DAW with Sequencer Like FL Studio

[ubailey]

I have been on a search to switch from FL studio to another DAW, but im reluctant, because I find that a lot of these other daws are geared towards audio manipulation/editing and not nescesarily for music making purposes. so i find a lot of other DAWS, dont have the same features that FL has, so i refuse to switch unless i find one. 1st of all is there any daw with a sequencer like FL's where i cango in and make music right away without having to worry about setting up in and out channels/dragging audio into the playlist etc?

[dune_rave]

There's no need to switch from FL.
Find a totally different host, then use FL as vsti inside that.

[rlared]

FL Studio has quite a different workflow than most DAWs. But the only way it's really faster to start creating something is if you're creating beats with the step sequencer by switching in and out audio samples from the browser. If that's the case and that's the first thing you usually do, then I don't think you'll find a DAW which is better than FL Studio. If however you usually start by writing a bassline or a keyboard riff or something, then really any DAW can work just as well.

You might want to check out Studio One V4. You can create a template that has a pattern loaded and ready to go and also an instance of Impact which is a drum MPC.

Also, FL Studio is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But one of the drawbacks in my opinion of the FL Studio workflow is having to at some point rename and recolor the tracks, patterns, and mixer slots and also route the channel slots to the mixer. I know that they recently changed it so you can drag an instrument onto the playlist and it links them, which is helpful in some cases. Also managing and switching between patterns becomes a pain as well.

Perfect example. . . let's say I have a bass line that I like and I want to have a second bass synth playing the same thing. In FL Studio, I have to add the new synth to the step sequencer, rename it and color it (optional), assign it to the mixer (optional), copy the bass riff from the old pattern, create a new pattern, name and color it, paste the bass riff to the new instrument in the new pattern, then paste the new pattern in a new track. If my bass line consists of multiple patterns then it's even more complicated. In most other DAW's, you'd just insert a new instrument and click-drag the midi pattern from the old track to the new track to copy it.

[rlared]

The other thing is that FL Studio's interface is somehow really inviting to being creative. I don't know what exactly it is about it but it's really snappy and well designed. Even with the drawbacks mentioned above, it's really good at letting you get an idea down quickly. Also, it helps you make a lot of "happy accidents" with the step sequencer and the playlist. . . things that you wouldn't have normally tried in regards to timing, arrangement, etc. And it has a lot of create and fast tools built-in. So don't expect to switch DAWs and have everything improve. . . some things will be better and some will be worse.

[ubailey]

Thats why its hard to make the switch. I did switch to Cakewalk for a bit, using FL as a vst inside of it, but the new Cakewalk has some annoying bugs, and the workflow I coudn't get used to. Like FL supports multi screen, so I can have the arrangement on one and the mixer for example on the other screen. Its hard to get adjusted to a daw with one screen after using this setup for awhile. dAW's are feature packed so the more space, the better. But back to the sequencer in FL, its not just the sequencer alone that i hate to leave, but in the seq, you can go straight to the piano roll and make more adjustments that way. Plus, FL gives options for control over your instruments I couldn't fin in cakewalk or reaper, like how to tune an 808 for example. And Rlared, to address your description of setting instruments to the mixer, I know a way faster way of ding this thna the way you described. You can highlight all tracks or a group of tracks and set them all to 1 color and all to independent mixer tracks with just a couple clicks. I know a lot about FL. Just tired of it.

[experimental.crow]

FL Studio has quite a different workflow than most DAWs. But the only way it's really faster to start creating something is if you're creating beats with the step sequencer by switching in and out audio samples from the browser. If that's the case and that's the first thing you usually do, then I don't think you'll find a DAW which is better than FL Studio. If however you usually start by writing a bassline or a keyboard riff or something, then really any DAW can work just as well.

You might want to check out Studio One V4. You can create a template that has a pattern loaded and ready to go and also an instance of Impact which is a drum MPC.

Also, FL Studio is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But one of the drawbacks in my opinion of the FL Studio workflow is having to at some point rename and recolor the tracks, patterns, and mixer slots and also route the channel slots to the mixer. I know that they recently changed it so you can drag an instrument onto the playlist and it links them, which is helpful in some cases. Also managing and switching between patterns becomes a pain as well.

Perfect example. . . let's say I have a bass line that I like and I want to have a second bass synth playing the same thing. In FL Studio, I have to add the new synth to the step sequencer, rename it and color it (optional), assign it to the mixer (optional), copy the bass riff from the old pattern, create a new pattern, name and color it, paste the bass riff to the new instrument in the new pattern, then paste the new pattern in a new track. If my bass line consists of multiple patterns then it's even more complicated. In most other DAW's, you'd just insert a new instrument and click-drag the midi pattern from the old track to the new track to copy it.

as w/ most functions , FLS provides several ways to accomplish a task ...
this may work for you ...

right click original channel > clone
right click cloned channel > replace ( to change vst )
right click original channel > copy ( grab the midi data )
right click cloned channel > paste ( drop your midi data )

whew ... i'm beat * ...

* obscure american advertisement reference

[rlared]

FL Studio has quite a different workflow than most DAWs. But the only way it's really faster to start creating something is if you're creating beats with the step sequencer by switching in and out audio samples from the browser. If that's the case and that's the first thing you usually do, then I don't think you'll find a DAW which is better than FL Studio. If however you usually start by writing a bassline or a keyboard riff or something, then really any DAW can work just as well.

You might want to check out Studio One V4. You can create a template that has a pattern loaded and ready to go and also an instance of Impact which is a drum MPC.

Also, FL Studio is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But one of the drawbacks in my opinion of the FL Studio workflow is having to at some point rename and recolor the tracks, patterns, and mixer slots and also route the channel slots to the mixer. I know that they recently changed it so you can drag an instrument onto the playlist and it links them, which is helpful in some cases. Also managing and switching between patterns becomes a pain as well.

Perfect example. . . let's say I have a bass line that I like and I want to have a second bass synth playing the same thing. In FL Studio, I have to add the new synth to the step sequencer, rename it and color it (optional), assign it to the mixer (optional), copy the bass riff from the old pattern, create a new pattern, name and color it, paste the bass riff to the new instrument in the new pattern, then paste the new pattern in a new track. If my bass line consists of multiple patterns then it's even more complicated. In most other DAW's, you'd just insert a new instrument and click-drag the midi pattern from the old track to the new track to copy it.

as w/ most functions , FLS provides several ways to accomplish a task ...
this may work for you ...

right click original channel > clone
right click cloned channel > replace ( to change vst )
right click original channel > copy ( grab the midi data )
right click cloned channel > paste ( drop your midi data )

whew ... i'm beat * ...

* obscure american advertisement reference

That would have two different synths with the same MIDI data in the same pattern. I typically want them in different patterns to allow for more flexibility.

[rlared]

Thats why its hard to make the switch. I did switch to Cakewalk for a bit, using FL as a vst inside of it, but the new Cakewalk has some annoying bugs, and the workflow I coudn't get used to. Like FL supports multi screen, so I can have the arrangement on one and the mixer for example on the other screen. Its hard to get adjusted to a daw with one screen after using this setup for awhile. dAW's are feature packed so the more space, the better. But back to the sequencer in FL, its not just the sequencer alone that i hate to leave, but in the seq, you can go straight to the piano roll and make more adjustments that way. Plus, FL gives options for control over your instruments I couldn't fin in cakewalk or reaper, like how to tune an 808 for example. And Rlared, to address your description of setting instruments to the mixer, I know a way faster way of ding this thna the way you described. You can highlight all tracks or a group of tracks and set them all to 1 color and all to independent mixer tracks with just a couple clicks. I know a lot about FL. Just tired of it.

Cakewalk actually supports multi screen, as do most DAWs. But I agree, Cakewalk has annoying bugs especially with MIDI.

In other DAWs your would load the sample into a sampler or MPC plugin which would then give you the same or better control. Don't forget that what FL Studio is really doing is loading the sample into an instance of a sampler on each channel.

I know about the shortcuts. They help a bit but it's still a lot of unnecessary manual juggling around in my opinion. And then if you change a name or a color or a group, the link to the mixer doesn't update. Don't get me wrong, it works fine but it's just more steps than other DAWs for those activities.

Like I said, there's going to be plusses and minuses to every DAW. Part of it is that you'll have to adjust your workflow as well instead of trying to force the new DAW to work like FL Studio did. At the very least, it might give you a new appreciation for FL Studio

It might help if you describe why you are tired of FL Studio. . . what are the things you don't like about it?

[experimental.crow]

FL Studio has quite a different workflow than most DAWs. But the only way it's really faster to start creating something is if you're creating beats with the step sequencer by switching in and out audio samples from the browser. If that's the case and that's the first thing you usually do, then I don't think you'll find a DAW which is better than FL Studio. If however you usually start by writing a bassline or a keyboard riff or something, then really any DAW can work just as well.

You might want to check out Studio One V4. You can create a template that has a pattern loaded and ready to go and also an instance of Impact which is a drum MPC.

Also, FL Studio is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But one of the drawbacks in my opinion of the FL Studio workflow is having to at some point rename and recolor the tracks, patterns, and mixer slots and also route the channel slots to the mixer. I know that they recently changed it so you can drag an instrument onto the playlist and it links them, which is helpful in some cases. Also managing and switching between patterns becomes a pain as well.

Perfect example. . . let's say I have a bass line that I like and I want to have a second bass synth playing the same thing. In FL Studio, I have to add the new synth to the step sequencer, rename it and color it (optional), assign it to the mixer (optional), copy the bass riff from the old pattern, create a new pattern, name and color it, paste the bass riff to the new instrument in the new pattern, then paste the new pattern in a new track. If my bass line consists of multiple patterns then it's even more complicated. In most other DAW's, you'd just insert a new instrument and click-drag the midi pattern from the old track to the new track to copy it.

as w/ most functions , FLS provides several ways to accomplish a task ...
this may work for you ...

right click original channel > clone
right click cloned channel > replace ( to change vst )
right click original channel > copy ( grab the midi data )
right click cloned channel > paste ( drop your midi data )

whew ... i'm beat * ...

* obscure american advertisement reference

That would have two different synths with the same MIDI data in the same pattern. I typically want them in different patterns to allow for more flexibility.

project bones will allow you to copy across patterns , i believe ...
been a while ... i 'd have to look ...

[synthesite]

It's hard to understand why the ultimate choice isn't mentioned so I'll do that: Reason! Killer app with gorgeous possibilities!

[Elektronisch]

I dont understand your problem. If you like fl studio use it.

[experimental.crow]

FL Studio has quite a different workflow than most DAWs. But the only way it's really faster to start creating something is if you're creating beats with the step sequencer by switching in and out audio samples from the browser. If that's the case and that's the first thing you usually do, then I don't think you'll find a DAW which is better than FL Studio. If however you usually start by writing a bassline or a keyboard riff or something, then really any DAW can work just as well.

You might want to check out Studio One V4. You can create a template that has a pattern loaded and ready to go and also an instance of Impact which is a drum MPC.

Also, FL Studio is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But one of the drawbacks in my opinion of the FL Studio workflow is having to at some point rename and recolor the tracks, patterns, and mixer slots and also route the channel slots to the mixer. I know that they recently changed it so you can drag an instrument onto the playlist and it links them, which is helpful in some cases. Also managing and switching between patterns becomes a pain as well.

Perfect example. . . let's say I have a bass line that I like and I want to have a second bass synth playing the same thing. In FL Studio, I have to add the new synth to the step sequencer, rename it and color it (optional), assign it to the mixer (optional), copy the bass riff from the old pattern, create a new pattern, name and color it, paste the bass riff to the new instrument in the new pattern, then paste the new pattern in a new track. If my bass line consists of multiple patterns then it's even more complicated. In most other DAW's, you'd just insert a new instrument and click-drag the midi pattern from the old track to the new track to copy it.

as w/ most functions , FLS provides several ways to accomplish a task ...
this may work for you ...

right click original channel > clone
right click cloned channel > replace ( to change vst )
right click original channel > copy ( grab the midi data )
right click cloned channel > paste ( drop your midi data )

whew ... i'm beat * ...

* obscure american advertisement reference

That would have two different synths with the same MIDI data in the same pattern. I typically want them in different patterns to allow for more flexibility.

project bones will allow you to copy across patterns , i believe ...
been a while ... i 'd have to look ...

adding :
project bones will populate across patterns ...
i feel like i'm missing your point , somehow ...

[Winstontaneous]

I've demo'd FLStudio over the years. It doesn't click with me, but people get great results with it and speak very highly of its piano roll. Don't switch if something works for you, unless another DAW has features you actually need.

But don't succumb to feature-itis - just because one DAW does more stuff doesn't make it "better". After bouncing around DAWs (Tracktion, Reaper, Reason, AudioMulch, Bitwig, Logic) for about 10 years I found that Ableton Live doesn't drive me crazy like the others do. Live has maybe 1/4 the features of Reason/Logic, but I know my way around it very well.

[Trancit]

as w/ most functions , FLS provides several ways to accomplish a task ...
this may work for you ...

right click original channel > clone
right click cloned channel > replace ( to change vst )
right click original channel > copy ( grab the midi data )
right click cloned channel > paste ( drop your midi data )

However you turn it around... this is by far NOT FLS´s strength... and you forgot to reroute the cloned instrument...

All other DAW´s: Duplicate track... replace VSTi (or preset...) ... done in about 2 seconds...

[ubailey]

Update, I found a new DAW that i love since starting this thread. Waveform/Traction T7