How to Make Music on Fruity Loops

Fruity Loops, now know as FL Studio, is a pattern-based music-composition tool. Users can load and customize effects, samples and virtual instruments. Fruity Loops offers users a low learning curve with high-end results.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fruity Loops

Creating a Pattern

1. Begin by starting a new session of Fruity Loops. From the "File" menu, create a new file.

2. Go to the "Channel" section. When you click the blocks in this section, they turn white. Organize a pattern with the drums and snares. Review the pattern by clicking "Play" and edit your pattern to your liking.

3. 
   Right-click on the individual channels to insert samples.

   Load samples into the sequencer by right-clicking on the individual channels and choosing the option to "Load Samples." Use this method to add different drums, kicks, hi-hats and so on.

Adding Melodies and Chords

4. At the very top of the window, choose the "Channel" menu. From the "Channel" menu, select from a list of Virtual Studio Technology instruments (VSTs).

5. Right-click on the VST instruments and choose "Piano Roll" from the menu options. The "Piano Roll" allows you to construct chords and melodies with the instruments.

6. 
   Construct chords and melodies with the Piano Roll.

   Click inside "Piano Roll." A green mark will appear. Drag the mark up or down to change the note. Move the mark forward or backward to change its place in the pattern. Drag the end of the mark to change the length of the note being played.

Mixing and Adding Effects

7. 
   Scroll through the FX channel to change the effects on the samples.

   Left-click a single channel. When the menu for the channel appears, click the "FX" box in the top right-hand corner. Designate a channel by scrolling up or down. The number you select here will correspond to a channel of that same number in the mixer.

8. Go to the menu for the mixer. Click on the channel that correlates to the FX number previously selected in the channel. The mixing channels are labeled "Inserts" and are numbered.

9. 
   Right-click on the horizontal bars on the right side of the menu to add effects.

   After selecting "Insert," right-click on the horizontal bars on the right side of the menu. In the pop-up menu that appears, select an effect to apply to the sample. The menu for the effect will appear. Tweak according to your preference.

Organizing Patterns

10. 
    Scroll up or down to change the pattern you are working on.

    Each sequence you make will fall into a pattern number. Click into "Pat" and scroll up or down. This changes which pattern you are on. Change the pattern number to work on different sequences.

11. Click into the "Playlist" window. Clicking in this window will leave a block representing the pattern to be played. Move the block up or down to change which pattern will be played. Move the block forward or backward to change when the pattern will be played.

12. Organize a series of blocks in the "Playlist" window to create a song.

Tips & Warnings

• Tweak everything; it will help to make your sound unique.

[dkalnz]

on 2/10/2009 what version of FL Studio is this?