red buttons. Then play it back to hear what you create!
Each color change from grey to red represents each beat in the time signature. As you can see below, it has four beats. This is considered a 4/4 time signature.
The speaker icon next to “Channel rack” will play your pattern.
Just to its left, you will find a drop down menu containing folders. This allows you to organize samples and VSTs that you add by specific sections!
Even your automation clips will be categorized into their own folder! To create an automation clip, right click the parameter and adjust the anchor points of the generated clip to manipulate the automation.
The green ‘lights’ let you know that the corresponding channel is active. Clicking any green light will effectively mute the channel.
Similarly, holding ctrl while clicking on one of the green lights will solo the corresponding channel.
Next to the mute/solo lights, you will find the pan and volume knobs. More precise volume and pan controls can also be found in the mixer.
Clicking and dragging on the numbers to the right of the volume knobs will affect which mixer channel the elements are assigned to, which leads us into the next section.
The Mixer
The mixer is what all of your audio will funnel into.
Starting on the right side, you will notice ten slots. These slots are where you can apply channel effects like a reverb on a single channel, or a limiter on the master channel as seen in this screenshot.
Below the effects slots you will find an EQ (Equalizer). This EQ is useful for very quick fixes, but using an EQ plugin in the effects slots will always give you more control and flexibility.
In the middle of the mixer, you will notice inserts 1-125. Remember those numbers we talked about earlier in the channel rack? They correspond with the numbers in the mixer’s inserts so that you can apply EQ, reverb, delay, and many more effects to specific sounds!
Just like the channel rack, clicking the green ‘lights’ can be used to mute or solo the insert. This way you have control over the elements that you want to focus on while creating your track. This is crucial during the mixing process.
Below the mute/solo buttons, you will find a pan knob. Below the pan you will find a volume fader. Levels are one of the most important things to control to achieve a clean mix, so using the faders in the mixer is very important.
And of course, all the way to the left you will find the master channel. You can also view your master db from this section.
The Piano Roll
You might have seen videos of old pianos that can play music on their own.
Those special pianos are fed note information that tell it what keys to play and when.
In today’s digital age, producers can create music in a similar fashion with what is known as a piano roll.
Piano rolls allow the user to sequence note information (known as MIDI). This is where you will write all of your melodies, chords, bass lines, etc.
To draw a note, simply click in the piano roll’s window.
Dragging the note up or down will change which key on the piano roll it plays, while clicking and dragging the end of the note left or right will make it shorter or longer.
Double-clicking a note will allow you to change its pan, volume, release, and even its numerical duration.
From the main menu drop-down menu, you can open MIDI files, export note information, create arps, generate ghost notes, and much more.
Take a look at the drop down menu and play around with the settings until they are configured to your liking!
To delete a note, simply give it a right click. Alternatively, you can select groups of notes with the select tool and hit your delete key to remove a large portion of notes at once.
The Playlist
The playlist is the last section that we will cover to help you get started with FL Studio.
In this section of the DAW, you will lay out all of the elements of your track.
The main menu (1) is similar in its controls to the piano roll, so check out its settings and configure them to your liking. You will find many useful tools here like snap settings and the ability to add time markers (2).
The tool bar is where you will find many useful controls for the playlist. To select a tool, simply click on it.
The magnet symbol (3) controls how the grid ‘snaps.’ The smaller the interval, the looser things will feel when you arrange them in your playlist. The larger the interval, the stiffer arranging objects will feel. Usually, keeping things on the stiffer side will make things easier to manage.
Next is the draw tool (4), which places your selected item in your playlist and instantaneously gives you the option to drag it left or right.
Similarly, the paintbrush tool (5) will allow you to click to add your item to the playlist, while dragging to the left and right will duplicate the item. This is useful for arranging percussion and patterns that repeat!
The delete tool (6) deletes anything that you click. Right-clicking objects will also delete them, even when the delete tool is not in-use.
The mute tool (7) will mute any object that you click without deleting it. Re-clicking the object will unmute it. An object will appear ‘greyed-out’ to let you know it is muted.
The slip tool (8) will allow you to shift the contents of a sample or pattern object left or right within the clip while retaining the duration and starting/ending points. Simply click and drag to ‘slip’ the content. This can be used creatively to mix and match audio samples.
The slice tool (9) slices objects into as many sections as you need. Simply click and drag the line generated by the tool vertically against the object to split it into multiple sections. This is useful for truncating bits of audio, instead of a tedious and repetitive click and drag of several objects.
Next, the select tool (10) selects objects. Click an object to select it, or click and drag to select many objects at once. You know an object is selected when it turns red.
The zoom tool (11) allows you to adjust the duration displayed on your playlist. Another quick way to zoom is to hold control + scrolling up and down.
The playback tool (12) will allow you to playback individual objects. To do this, simply click on the object.
To make selections, like the one shown in the image, simply right click and drag in the dark greenish/grey where the numbers of each bar are. This will create a red selection, and when played, this section will loop.
And finally, to deselect the section, simply double click on the timeline (bars).
FL Studio Tutorial - Conclusion
Now that you understand the locations and features of the fundamental tools in FL Studio, it’s time to get your feet wet and start applying your knowledge!
But first, here are a few quick reminders:
- Use FL’s hotkeys to be most efficient with your time.
- The “Add” section of the menu bar is where you can add VSTi to your channel rack.
- Your samples and VSTs will appear in the channel rack section and can be divided into several folders.
- All of your audio is routed through the mixer, and can also be individualized to specific inserts.
- The piano roll is where you will write your musical ideas.
- Your objects will be sequenced in the playlist.
For a more in-depth FL Studio tutorial, check out the “FL Studio Essential Training Level 1: Beginner” course on Academy.fm.
Check out this excerpt from the course taught by SeamlessR.
Right now, you can actually access this course and hundreds of others like it for free by clicking here.
Now we want to hear from you!
What else would you like to see in an FL Studio tutorial?
Let us know in the comments section below!
Download our free Ultimate Serum Library and improve your sound library today.
FL Studio is the complete package for recording, arranging, DJing and mixing! To celebrate how much we love FL Studio, Gary Hiebner presents his top 10 tips to help get the most out of your mix.
FL Studio is very flexible in the way you can work with it when mixing. With its channels and mixer insert tracks, you can build up quite complex mixes. Let's look at some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of FL Studio when you mix your tracks.
Tip 1 - Route Your Channels to Dedicated Mixer Insert Tracks
With FL Studio you can route any channel to any insert track in the mixer. This is nice in that you can customize your channel layout in the mixer by determining which channels go to which track. With each channel going to a dedicated mixer insert track, you can apply individual effects to each track.
To see what track a channel is routed to, first select the track by clicking on it in the Step Sequencer window. This will open up the Channel Settings window for that track and in the top right-hand corner you'll see a box labeled FX. This shows which insert track the channel is routed to. You can change the routing by dragging up or down. Notice how the track selection of that channel changes in the Mixer window.
Tip 2 - Summing Channels to Mixer Insert Tracks
You can use this channel/track flexibility to your advantage. Let's say in your song you've added three different types of bass instruments to three channels. But it's getting a bit tedious jumping between each track to process and edit the bass sounds. Route the different bass tracks to the same mixer insert track. So you'll be summing these bass channels to one insert track. This way you can apply processing to this one mixer track, and it'll be applied to all the bass instruments as a whole. This is a great way to gel similar instruments together and simplify your mixer window.
Tip 3 - Setting Up a Reverb Send
Send effects are great in that it allows you to apply an amount of one effect across all the tracks. Let's see how this is done. First insert a Reverb effect on one of the Sends. Insert an instance of Reeverb 2 on Send 1 and make sure the Wet signal is set to 100% and the Dry to 0.
Now select the track you want to apply the reverb on, then jump back to the Send track. Turn up the rotary knob just under the volume fader. This will increase the amount of signal that is sent from the track to this send.
Now select another track, and then go back to the Send reverb track. You'll see that the rotary knob is at zero again. Increase this to apply the send reverb to this track. This is where it can get a bit confusing. In other DAWs, there is a dedicated send level on each track. In FL Studio, each time you select a track the dedicated knob for that track is found on the Send track. Sends work really well as it's less taxing on your CPU because you don't have to insert an instance of the same plug-in on each track.
Another thing to point out is that in FL Studio any track can actually be a send. You don't have to just use the assigned send tracks. This is achieved through FL Studio's inter-track routing. Simply route a track to another track, and this becomes the send track. The labeled send tracks are there for backward compatibility with older FL Studio projects. In the next step let's take a look at how to route tracks around.
Tip 4 - Creating Sub Mixes
In the Mixer you can also route track to other tracks. By default each track is routed to the Master track. When you select a track, you'll see an orange arrow under the fader on the Master Track, indicating that this track is going out to the master track. If you click on this arrow it'll bypass the track going to the output and you'll no longer hear it on the master output. Click it again and you'll hear the track through the master output.
But what if you wanted this to go out to another track. For example, let's say you wanted to route your drums to another track so that you can adjust the volume of all the drums with just one fader. First select one of your drum tracks and click on the orange arrow on the master track. This will bypass that track being routed to the master track output. Then go to an empty insert track and click the arrow under the volume fader. Now this drum track is routed here. Do the same with your other drums tracks. Rename this new submix track to Drums. Right-click the track and choose Rename, or use the shortcut F2. Now you can control the volume of all your drum elements with just one track.
You can even add other effects on this track to process all the drums. Maybe you want to add a compressor to compress all the drums, and then maybe an EQ which will alter the drums as a whole. This way you can add individual effects to each drum, plus add effects on the submix track where they're all routed to. Giving you much more possibilities on how to mix your songs. Group similar elements together and then route then to an insert track so that you can edit and process those elements with one single track.
Note: Another way to create a submix is to select the insert track, right-click on it. Then from the contextual pop-up window scroll to '˜Create submix to' and then select an Insert track that you want to send the track to. This shows you how easy it is to route tracks within FL Studio. |
Tip 5 - EQs and Frequency Analyzers
For EQs I'd highly recommend using the Fruity Parametric EQ2 to your tracks. It's a 7-band parametric EQ. You can choose different EQ curve shapes for these bands, and it has a great frequency analyzer that is very handy when you want to see what frequency areas that particular track is taking up. There is increased activity in the bands that are colored orange/red/ and less in the areas that are purple/blue in color.
To get a higher quality spectrum view on the Parametric EQ2, make sure to click on the HQ button to active this.
Another great spectrum plug-in is Wave Candy. This has Oscilloscope, Spectrum, Meter, and Vectorscope views to help you analyze your audio.
Quick tip: On the Selected track, insert a Wave Candy plug-in. Now whatever mixer track you have selected, the Wave Candy plug-in will display the audio for that track. So you'll only need one Wave Candy plug-in for the whole song. |
Tip 6 - Parallel Processing
Parallel processing is where you mix a dry signal with a wet signal. This way you get the original audio blended with the processed audio. And this can be done very easily in FL Studio. Next to each insert there is a dry/wet dial. Tweak this to change the amount of dry versus wet signal. This works very well with drums. On your drums, add a compressor and dial in a very heavy compression setting like a ratio of 20.1:1, have a very short attack and release, and drop the threshold down to about -40. This will be heavily compressing your drums. Now balance the dry with the wet. There you go that's how easy it is to do parallel compression in FL Studio.
Note: One word of caution, if you have many plug-ins on a track, it can add some processing delay to your audio signal. When you tweak the wet/dry dial it could result in some flanging of the audio. So just be aware of this when making changes to the wet/dry dial. |
Tip 7 - Add Interest with Automation
Automation can really bring your tracks to life, and this can be done very easily in FL. You can automate any parameter. Simply right-click on a parameter, and then choose create automation clip.
Now when you jump across to the Pattern Editor. You'll see a new Clip lane for that automation. So go in and do some volume automations, or reverb send automation to add some variance in your tracks.
Tip 8 - Limiting Your Audio
If you want to add extra loudness to your audio so that it compares with other commercial releases, then add the Fruity Limiter last on the Master Inserts chain. This will allow you to increase the level of your audio, and at the same time you can set a ceiling so that it doesn't clip. Set the Ceil to -0.3 dB, and increase the Gain to somewhere between 3-5 dB to give you that much more loudness. What's also good is to add the Fruity dB Meter after the limiter just to check how this has pushed up your audio. But no matter how hard you push it, if you have the ceiling set at -0.3 dB it'll never go over that.
Tip 9 - Changing Effects Order
This is a very quick tip, but super helpful. If you want to change the order of your effect, place your mouse over the effect you want to move, and then use the scroll wheel to move the effect either up or down the inserts chain. Maybe you want your EQ to be placed after your compressor. Different effects chaining orders can have different results on your audio, so keep this in mind.
Fl Studio Select Multiple Mixer Channels Manual
Tip 10 - Handy Export Options
There's some very handy export options. You can choose to zip your project. If you want to collaborate with another FL user, zip up your project, copy this onto a hard drive, then take it to their setup and load up your zipped project.
You can also choose to export out your mixer tracks as separate tracks. This is handy if you're going to be moving your project to another DAW. Maybe you're getting someone else to mix your song. Split up the tracks, and then bring then into the other DAW to mix.
Conclusion
Fl Studio 20 Select Multiple Mixer Channels
So there's 10 helpful tips you can use to make the most of FL Studio when you get into mixing your songs. The Mixer window is very flexible with its channels and insert routing, and the FL plug-in can really help beef up your mix.
Fl Studio Select Multiple Mixer Channels List
For further FL Studio Tips and Tricks check out this video course: