FL Studio - Should I bother?

[scam_artist]

My new estimate... 10% warez users

[bluedad]

Are you a live5 fan?

does it show that much??
actually more like a new user trying to proselytize.
I've also had FL Studio for almost 3 years, and never finished a thing in it. However, I understand why others love it; there really is power there. It just didn't suit my work style. I keep trying, on occassion.
You know the hardest thing about recording audio in Live 5 is, I've got to get up to get my guitar and plug it in.
I could go on and on...and if this thread keeps going, maybe I will, too

[Germ777]

Can you tell me about your issues with T2's piano roll (or do you use T1)? I'm relatively new to MIDI editing but I rely on it constantly now and I fins T2's MIDI resources to be pretty good for my needs. I'm interested to know wht shortcomings you feel are there.

Well for one thing. I don`t know how to play keyboards therefore I have to type every single note I come up with. FL`s piano roll is one of the best for that sort of MIDI use. Tracktion`s is awful for me and ( I have tried the demo) T2 seems fairly good if you play and record the MIDI part, but not for much more. At least for me.
If you have never tried FL download the demo and try the piano roll. It is very flexible and quick o use once you get the hang of it. But this is just a matter of taste. I just can`t seem to be able to work confortably in T2. I much prefer EXT, FL and Podium for MIDI tipying.

I use FL for audio in a professional capacity, no problems. I have no idea why you think audio is awkward, it's one of the most flexible hosts I have used.

I agree with you on the flexibility and the sound quality of FL, but I find it very hard to work with more than 2 or 3 audio tracks in it.
Every time you want to mute an audio clip you have to mute, stop the sequencer and play again for the mute to work. Also if you have a tempo change in the middle of the song you have to play it from the beguinning or the audio part will be stretched and out of synch.
I have stopped making songs with multiple tempo changes for the time being, but if I desire to record one FL is not the host to do so.
I have used FL for the last 2 yrs and the free updates have been great. I started using other hosts more out of curiosity than anything else as I always found a way around those issues I had with FL.
I really think that EXT and FL are the best hosts you can buy out there. Podium has some things to be addressed, but it is excelent too. Tracktion is cool for audio, but Mackie still has to prove itself in the software world.
I wonder how the updates are going to be handled as T2 is still not available here in Spain. That`s why I am using T1 (nfr as I was waiting for T2 to come out in order to buy it, but that is another story) even though I have tried the T2 demo and I liked it I still can`t get it. International dealers will not ship it outside of their country as I should buy it from my local dealer and the bundled plug ins are not my taste.
Later

[Bennett]

@Bennettt: if you plan to buy a midi keyboard or controller, most M-audio keyboards come with a free cutdown version of Ableton Live which is good to loop a few tracks at once... with teh latest version of Live Lite you can also have one midi track with a VST instrument on it. That, coupled with some loop sample CDs from Time and Space could be all you need...

Ya, I like Live5 (the demo) and it is definitely under consideration. I don't like how Live5 handles ReWire though, i.e. make a midi channel and an audio channel to hear it.

I have an Radium keyboard - but I bought it before M-Audio bundled Live Lite with it

[serge]

Another positive aspect of Fruity is a very nice approach to automation (be sure and check out all the little features it offers) and the ability to dismiss/recall all modules with an F key. There's something really nice about being able to kill screen clutter to me, buy YMMV. I really like Sytrus, too, but that's extra money (which might be offset by the free upgrades over time).

I bet Tracktion has FL whipped on audio recording, though.

Shane, glad to see your sticking with FL! But it's not "Fruity" any more, but "FL Studio"

[headquest]

You know the hardest thing about recording audio in Live 5 is, I've got to get up to get my guitar and plug it in.

I find recording audio in Ableton Live much harder than that. I not only have to get my keyboard and plug it in, I also have to switch it on and press various other buttons and controls. Damn!

I don't like how Live5 handles ReWire though, i.e. make a midi channel and an audio channel to hear it.

I think that's pretty standard. In many hosts you have to do that with VST synths as well - seperate audio/MIDI channels (e.g. Cubase, Sonar, etc).

ReWire in Ableton Live is one of the better implementations I have come across. Alongside using audio a lot, and Ableton's own three instruments, I use Reason as a virtual instrument collection almost exclusively, rather than VST synths. Like so many other Reason users, I am absolutely convinced that Ableton has the best Rewire host integration for Reason of any of the contendors. And I've tried most of them (Windows ones, that is) and own two others that are certainly less good!

[Bennett]

I don't like how Live5 handles ReWire though, i.e. make a midi channel and an audio channel to hear it.

I think that's pretty standard. In many hosts you have to do that with VST synths as well - seperate audio/MIDI channels (e.g. Cubase, Sonar, etc).

I agree that the ReWire handling of Live5 is similar to other hosts - I suppose I got lazy because Tracktion simply requires one filter on one track to get the job done.

Is there any way (like a script) to set up Live5 to automatically create an audio track when a ReWire connection is made?

[headquest]

I agree that the ReWire handling of Live5 is similar to other hosts - I suppose I got lazy because Tracktion simply requires one filter on one track to get the job done.

Ah right. That's one of my other two, actually! The Rewire is in some ways easier to set up, and on a single channel which is nice, I admit. But it was too buggy in practice... stuff using Reason's pattern sequencers loses notes, etc.

Also, (check this out) automating the Rewire slave (Reason or whatever) from within Live (in clip automation) is a doddle, unlike in Tracktion where it can be done but is pretty tricky.

So it's swings and rounderbouts, although *for me* Live is the very clear winner between the two

Is there any way (like a script) to set up Live5 to automatically create an audio track when a ReWire connection is made?

Not that I know of. Sorry! However, once you get used to Live's way of doing things, I suspect you will come to love it .

One other Rewire tip for Live is that if you have a MIDI track routed to the Rewire client, you can record it directly as an audio clip by using the highly configurable (but very simple) routing system. If you are a confident keyboard player this can be a great way to work (especially bearing in mind that Ableton's warp markers allow you to quantise/correct and small mis-timing issues).

[Bennett]

Is there any way (like a script) to set up Live5 to automatically create an audio track when a ReWire connection is made?

Not that I know of. Sorry! However, once you get used to Live's way of doing things, I suspect you will come to love it .

Oh very well, I suppose I'll have to save the extra funds for Live5 - now I can't eat lunch for a couple months

[headquest]

Is there any way (like a script) to set up Live5 to automatically create an audio track when a ReWire connection is made?

Actually, I should have said... that in Live you can set up your prefered default template which automatically load when you start up the program. In mine, Track 1 in Session View is already set up as an Audio return for Reason's main L/R output. I use Reason a lot, but I often have the MIDI tracks sequenced from within Live, mixed using Reason's mixer, with the audio feed returning directly through Live track 1 as a submix, where I also add mastering EQ and compression to the Reason feed.

Hope that helps.

In terms of FL... which is where we started! ... you can set it up as a Rewire client in Live in the same way, or of course you can insert it into a MIDI track as a VST.

[Thoth93]

At one point, I was all hot to get the XXL edition of this software, but then I decided to try other hosts instead.

I have EnergyXt and Tracktion 2 now. Is there anything that FL Studio, probably at the Producer Edition level now, can offer me that these hosts can't? I do have some background in pattern-based music production, so I get that portion of what FL offers.

Brian

Well, I went ahead and just bought the damned thing. Producer Edition. No Sytrus. I don't necessarily like that, but I can spend $150 right now, not $300.

Besides, I have literally dozens of softsynths to learn and understand already - some really excellent commercial options, others quality freeware. So I don't know that I'll miss it all that much. And if I do decide I can't live without it, the VST is only a mouse click and $180 away, I guess. hehe

I now have what I consider to be a perfect music aresenal - FLStudio appeals to the Old Skool tracker in me, Tracktion 2 will handle duties if some of my musician pals want to come over, plug in and jam, and EnergyXT will be my "let me get this down while I'm thinking about it" resource and is every bit as powerful in its own right.

I'm really jazzed about some of the things I see coming in FL 6, and I'm sure there'll be upgrade options for "lesser" versions when that comes out, in addition to whatever I get with my Lifetime Free Updates. (Tm)

And someday, maybe I'll download the beloved Live 5 demo and see what I'm missing.

Brian

[SynisTAr]

At one point, I was all hot to get the XXL edition of this software, but then I decided to try other hosts instead.

I have EnergyXt and Tracktion 2 now. Is there anything that FL Studio, probably at the Producer Edition level now, can offer me that these hosts can't? I do have some background in pattern-based music production, so I get that portion of what FL offers.

Brian

Well, I went ahead and just bought the damned thing. Producer Edition. No Sytrus. I don't necessarily like that, but I can spend $150 right now, not $300.

They're doing another group buy when Sytrus2 comes out. Existing Sytrus owners get the update for free. That'll be me then . I would say that Sytrus has much more than FMHeaven. It's so much more than a DX FM clone.

[Germ777]

Well, I went ahead and just bought the damned thing. Producer Edition. No Sytrus.

Brian

Welcome aboard!
Soon there will be a Sytrus 2 GP (as noted above)so you can jump on that and yes. Sytrus is much more than a DX clone.
Later.

[headquest]

Soon there will be a Sytrus 2 GP (as noted above)so you can jump on that and yes. Sytrus is much more than a DX clone.
Later.

Will Sytrus 2 be a VST that can be used in other hosts?

When is it expected?

I must say, the previous Sytrus group buy was an outstanding bargain by the end . I missed it simply because it coincided with other purchases, etc (Live 5 beta testing and launch, to be precise!)

[headquest]

PS the reason I ask is because when I previously tried it out I liked it lots, but found it VERY intensive in CPU... I could only run Sytrus in a host that has a Freeze function, which FL does not (even in its next version 6 incarnation )