FL Studio 12 is a complete software music production environment or Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Representing more than 18 years of innovative developments it has everything you need in one package to compose, arrange, record, edit, mix and master professional quality music. FL Studio is now one of the world’s most popular DAWs and is used by the most creative artists.
Fl Studio comes with 4 types of versions.
- FL Studio Fruity Edition
- FL Studio Signature Bundle
- FL Studio Producer Edition
- FL Studio All Plugin Bundle
Its official launch was in early 1998.
- Fruity Edition – The Fruity Edition allows users to access the playlist, piano roll, and event automation features, which allow for complex and lengthy arranging and sequencing. There is also VST/ReWire support so that FL Studio can be used as an instrument in other hosts such as Cubase, Sonic Solutions, Logic, and other software. As of version 10.0 this edition includes the Simsynth Live synthesizer instrument, the DrumSynth live percussion synthesizer, the DX10FM synthesizer, and the Wasp/Wasp XT synthesizers. There is no audio recording feature. In FL Studio 12, this was given (spline-based) automation.
- Producer Edition – The Producer Edition includes all of the features of the Fruity Edition, as well as full recording for internal and external audio and post-production tools. It allows for hand-drawing point and curve based splines (referred to as “Automation Clips”). Plugins include Edison, Slicex (loop slicer and re-arranger), Sytrus, Maximus, Vocodex and Synthmaker. It also allows for waveform viewing of audio clips and the ability to add cue points.
- Signature Bundle – This edition includes the Producer Edition as well as a series of plugins such as the Fruity Video player, DirectWave Sampler, Harmless, NewTone, Pitcher, Gross Beat and the Hardcore Guitar Effects Suite.
- All Plugin Bundle – This edition includes all plugins of FL Studio.
Some Useful Plugins
FL Studio comes with a variety of plugins and generators (software synthesizers) written in the program’s own native plugin architecture. FL Studio also has support for third-party VST and DirectX plugins. The API has a built in wrapper for full VST, VST2, VST3, DX, and ReWire compatibility. Many of the plugins also function independently as standalone programs.
- Dashboard – An included plugin that allows the creation of full automation-enabled interfaces for hardware MIDI devices. This allows FL Studio to control hardware from within the program. As of version 9.0 it also supports multiple controllers for different generators and effects.
- Edison – Edison is a wave-form editor and recording tool in VST format, though Image-Line also produces a stand-alone version that does not require FL Studio to run. It is included in the Producer Edition and allows spectral analysis, convolution reverb, loop-recording, and loop-construction, as well as support for cue points.
- Fruity Video Player – Included in the Bundle Edition, it allows the composition and synchronization of audio and video.
- Deckadance (often referred to as DD) – a standalone DJ console and mixing program that can also be used in conjunction with FL Studio as a VST plugin. Initially released in May 2007, it was made available starting with the release of FL Studio 7 as an optional part of the download package. Acquired in 2015 by Gibson (Stanton/Cakewalk).
- Maximus – Maximus is a multi-band audio limiter and compressor for mastering projects or tracks. It also serves as a noise gate, expander, ducker, and de-esser, and is included in the Bundle edition.
- Riff Machine – Self-generates melodies in the piano roll using a randomly selected instrument, with parameter controls for shaping melodies. Introduced in version 9.
- Fruity Stereo Shaper – Stereo processor with a mixer for left and right channels and their inverted equivalents and controls for channel delay and phase offset. Introduced in version 9.
- 3XOsc – A generator with three programmable oscillators that subtractively produce bright sound with low memory use.
- Autogun – A synthesizer with no controls and over 4 billion patches accessible by numbers only. The free version of Ogun.
- BooBass – A monophonic bass guitar emulator.
- Buzz Generator Adaptor – A wrapper for a large number of generators from Buzzmachines.com
- Drumaxx – A physical modeling synthesizer designed to emulate and create the sound of percussion instruments.
- DrumSynth Live – Allows for percussion synthesis. Included in all Editions.
- DX10FM – Recreates a classic FM. Included in Fruity Edition and higher.
- FL Slayer – FL Slayer is an electric guitar simulator originally developed by reFX that is equipped with a high-quality amp and effects tools to allow for the realistic recreation of hundreds of guitar sounds and effects boxes. It is a VSTi plugin and is included in every version of FL Studio.
- Groove Machine – a virtual drum machine
- Harmless – Performs subtractive synthesis using an additive synthesis engine.
- Harmor – Additive / subtractive synth with ability to encode pictures into music and resynthesis.
- Morphine – An additive synthesizer that allows voices to be mixed and morphed under user control.
- Ogun – An advanced programmable additive synthesizer chiefly for creating metallic timbres from 32000 harmonic choices.
- PoiZone – A subtractive synthesizer with non-essential control removed for easy navigation.
- Sakura – Sakura is a physical modeling synthesizer that is designed to emulate string instruments.
- Sawer – A vintage modeling synthesizer that attempts to emulate Soviet Union-era subtractive synthesizers.
- SimSynth Live – Modeled after the classic analog synthesizers of the 1980s with three oscillators, with a programmable LFO section. Created by David Billen, Frederic Vanmol, and Didier Dambrin.
- SynthMaker – FL Studio 8 Producer Edition introduced a version of SynthMaker, a popular graphical programming environment for synthesizers. It allows for the creation and sharing of new instruments without the need to understand programming code.
- Sytrus – A software synthesizer. The first version was released with FL Studio version 4.5.1. The second version of Sytrus (introduced with FL Studio 6) comes with an array of presets covering many types of sounds. Sytrus uses a combination of subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis, FM synthesis, and ring modulation, allowing the production of sounds ranging from drum sets to organs. Sytrus provides a large number of adjustments and controls, including shape shifting, harmonics editing, EQ, a modulator, filters, reverb, delay, unison, and detune.
- Toxic Biohazard – A virtual FM synthesizer similar to Sytrus, using FM and subtractive synthesis.
- TS-404 – a 2-oscillator subtractive synthesizer designed to mimic the Roland TB-303 transistor bass module. Removed in FL Studio 12 and replaced with the similar emulator Transistor Bass.
- WASP/WASP XT – A 3 oscillator synthesizer created by Richard Hoffman.
- FL Soundfont Player – An FL Studio add-on that gives power to load, play and render soundfonts (.sf2 files) in FL Studio.