FL Studio 10

For a year or so, Image Line has been working on a version of FL Studio that can run under Mac OSX through a customized Crossover wrapper. This eliminates the use of Crossover or Bootcamp and a seperate Windows installation and will install directly from a .dmg file.

Image Line has reached a milestone in the development of a Mac OSX version now that they are looking for experienced FL Studio users with a Mac computer that can beta-test the software from late September / October. The only requirement is that you are a customer for over 2 years and have access to a Mac.

The current beta-version doesn’t support AU (Audio Unit) files, only (PC) VST’s and FL Studio Native plugins. Third party VST’s need to be tested and reported on a case-by-case basis.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a release of FL Studio 10 on Mac OSX during the holidays or so. Also if you have been accepted as a beta-tester, share your experience with us!

For all the mobile users out there, both iPad and iPhone, let it be known that Image Line has announced FL Studio Mobile is out in the App Store now! This nifty beatmaking app was under development for a while now and boasts FL Studio quality tools for on-the-go. Don’t expect a direct port of FL Studio 10 on your mobile device, but it’s a great sketchpad for creating projects anywhere. Its key features are:

• Load and extend projects in the FL Studio (10) desktop version
• Resizable, stackable piano keys & reconfigurable drum-pads
• Stuffed with FL Studio quality instruments, drum kits & loop files
• 99-track sequencer, Piano roll editor & Step sequencer
• WAV, MIDI & FLM (project) import/export
• iPad HD version, iPhone 4 Retina Display support
• Compatible with the Akai SynthStation 25

I’ve already got it up and running on my iPhone and will let you know how it interacts with FL Studio 10 soon!

Image Line offers a limited-time $5 dollar discount on both the iPhone and iPad version of FL Studio Mobile so be sure to not wait too long before buying it.

Click here for the iPhone version of FL Studio Mobile

Click here for the iPad version of FL Studio Mobile (HD)

Check out how to get started in this video from Image Line below:

The last few versions of FL Studio introduced the playlist clips as a contender for the classic blocks view which was the way of arranging your patterns to a song in every version thusfar. The first thing you’ll notice in FL Studio 10 is that the blocks have been replaced fully by playlist clips or so it seems at first glance. Now you’ll eventually find out that the playlist clip view is the way to go and provides you with much more flexibility. Image Line has made the classic block view obsolete in future versions for a good reason. We do understand however that you want to have a chance for a proper goodbye to the classic pattern blocks so here is how you can turn them on:

• Go to Options
• Click on General Settings
• Under ‘Advanced’ tick ‘Enable legacy pattern blocks’
• Click OK

Your Playlist view is now divided between the future clip view and the classic pattern block view again. Now go get back to rocking out those beats!

R.I.P. our beloved pattern blocks

Image Line has updated FL Studio 10 to a new version. Below you’ll find what has been modified in the latest version 10.0.2.

Bugfixes:

• Fixed minor bug in playlist clip preview.
• Fixed note properties not always selected when clicking on notes.
• Fixed filenames in DW presets in Patches\Packs
• DirectWave: fixed freeze when sliding notes for “bounce” looped layers
• Downloader: fixed bug finding installed path
• Downloader: use correct user folder for refreshed lists
• FPC: fixed unmuting pads in some cases
• Newtone: fixed undo crash
• Patcher: fixed Y knob automation for XY controller
• Patcher: fixed crash when pasting control/param values
• Patcher: fixed update problem when pasting value for activated param
• Patcher: fixed crash when clearing
• Patcher: removed Granulizer from plugin list
• Patcher: read thumbnails from plugin database in addition to plugin thumbnail list
• Patcher: fixed unlink velocity behaviour
• Patcher: fixed sending midi pitch to VST plugins
• Patcher: fixed midi out from some plugins
• Patcher: fixed freeze using Absynth 5 x64
• Patcher: fixed SF Player freeze
• Patcher: fixed lock request from plugin
• Patcher: fixed transpose implementation
• Patcher: fixed crash in effect version when not enough audio outputs are available
• Fixed possible hang in undo when using interfaceless VST1 plugins
• Fixed wrong tempo exported in rendered projects after messing with steps per beat setting.
• FL VSTi: fixed freeze on export in Cubase

Additions:

• Wrapper: added IAudioPresentationLatency support for VST 3 plugins
• Reversed behavior when left/right clicking on mixer arming button.

A really neat little feature in the latest FL Studio is the Magic Lasso tool. This tool allows you to select a group of notes by just circling your mouse around them (without pressing any mouse button). You have the freedom to decide on the shape, which in some cases might be better than just dragging a selection rectangle around the notes. Since Magic Lasso is not on by default, I’ll show you how to activate it and use it on a group of notes in the Piano Roll.

First right-click on the selection tool

Click on ‘Magic Lasso’

Move your mouse arrow around all the notes you want to select

Voila, the notes have now been selected!

FL Studio 10 is chuck-full of these little improvements which improve your workflow. Stay tuned for more!

Image-Line has dropped the bomb, FL Studio 10 is now finally released!

Key new features include:

* 64 Bit plugin wrapper – FL Studio now hosts 64 Bit VST plugins for access to unlimited memory.
* Autosave / Autobackup – Don’t lose a project or data again.
* Revised Playlist – Individually resizable tracks. Lock tracks to Clips. Live performance time Marker options (Jump to, Loop, Pause & Skip)
* Revised Mixer – Fully Automatic Plugin Delay Compensation (A-PDC). New waveform meter view.
* Revised Piano roll – Export as sheet music option. Vertical zoom with not properties view. Magic lasso selection & note-handle stretch. Edit ghost notes by double Right-click. Waveform view.
* Pattern Picker – opens from the Playlist, Piano roll or Stepsequencer. Select Patterns & Channels.
* Patcher (free) – chain instruments & effects for easy saving of complete instrument & effect chains.
* ZGameEditor Visualizer (free) – visualization effect with movie render capability.
* Pitcher (demo) – real-time correction/harmonization plugin responds to Piano roll note control.
* Newtone (demo) – pitch correction editor for precise control, pristine quality stretching, re-pitching and correction.
* Keep on disk & 32 Bit Bridge – now give each Audio Clip / Sampler Channel / Plugin access to at least 2 GB memory and up to 4 for VST Plugins.
* Fruity Edition – gains access to Pattern Clips.
* Lifetime Free Updates – are extended to all FL Studio 10 box customers onward & as usual all download customers.
* …learn more by visiting the ‘FL Studio 10 What’s New?’ page.

Look out for a full review coming up on http://www.flstudio10.net soon!

Check out the original news message on http://www.image-line.com/documents/news.php?entry_id=1301017795&title=fl-studio-10

Just a quickie; it seems that Image Line has renamed their Chainer plugin to Patcher as can be concluded from the Chainer YouTube video which has been stealthily edited. So be aware when looking for this handy plugin in the current beta and FL Studio 10 later on.

Musicians are being overwhelmed by the current options in the music production software market. The DIY approach is gaining ground, large studios are closing down because creating a chart-topping music piece is now more and more possible with just using a pc or laptop. The large availability of music production tools makes it hard for a newbie to choose an arsenal. This list will tell you why it’s time to buy FL Studio 10 on its release date with the information currently available.

• #10 The Chainer Plugin
  For all the people who find using a software mixer higher math, Image Line has created a new graphical plugin to assist you in routing your devices and plugins together. Reason has its infamous rack and routing interface, but now users of FL Studio can also benefit from this easy to use routing plugin.

• #9 The Price
  With everything that’s included and will be included, now is the time to ensure yourself of lifetime updates before Image Line discovers they could charge much, much more for their product.

• #8 CPU-saving
  The latest beta updates have really made an improvement on better memory management. The keep-on-disk function saves your precious RAM from being overused and extra audio options allow you to fine-tune the software for maximum CPU preservation.

• #7 User Base
  Everyone up to your favorite producer’s momma uses FL Studio because of the reasons mentioned in this Top 10 and more.  With buying Fruity Loops you can enter and participate in a massive user forum over at Image Line and be heard by the developers themselves. Very different from DAW developers  that throw a new eyecandy-heavy version of their software over the fence once in while after which they’re never heard from again.

• #6 Newtone And Pitcher
  Even though Jay-Z has announced the death of autotune a while ago, pitch and harmonization correction and effects are still immensely popular. These native plugins allow for creative flexibility in tuning vocals and instruments.

• #5 64-bit Plugin Support
  64-bit plugins are now recognized and can be run in bridged mode.

• #4 Piano Roll
  Both the mixer and the piano roll + playlist have undergone lots of workflow improving changes. Selecting notes is easier with the lasso tool and special attention has gone to live performing with audio clips in the playlist.
• #3 Playlist Clips
  The latest FL Studio betas see a departure from the well-known playlist blocks to playlist clips that were already half integrated in the previous versions. The blocks are still available, but hidden. Don’t be sad though, cause you will not miss the block view at all with all the improvements that are made, making the clip overview very straightforward and a great addition to the step sequencer.

• #2 Step Sequencer
  FL Studio’s step sequencer remains one of the most innovative and fastest ways to lay down a rhythmic pattern. If you’re not yet familiar with its use or new to music production this is a must-try.
• #1 Ease-of-use
  Following up on #2 the overall learning curve for FL Studio is lower than the competition, you can go from an idea to getting results down very quick.  Let the massive userbase speak for itself. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the ease-of-use makes the software a mere toy though, many testimonials from chart-topping producers will disagree.

In anticipation of the official FL Studio 10 release date please check out this neat video on FL Studio Chainer, which will come free with FL Studio 10 and is now in the current 9.9 beta release. This beta is set to expire in mid-April, so let’s hope to have more information on version 10 then.

Soon, Image Line will reach a milestone with the latest release of their flagship product, FL Studio 10. The software has come a long way, from a basic step-sequencer to the full-fledged digital audio workstation numerous (aspiring) musicians have grown to love. The 10th version seems not only a special version by number, judging from the latest beta releases of version 9 the product seems to further improve and expand a producer’s workflow and introduce exciting new functionality. Let’s see what (aside from any surprises) we can expect from FL Studio 10.

The Project Picker & Chainer

These new plugins introduce an innovative way of respectively arranging playlists and route midi or audio through several instrument and effect plugins. The Project Picker gives the user a clear graphical overview of all playlist and sample clips and their connection and allows for quick song arrangements by dragging these clips to the song arrangement.

A neat graphic interface for midi and audio routing between your devices

Chainer gives users a graphical alternative to the regular mixing routing capabilities. It’s similar to the online music making tool audiotool.com, in a clear interface you can drag your connections between the instruments loaded, making it possible to setup complex routing very quickly.

Pitcher and Newtone

Two new plugins are introduced that are dedicated to pitch correction, time strechting  and harmonization effects. Pitcher features a live auto-correction for vocals and instruments, Newtone is fully integrated with FL Studio 10 and provides auto vocal correction and gives possibility to create harmonies and new tunes.

Auto Save

A new feature worth mentioning is an auto-save option that should save masterpieces from getting lost, caused by freezes or computer crashes, users can set up a time interval for which the computer will save a time-stamped copy of your project file each time.

Improved audio options and memory management
FL Studio 10 will now recognize 64-bit plugins and open them in ‘bridged mode’, running its memory allocation in a seperate process, thereby giving you more overhead in your project. Also you can toggle a keep on disk option for Audio Clips and Sample Channels that will save some significant memory in the process.
In the audio settings ‘Mix in bufferswitch’ and ‘Triple buffer’ can be switched on and off which might increase performance for some sound cards.

Export To Score Sheet
A handy function for live performers and orchestral score composers is that you can export your midi data instantly to a fancy score sheet.

Improved piano roll, mixer, navigation
Furthermore Image Line revamped the piano roll and mixer and added countless workflow and navigation improvements and nifty new functionality like new zoom controls,
magic lasso selection tool, browser auto hide function, playlist markers for innovative live performing and the Playlist transport is finally in sync with the Piano Roll!

Conclusion
It’s clear that Image Line is in touch with their user base and takes notes to the competitor’s developments in the DAW-market in order to keep up. You might get overwhelmed by all the new goodies and workflow changes that have been added in the previous beta-versions, but now more than ever has a musician the possibility to really go his own way within one software-solution, find a workflow  and customize his or her’s own sound without resorting to third party plugins too much. There’s no excuse anymore to not go out and make some great music with all the music software options available. Keep an eye out on this blog for the release of FL Studio 10, we will keep you updated on all the new features.