FL Studio as vsti in Reaper for midi only - which version?
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- KVRAF
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
HI, I am thinking of using FL Studio inside Reaper as a VSTi, and purely as a midi sequencer - no audio or instruments at all. It seems that it is easy enough to get the midi out of FL and running VSTi's in Reaper but that leaves me with - which version of FL?
Is the cheapest one going to have all the midi functionality? Looks like it will, seems more expensive versions give more content mainly.
thanks, woggle
Is the cheapest one going to have all the midi functionality? Looks like it will, seems more expensive versions give more content mainly.
thanks, woggle
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- KVRAF
- 5144 posts since 3 Oct, 2013
Sower is quite good multi-track sequencer

it has lovely in/built FL Skin, this is the cheapest one solution .. http://nizzei8q.bget.ru/sower/index.php,
btw, the latest FL introduced the scale lock in PR, so if u need that one, otherwise doesn't really matter

it has lovely in/built FL Skin, this is the cheapest one solution .. http://nizzei8q.bget.ru/sower/index.php,
btw, the latest FL introduced the scale lock in PR, so if u need that one, otherwise doesn't really matter
"Where we're workarounding, we don't NEED features." - powermat
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- KVRAF
- 5200 posts since 17 Aug, 2004
Good luck with that. I ended using FL Studio 7 years ago because it did not had good external hardware support. So i used other DAW and FL VSTi inside Cubase and other daws. But there is a problem, VSTi is unstable. And whenever you quit session in your DAW FL crashes itself. I reported crash, a. violation back then but noone seems to care.
7 years ahead now - i just tried last FL Studio, was it 12.4 or something but there it is - same crash is still there. Just try to use VSTi in ableton in few Ableton projects and try to switch between them.
Otherwise on it's own it seems extremely nice piece of software for software producers with amazing upgrade policy. But these "modules" such as FL vsti just don't work quite well.
7 years ahead now - i just tried last FL Studio, was it 12.4 or something but there it is - same crash is still there. Just try to use VSTi in ableton in few Ableton projects and try to switch between them.
Otherwise on it's own it seems extremely nice piece of software for software producers with amazing upgrade policy. But these "modules" such as FL vsti just don't work quite well.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
bummer - I will test on my system but I would prefer not to have new software than to have it if it crashes from time to timekmonkey wrote:Good luck with that. I ended using FL Studio 7 years ago because it did not had good external hardware support. So i used other DAW and FL VSTi inside Cubase and other daws. But there is a problem, VSTi is unstable. And whenever you quit session in your DAW FL crashes itself. I reported crash, a. violation back then but noone seems to care.
7 years ahead now - i just tried last FL Studio, was it 12.4 or something but there it is - same crash is still there. Just try to use VSTi in ableton in few Ableton projects and try to switch between them.
Otherwise on it's own it seems extremely nice piece of software for software producers with amazing upgrade policy. But these "modules" such as FL vsti just don't work quite well.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
running two instances playing two different demos at different speeds - let's see how long that lasts and how much editing it can handlewoggle wrote:bummer - I will test on my system but I would prefer not to have new software than to have it if it crashes from time to timekmonkey wrote:Good luck with that. I ended using FL Studio 7 years ago because it did not had good external hardware support. So i used other DAW and FL VSTi inside Cubase and other daws. But there is a problem, VSTi is unstable. And whenever you quit session in your DAW FL crashes itself. I reported crash, a. violation back then but noone seems to care.
7 years ahead now - i just tried last FL Studio, was it 12.4 or something but there it is - same crash is still there. Just try to use VSTi in ableton in few Ableton projects and try to switch between them.
Otherwise on it's own it seems extremely nice piece of software for software producers with amazing upgrade policy. But these "modules" such as FL vsti just don't work quite well.
oops might not be different speeds, will hve to check that
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
thanks xbitz - so far FL is looking pretty good. Had not seen Sower so thanks for the suggestionxbitz wrote:Sower is quite good multi-track sequencer
it has lovely in/built FL Skin, this is the cheapest one solution .. http://nizzei8q.bget.ru/sower/index.php,
btw, the latest FL introduced the scale lock in PR, so if u need that one, otherwise doesn't really matter
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
apparently Reaper has a bug that prevents it passing keyboard shortcuts (like ctrl+z) to FL. Shame but not a deal breaker, you can still edit and stuff using the drop down menus
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- KVRAF
- 6081 posts since 27 Jul, 2001 from Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA
Also consider Temper for midi needs.
http://www.angryredplanet.com/temper/
it is free.
I sometimes use Bidule for midi (and audio)
VSTi or VStfx. In Cubase, Bidule (nad FLS I beleive)
can be opened an Input but not sure about Reaper.
http://www.plogue.com/products/bidule/
http://www.angryredplanet.com/temper/
it is free.
I sometimes use Bidule for midi (and audio)
VSTi or VStfx. In Cubase, Bidule (nad FLS I beleive)
can be opened an Input but not sure about Reaper.
http://www.plogue.com/products/bidule/
My Studio: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7760&p=7777146#p7777146
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- KVRAF
- 6081 posts since 27 Jul, 2001 from Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA
I had thought of using FL Studio as a VSTi, VSTfx or as an Input
in Cubase. If the workflow works I may reconsider using Cubase.
I need to be able to exchange midi and audio files between the
two DAW's
Also am considering the FLS combo with Sonar and Studio One.
But the files exchange is preventing. I need to be able to drop
midi and audio files from the track of one DAW to the other.
Reaper because it is so efficient having FLS makes sense.
Again the workflow is the issue.
in Cubase. If the workflow works I may reconsider using Cubase.
I need to be able to exchange midi and audio files between the
two DAW's
Also am considering the FLS combo with Sonar and Studio One.
But the files exchange is preventing. I need to be able to drop
midi and audio files from the track of one DAW to the other.
Reaper because it is so efficient having FLS makes sense.
Again the workflow is the issue.
Last edited by Kalamata Kid on Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My Studio: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7760&p=7777146#p7777146
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- KVRian
- 524 posts since 26 Nov, 2009
Reaper can replicate FL Studio's shortcuts and workflow. Check the manual and change your shortcuts and mouse modifiers.
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- KVRAF
- 6159 posts since 4 Dec, 2004
Good question.woggle wrote:HI, I am thinking of using FL Studio inside Reaper as a VSTi, and purely as a midi sequencer - no audio or instruments at all. It seems that it is easy enough to get the midi out of FL and running VSTi's in Reaper but that leaves me with - which version of FL?
Is the cheapest one going to have all the midi functionality? Looks like it will, seems more expensive versions give more content mainly.
thanks, woggle
I bought the Fruity Edition some time back for (I think) $99 because I didn't need audio recording in it, just the nonlinear stuff that it does so well, but I don't know if the full edition (the piano roll, whatever else) has more fundamental midi features in the full edition or not.
I probably need to update it. Because I know I can always get the latest version for free I'm never in any hurry so I haven't installed the latest one yet.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
so far all I have heard is that it is the same for midi across all exitions except for a snap to scale feature in the top one . I have been really surprised in this brief time at how powerful FL is. I dont make pop / radio music much and had thought FL would not be suitable at all for non pattern based music. But that doesn't seem the case. Sound to video seems to be the weakness - but I might end up using FL as my main DAW and rewire into Reaper purely for the videoLawrenceF wrote:Good question.woggle wrote:HI, I am thinking of using FL Studio inside Reaper as a VSTi, and purely as a midi sequencer - no audio or instruments at all. It seems that it is easy enough to get the midi out of FL and running VSTi's in Reaper but that leaves me with - which version of FL?
Is the cheapest one going to have all the midi functionality? Looks like it will, seems more expensive versions give more content mainly.
thanks, woggle
I bought the Fruity Edition some time back for (I think) $99 because I didn't need audio recording in it, just the nonlinear stuff that it does so well, but I don't know if the full edition (the piano roll, whatever else) has more fundamental midi features in the full edition or not.
I probably need to update it. Because I know I can always get the latest version for free I'm never in any hurry so I haven't installed the latest one yet.
Anyway they have sales in January normally I think and I imagine I will get the $99 version at least.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2357 posts since 24 Nov, 2012
thanks for those other suggestions - used Temper long ago and it was interesting, a genuine alternative. I hope the dev went on to other interesting thingsKalamata Kid wrote:Also consider Temper for midi needs.
http://www.angryredplanet.com/temper/
it is free.
I sometimes use Bidule for midi (and audio)
VSTi or VStfx. In Cubase, Bidule (nad FLS I beleive)
can be opened an Input but not sure about Reaper.
http://www.plogue.com/products/bidule/
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- KVRAF
- 6159 posts since 4 Dec, 2004
I suppose. I wouldn't know about the linear stuff, I only bought (at the time) for making hip-hop beats and man... it really, really excels at that. I'd open Cubase, launch FL in it as a plugin, minimize the Cubase window and maximize FL and create the beat in FL, and later mix it all in the Cubase mixer. It worked great, never having to even save a FL song with it being a plugin.woggle wrote:so far all I have heard is that it is the same for midi across all exitions except for a snap to scale feature in the top one . I have been really surprised in this brief time at how powerful FL is. I dont make pop / radio music much and had thought FL would not be suitable at all for non pattern based music. But that doesn't seem the case. Sound to video seems to be the weakness - but I might end up using FL as my main DAW and rewire into Reaper purely for the video
Anyway they have sales in January normally I think and I imagine I will get the $99 version at least.
The workflow doing that for hip-hop or whatever was exceptional, and it has all the tools you need for that genre right there at your fingertips and a good collection of samples to stack up. I quickly found out why some rap guys love it so much.
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- KVRAF
- 3050 posts since 23 Jun, 2006 from Hungary
Nowadays I tried to use FL VSTi as an instrument in Reaper. It seems working.
Here's what I do:
In FL VSTi I load Patcher in the first slot, so it play when I use my midi controller in Reaper.
In Patcher I load VFX Keyboard Splitter, then assign some plugins (fl/third party) to it.
So In Reaper I can play this splitted Patcher. The whole setup of the split can be saved in Patcher.
If I do similar keyboard split in reaper -without FL plugin -,
I have to use extended note filter JS plugin on multiple track.
To sum up things,
In VFX Keyboard Splitter inside patcher i see visually the keyboard split zones, and the whole split is managed in one place,
so its like an instruments in Reaper.
The other parts of FL plugin is empty, so I use only the patcher.
I will test it with plugins like zebra or imposcar, dunno how well
they can be Patcherized.
Then I can record midi or audio in Reaper in this Patcher track...
Here's what I do:
In FL VSTi I load Patcher in the first slot, so it play when I use my midi controller in Reaper.
In Patcher I load VFX Keyboard Splitter, then assign some plugins (fl/third party) to it.
So In Reaper I can play this splitted Patcher. The whole setup of the split can be saved in Patcher.
If I do similar keyboard split in reaper -without FL plugin -,
I have to use extended note filter JS plugin on multiple track.
To sum up things,
In VFX Keyboard Splitter inside patcher i see visually the keyboard split zones, and the whole split is managed in one place,
so its like an instruments in Reaper.
The other parts of FL plugin is empty, so I use only the patcher.
I will test it with plugins like zebra or imposcar, dunno how well
they can be Patcherized.
Then I can record midi or audio in Reaper in this Patcher track...
Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/@SoftSynthPortal