Advantages of FL Studio Workflow?

[rlared]

What are the advantages of the FL Studio workflow as opposed to linear DAWs such as Cubase, Studio One, etc?

What I mean by workflow is the paradigm where all instruments are held in the channel rack, that patterns are then created, and then those patterns are painted into the playlist, and that the mixer is tied to channels in the channel rack in a manual way.

There are a lot of things I like about FL Studio but the workflow really is foreign to me. I'm wondering if it's one of those things that just "clicks" for certain people, or if maybe if I put effort into it I'll suddenly realize it's a better way of working.

I like to work on pop, techno, hip-hop type stuff.

[antic604]

Well, it's definitely more flexible, eg. you can have midi and audio on the same track, you can have a "lead track" with all different leads coming & going without needing tricks to replace instrument & patch on the fly, you can keep all automation envelopes in a separate part of the sequencer, etc. In general, the project can be more compact compared to the same project in other DAW.

But I guess if you're not really well organised with naming, color-coding and some templates the projects can get messy and confusing very, very quickly.

Also, personally, I find limitations (or strict rules) inspiring, so even more flexibility in my DAW is not what I'm looking for. I already can spend weeks tweaking some unimportant parameters and if I also had the freedom to put anything wherever I'd waste even more time. I've tried FL 3 times and it is definitely not for me.

[Reefius]

For me the biggest disadvantage of FL Studio is to keep your projects organized you need to rename everything 3 times. Create a pattern, rename it, put it on the timeline, rename the timeline track, assign a mixer channel and rename it.

Also being constantly in Window Hell (having multiple windows on screen all the time) and the endless menu diving are extremely annoying to me.

I work twice as fast in Ableton Live or Cubase.

[Robert Randolph]

FWIW, I discussed this in my massive 12 part FLStudio review.

Here's the section talking about the workflow and its pros/cons: http://admiralbumblebee.com/music/2018/ ... Audio.html

[Distorted Horizon]

The trick with FLS is that you need to make a template for stuff/routings/colorings/tracknames you'd usually have.

After that, it's quite nice to toss ideas around fast.

[rlared]

For me the biggest disadvantage of FL Studio is to keep your projects organized you need to rename everything 3 times. Create a pattern, rename it, put it on the timeline, rename the timeline track, assign a mixer channel and rename it.

Also being constantly in Window Hell (having multiple windows on screen all the time) and the endless menu diving are extremely annoying to me.

I work twice as fast in Ableton Live or Cubase.

I agree with this but then I wonder if maybe these activities are only needed because I'm trying to use the same workflow that I'd use in a linear type-style DAW. Maybe there's a different way of doing it in FL Studio?

[rlared]

FWIW, I discussed this in my massive 12 part FLStudio review.

Here's the section talking about the workflow and its pros/cons: http://admiralbumblebee.com/music/2018/ ... Audio.html

Whoa awesome. . . checking it out now

[Reefius]

I agree with this but then I wonder if maybe these activities are only needed because I'm trying to use the same workflow that I'd use in a linear type-style DAW. Maybe there's a different way of doing it in FL Studio?

I also thought it was me, but then I watched some tutorial video's and they basically did the same things: renaming everything 3 times, constantly closing or moving windows everywhere and menu diving.

[SoundPorn]

I actually hate FLs workflow theres so many uneccesary steps and scenes you gotta navigate. I don't see how it has any advantages other then familiarity for so many.

[Trancit]

FLS has definetely one big advantage in terms of workflow (assumed that you know, what you are doing... meaning assumed that you know the programm well)

It is very very easy to come up with nice ideas quickly...
It´s got nice and very flexible inbuilt/native tools/plugins, which are well integrated in the workflow directly at your fingertips to realize quickly and easily ideas and helps you being creative...

That´s in my eyes the biggest advantage...

The downside is a different topic...
As soon as your work progresses, everything, which helped you being creative first stands now in your way...
It is very hard work to keep your project organized and steps, which take a second to do in every traditional DAW, require suddenly up to 20-30 steps (often minutes of work) in FLS...
The problem is caused by the fact, that the 3 main areas of FLS (Channel rack, Playlist and Mixer) are connected to loose to deliver the flexibility and creative potential, which helped you out in the creation phase...
The developers are working on a method to optimize (as an option...meaning the workflow like it is now will still be available) this problem, but noone knows atm how well this will work out...

However... all this is a matter of taste and can nevertheless work well for people who like this type of workflow...

My biggest gripe with FLS (and why I really try hard to get away from it) are on the technical side...

- variable buffer size ... this causes a lot of trouble with many plugins and because it´s deep in the code of FLS it will always be there... and will always keep causing trouble

- partly related to the first point: automatic PDC... got better but will not work like every competitor still for a very long time... problem areas to mention here:
+ no compensation for automation/ the playlist in general
+ no compensation for plugins, which need the "fixed buffer size" workaround
+ no compensation for transport synced plugins like i.e. LFO Tool...

- last but not least and not really on the technical side but it will take a long time (if ever) till FLS can/will catch up in terms of organization features many others have, like:
+ groups in groups
+ folding/better organization of mixer tracks
+ customizable keyboard shortcuts ... not to speak of macros or scripting
+ being able to enter meaningfull numeric values for mixer/plugin parameters...
+ chord track
etc...
etc...

Edit....: I took out a part of my post as it was not true... I cannot get away from it...
Despite of all problems it gives me...it is such a nice piece of software...

...my 2 cents...

[xbitz]

conversation should be postponed, only devs and alpha testers know the future >>
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpVZWe1HxEo ... hare_sheet
the current workflow gonna be outdated very soon

[Reefius]

It is very very easy to come up with nice ideas quickly...

Have you tried Native Instruments Maschine yet? For me this is the best tool to come up with new ideas.

[Trancit]

It is very very easy to come up with nice ideas quickly...

Have you tried Native Instruments Maschine yet? For me this is the best tool to come up with new ideas.

I am not a hardware guy nor a live player and the maschine software alone isn´t my cup of tea neither...
Last time I tried it, rex files took ages to load and other bits I didn´t liked...

[Image-Line]

conversation should be postponed, only devs and alpha testers know the future >>
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpVZWe1HxEo ... hare_sheet
the current workflow gonna be outdated very soon

Soon is now

https://forum.image-line.com/viewtopic. ... 0&t=193721

[rlared]

You guys work really hard to improve FL Studio! Kudos to the Image-Line development team. Seems like the Track Mode is a big workflow improvement for those that prefer it that way. Pretty smart how you chose to implement it on the Playlist so that it doesn't mess with people's workflow who prefer to work the current way.