FL Studio Noob

[aMUSEd]

If you drag the VST directly onto the track header, and select ‘SONG’ instead of ‘PAT’ in the toolbar (next to ‘Help’), you can record onto the track. The PAT (pattern) button makes everything play from the pattern pane. The SONG button switches to the arrange window for the linear track playback (they call that window the playlist). You won’t see the clip recording as you go until you stop recording, then it appears. Of course like in all DAWs you have to record enable.

Thankyou that sounds like a way to start. Not sure how to record arm though either, there doesn't seem to be a button in the track view for that

OK so it seems 'arm' is by pressing the record button, I expected that to record funnily enough but in FL world you also have to activate play for recording to start - now I have managed to record into the track directly and ditched the channels rack - this is starting to feel more like a DAW I can use now

Screenshot 2023-11-05 at 11.23.54.png

[aMUSEd]

Is it possible to hide plugins I don't have or intend to use in the browser to declutter it? (just FL ones, I'm not planning to use any external plugins in FL)

[donkey tugger]

Has anyone noticed the FL site just doesn't work in Safari? It won't scroll - very annoying

I had a similar issue on opera on PC (as others did). Turned out it was adblock plus. Not sure about ad-blockers on Safari (hoho....), but see if turning any off for the site works.

...and just to echo what others have said, FL is a bit of a head scratcher at first, but once you 'get it', it's hugely powerful for all kinds of stuff.

[donkey tugger]

Is it possible to hide plugins I don't have or intend to use in the browser to declutter it? (just FL ones, I'm not planning to use any external plugins in FL)

Again on PC, but am assuming it's similar on mac...

All the browser entries are folders in the documents/image-line/fl studio folder.

The 'plug-in database' folder contains .fst files for the entries and you can move any you don't want out of it and they won't appear in the browser.

[osiris]

The layout has changed for sure. I can still scroll. In fact they link the Forum at the bottom of the page now so I have to. Also, I think if you right click the Track on the Playlist some options will come up that might help.

[aMUSEd]

Is it possible to hide plugins I don't have or intend to use in the browser to declutter it? (just FL ones, I'm not planning to use any external plugins in FL)

Again on PC, but am assuming it's similar on mac...

All the browser entries are folders in the documents/image-line/fl studio folder.

The 'plug-in database' folder contains .fst files for the entries and you can move any you don't want out of it and they won't appear in the browser.

Thanks but when I install an update won't it install them all again?

[donkey tugger]

Is it possible to hide plugins I don't have or intend to use in the browser to declutter it? (just FL ones, I'm not planning to use any external plugins in FL)

Again on PC, but am assuming it's similar on mac...

All the browser entries are folders in the documents/image-line/fl studio folder.

The 'plug-in database' folder contains .fst files for the entries and you can move any you don't want out of it and they won't appear in the browser.

Thanks but when I install an update won't it install them all again?

In the installer there's a setting to not install the plug-in database, so it will leave it as it is.

[Vortifex]

..

[macmuse]

Thankyou that sounds like a way to start. Not sure how to record arm though either, there doesn't seem to be a button in the track view for that

True, the tracks don’t have record enable, just enable the record button up top on the toolbar and then make sure if a channel in the channel rack is selected that it’s for a VI that you want to record. Select the track where you want the recording to go. And add (+) a new pattern and select that so that this VI is associated to it. The key here in FL is that in order to not have things going to wrong places, you need to select 3 things: the correct channel (= the source sound being used, like a VI etc.), Pattern (= where you want the actual sound to be stored), and then a Track (= where the clip event recording will be laid out when you are in Song mode). This error happens a lot until you realize how they are associated with each other, like you record and then realize it got sent to the wrong pattern because of not having selected the one you wanted as target.

SONG plays from the arrange window tracks with clips laid out there in linear mode like other DAWs. PAT only plays from the patterns. So you have to look up there to see which of them is lit, and select the one you want.

In the channel rack on the left is where you put a number (= the mixer channel you want that sound source routed to).

Those are the things to understand first, because they are confusing coming from other DAWs. The flexibility of it though is that you can have more than one channel sound source going to one mixer channel, or more than one synth in one pattern/MIDI clip. When you click on a pattern then click in the arrange window (playlist in FL-speak), it will deposit that MIDI clip on the track everywhere you click.

A cool thing is their take on retrospective record. Instead of only capturing the last thing played, or in Logic, where capture last take only works for what you last played if transport is running, FL keeps track of everything for the last 30 minutes no matter if the transport were running or not. You have a choice of what to capture. It uses the word Dump (not capture or retrospective), and you can select the last 2 minutes, or up to the last 30 minutes or whatever.

[aMUSEd]

Thanks - in the end I just went into the FL plugin folder and deleted the ones I don't use, plus rearranged them into categories that work for me. It seems to be working, I just hope that doesn't get arranged back again next time I update

[aMUSEd]

Why is it when you load a plugin it always appears behind the track list so the top half is cutoff till you click on it? Is there a way for the plugin to be on top by default?

[aMUSEd]

Ah you have to detach them

[eLawnMust]

Back when it was 'Fruity' it had the best & simplest workflow... Like in Fruity 2.54 TS404 & 2.72 up to 3.56 which then had VST-VSTi & DX-DXi as well as the Buzz Instruments... Very fast alotta music made then...

[macmuse]

Back when it was 'Fruity' it had the best & simplest workflow... Like in Fruity 2.54 TS404 & 2.72 up to 3.56 which then had VST-VSTi & DX-DXi as well as the Buzz Instruments... Very fast alotta music made then...

What was the workflow back then?

[osiris]

It was pretty much patterns. I found a pic of V3 from an old review: