FL Studio All Plugins Edition

I bought FLStudio back at version 4, and it has been my host through thick and thin all the way to version 6.4 (beta). Along the way, I have been stuck in front of Sibelius, Audition, and Sonar for classes and Audacity, Sound Forge, Pro Tools, and Nuendo by friends. I have had professors ask me "Fruityloops? Isn't that just painting with blocks?", and friends tell me that "FL has a weak sound engine and doesn't even support sustain". None of it, of course, is true (at least not at this point) and I'd like to use these 5,000 characters to help dispel the prejudices you may have picked up in your travels.

User Interface: I've used a lot of plugins and a good few hosts since I started doing the whole music thing, and FL has the best one, by far. It seems "dark" to some, but it's slick, it's easy on the eyes, and most importantly, very good to screen real estate. It's slick, especially for a Windows-only application (which have a reputation for being all-business-and-no-fun), and it's *just* skinnable enough to correct any problems you may have (skinning isn't supported, but if you're willing to dig deeper you can do what you're after).

Sound: Full marks. FL has, for so long, been attacked for having a "bad sound engine", and I hope reviews like these help dispel the rumour. Especially with the more recent plugins like DirectWave, Sytrus, EQUO (and Love Filter, if you pick up the beta), FL has a wide range of creative and pristine audio processing and generating plugins, and support for 32bit/192kHZ audio ensures that (outside of ProTools) you're getting the best possible audio quality available on the market. I know it sounds like marketing but it really does sound spectacular, I was amazed at the results that just a Firepod, a Digital Reference mic, and the native FL plugins could create.

Features: Gets a 10 because, while it doesn't have every feature I could ever want, it will. With FL, buying the program isn't buying the program; it's buying its future, too. Lifetime free updates ensures that, if it isn't there now, it's likely to be in the future, and watching the software I bought all those years ago evolve, I know that those missing features are coming. For free. It doesn't get any better!

Documentation: Scores a 9 for lack of a printed manual (unless you buy it separately). The HTML help is good and always improving, but sometimes it's nice to have paper to unfold on the desk.

Presets: They have presets for everything; even things that don't need presets like compressors and equalizers. The "Coolstuff" folder even contains a series of high-quality users songs which can be studied to learn and experiment with all of FL's features. You can know absolutely nothing about music production, pick this up, and be hammering out songs within the hour, and FL will teach it all to you with the double-click of an .fst.

Customer Support: gets a 9. It would get a 10, because I can outline the number of times I've personally made a request or pointed out a bug and had a developer talk to me (and it's a real conversation, not a single email), work it out, and fix it (and upload a new beta). They lose marks because you kind of have to have thick skin to deal with some of the developers. The lead dev, gol, is sometimes less than tactful, and while he's often right, that's no consolation when you're angry because your software doesn't work.

Value For Money: Even the full XXL bundle of FL costs less than a barebones copy of, say, Ableton Live, so when you consider that FL is as fully featured and capable as most hosts on the market today, it's a steal. Add to that the fact that the next version isn't going to cost you anything and it's even MORE of a steal ;). It's not as cheap as Reaper or eXT, to be sure, but it's still a reliable and cost-effective solution. Don't let that fool you; it's not just the best value for money, it's one of the best programs for ANY price bracket; the cost is just an added bonus.

Stability: I've only ever seen a few crashes of FL in the years since I bought it (back when it was first given the name "Studio"). In every instance, it was either caused by me (overdriving my system) or it was remedied quickly by staff. Even VSTis which deviate from the standard and should cause crashes work because the FL Staff has created a series of per-plugin settings designed to correct poor plugin development. The fact that I have a User-Only beta right now installed as my only version of FL is a testament to the skill of the developers and the stability of the program.

Short, FL is spectacular. It works great for new users, and pro users making the switch can customize it to such a degree that it can emulate the features of their old system. From CC implementation to audio recording to inline sequencing, everyone can find a way to work within FL without relearning music, and I don't think there's another program that's as versatile, stable, or attractive, and that sounds so good.Read Review