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FL STUDIO 20 INTRODUCTION
In this mini-tutorial, we will look at the main segments of
the FL Studio DAW and how to get started when creating
an audio project. This should give you an understanding of how
this application works, its layout, and its functionality. Hopefully,
by the end, you’ll be able to have a crack at your own project and
see if you can piece together a basic production.
>> On the face of it, this may look a little scary, but when you
break it down, it should help you feel at ease with this DAW and
others. Songs are constructed by layering different sounds on
top of each other and putting them all together. Think of it as a
cake, with the layers providing a well-rounded taste.
>> To get to grips with FL Studio, we start with a blank canvas.
There are four essential elements of this software that are the
fundamental building blocks.BROWSER
On a standard layout of FL studio, the browser can be found on
the left-hand side of the UI [Image G]. This is where the sounds,
instruments, and samples are going to be stored for your
projects. It is well organized and easy to navigate around, which
helps with efficiency. Like most projects, clear organization is
key to a good workflow.
>> To find a drum beat sound, you can head into the pack’s
menu, then drums and you will have an array of pre-installed
samples to choose from. You can always add your own recordings
into your work and use the browser tab to locate them. To do this,
head up to options in the top tab, file settings. Then in the ‘browse
extra search folders’ pop-out window click on a folder icon to
find the folder you want to bring into your project.G ICHANNEL RACK
Once you have found a sample you are happy with, simply
click and drag this over to the channel rack window.
Thankfully in FL Studio, everything is named clearly,
which helps with efficiency.
>> The channel rack is one of the most important
windows in this DAW and is where all your channels are
kept. If you click on a channel name in the channel rack,
it will open up another window in which you can fine-tune
your sample. Some of these tunings include stretching,
pitching, reversing, crossfading, and more.
>> Each channel has a green button next to it. When
you click on this, it will mute the specific channel
[Image H]. Next to the green button are two dials, the
first for panning and the second for volume. To remove
a channel from the rack simply right-click, then delete.
The numbers on each row relate to the mixer channel
that the sample is being sent to.
>> Finally, next to the name in the channel is the 16-
step sequencer, indicated by a row of tiny rectangle
icons. This is an easy way to create a loop, click some of
these sequences then hit the spacebar to hear your loop
play through.
>> At the top of your screen on the left of the play and
stop icons are buttons for pattern and song. Whatever is
clicked is whatever will play, make sure the ‘pat’ button
is selected to hear your loops.
>> Experiment by bringing different sounds into the
channel rack, using multiple channels and various
sequences to create a simple beat.E F HFEB 2022 MAXIMU MPC 69