Image Line has chosen 9/9/9 to release.... FL Studio 9. This major new version includes over 370 additions, changes and bug fixes (much of which was added during the v8.5 betas). As usual, updates are free for existing owners (for the edition you own). Pricing for new customers starts at $49.

Key New Features and Changes

FL Studio:

• Sidechaining - The FL Studio Mixer 'Track Send' now has an additional 'Sidechain' mode to support multiple-input mixer plugins.
• Multi-core CPU (Hyperthreading) - Improved multithreaded generator & added multithreaded effects processing.
• Multiple controllers - Can now control multiple independent instrument channels, assigned by MIDI number.
• New volatile linking feature.
• Wrapper - Aligned tick lengths checkbox for greater plugin compatibility.

Revised Playlist:

• Playlist track naming & icon - Tools for better song organization.
• Playlist track mute controls.

Piano roll:

• Riff machine - Automatic sequence generator tool.
• Note Grouping - New feature (works on selecting, moving, resizing, deletion, muting, shifting using mouse-wheel).

Mixer:

• More tracks - Now has 99 Insert tracks (up from 64).
• Multi-core CPU support - Added 'multithreaded mixer' tracks processing for improved multi-core performance.

New Plugins:

• Autogun (free) - Sonic adventure, Based on Ogun.
• Ogun (demo)- Additive metal simulation synthesizer.
• Gross Beat (demo) - Real-time, audio-stream playback, pitch, position and volume manipulation effect.
• Stereo Shaper (free) - Mid / Side stereo processing.
• Vocodex - The last word in vocoders (free with Producer Edition).

Revised Plugins:

• SimSynth Live, DrumSynth Live, DX-10, WASP and WASP XT are now included in FL Studio (Fruity edition upwards).
• Fruity Reeverb 2 - Added Mid vs Side input signal processing.
• Fruity Wrapper - Now supports multiple inputs/outputs (free).
• Wavecandy - Visualization & analysis tools (free).
• Fruity Limiter - Compressor section now has sidechaining (free).

Browser:

• Presets - Drop effect presets onto mixer tracks & channels, mixer track presets onto effect slots and channels, channel & generator presets onto mixer tracks & effect slots.
• Windows file shell menu - Available from Browser (right-click) item menu.

A full list of changes is available here.