Help me understand Fruity Loops

[mon0]

The distinction between Orion and FL pattern style is extremely simple:

Orion pattern - can only contain a single instrument.

FL pattern - can contain any mumber of instruments.

Thats right, but i prefer Orions way of Pattern handling. The problem is, if you use various synths - as i do - with multiple pattern length, you got a problem in FL. You have to put every Synth into a seperate Group, but you have to watch out, that these groups dont use the same Pattern Numbers. Thats really hard to control. In Orion i have a pattern for every synth and i dont have to care how long a sequence on the synth is. The Problem grows even higher, if you use multiple different Beats, ie 4/4 and between the 4/4s one or two 3/4 Beats. FL does not really handle that quite good. In Orion i simply create Pattern A1-4 with the different Beatsteps and i´ll never lose control and the view, which pattern i actually use now.

[wrench45us]

I have a simple question for FLStudio
Say I have a drum track (cause I do)
and say I want to put a phaser or flanger on the hihats and compressor on the kick drum and reverb on the snare (and maybe the hihats too)

my understanding is I need to clone the one pattern into three, separate out the elements I want into the three channels

what I'm missing, using that method, is how I then assign a given channel to a given mixer channel. I thoughht I knew how to do this, but I can't find it again or it never happened.

so my question is how you assign a channel to a mixer fx stack?

Or is there an easier way in FLStudio to accomplish what I'm trying to do?

[Falcone]

What's the litte LCD box with the little two dashes in upper right corner of the 'channel properties' window for? Put your mouse cursor on it, left-click and then drag it up and down... was this and answer to your question?

[digitalstasis]

FL manages this a bit strange IMHO and in a much more time wasting-style. For example:
I have a 4/4 Bass on Pattern 1. Now i want to add a synth with 32 length melody. Both Instruments could no be add together in 1 Pattern in FL, cause the 4/4 und 32 Beats wont function.

Check "repeat step-sequencer" on the stepseq module, and the 4/4 beat will repeat all along the 32 steps melody.

[digitalstasis]

one reason I get pissed off at fl studio, is that the last few times I've begun something, when I come back to open the tune and work on it - it gets hung up looking for something and won't open again!
this has happened using only native plugs as well.
and I have posted at loop talk..

What does it look for ? if samples , they have changed, but you can dl the old 3.5 ones on the fl site. also when it's stuck "looking for" you can press esc to abandon.

Also for major updates this is generally recommanded to keep your old version working (doesn't interfer with new install) if you still have songs in progress.

[mon0]

FL manages this a bit strange IMHO and in a much more time wasting-style. For example:
I have a 4/4 Bass on Pattern 1. Now i want to add a synth with 32 length melody. Both Instruments could no be add together in 1 Pattern in FL, cause the 4/4 und 32 Beats wont function.

Check "repeat step-sequencer" on the stepseq module, and the 4/4 beat will repeat all along the 32 steps melody.

Yeah, but what to do, when i have variuos beats?
How can i copy a synth melody from 1 pattern to another with the same effects and settings on the vsti?

[digitalstasis]

1 select the generator in the step seq
2 ctrl-c
3 hit "+" (ie goes to nexxt pattern)
4 ctrl-v

done

but why don't you just use the playlist ?





spelling, spelling, spelling !

[fleetmouse]

Since this thread is crawling with fl masters, maybe someone can answer a couple of questions:

- How do I turn on that onion-skinning feature?

- When I cut up a 5/4 drumloop in the slicer, it always tries to fit it into a 4/4 bar length. If I change the pattern length to 5, it still squeezes the sliced loop into the space of 4 quarter notes. Argh! I even paid extra for the beatslicer tool and it still doesn't work properly.

Excellent thread! I never knew that pasting in the piano roll pasted into the first _visible_ bar on the left - I always thought it pasted to the beginning of the pattern.

[digitalstasis]

1)



2) i was going to buy beatcreator for that reason. Are you sure you can't choose the numbers of steps you want the loop sliced ? btw the FL auto slicer will somehow try to fit the active pattern size....

oh last: in the pianoroll select all your "5/4 sliced 4/4" beat score. Then hold down ctrl+shift and extend (horizontal arrows when the cursor is on the edge of a slice)... whoaaa you can extend 4/4 to 5/4

[fleetmouse]

Thanks for the ghost channels hint! I was searching the help for the word "onion" - not, apparently, their term for it.

2) i was going to buy beatcreator for that reason. Are you sure you can't choose the numbers of steps you want the loop sliced ? btw the FL auto slicer will somehow try to fit the active pattern size....

Doesn't seem to auto-fit properly, at least for the beat I was slicing (take 5 by dave brubeck quartet). Beatcreator is the full product - it may allow you to choose number of steps, but the beatslicer you can buy through imageline doesn't seem to have that option - I can find a place to set number of bars but that doesn't help.

oh last: in the pianoroll take your "5/4 sliced 4/4" beat. Then hold down ctrl+shift and extend (horizontal arrows when the cursor is on the edge of a slice)... whoaaa you can extend 4/4 to 5/4

Will have to try this at home - I thought that only extended note durations?

[digitalstasis]

I thought that only extended note durations?

without holding ctrl shift yes it does note duration

[verstaerker]

i wonder if some people can read manuals...
or why they don't ask this questions in the FL Forum?

[tk421]

Shane,

I do not know if this will help. If the vertical scrolling in the playlist gets to be a problem, you can move patterns up and down by selecting them and pressing Alt and the up or down arrow. If there are some patterns you want to work on for a while, drag the select tool over their names and move them to the top of the playlist.

Also, you can color multiple patters by selecting them the same way and clicking color selected.

[jcroot]

i wonder if some people can read manuals...
or why they don't ask this questions in the FL Forum?

I thought this thread was a little too pleasant for an flstudio thread. People asking questions and actually getting answers in a friendly, polite environment. Thankfully you've come in at just the right time to give it that looptalk flavor that sets my teeth on edge. Thanks very much!

[thockin]

For example:
I have a 4/4 Bass on Pattern 1. Now i want to add a synth with 32 length melody. Both Instruments could no be add together in 1 Pattern in FL, cause the 4/4 und 32 Beats wont function.

Since FL v4, there is a little orange LED light at the top-left of teh pattern window. If that is lit, the step-sequencer will loop while a piano-roll plays. So you can do your 4/4 drum beat and it will loop while the 32 beats (or however long) of Piano Roll plays in that pattern.

I'm not saying that's a clever way to work, but it works for fast arrangements.

The right way is to think of each pattern as a sort of dynamic wav file. Then you sequence those wave files in the playlist. So for your case:

* pattern 1 gets the 4/4 drum beat. Loop that 8 times.
* pattern 2 gets your 32 beat melody. Lay them out to play together.

So i make a new group, where i put the synthi in. BUT careful: the new group has to be on Pattern 2, elsewhere it wont work.

You don't need a new group, unless you want to clarify. Don't use groups until you are comfortable working with patterns in FL, IMHO.