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  • Book Overview & Buying FL Studio Cookbook
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FL Studio Cookbook

FL Studio Cookbook

By : Shaun Friedman
4.1 (30)
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FL Studio Cookbook

FL Studio Cookbook

4.1 (30)
By: Shaun Friedman

Overview of this book

This book is built on recipes written in an easy-to-follow manner accompanied by diagrams and crucial insights and knowledge on what they mean in the real world. This book is ideal for musicians and producers who want to take their music creation skills to the next level, learn tips and tricks, and understand the key elements and nuances in building inspirational music. It’s good to have some knowledge about music production, but if you have creativity and a good pair of ears, you are already ahead of the curve and well on your way.
Table of Contents (14 chapters)
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Preface
Preface
What this book covers
What you need for this book
Who this book is for
Conventions
Reader feedback
Customer support
Free Chapter
1
1. Configuring FL Studio
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1. Configuring FL Studio
Introduction
Knowing your sound cards or audio interfaces
Installing FL Studio
Building your digital audio workstation
Installing virtual instruments and effects
2
2. Using Browser
2. Using Browser
Introduction
Working with Browser
Getting new sounds in Browser
3
3. Working with the Step Sequencer and Channels
3. Working with the Step Sequencer and Channels
Introduction
Gauging fundamental areas
Exploring Channel settings
Sending a channel to a mixer slot
Working with the Graph editor
Using the Keyboard editor
Working with patterns
4
4. Building Your Song
4. Building Your Song
Introduction
Working with rhythm and percussion
Adding virtual instruments
Working with MIDI controllers and MIDI pads
Comparing pattern and song mode
Using the Piano roll feature
5
5. Using the Playlist
5. Using the Playlist
Introduction
Using patterns to build a song
Comparing patterns and audio
Using markers and snap
Viewing the playlist
6
6. Using the FL Studio Mixer and Recording Audio
6. Using the FL Studio Mixer and Recording Audio
Introduction
Using send tracks in the mixer
Recording external audio – keyboards, vocals, guitars, turntables and devices
Adding effects and your effect chain
Perfecting equalization
Understanding master tracks and loud wars
Getting the best out of your mixer
Recording with or without effects
7
7. Sampling Using Edison
7. Sampling Using Edison
Introduction
Finding a sample
Obtaining a seamless loop
Embedding your tempo information
Importing your new saved sample
Time-stretching your sample to your project
Fine-tuning your sample
8
8. Exporting and Rendering Your Project
8. Exporting and Rendering Your Project
Introduction
Exporting an MP3 or WAV file
Exporting your audio stems
Highlighting your song in the playlist
Rendering files
Exporting and reimporting a WAV file
9
9. Humanizing Your Song
9. Humanizing Your Song
Introduction
Humanizing with the OFS knob
Humanizing with the Graph editor
Humanizing with the Piano roll
Humanizing with Playlist
10
10. Recording Automation
10. Recording Automation
Introduction
Using automation for virtual instruments and effects
Creating an automation clip
11
11. Rewiring Reason to FL Studio
11. Rewiring Reason to FL Studio
Introduction
Understanding the host and the slave
Creating MIDI out channels
Sending Reason sounds to the FL Studio Mixer
12
A. Your Rights as a Composer and Copyrights
A. Your Rights as a Composer and Copyrights
Music publishing, publishers, and performance rights societies
Key terms in publishing agreements – master recording and song
Quick artist blurb
What are ASCAP and PRS?
Things to consider when signing a publishing deal
Places to make a living with audio or music
Rights for new media, YouTube ads, streaming music, and satellite broadcasts
13
Index
Index

Building your digital audio workstation

In this recipe, you will learn the importance of a DAW in the field of music production. You will also learn to create your very own DAW for recording, playing back music tracks / digital audio, and audio editing.

Getting ready

The main part of your DAW is your computer. You want to have a computer system with the most powerful processor and most powerful memory for speed. Be sure to close other programs so they won't interfere with FL Studio's performance. You should try to get a screen with high resolution and make sure it doesn't have too much glare when near sunlight. The following image depicts the setup of Digidesign MBox2:

Getting ready

Fig 1.3

How to do it…

The basic setup of a DAW will include the following elements:

  • Computer: Dell laptop, model N7010. Dell Windows 7.
  • Audio interface: This will be selected in Audio Settings inside FL Studio and all of the inputs and outputs will flow through the interface (Digidesign MBox2, shown in Fig 1.3).
  • External hard drive: This is what the MBox2 is sitting on. You can stay organized by saving your projects and keeping recorded vocals on this drive. For transfer and access speeds, external drives are slower than internal, and you will not see the same performance with files stored on external drives. A drive with 500 GB of storage is a good size to get started with.
  • Headphones: The headphones are connected to a dedicated headphone jack on the MBox2 interface. There is also a dedicated volume control knob for the headphones.
  • Monitors/Speakers: The speakers are connected to the monitor outputs of the MBox2. There is also a monitor knob to control the volume of the speakers.
  • MIDI keyboard: The MIDI keyboard will control the sounds and parameters inside the software program. If you don't have a MIDI keyboard, your computer's QWERTY keyboard can also control the sounds and functions inside of FL Studio. In the OPTIONS menu in FL Studio, you will want to make sure you have a checkbox selected for Typing keyboard to piano in order to use the QWERTY functionality.

    Note

    There are also many devices that are related to MIDI controllers, including control surfaces and other devices with physical pads and knobs.

    If you like having physical control and using your hands instead of clicking with a mouse, this may be good for you. Instead of clicking-and-dragging with a mouse, you can actually use your hands to turn knobs that control the functions of FL Studio. Some MIDI keyboards actually have knobs and pads on them and other type of control surfaces have knobs, faders, sliders, pads, and touchscreens. When using a MIDI device or MIDI controller, they will connect with five-pin old-style MIDI cables or simply a USB cord. This depends on the manufacturer. Newer MIDI controllers are generally USB based, though you can still utilize old-style devices with a five-pin MIDI plug. They both work the same way. The following screenshot shows the Settings window of the FL Studio:

    How to do it…

    Fig 1.4

    Most controllers must be connected and powered on prior to booting FL Studio. In order to make sure your MIDI controller or MIDI keyboard is working correctly, you can press the F10 key and click on the MIDI tab. You can also go into the OPTIONS menu and select MIDI settings. You want to make sure the orange box is selected where it says Enable, in order for FL Studio to recognize your given MIDI device. You can see this on the upper left area of the FL Studio software, and the part that lights up orange looks like a small five-pin cable, which is FL Studio's symbol for MIDI. Furthermore, if you do not see any activity, you can also click on Rescan devices in MIDI Settings. Initially, your MIDI device will install to your computer using MIDI drivers it finds online, in a similar manner to installing an audio interface, or it may come with an installation disk to install the MIDI drivers and software. You will also want to select your controller and it will be selected in the blue color. In Fig 1.4, USB Axiom 25 is selected and enabled. You will also see the MIDI input activity button light up in orange when you are triggering your MIDI device, as shown in the following screenshot:

    How to do it…

    Fig 1.5

    Tip

    The half-moon symbol, also known as the MIDI symbol (lower right-hand side of the preceding screenshot), will light up in orange when you trigger your MIDI device. When it lights up orange, that means everything is communicating properly and your MIDI device is able to control the sounds and parameters in FL Studio. This particular screenshot also shows the hint bar, which displays the useful clues that FL Studio provides while you hover your mouse on any function of the program. Depending on where you hover your mouse, this hint bar will provide you with certain insights. A history of MIDI and its capabilities are listed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI.

  • USB hub: You may need to purchase a USB hub, which will turn a one-port USB hub into a four-port hub or greater. This will help with connecting devices and having room for all of your devices. You may need to connect an iLOK key, USB MIDI keyboard, external hard drive, your printer, and any other USB accessories. Since USB hubs share bandwidth with all devices on the hub, having an external hard drive and a MIDI keyboard on the same hub can cause performance issues.
  • Secondary screen (Dual monitors): This is an optional setup. If you connect a separate screen to your computer, it can make it easier to organize your project and increase screen "real estate." With many main subwindows in FL Studio, an alternate screen can be taken advantage of by clicking on the triangle in the top-left-hand-side and checking the Detached option.

    Tip

    If you do not have an upgraded audio interface, you can still use the factory sound card with ASIO4all as previously discussed. You can use the stereo mini jack (1/8 inch) with the headphone label for headphones or connecting speakers and you can use the stereo mini jack (1/8 inch) with the microphone label for recording any type of audio.

Your speakers and your ears should be an equal distance apart from each other. This means everything should be in a nice equilateral triangle shape. They should also be at ear level. Please remember to turn on your speakers after your computer has booted up; otherwise, your speakers will make a popping sound when your computer boots up and it may damage them. You can turn your speakers on after your computer has booted. Similarly, due to voltage fluctuation, you want to turn your speakers off before you shut down your computer, because it may make a cracking and popping noise that can damage your speakers if they are on during the shutdown process.

End of Section 5
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