1. Getting started 1.1.

Main window Channels F6 Mixer F9 Playlist F5 (contains patterns, audio clips, and automation clips) Browser F8 1.2. Menus Easy. 1.3. Midi settings Here we can assign the midi controllers and outputs, and their ports. generic midi inputs are supported. 1.4. Soundcard setup We can set that in the audio tab in the systems settings. Sample rate represents the time spacing between samples in an analog signal. KEYNOTE: You can use ASIO4ALL to control multiple sound cards at the same time. If they are all USB cards then they will be automatically synced. 1.5. Other settings Easy to follow. 1.6. Making music -Adding an instrument. -Dragging items (instruments, samples, scores, midis) from the browser. -plugin picker ctrl+f8 -Plugin interface. -Musical notes via controller keyboard or by piano roll. -Creating a new pattern -Including patterns inside the tracks. -Pattern channels, audio channels, and automation channels. -Assign effects mixer track -Link several channels to a mixer track. -Adding an effect plugin. 1.7. Rendering -Export into midi or mp3 or wav. 1.8. Controllers -keyboard controllers -keyboard to piano roll -knob and slider. -percussion controllers 1.9. File browser -Includes history, patterns, effects, automations, parameters, files, etc. 2. Channel window 2.1. overview -beats per bar -play pattern only 2.2. Channel settings -Clicking on the channel name brings on the instrument interface. -Some flstudio native plugins are hosted inside the channel settings, the others are opened in a separate window. -Main controls: pan (left/right in stereo space), volume, pitch, mixer track. -Sampler settings (if a sample is loaded): -Wave: Keep on disk (to free RAM), Resample (to improve output quality if sample's rate is not up to the environment), -Loop: using loop points (going back to the loop point, good for strings), pin-pong loop point (goes back but reverses the loop cycle) -Declicking: to avoid clicks when a sample is sliced. -out only is a simple fade out. -Transient is good for drums so that the attack transient is preserved. -Bleeding version has a longer fade out. -Generic is a fade in and fade out. -Smooth is a strong fade in and fade out. -Crossfade will crossfade of course. -Time stretching: to synchronize pitch and tempo with the project. PITCH SHIFT: shifts pitch while preserving the length. TIME MULTIPLIER (MUL): Changes the sample length. TIME STRETCH (TIME): Sets the length based on temp-based measures, so that the sample is synced with the tempo. NOTE: for dynamic tempo changes, fruity granulizer should be used. -Precomputed effects: Remove DC offset. Reverse polarity: flips the waveform vertically. (NOTE: Although the human ear hears the reverse version the same, nice effects can be achieved by using reversed samples, for example, it is possible to remove the vocals from a song, or keep only the vocals from a song, etc.) Normalize: Maximizes the sample without clipping. Fade stereo: creates a stereo fade from left to the right channel Reverse: Reseveres the sample in time. One common use is to reverse the cymbals.

Fade in: Fade out: Trim: 2.3. Instrument setting Envelope: Pretty standard envelopes. There are 4 envelopes for Volume, Cut, resonance, and pitch. TIME/TENTION MODE: One can switch between modes to modify the length of different sections in time mode or the shapes in tension mode. PROPERTIES: Delay, Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, and release. Tempo-based will make the values change according to the tempo, so the tempo can be changed dynamically. LFO: Applies modulation in a sine, triangle, or square shape. There are 5 LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillator) for pan, vol, cut, res, and pitch. OTHER PROPERTIES: Shape, Delay, Attack, Amount, Speed, TB, Global. GLOBAL makes the LFO apply to the whole instrument while NON-GLOBAL makes the LFO restart at each note. FILTER: Low pass, band pass, band stop, Steep LP (LPx2) 2.4. Misc settings Cut/Cut by: The cutter will cut the one using cut by. For example, to have a hi-hat slammed shut, set the closed hi-hat cut (1), while the open hi-hat is cut by (1) Porta turns on portamento mode, and slide sets its length. 2.5. Automation clips Automation clips can be used to control parameters of plugins. CREATING AUTOMATION CLIPS: 1) Creating a channel, and linking to a parameter. 2) Creating one, directly from the plugin if native flstudio plugin. 3) Choose the last tweaked create automation clip. 4) Convert from event data, from edit->convert to automation clip in the menu of the event window (pianoroll) WORKING WITH CLIPS: -To add control points, right click. -See the options, when right clicking on a control point. -Move by left click and drag. -Change the curve tention, by left click and move. -Change the curve type, by right clicking on a point, and selecting a new curve type: Single curve, Double curve (S-curve), Alt single curve (asymmetric), alt d curve, hold (single step), stairs (multiple steps), smooth stairs (smoothed steps), pulse, wave, half sine, smooth. -Cloning: Right click on the menu of the automation clip, and select make unique. The new clip is NOT linked t anywhere but contains the same curves. -If pianoroll of a automation clip is used, it operates like a trigger that automates until the note finishes. 2.6. Layers Assing several child channels to a layer, so that they are all controlled together. It is a nice way of making complex sounds using multiple instruments. 2.7. Plugin window setting It is specific to each plugin. We will get back into this when we learn the plugins. 3. Piano roll 3.1. General Using piano roll, we send notes and automaion data to instruments. TOOLS MENU: Draw, Paint, Erase, Mute, Cut, Select, Playback Target channel (The instrument), And target control (e.g. velocity) NOTE: Velocity mostly represents volume, but sometimes it represents something else, like the pressure on a violin or such. Color selector: Each color represents one midi channel for instruments that support multi instruments within themselves. Horizontal and Vertical zoom (by mouse, or by ctrl) Event editor section that edits velocity, pan, pitch, cutoff, automation events. Portamento, slide Snap to grid, changes the step size for local piano roll. 3.2. Using the piano roll Adding notes, deleting notes, selecting groups of notes, deselecting, Group notes (ctrl+g), copy paste, move notes, change lengths, -WAVEFORM HELP: Sometimes, we need to sync our notes with a waveform, for example for a vocoder or a pitcher. Drag and drop a wavefrom then into the pianoroll. 3.3. Slides abd portamento The fast easy slide notes are only applicable to native fl instruments. For the rest, one should change the channel pitch, or other defined parameters. The slide makes all the playing notes slide by the same number of notes ( A chord slides that amounts of notes, while keeping the chord structure). The portamento actually plays some note, while it causes a quick slide at the transition of the notes. 4. Instruments 4.1. FL wrapper Any plugin, instrument, and effect, is implemented inside the fl wrapper. It is compatible with VST and DX plugins. 4.1.1. Important properties and options Presents: You can select default presents using this part. Wrapping settings for non-native plugins: Using multi-threaded CPU, notifying the plugin about rendering mode (for good quality)

4.2. Audio clips Simply drag and drop one to the playlist, to make an audio clip. 4.3. Envelope Controller Widely used in Dubstep. 4.4. 3xOSC 3xOsc is a deceptively powerful 3-oscillator, subtractive synthesizer feeding the FL Studio Sampler. Its purpose is to generate a bright sound to be filtered by the channel's instrument tools. It can also produce its own kind of stereo phasing. To reduce CPU load the oscillators are anti-aliased during rendering only. This means the rendered tracks may sound better, but rendering will be slower. 4.4.1. OSC 1, 2, 3 Parameters

Shape Selector - Buttons in each of the oscillators, allowing one of the following choices: sine, triangle, square, saw, rounded saw, noise, custom. Custom uses whatever sample is loaded in the channel Sampler Settings page. Invert Switch (INV) - Allows you to invert the phase of the oscillator. When you mix two oscillators with equal settings, and one of them is inverted, they cancel each other and no sound is produced. However, if you set the Fine frequency to a slightly different value, this can produce interesting flanging/phasing effects. Stereo Phase (SP) - Allows you to set different phase offset for the left and right channels of the generator. The offset results in the oscillator starting at a different point on the oscillator's shape (for e.g. start in the highest value of the sine function instead at zero point). Stereo phase offset adds to the richness and stereo panorama of the sound produced. Stereo Detune (SD) - Allows you to de-tune the stereo sound of the generator, by applying a slightly different frequency at the left and right sound channels. This adds to the stereo panorama of the sound produced, and creates a 'stereo flange' effect. When the knob is in the middle, the effect is turned off. Volume (VOL) - Sets the relative volume of each of the oscillators. Relative means that the overall sound output is kept at the same level, but the relative amount of each of the oscillators is adjustable. The first oscillator lacks this control, as at least one oscillator is always required to produce sound. For e.g., to mix 50% of oscillator 1 and 2, set the volume of oscillator at 100%. To mix all 3 oscillators at 33.33..%, set the volume knobs to 100% for oscillators 2 and 3. To mix only oscillator 1 at 100%, set all other volume levels to zero. Panning (PAN) - Sets the stereo panning of the individual oscillators. Coarse Tuning (CRS) - Sets the coarse tuning (range -24 to +24 semitones) of the individual oscillators. Fine Tuning (FINE) - Sets the fine tuning (range -1 to +1 semitone) of the individual oscillators. Other Parameters

4.4.2.

OSC 3 Amplitude Modulation (OSC 3 > AM) - Switch on to use Oscillator 3 as an amplitude modulation of the other 2 oscillators. Stereo Phase Randomness (PR) - Allows you to add 'randomness' to the stereo phase of all oscillators. Low values can make the sound slightly more natural, while higher values can be used as a special effect. Stereo Phasing can introduce clicks, since the oscillators start somewhere 'inside' the waveform. You can fix this by using a volume envelope with a short attack time.

4.5. BooBass A simple yet extremely useful bass for background of the music. 4.6. DirectWave It is a sample based instrument. (e.g. flute, and many others) Glide is similar to slide we learnt before. NOTE: We will get into expensive and more realistic instruments later on, such as komplete 8, and philharmonik 4.7. FL keys It isa simpl synthesized piano. Good for making up melodies. NOTE: We will get introduced to realistic piano instruments later on. 4.8. FL Slayer A simple electric guitar. We will get back into details of electric guitar later, and will also use more realistic instruments. 4.9. FPC & Drumaxx Native drumkits. 4.10. Envelope controller The Envelope Controller is an automation control and makes no sound of its own. It allows you to trigger envelopes (from a keyboard or the Piano roll) that can be linked to automatable parameters in FL Studio. -4 independent articulators that can be mapped to different parts of piano roll/midi keyboard. -Select mode: Bipolar (values are added), unipolar (values are multiplied) A simple example. An example of sequence. NOTE: Getting back to this in future. 4.11. Granulizer -Real-time pitch shifting. -One to one relationship between grain and wave spacing to achieve the currect tempo

4.11.1.

Grains Section

Attack wheel (ATT) - Sets the attack and decay length of each grain (i.e. fade in/fade out time). The time is added (twice - fade in and fade out) to the length of the grain. Grain Hold wheel (HOLD) - Specifies the length of each grain. Grain Spacing wheel (G.SP) - Controls the grain spacing in playback. Turn to right for greater spacing between played grains (slower playback). Turn to left for smaller spacing (faster playback). Wave Spacing wheel (W.SP) - This parameter controls the amount of grains generated from the wave sample. This value ranges from -300% to 300%. Small values means more grains generated for the wave (smaller wave spacing). Using negative values for this property results in reversed playback of the grains (note that it is the grain playback order that's reversed, not the sound contained in each separate grain). NOTE: If you want to achieve normal playback, set both Grain Spacing and Wave Spacing to 100%. Effects Section

4.11.2.

Stereo Separation wheel (PAN) - The more you turn it to right, the more even grains are panned to right, and odd ones panned to left. To disable the effect, turn the wheel maximum to left. Effect Depth wheel (FX.D) - This setting determines the amplitude of the LFO applied to the wave spacing value. Turn to right to increase the amplitude. To turn the LFO off, turn the wheel maximum to left. Effect Speed wheel (FX.S) - This wheel determines the speed of the LFO applied to the wave spacing value. Turning to right makes the LFO faster, while turning it to left makes it slower. Randomness wheel (RAND) - Applies randomness to grain playback. Turn the wheel to right to increase the effect. To disable the effect, turn it maximum to left. Time Section

4.11.3.

Loop switch - When turned on, the wave loops. Hold switch - While pressed, the playing position won't change. It has the same effect as if the wave spacing setting is set to 0% for a moment. Key To - Maps keys to several different properties: Key to pitch: maps keys to pitch (default); Key to percent: keys from C5 to C7 correspond to 0%-100% start position for the sample. For example, to start the sample from the middle, trigger C6 key; Key to step: keys C5 & above offset the sample start with a step (C6 offsets 12 steps, C7 - 24, etc.); Key to transient: keys C5 & above trigger the sample starting from a specific slice. Sample Start wheel (START) - This wheel sets the position in the sample used when playing starts. When turned maximum to left, the sample starts playing from the beginning. Turn the wheel to right to start playing offset inside the sample.

4.12. Slicer Slicing options. Useful for loop control. Example of a loop sliced, and then rearranged. NEXT TIME: Synthesizers, and Effects, and remaking a music.