FL Studio 21.1 released! - A disappointment in the making

[loni_love_33]

I am such a beginner at FLStudio's -DAWs in general to be honest. I wanted to join this forum to stay updated on the latest tech news and to maybe answer some of the questions I've had recently about FLStudio. I've only gotten the trial so far because I wanted to see if it was for me. I have a basically brand-new LENOVO and I have no idea if it's my laptop or the software but the audio is TERRIBLE. Every time I try to play any type of audio it is barely audible at all. It just sounds super far away and almost static-like. I've tried it with and without headphones and I can't seem to understand the issue. I keep wondering if maybe the software just isn't compatible with my laptop or if I need to change some sort of setting, or something...Does anyone else have this problem, and if so, were you able to fix it?

[chk071]

I mean, what's next, we're gonna name every thread about a new version of a DAW that way? "Cubase 13 - the next disaster". "Studio One 7 - a catastropy is coming". "Ableton Live 12 - the end is near, brothers".

If someone thinks those things are true then yea why not? If you disagree and actually use the software in question then push back with a cogent argument instead of calling something "dumb".

Cubase isn't a disaster. Studio One isn't a catastrophy. FL Studio isn't a "disappointment". People make great music with all of these DAWs every day.

I thought you'd be the first to cherish that.

[osiris]

One thing I’ve been finding annoying with FLStudio on the Mac side is that nearly everything I do in the software produces audio dropouts when playing back. If I open a window while FLStudio is playing it hitches. Not sure if that is normal for FL but Logic, Ableton, Studio One, Bitiwg, Reason, Maschine, etc do not have that behavior. Thats on a fully spaced out M1 Max machine. It makes the app feel unstable and janky.

On Windows 11 mine just stops. I have notes open sometimes to look at. Just Notepad, and it seems FL will stop playing if I focus on anything else.

[sjm]

On Windows 11 mine just stops. I have notes open sometimes to look at. Just Notepad, and it seems FL will stop playing if I focus on anything else.

Presumably you have auto close on for your audio device. That setting exists so you can use the audio device for Windows sound even while FL Studio is open when you switch focus. Most ASIO drivers are exclusive, so you can't play Windows sound through the device at the same time as it's open in an ASIO application. It's working as intended.

[osiris]

It's a text document. I think there is some setting I've turned on because VST GUIs always block everything else, so it's some 'focus' feature. At least it looks like quantize has been fixed as all my notes fit properly now with no overhang.

[Carbonboy]

I think there is some setting I've turned on because VST GUIs always block everything else, so it's some 'focus' feature. At least it looks like quantize has been fixed as all my notes fit properly now with no overhang.

From what I can see 90% of the problems I see in this forum are because people have messed with settings, or an update has reset settings and they really don't know how to use FL Studio.

The manual is full of answers to most of these issues.

I am not sure how may people here understand how input quantizing in FL Studio works

https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-le ... antization

Or in your case what the focus switch does

https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-le ... r_keyfocus

[osiris]

My offline manual disappeared with the new install.

[Teksonik]

Please come back, Gol!

Please no! Things have been so much better at Image-Line (and for FL Studio) since Gol left.

I beg to differ.
Since he left, the code monkeys just kept stapling new stuff on top of FL just in order to claim said functionality is now available....
FL now feels like the FrankenDAW it never was when gol was still in charge.
He had the talent to implement stuff in a way that felt natural to FL. The new people don't. They just staple new stuff on top.

I see your beg to differ and raise you two beg to differs.

Gol was a video game designer and it shows in his work. His complete lack of understanding of all things MIDI is why I'm having to look at other DAWs now. He programmed the current "code monkeys" into a corner that I don't think they can get out of unless they re-code the whole DAW.

Your "staple new stuff on top" is another user's "most important feature request granted".

No, I hope Gol never gets within a thousand miles of FL Studio again. We'll all be better off whether you are blinded by hero worship or not.

[Teksonik]

Cubase isn't a disaster. Studio One isn't a catastrophy. FL Studio isn't a "disappointment".

To you. Other people will no doubt disagree. Keep in mind you're the one who said Cubase is a disaster, Studio One is a catastrophy (sic) while making up some hypothetical situation that didn't actually occur.

I thought you'd be the first to cherish that.

What I really cherish is the freedom to say something negative without some snowflake getting triggered.

Of course people are making music with every DAW but not one of them is perfect. They can all be improved in one way or the other.

It is the protesters who drive progress not the sycophants.

I don't think FL Studio is a total "disappointment" but I am disappointed in the way it handles MIDI.

If that triggers you then that's simply too bad, deal with it....

[apoclypse]

On Windows 11 mine just stops. I have notes open sometimes to look at. Just Notepad, and it seems FL will stop playing if I focus on anything else.

Presumably you have auto close on for your audio device. That setting exists so you can use the audio device for Windows sound even while FL Studio is open when you switch focus. Most ASIO drivers are exclusive, so you can't play Windows sound through the device at the same time as it's open in an ASIO application. It's working as intended.

FLStudio seems to be the only DAW that does that too on my Mac. I can open Bitwig, Ableton, and Logic and have them all open and not one audio hitch. I open FLStudio and the audio goes crazy or just stops working.

Anyway, In my case I just talking about just using the app, not opening external apps because I know FL Studio doesn't like that. When I'm playing back a simple song, opening the Piano Roll causes a hitch. It's weird and its reproducible, like it needs to think to sync the piano roll and the audio playing back so it delays the audio a bit before syncing. I've never really seen another (modern) DAW do that.

[kingozrecords]

so what is the point of even bouncing a track.

Because there will much less CPU load playing a sample vs generating one live.

If you use smart disable, the plugins will also stop using even more CPU.

Doesn't work sadly; and I've been using the image-line's products for twenty years.

I have noticed that I would need to re-activate smart disable every once in a while. It seems to de-activate itself after a time. The only way to know if it's on at all is to look at the CPU meter. I would prefer a more dedicated way to know what state it's in.

Agreed, sometimes in combination with the automation of synth knobs; it even stops working altogether. It's like the automation awakens the program even if deselected; turned off and with all said functions turned on. A synth doesn't sound as good without automation.

[osiris]

On Windows 11 mine just stops. I have notes open sometimes to look at. Just Notepad, and it seems FL will stop playing if I focus on anything else.

Presumably you have auto close on for your audio device. That setting exists so you can use the audio device for Windows sound even while FL Studio is open when you switch focus. Most ASIO drivers are exclusive, so you can't play Windows sound through the device at the same time as it's open in an ASIO application. It's working as intended.

FLStudio seems to be the only DAW that does that too on my Mac. I can open Bitwig, Ableton, and Logic and have them all open and not one audio hitch. I open FLStudio and the audio goes crazy or just stops working.

Anyway, In my case I just talking about just using the app, not opening external apps because I know FL Studio doesn't like that. When I'm playing back a simple song, opening the Piano Roll causes a hitch. It's weird and its reproducible, like it needs to think to sync the piano roll and the audio playing back so it delays the audio a bit before syncing. I've never really seen another (modern) DAW do that.

That would be problematic. I can edit midi real time while it's playing back and it doesn't hesitate in W11.

[Carbonboy]

My offline manual disappeared with the new install.

Again the manual explains how to fix that.

https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-le ... ffline.htm

[Carbonboy]

FLStudio seems to be the only DAW that does that too on my Mac. I can open Bitwig, Ableton, and Logic and have them all open and not one audio hitch. I open FLStudio and the audio goes crazy or just stops working.

Then you can probably fix it

https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-le ... Agregation

Its like watching people laying on a concrete slab under the midday sun complaining its hot and their skin is burning.

OK you can move to the shade or inside to the air conditioning

[apoclypse]

FLStudio seems to be the only DAW that does that too on my Mac. I can open Bitwig, Ableton, and Logic and have them all open and not one audio hitch. I open FLStudio and the audio goes crazy or just stops working.

Then you can probably fix it

https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-le ... Agregation

Its like watching people laying on a concrete slab under the midday sun complaining its hot and their skin is burning.

OK you can move to the shade or inside to the air conditioning

This "fix" doesn't actually work. I tried it and the issue is still there. Did you try it on your end at all?