-- Ace's FL Studio Tips [Updated Frequently] --

[AceInfinity]

I've decided to hand out a few tips here and there just for the heck of it about the program FL Studio. I'll start off basic, and depending on what I can think of that I can share once in a while, they will range from beginner > intermediate. Main reason I won't post advanced stuff here is because these tips are to start off beginners in sound creation using music software. I might post a couple advaned things here and there as extras with my main tips, but other than that, it's just here to help others start out. I'd like to see some other people submit some of their FL stuff (good or not).

Please don't post you're own tips here, you're welcome to comment on my tips, but if you have a tip of your own, please use another thread.

Lets start this thing off:

Tip #1 - Renaming, and changing the color of your Tracks, Mixer, Sequencer, and Pattern displays

• Steps:
  • 1)Right click on your sequencer, pattern, track, or mixer channel
    
  • 2) Choose the option "Rename / color..."
    
    
  • 3) You can rename your track
    
  • 4) Click on the small grey box to the right of the text area and choose your color
    

[Destruct]

Nice tip, I might try this. Keep them coming.

[Jacko]

Nice Tips, I might give this a try, I've heard of it before.

[AceInfinity]

Tip #2 - How to change the number of bars in your sequencer

• Steps:
  • 1)Hover your mouse above the top left of your sequencer that displays the "--"
    
  • 2) Drag mouse up or down to select the number of bars you want
    

Note: "--" just means default, so if you have a pattern set in the piano roll, the maximum number of bars on that selected pattern will be however far you go with the piano roll.

[AceInfinity]

Tip #3 - Keep it simple

• Some of the best melodies and tunes are created simple. No need to do everything with a complex signature right from the start. Start basslines with a simple 4 beats, and change it up a bit for fill-ins.
  
• The order that you should build a track depends on what you are familiar with. Generally I find starting with the bassline the easiest, Then the main melody (climax of your track). From there, you can tie everything into that main part to make sure that the main part belongs in your track more than any other part to make sure you get the best "wow" from it. Add in smaller stuff later on like pads, snares, crashes, EQ adjusting, and all that fine tuning. Play around with further automation.
  
• Learn to work with what you have, even the best plugins don't have to be used, plain free default plugins are also great, 3xOSC is one of them. Here's a demo track i'll show you with what you can do with all FREE plugins (see attachement in post)

[AceInfinity]

Tip #3 - Pick a style, and create you're own

• If you want to learn how to make music inside of a certain genre, you're going to have to study the music you want to create. Listen to your genre nonstop, and not just your favorite songs in that genre. Get a sense of what others are doing.
• Try things out. Take an idea or sound from a song, or a certain structure from a song, and do something with that idea. See what works for you, learn how you can make it work for you.
  
• Don't be someone you're not, if you try to create music like your favorite DJ, you'll always fail, they have their own style, and the only way you will be able to make music is with your own style. Learn how you use sounds, and how you like to use sounds. Whatever works for you works, then work on the things that you find yourself lacking in, whether it's percussion, basslines, leads, melodies, transitions, mixing, etc... Self reflect and give yourself a rating on the things that you do good, and the things you do bad, then work on what you need to.

For example: With trance, the whole point of that genre, is to take the listener on a journey. Most transitions from the different pieces of the song "go somewhere." Every part of a Trance song leads into additives with every transition. It's like building blocks, that slowly get put together and taken apart by the end of the song. You need to learn the basic structure and sounds of the genre before you can create your own style within that genre.

[AceInfinity]

Take a look at my stuff here:

http://www.soundcloud.com/aceinfinity

and also my latest track collaboration here:
http://www.myspace.com/revibe_music

I have a couple on youtube too:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dde5XkmRc4w[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXeUgxDRNBE[/yt]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8_hXNEwppY[/yt]

An LFO demo I did showing how LFO can be used with automation:
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2XV61pW2Vw[/yt]

A Trance "Experiment" I did (Scrapped this project, the buildup wasn't that good I don't think):
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJhsOcYYe7Y[/yt]

[Rofl Loves You]

I will have to check this out when I start using that program.

[AceInfinity]

I will have to check this out when I start using that program.

If you ever do. Please don't spam my thread in your attempt for the supportfeather.

[Terridax]

Ugh... this is making me want to get back into producing again :S
I think I might reinstall FL Studio to tinker around with it. Maybe I can use your tips to help keep me motivated, so I don't give up this time

Only thing is, I find that I can't really get the sounds that I want with FL Studio. I tried learning Reason, but gave up on that real quick xD
Any good suggestions for VSTs to use with FL Studio? Preferably free ones. (I do a lot of electric music, if that helps)