anyone want to give me a basic rundown for FL 5?

[bizzlestiltskin]

I finally got this, and ultimately, i'd like to be able to use this program as easily as i can use acid 4.0.

Some things i don't understand:

Each "pattern" you create is numbered; a song is essentially a group of patterns linked together, right? How do you output everything to a .mp3 so it is all melded together, instead of it just outputing one 3 second pattern?

Can you EQ samples on this? Most of the samples in Acid 4.0 that i use I would EQ as i was working on a track. I can't seem to find any sort of EQ mechanism for the samples.

When you're using a piano roll to create melodies (say, for a bass line), how do you arrange the notes so they will sound good? For instance, on the bass track i might make it go c5, c5, c3, c4, but if i have a synth noise i want to layer on top of that, do i use those same notes? I have no concept of musical theory, so this is probably a stupid question.

how would you make a remix since you can't visually see the wave form of the acapella? That was something I was thinking about earlier...

well, if someone could answer these or some of them, I would really appreicate it. i'd like to start using FL 5 because it seems really powerful.

[still illiterate]

I finally got this, and ultimately, i'd like to be able to use this program as easily as i can use acid 4.0.

Some things i don't understand:

Each "pattern" you create is numbered; a song is essentially a group of patterns linked together, right? How do you output everything to a .mp3 so it is all melded together, instead of it just outputing one 3 second pattern?

yep up on top there is a button right next to the play button that says song. click that, and it'll play everything in the playlist window. so when you output it, it'll output it all

Can you EQ samples on this? Most of the samples in Acid 4.0 that i use I would EQ as i was working on a track. I can't seem to find any sort of EQ mechanism for the samples.

once you load the samples in the step sequencer, click on it and it'll bring up the channel settings. In the upper right corner it'll say efx. change it to a channel, any channel. then go into mixer, find that channel and you can eq everything on it.

When you're using a piano roll to create melodies (say, for a bass line), how do you arrange the notes so they will sound good? For instance, on the bass track i might make it go c5, c5, c3, c4, but if i have a synth noise i want to layer on top of that, do i use those same notes? I have no concept of musical theory, so this is probably a stupid question.
i dont' use piano roll, i use step sequencer, but you can just copy the notes and paste them in the synth channel that you make

how would you make a remix since you can't visually see the wave form of the acapella? That was something I was thinking about earlier...

i chop the accapella wav's by verse. load up the verses as samples, then stretch them to fit the tracks

well, if someone could answer these or some of them, I would really appreicate it. i'd like to start using FL 5 because it seems really powerful.
yeah i love fruity loops, i can't imagine using anything else, if they had named better from the jump, it would get a lot more respect if you have any more questions let me know

[citizen]

my advice would be 2 dl the demo and try for yerself

[still illiterate]

i bet by the questions, he has the demo already

[bizzlestiltskin]

awesome response. yeah, i got FL 5 producer edition. i think it is a much more powerful program than acid, but acid is pretty damn easy to use.

still illiterate:

OK, since you said you're willing to help me, i'm going to try and get a few questions out of the way. thanks for offering to help, by the way.

all right.

So, say I have a nice little loop i've cut from cool edit pro and i want to put it over a little drum sequence i've created. how do i access the beatslicer or whatever? the thing that automatically maps the beat pattern of the sample onto the drums in the sequencer... because in acid, you can just paint the sample on top of the drums.

another really big question regarding basslines:

how the hell do you create them? i've tried making some from the preset "hip hop" bass noises they give you and i've yet to be able to put it with a sample and make it sound right. is there some method for knowing which notes to make the bass so it will sound cohesive with the sample?

haha, i'll probably come at you with some more questions later. thanks for the taking the time to respond.

[still illiterate]

awesome response. yeah, i got FL 5 producer edition. i think it is a much more powerful program than acid, but acid is pretty damn easy to use.

still illiterate:

OK, since you said you're willing to help me, i'm going to try and get a few questions out of the way. thanks for offering to help, by the way.

all right.

So, say I have a nice little loop i've cut from cool edit pro and i want to put it over a little drum sequence i've created. how do i access the beatslicer or whatever? the thing that automatically maps the beat pattern of the sample onto the drums in the sequencer... because in acid, you can just paint the sample on top of the drums.

hum, i'm not sure what you mean here. I don't think there is anything in fruity that automatically places it correctly over a drum loop. I usually just import a loop, stretch it to a bar, 2 bars, or whatever. then make the drums ontop of that. I'm not sure if this is what you mean though. it'd be dope to have a feature that make a loop fit drums nicely

another really big question regarding basslines:

how the hell do you create them? i've tried making some from the preset "hip hop" bass noises they give you and i've yet to be able to put it with a sample and make it sound right. is there some method for knowing which notes to make the bass so it will sound cohesive with the sample?
ok well everyone who's used FL will tell you to not use the presets. Get your own samples. From wherever really. but it would be easier if the bass samples are in C. The FL presets sound cheap, dont' use them. I usually use vst's to create my basslines. as far as making it sound good with the sample. the only thing i can tell you is that it needs to be in the same key. There's nothing in FL that will figure out the key for you, you have to do that with your ears and adjust

hum, i don't think i was too helpful this time. if you get more specific about this stuff, i can probably help you further. or if you have any other Q's, i might have some A's.


haha, i'll probably come at you with some more questions later. thanks for the taking the time to respond.

[Remo the Great]

for the "make your loop fit your drums" question, u have to load a different type of channel called the "fruity slicer". You go to the top and click "Channels" then click "add one" in the menu that drops down. In the "add one" menu, you choose fruity slicer. it'll load a different colored channel button. click on that and it'll bring up a window. click the second folder button in that window. it'll let u choose to load a file into that channel. if your shit is already a loop it should load it up and time stretch it to fit the track for you. i will warn you though, the shorter the loop the better. It works better on one bar loops than on 2 or 4 bar loops.

peace

[DeffEnders]

i think it is a much more powerful program than acid

This isn't true. Both FL and Acid are powerful enough to make professional sounding music but they are entirely different programs. Each programs has strengths and weaknesses.

For example, Acid's sequencer is more intuitive, powerful, and easy to use. Acid also handles large loops better, has better time stretching capabilities, and has a familiar windows-like interface that makes sense visually.

FL handles MIDI far better than acid, has more flexibility importing individual samples. Plus you can edit wave right inside of FL. FL kills Acid for creating drum patterns, bass lines and any type of synth stuff.

I love Acid and I don't think I'll switch anytime soon, but I would never imagine making a song with Acid alone. I would never make a song with just Reason (or FL in your case) either. Take advantage of your dexterity in Acid (cause it can be a bitch to learn the nuances of a whole new program) and use it in conjunction with FL. Use each program to make up for the weaknesses of the other.

[bizzlestiltskin]

^^ hmm, good point. how exactly would you use both programs though? I'm not really sure if I understand how one would integrate the strengths of both programs. Are you suggesting that doing all of the drum work and whatnot in FL, then integrating samples/loops in acid? How would that work, file-wise?

to remo and still illiterate-thanks for answering. i'll try and play with FL some more.

[bizzlestiltskin]

ok cool, from the information you've all given me here, i've tried to make a quick little beat.

i'm having trouble with the sequencing, however. For instance, the guitar sample that i am using goes on for longer than the sequencer shows, so that my drums and hi hats all stop while the sample continues to play before it loops. How do i make it so that my drums and hi hats and bass all go on for the duration of that sample? I tried using the piano roll, but that seems very cumbersome for laying out hi hats...

also, another huge problem i'm having is that my sample, after i put it in the beat slicer, sounds very distorted and garbled. now, i adjusted the threshold of the slicer so that it was very general and yet when i click on "song" mode and attempt to play everything, it comes out garbled and weird. and when i tried to arrange the sequence of the patters, through the playlist menu, the song comes out sounding all fucked up, as if it was playing two parts at once.

anyone know why it does this? here is what it sounds like after i've made 3 patterns and tried to arrange them...

http://s15.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1PI1 ... JB6R8C56IM

[da beatmonger]

^^ hmm, good point. how exactly would you use both programs though? I'm not really sure if I understand how one would integrate the strengths of both programs. Are you suggesting that doing all of the drum work and whatnot in FL, then integrating samples/loops in acid? How would that work, file-wise?

to remo and still illiterate-thanks for answering. i'll try and play with FL some more.

its all about bouncing to disc. i dont use acid or fruity loops much, but i generally know how they work. one easy way to use two programs together when one is more of an audio editor (acid) and the other is more midi oriented (fl) is to just bounce each layer you make to a wav file and then move the layers back and forth from program to program. it can get a little tedious at times, but in the end, once you get all your layers bounced to audio files, you have a lot more freedom as far as effects and processing goes. this is why i love the set-up ive got right now with pro-tools and reason. pro tools and reason are compatible thru rtas plug-ins. i can control a reason drum computer, in real time thru a plug-in, in pro-tools. in other words, by pressing play in pro-tools, it not only plays all my audio files in pro-tools, but it simultaneously plays all my reason instruments in real time too... anyways, sry to get off on a little rant there, but i def recommond lookin into pro tools/reason for anyone with a home studio. its a little more expensive than fl, cool edit pro, or acid, but its well worth the money.

hopefully what i said made sense :shock:

[Hiphopapotamus]

as much patience that I had to go through with learning FL 5. I finaly took the time to get my ass to read most of the manual. It's pretty boring to read but if you're willing to learn thaan that is definetly the way to go.

it's all about experimenting though. have fun.

[DeffEnders]

how exactly would you use both programs though? I'm not really sure if I understand how one would integrate the strengths of both programs.

Well, I don't use fruity loops. I use Acid, reason, and cool edit.

Basically Acid is a loop program. It is made for loop based music production and the simplicity of loops led to a really intuitive interface. I personally don't like using loops in the traditional sense, like buying loop libraries and shit, but I still find a way to make Acid work for me.

Any long samples I get off a record I beatmap in acid, focusing on the first for bars or so, and paint in the parts of the sample I need, just like a loop.
I will use reason to take one shots of drums to create a drum pattern and the export the pattern as a loop. I will also add some reverb or distortion effects right in reason. Then, I take it into acid and it will automatically calculate beats and tempo and works just like any other loop so you have freedom to pitch shift etc. I do the same thing w/ synths and bass and whatever else. I construct the song in acid, eq individual tracks in acid, and add effects to the entire composition in cool edit.
I use cool edit to actually edit wav files also.

That is just how I do it, but there are different approaches. I know the FL and Cubase SX combo is real popular. I would never try and make a song using just one program unless I had to.