Why is FL Studio so popular?

[Dionysos]

I really do not understand, why many users think that FL piano roll is the best. It is perhaps they do not use any other options.

It feels the best, especially if you do lots of editing by mouse.

[Trancit]

I really do not understand, why many users think that FL piano roll is the best. It is perhaps they do not use any other options.

FL PR is the best compared to what? Ableton? - Yes, clearly it is better than Ableton.
Compared to Cubase? (or even studio one) - of course not.
Can it be the best because you are used to it? Can be. But function-wise, no, it is not the best.

Because you just judge from what you obviously see...

Cubase perhaps can hold 90% against the PR of FLS featurewise but it´s awkward to use not at least of not having a real multitool... but at least you´ve got quite similar Midi tools while there you have the disadvantage that they just work in realtime and it´s again awkward to render them in...

Studio One... No way at all... only someone who hasn´t got the slightest clue about the PR of FLS can state that!

It´s not just the best because we are used to it...
I am equally familiar to the PR of Studio One/Reaper/Ableton and 90% Cubase... and FLS beats them all by a mileage...

Is it possible that you come to the conclusion because you don´t know what you are talking about??

[Serhii Kot]

Is it possible that you come to the conclusion because you don´t know what you are talking about??

I know FL studio pretty well. Also, I know Cubase pretty well (And S1, and Live, and Bitwig, and Reaper).

So, I have a very good basis in my comparison.
This conversation has no value without any context, so let's bring some.

1) To manipulate velocities in FL p.roll you should open a specific tool (+1 window open) and blindly compress or expand velocities.
Same things in Cubase, select all notes, drag the corresponding zone in the velocity lane. And see changes in real-time, while you are compressing or expanding or else.

2) Sustain pedal editing, is a pain in FL.

3) Unusual, not universal mouse behavior in FL studio p.roll. Select with a right button? Not very convenient, when all other DAWs select with a left click and drag.

There is more stuff like selecting every other note, or every third note, or all 16 lengths, etc.

Yes, you do not have a chord drawing tool in Cubase or S1, but you have a chord track.

So now, tell me, what do you think makes FL piano roll the best for you?

[Vortifex]

What I like about FL's piano roll is that the default options feel intuitive and 'just right'. Left click paste a note, right click delete. And it's a single click, unlike other DAWs which by default require a double click to paste a note. Also by default it opens full screen and the notes are a decent size. Other DAWs allow varying degrees of customisation for this, but often the default is a small piano roll with tiny/narrow notes.

Also when you paste a note the corresponding note on the vertical row of keys on the left of the piano roll glows orange, which is quite handy for peripheral vision and correct placement of notes. The light green colour of the notes stands out nicely against the blue/grey background.

For me it's just nice to look at and nice to use.

[sjm]

1) To manipulate velocities in FL p.roll you should open a specific tool (+1 window open) and blindly compress or expand velocities.
Same things in Cubase, select all notes, drag the corresponding zone in the velocity lane. And see changes in real-time, while you are compressing or expanding or else.

Alt+mousewheel. You don't need to use Alt+X. Alt+X is for non-linear manipulation. At least, I'm guessing that's what you are looking for from your description.

3) Unusual, not universal mouse behavior in FL studio p.roll. Select with a right button? Not very convenient, when all other DAWs select with a left click and drag.

Right-click deletes. While you can switch to the select tool to select, it's much easier to Ctrl+drag. When using the PR in FL (and other features), you want to keep one hand on Ctrl/Alt/Shift. They are essentially the WASD of FL. Then you practically never need to switch between tools in the PR, and that's part of why it's so streamlined (and thus why people love it).

Of course, none of this is a benefit if you aren't a piano roll hero who uses the PR to enter everything using the mouse. Cubase always felt like you were a second class citizen if that was your preference.

Can it be the best because you are used to it? Can be. But function-wise, no, it is not the best.

There's a difference between having a lot of functions and having something that is easy/quick to use. FL's piano roll is so popular because it got that second one right. For people who are piano roll heroes, that makes a huge difference.

Now I haven't used Cubase for nearly 20 years. But back then, the piano roll was absolutely terrible for doing more than editing stuff you'd manually played in on your keyboard. The PR may of course have been improved since then - I wouldn't know - but from a lot of comments in this thread it doesn't sound like it. I thought it was horrible, personally, in terms of "getting the job done". I don't care how many functions something offers if they get in the way of usability.

[Lbdunequest]

I really do not understand, why many users think that FL piano roll is the best. It is perhaps they do not use any other options.

It feels the best, especially if you do lots of editing by mouse.

Exactly that, it feels the best.

[Trancit]

I know FL studio pretty well. Also, I know Cubase pretty well (And S1, and Live, and Bitwig, and Reaper).

So, I have a very good basis in my comparison.
This conversation has no value without any context, so let's bring some.

1) To manipulate velocities in FL p.roll you should open a specific tool (+1 window open) and blindly compress or expand velocities.
Same things in Cubase, select all notes, drag the corresponding zone in the velocity lane. And see changes in real-time, while you are compressing or expanding or else....

Edit: Let´s take out the offense ...

I just go over the first point as it already shows that you perhaps don´t know FLS as much as you claimed:
1. It doesn´t matter to me if I need a seperate window in FLS or if I need to go down and try to grab the right angle point in Cubase...
Not to speak of in Cubase you have to go endlessly through tabs in the inspector to be able to reach randomization tools and similar where you really get a blindflight as they are not reflected in the midi data...
No sorry...there I prefer hitting a shortcut and work with a seperate window respectively a specialized tool which does exactly how it should be...

2. it isn´t true you would adjust anything blindly in FLS...
Just watch:


Btw... Reaper does selection by right dragging...
FLS deletes with rightclick...

Damn... I broke my promise to just go over the first point...

[Trancit]

...
Now I haven't used Cubase for nearly 20 years. But back then, the piano roll was absolutely terrible for doing more than editing stuff you'd manually played in on your keyboard. The PR may of course have been improved since then - I wouldn't know - but from a lot of comments in this thread it doesn't sound like it. I thought it was horrible, personally, in terms of "getting the job done". I don't care how many functions something offers if they get in the way of usability.

Not really... it´s mainly the same awkward stuff like 20 years ago...

[andypryce]

in FL Piano Roll you get realtime feedback while editing. In most other DAWS you do the edit let the mouse go and then hear the result maybe undo and do it again.
Also one can preview strums, chops etc before committing.
Plus drawing pitch,velocity, pan etc is very intuitive and feels effortless.

[Serhii Kot]

I know FL studio pretty well. Also, I know Cubase pretty well (And S1, and Live, and Bitwig, and Reaper).

So, I have a very good basis in my comparison.
This conversation has no value without any context, so let's bring some.

1) To manipulate velocities in FL p.roll you should open a specific tool (+1 window open) and blindly compress or expand velocities.
Same things in Cubase, select all notes, drag the corresponding zone in the velocity lane. And see changes in real-time, while you are compressing or expanding or else....

Edit: Let´s take out the offense ...

I just go over the first point as it already shows that you perhaps don´t know FLS as much as you claimed:
1. It doesn´t matter to me if I need a seperate window in FLS or if I need to go down and try to grab the right angle point in Cubase...
Not to speak of in Cubase you have to go endlessly through tabs in the inspector to be able to reach randomization tools and similar where you really get a blindflight as they are not reflected in the midi data...
No sorry...there I prefer hitting a shortcut and work with a seperate window respectively a specialized tool which does exactly how it should be...

2. it isn´t true you would adjust anything blindly in FLS...
Just watch:


Btw... Reaper does selection by right dragging...
FLS deletes with rightclick...

Damn... I broke my promise to just go over the first point...

I meant another thing about "blindly", my poor choice of English words. I mean that you do not control velocities in the lane with the mouse, but with a knob. You look at one part of the screen and not in tool windows and then velocity lane. I hope you understand what I mean. But as you describe, it is a matter of personal choice. Sorry for the confusion.

Also, you miss the point about right-click select, yes I mixed it up with reaper. But It wasn't my point. My point was about non-standard behavior if compared to any other daw. In reaper, I changed this behavior in 5 clicks and it is in my config forever. Every time I use FL my muscle memory did not work, and I need some time to readjust.

FL piano roll is the best only for people that do not use extensively piano roll in S1 or Cubase. I do not even know what can beat S1s macros or Cubases logical editor. If you want fast workflow. (Yea I know, reaper actions blablalba)

[Trancit]

...
So now, tell me, what do you think makes FL piano roll the best for you?

I did overlook your question...but it´s hard to tell as it´s hard to describe a feeling...

At the very end it´s a lot of personal preference too but for me: it just works...

Just a very few examples:
- The precision you have when working with the mouse in FLS is better for me than I experienced in other DAWs
- I can do nearly everything without ever changing tools in FLS... only exception...the brush tool...
But other than that I have access to every function with just the pencil tool selected...
Especially Cubase users should now become alert...
- Every speciallized tool is immediately reflected in the midi data of the PR editor no matter if arpeggiated, randomized..scaled... note limited... quantized ...whatever...
- The available tools in the PR editor are just outstanding... make your own patterns for arpeggios, chopping or quantizing and have them immediately available...
Need to chopp some chords for different rhythms...3 clicks...reflected and printed into the midi in realtime and nondestructive ...
Randomize a pattern´s notes... booom... reflected and printed in realtime and non destructive and 1 click on a button gives you new chances...
- Already since nearly day one included in FLS: MPE... sure just for native generators but at least these are already 46 different instruments which were available a decade before MPE became a wet dream for Roli´s devs...
- no selections methods... sorry but please do your homework:

Selection.jpg

- tell me how do you select time in Cubase PR editor for i.e.duplicating??
Ah, you are right...you need to create a dummy note in the length of the "timeselection"...duplicate and delete these dummy notes again afterwards... very modern way of working...

Where shall I start...where shall I end...

It´simply too much to list...

Is it an advantage for everybody??
No of course not... there is nothing made for everybody...
The "real muscians" who just record a bit and perhaps quantize a bit are most likely better at home in the same kind of boring DAWs like Cubase...

But for people with a more creative touch...definetely...

Other DAWs offering for sure very genius midi stuff too like i.e. Bitwig or Ableton... but for me they do always the same mistakes:
1. Realtime only... no permanent reflection in the PR editor ...you need to record everything in realtime to get the changes... unnecessary steps because the developers are too lazy to do it right...
2. They never improve and always underrate the "feeling" when working...

The only DAW coming close to FLS "feelingwise" is Reaper... but sadly they do not feel the need to offer any advanced creative functionality (apart from some super ugly and limited user scripts) as it´s more a DAW for recording engineers and not for creative artists...

But everything else... no chance at all... at least not for me... but as I read and hear it often it seems I am not alone with my opinion

[Trancit]

I meant another thing about "blindly", my poor choice of English words. I mean that you do not control velocities in the lane with the mouse, but with a knob. You look at one part of the screen and not in tool windows and then velocity lane. I hope you understand what I mean. But as you describe, it is a matter of personal choice. Sorry for the confusion.

Sorry but I cannot agree at all...
It´s absolutely no difference at all if I grab an anker point and drag or if I grab a slider in a very tiny window and drag...
In both cases it´s absolutely no difference to be easily able to control what you are doing...

Also, you miss the point about right-click select, yes I mixed it up with reaper. But It wasn't my point. My point was about non-standard behavior if compared to any other daw. In reaper, I changed this behavior in 5 clicks and it is in my config forever. Every time I use FL my muscle memory did not work, and I need some time to readjust.

Sorry but this is nonsense too...
Every DAW has it´s own behaviour... in some DAWs you CTRL+ drag to copy... in S1 you ALT+drag to copy... in FLS you shift + drag to copy...
Know your tools and everything is fine...
Making things with a different modifier can be hardly a good or bad feature...

FL piano roll is the best only for people that do not use extensively piano roll in S1 or Cubase. I do not even know what can beat S1s macros or Cubases logical editor. If you want fast workflow. (Yea I know, reaper actions blablalba)

Not for me...
FLS is for me the best PR for creative people who want to see their changes in realtime (hello macros in S1) and want the results be printed in midi once accepted by the user with the most available flexibility and a solid workflow which on top feels nice...

For me Cubase and S1 users don´t stand up and fight because they either never really experienced how fast and easy things can be or they have simply capitulated and resign themselves to what i.e. Steinberg will never improve on.

Anyway... this is my last post on this topic...

You will never understand me... I will nver understand you... we are just wasting time and energy here...

[MrJubbly]

...

[MrJubbly]

I really do not understand, why many users think that FL piano roll is the best. It is perhaps they do not use any other options.

FL PR is the best compared to what? Ableton? - Yes, clearly it is better than Ableton.
Compared to Cubase? (or even studio one) - of course not.
Can it be the best because you are used to it? Can be. But function-wise, no, it is not the best.

FL Studio's piano roll has tons of (widely unknown, largely unused) mouse gestures and key modifiers that make navigating and editing notes a pure joy to use. Especially in direct comparison to the other DAWs'. Perhaps, you never personally mastered all of these (far too many to mention here) yourself, in order to fully appreciate and understand why so many users, who have mastered them, prefer it over all the other available DAWs' piano rolls?

Feature-wise, FLS' may lack a few features that some other DAWs have. More advanced 'humanisation' being probably one of the most obvious examples to spring to mind. But none of the competition's Piano rolls are quite as nice of a user-experience in my opinion.

I have tried those three other DAWs' piano rolls that you mentioned, and would never personally choose any of their PR versions over FL Studio's. Perhaps you can specify the reasons why those other piano rolls are better than FL Studio's, to clarify the issue?

[dermichl]

Is it possible that you come to the conclusion because you don´t know what you are talking about??

Never speak ill of FL Studio in front of a real devotee...