Imageline’s new video for FL Studio 9 is more style than substance – but it’s still kinda sexy.

Details on the new features are listed below.

If you’ve used FL Studio 9, leave a comment with your thought on it!

Here’s what’s new in FL Studio 9:

• Sidechaining – The FL Studio Mixer ‘Track Send’ now has an additional ‘Sidechain’ mode to support multiple-input mixer plugins.
• Multi-core CPU (Hyperthreading) – Improved multithreaded generator & added multithreaded effects processing.
• Multiple controllers – Can now control multiple independent instrument channels, assigned by MIDI number.
• Revised Playlist
• Playlist track naming & icon – Tools for better song organization.
• Riff machine – Automatic sequence generator tool.
• Mixer now has 99 Insert tracks (up from 64).
• Multi-core CPU support – Added ‘multithreaded mixer’ tracks processing for improved multi-core performance

New Plugins:

• Autogun (free) – Sonic adventure, Based on Ogun.
• Sakura (demo)- String physical modelling instrument
• Ogun (demo)- Additive metal simulation synthesizer
• Gross Beat (demo) – Real-time, audio-stream playback, pitch, position and volume manipulation effect
• Stereo Shaper (free) – Mid / Side stereo processing
• Vocodex – The last word in vocoders (free with Producer Edition).

FL Studio 9 includes 25 software instruments covering acoustic/synthetic bass, electric guitar and plucked string simulation, sampler tools including piano, general sample playback, beat-slicing, and a range of synthesis techniques (subtractive, modeling, FM, granular and additive).

The new version of the product can record up to 99 simultaneous tracks of audio through the updated 105 channel mixer. The Playlist workspace can contain an unlimited number of audio tracks and allows the user to arrange discrete audio events in any order or position the creative process dictates with complete flexibility. Audio tools enable time-stretching, pitch-shifting, beat-slicing, chopping, edits and creative destruction of audio.

FL Studio 9 is available now:

• FL Studio Express Edition (49 USD, download only)
• FL Studio Fruity Edition (99 USD download / 139 USD boxed)
• FL Studio Producer Edition (199 USD download / 269 USD boxed)
• FL Studio Signature Edition (299 USD download / 399 USD boxed) – Provides all features of FL Studio Producer edition + Maximus maximizer, Sytrus synthesizer, Hardcore Guitar effects suite and Directwave Sampler

A free Trial version of FL Studio 9 (allowing export to high res WAV/MP3 and saving to FL project format) is also available for download.

Details on FL Studio 9 below.

Here’s what’s new in FL Studio 9:

• 350 additions, changes & bug fixes
• 5 extra synthesizers are now included by default: SimSynth Live, DrumSynth Live, DX-10, WASP and WASP XT in each FL Studio edition (Fruity edition or higher)
• Revised Playlist with integrated ‘Play’ button, new Clip Track features incl. track naming, muting, clip grouping and icons
• Mixer insert tracks 99 (previously 64) with new ‘Sidechaining’ function
• Piano roll ‘Riff Machine’ automated sequence generator tool and ‘note grouping’ feature
• Step sequencer & Playlist now have an integrated Play button for improved workflow
• Multiple controller support, independent instrument channels can be simultaneously played by separate controllers
• Volatile links allow hardware control of last touched GUI object. Improved linking options and functions.
• Multi-Core CPU improved multithreaded generator & multithreaded effects processing. Unleash the power of the latest generation multi-core processors.
• Revised plugins include Fruity Limiter with sidechaining, Wavecandy new mastering meter modes Fruity Reeverb 2 Mid/Side processing. Edison & Slicex new export regions and noise reduction function.
• Loop recording Audio Clips are now muted instead of the associated Channel for improved workflow. • Wrapper completely revised for improved compatibility inc., multi-input/output plugins & ‘aligned tick lengths’.

New plugins released with FL Studio 9:

• Autogun – (free) is based on Ogun and offers more than four billion presets and produces exceptionally rich metallic and shimmering timbres
• Vocodex (free with FL Studio Producer Edition) – last word in vocoders, featuring automatic speech-enhancement functions, an integrated Carrier synthesizer, output maximization and up to 100 variable-width multi-parameter vocoder bands.
• Stereo Shaper – (free) a multi-purpose stereo shaping tool
• Gross Beat (demo) – real-time, audio-stream playback, pitch, position and volume manipulation effect
• Ogun (demo) – Additive metal simulation synthesizer that can generate more than 32,000 harmonics, modulated by high-level ‘harmonic mapping’ functions, that hand tonal control directly to the user.

Digital Music Doctor has published an updated version of their Music Software Internet Popularity chart.

The chart ranks the top 10 music programs, using search engine requests as a gauge of interest.

The Top 10 Music Applications
Q2, 2009, based on search requests

1. Pro Tools
2. Cubase
3. FL Studio
4. Cakewalk Sonar
5. Apple Logic
6. Adobe Audition
7. Ableton Live
8. Apple Garageband
9. Sound Forge
10. Sony Acid

Obviously, there are a lot of other ways you could rank music applications – by sales dollar, by sales units or by registered users, for example. Garageband would probably top the list by those measures.

Leave a comment with your thoughts on this ranking!

Digital Music Doctor has updated its chart of the top digital music apps, based on recent Internet search activity on Google, Yahoo, AOL & MSN.

Here’s how they rank:

The Top 10 Music Applications

1. DigiDesign Pro Tools (11.4)
2. FL Studio (10.1)
3. Steinberg Cubase (7.3)
4. Cakewalk Sonar (6.0)
5. Apple Logic (3.5)
6. Adobe Audition (3.5)
7. Apple GarageBand (3.1)
8. Sony Sound Forge (2.3)
9. Ableton Live (2.0)
10. MOTU Digital Performer (1.9)

Do you think this is an accurate reflection of the most popular music applications in the world – or do you think it’s just a sign that you’re going to be seeing a lot more posts about Pro Tools at Synthtopia?

Leave a comment with your thoughts!

via hypebot

This video is a quick tutorial on making an Electro Bassline In FL Studio.

You can find the FL project here.

via Spyrofunk

This video demos using Percussa AudioCubes with FL Studio.

via Percussa:

We just got an email from Spyro who lives in Venezuela and is a heavy FL Studio User. His real name is Mat and he did a video tutorial on using AudioCubes with FL Studio. Check it out!

Real Name: Matias Monteagudo

Akas: Spyro, Montéz, Tony Alpha
web: www.spyrofunk.com (website) / http://spyro.mediashift.net/klanglabs/ (VST plugins development)

Graduate as Bachelor in Music under composition area at the IUDEM, Caracas. Spyro has worked in areas such as movies, short films, TV spots, documentaries, theater, art exhibitions, plain gigs and fashion shows

His recent works includes the soundtrack and sound design for Plan B (a local action movie) Also 2D Animation and music/effects for the Prolapio series of humour shortfilms, and around 200 TV spots for clients including Toyota, Ford, Schick, Coca-Cola, SubWay, Kraft, Movistar, Bayer, Glade, Pfizer, Energizer and Kosiuko.

In 2005 after his participation in the Red Bull Music Academy on Seattle, Spyro is very proud to release a 5 Songs EP called Biodegradable with the label Yoruba Records, owned by his fellow friend, great musician and master DJ, Mr. Osunlade

Spyro also spend a lot of time making VST plug-ins for his brand called KlangLabs, his most known plug-ins are Vokko a stereo vocoder, StompBud a virtual body sounds sample player, and BackMan a realtime in-sync backwards audio processor.

2009 NAMM Show Preview

Here’s the latest from Image Line:

• FL Studio 8 - In the latest version, FL Studio 8, users have welcomed more than 100 new developments including an improved user interface, updated sound engine, revised mixer, addition of ‘event’ pattern clips to the playlist, new multi-link MIDI learn system and a suite of new and updated plugins. The XXL and Producer Editions come with FL SynthMaker, an FL Studio native version of the popular plugin development application, SynthMaker. Users can now create their own virtual instruments, effects and MIDI dashboards, use them in FL Studio and share them with other SynthMaker users without writing basic code.
• Deckadance. – the latest version (1.4) delivers many new features including a new sound engine with improved time-stretching/compression technology, new BPM setup panel and beatgrid system, new spectral waveform color feature, new pitch range selection, new equalization filters design with improved kill behavior and new autogain engine. Scratch and spinback native support have also been added to the following controlers: Hercules (MKII, MP3 Console, Rmx), Numark Total Control and Behringer BCD2000/BCD3000. Deckadance has matured into a stable cross-platform and, most importantly, has support for a wide range of controller types allowing DJ’s to use their existing controller & vinyl hardware.
• Edison - The wave editor/recorder comes in standalone, VST and FL Studio native versions. Edison loads into any mixer track (VST effects slot) and records or plays audio from that position. Users will be excited to learn that it is possible to load as many instances of Edison as their host can contain. Parallel or chained instances of Edison are all possible. The visually stunning and easy to use interface has more than enough features to satisfy even the most demanding musicians and sound engineers.
• Gross Beat - Gross Beat is a time manipulation effect designed for repetition and scratching effects. Gross beat is perfect for real-time or rendered gating, glitch, repeat, scratching and stutter performances. Gross Beat stores audio in a 2-bar rolling buffer under the control of 36 user definable time and volume envelopes, giving you unlimited creative control.
• Hardcore - Hardcore is a software simulation of the 10 most popular guitar effects pedals. Available for both PC and Mac users, Hardcore gives virtual access to Distortion, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Reverb, Delay, Noise Gate, Equalizer, Compressor and Modulator ’stomp-box’ style effects, each with a unique sonic character.
• Ogun - Named after the god of iron (according to the Haitian Vodou and Yoruba mythology), Ogun is a powerful synthesizer for creating realistic metallic sounds. Ogun’s distinctive synthesis engine can generate more than 32,000 harmonics, modulated by ‘harmonic mapping’ functions that hand tonal control over the vast number of harmonics directly to the user.
• Sounds of India - Sounds of India, the latest sample collection from Image Line Software, contains over 835 samples weighing in at 1.5 Gb and includes 36 instrument and 2 vocal categories. The collection covers the foundations of the classic Indian sound – Tabla, Sitar, Shenai, Harmonium and Bamboo Flute, but what makes it really unique is the collection of South Indian instruments as Veena, Ganjira, Maddalam, and rare Indian folk instruments (Edakka, Udukku, Darbuka, etc.) The diverse Indian spirit is further enhanced with the inclusion of sounds from many different temple bells and ethnic percussion instruments.

Image Line Software has released FL Studio 8, the latest version of their digital audio workstation. FL Studio 8 offers an improved interface, sound engine, revised mixer, the addition of pattern clips to the playlist, new multilink MIDI learn system, a suite of new plug-ins and updates to many others.

Here are the details:

New Plugins

FL Studio 8 opens a new chapter in DAW flexibility with the addition of FL SynthMaker, a FL Studio native version of the popular plugin development application SynthMaker. Users can now create their own virtual instruments, effects and MIDI dashboards, use them in FL Studio and share them with other SynthMaker users, all without the need to write basic code. FL SynthMaker is included in Producer and XXL editions.

The Producer and XXL Editions also include Slicex — a powerhouse drumloop slicer and re-arranging tool. Slicex uses advanced beat detection algorithms to slice song/percussion samples into pieces and make them independently playable from the Piano roll or controller. Slicex offers playback, reordering of slices and time-stretching capabilities optimized for drum loops with all the editing power of Edison built right into the plugin.

Free to all users, FL Studio 8 also comes with a suite of new and creative plugins, including: Fruity Limiter — a powerful single band compressor/limiter, ideal for maximizing and compressing final mixes or single tracks, Wave Candy — a flexible audio analysis and visualization tool with Oscilloscope, Spectrum Analyser and Peak meter and Soundgoodizer — a stereo “maximizer-enhancer” plugin based on the Maximus sound processing engine.

FL Studio 8 will also include demo versions of the best sellers: Maximus — a multiband mastering maximizer. Poizone 2 — a versatile and easy to program subtractive performance synthesizer. Morphine — an additive synthesizer with intuitive resynthesis capabilities allowing programmers to capture and synthesize almost any sound. And finally, Toxic Biohazard — the fourth generation of the Toxic FM synthesizer line.

Revised plug-ins

Edison, FL Studio’s audio editing and recording tool has received a number of exciting new capabilities including: A middle note and audio to MIDI analysis, recording for larger files has been improved, tighter integration with the FL Studio Playlist allows recorded audio to be marked and dumped to the exact location desired and a new drum loop stretching tool with improved gaps filling.

A new Envelope Sequencer has been added that provides a convenient method for create repetitive arpeggiator patterns or sequences in plug-ins that use the general purpose envelope including Sytrus and Fruity Love philter. Further, the Video Player, FPC, Fruity Wrapper, Direct Wave and Parametric EQ2 have all undergone refinements too numerous to mention here.

Interface and FL Engine

Image Line Software has made a number of enhancements to the interface, FL engine and workflow.

First, a new background score logger is constantly active in FL Studio 8, and guarantees users will never lose a keyboard performance again. The logger records all MIDI activity from controller keyboards and the typing-piano keyboard in a 3 minute rolling-buffer, at any time this can be dumped to a Piano roll.

A new multilink controller function can permanently learn and remember links between specific plugins (or FL Studio interface features) and external controllers. This means that next time the plugin is loaded the links will be automatically made.

The newly added recording filter now allows users to choose to record audio, note data independently. The Piano roll and the Playlist come with new keyboard shortcuts and functions including: Note patterns-clips and slip editing/resizing for all clip types. The sinc interpolator is also faster with 64 point sinc interpolation usable in real-time mixing, depending on the CPU. Finally in this section, OGG Vorbis audio export has been added.

Mixer

The 64 stereo track mixer in FL Studio remains the most powerful in its class. FL Studio 8 introduces selected mixer track system for creating visual effects. Mouse wheel can also re-order effects.

Formats

FL8 will fit easily within your current workflow supporting VST/VSTi/VST2, DXi, DXi2, MP3, WAV, OGG, MIDI, ASIO, ASIO 2.

Additionally supported through DirectWave Editor — AKAI AKP (S5/6K,Z4,Z8), Battery (version 1), MPC, Reason, Kurzweil, EXS24, Kontakt (version 1 & 2), Recycle, SFZ+ and SoundFont2.

Editions and prices:

FL Studio is available in four editions: Express (US $ 49, download only), FruityLoops (US $ 99 download/US $ 139 boxed), Producer (US $ 199 download/US $ 269 boxed) and XXL (US $ 299 download/US $ 399 boxed).

Download versions come with lifetime free updates.

Image-Line have released a VSTi version of DrumSynth Live.

DrumSynth Live is an updated version of the DrumSynth standalone created by Maxim Digital Audio. DrumSynth Live features simultaneous support for 24 programmable real-time drum patches, each assigned to a separate key (C4 to B5).Sound is created by two noise generators and filtered by bandpass filters with incredible range – you can set anything from a single frequency (sine wave) to full white noise. You can morph dynamically from one drum patch to another – just select the patch to morph to and tweak the morph amount wheel.

Features

• Create complete drumtracks in a single channel
• Change properties according to the note velocity
• ‘Sends’ for your own send tracks

FL Studio comes with the demo of DrumSynth Live pre-installed. The demo version has all the functionality of the ‘real’ generator, although all channels using it are deleted when saving.

Pricing and Availability:
$35 USD

According to the company, Chief Software Architect, Didier Dambrin has realized his vision of creating an open-architecture virtual studio environment where the only constraint on the users is their own imagination. This philosophy is reflected in FL Studio 7’s flexible audio and control data routing, free-form Playlist design and interoperability with industry standards (VST/VSTi/VST2, DXi, DXi2, Buzz, ReWire, MIDI, MP3, WAV, OGG).

Didier notes “We don’t try to protect our data & come up with new formats only for marketing reasons. We use existing standards as much as possible, and allow FL Studio be used as a plugin in other hosts”.

In version 7, particular emphasis has been given to improved workflow through enhanced interface design, so that ideas can be crystallized and creativity captured.

What is FL7?

FL Studio is a fully featured, open-architecture music creation and production environment for PC. No extra software is required to produce any style of music, as the complete set of instrument and studio tools is included in the cost of the package. With the included plugins, sounds and tools the user can create complete songs, as well as backing tracks, loops and sizzling beats. Completed songs can be saved to WAV, MP3 or MIDI or .ZIP or native project formats (.FLP).

Instruments

FL7 includes 13 virtual synthesizers covering acoustic/synthetic bass, electric guitar and plucked string simulation, sampler tools including piano, general sample playback, and beat-slicing, and a range of synthesis techniques (subtractive, modelling, FM, granular and additive).

Audio Recording & Editing

Capture audio from a single vocalist right through to a full symphony orchestra. FL7 can record up to 64 simultaneous tracks of audio#. The Playlist workspace can contain an unlimited number of audio tracks and allows you to arrange discrete audio events in any order, and position the creative process dictates with complete flexibility. Audio tools allow the ability to time-stretch, pitch-shift, beat-slice, chop, edit and creatively destruct audio. FL7 also introduces Edison, a fully featured mastering wave editor and recorder. FL Studio supports WAV, MP3 and OGG formats.

Sequencing

Record musical performances and ideas in the most logical way. FL7 functions as both a pattern and track based sequencer depending on user preferences. Tools include an unlimited track Step-sequencer, an industry-leading Piano Roll and Automation Clips. FL Studio supports MIDI and input from all standard Controllers.

Arranging

Determine your own project design. In FL7, you decide how your project will be laid out. Unlike the competition, FL7’s Playlist is a totally flexible and virtually unbounded space where Note Pattern, Audio and Automation data can be arranged, and edited to suit your creative ideas and workflow.

Mixing/Mastering

The most powerful mixer in its class. FL7 includes an industry-leading 64 stereo track mixer. Each track can include up to 8 effects and can also be routed to any of the other 64 tracks or one of 4 dedicated ’send’ channels. The 44 included effects plugins span Compression, Delay, Distortion, EQ, Filtering, Phasing, Flanging, Chorus, Vocoding and Reverb. These will take you from the creative broad-brush effects like reverb, through to the minutia of the mastering process with multiband compression/limiting and parametric EQ.

Lifetime free updates

Registered FL Studio users who purchase the download edition of the program receive lifetime free updates to the level of the program they buy (Express, Fruity Loops or Producer edition). For example, all FL Studio 6 customers will be able to download FL Studio 7 free, FL Studio 8 free and so on. Boxed edition users can purchase lifetime free updates for a nominal fee.

Key new features and changes

• FL now supports track-based sequencing. Pattern Clips present sequence data in the method as Audio and Automation Clips.
• Edison replaces the Wave Editor – Edison is a fully integrated audio editing and recording tool complete with spectral analysis, convolution reverb + more.
• FL Studio 7 – Edison: fully integrated audio editing and recording tool
• Love Philter – is a bank of 8 ganged filter units for total flexibility and creative filtering mayhem.
• FL Studio 7 – Love Philter: Powerful Love Philter zipped screenshot
• Parametric EQ2 – introduces a mastering parametric EQ with spectral analysis.
• FL Studio 7 – Equalizer: 2 parametric EQ with spectral analysis zipped screenshot
• Event Automation can now be converted to Automation clips.
• Updated audio stretching engine for FL Studio & FL plugins (where applicable).
• Multi-core safe generators can now be threaded for performance gain on multi-core CPUs.
• Smoother audio ‘record to disk’ performance with high track-counts.
• Note OFF velocity support for the Piano roll, MIDI files, MIDI out & Sytrus.
• ‘Smart Disable’ mode for generator plugins, previously was effects only.
• A ‘News Panel’, to keep users updated with content and patches.
• Plugin windows can now be detached from the FL Studio desktop.
• DirectWave sampler now loads AIFF samples & includes a VST preset loader in auto sampler function.
• Sytrus gains multi-level ‘Undo’ a ‘Cherry’ phaser filter, 256 unit Harmonics editor (up from 128), automatable unison panning, volume and pitch.
• FPC acquires wave start/end point selection. SFZ export and loads AIFF, MP3 and REX files.
• Mono source recording. Mono ASIO inputs now handled by the mixer IN list.
• New user-definable keyboard velocity curve mapping in MIDI setup.
• Support for Apple Loops AIFF extensions.

Timing

FL Studio will be officially released at upcoming NAMM, 18-21 January 2007 at the Anaheim Convention Centre, Anaheim, CA , USA.

FL Studio will be shipping around mid-February 2007.

Image-Line

Leading the changes is the new, larger, resizable Mixer, with fully flexible inter-track routing and PDC functions. MIDI functionality has been extended to include a wider range of external controllers as well as foot-pedal support. The Play List and industry-leading Piano Roll have been improved, ready to work hand-in-hand with a rack of exciting new plugins such as Direct Wave advanced sampler, EQUO morphing graphic equalizer, Reeverb 2 and Delay Bank (a multi-bank delay), to name just a few. FL Studio’s browser has new search features and state recall functions.

FL Studio is a complete virtual music studio for creating songs from any genre, as well as backing tracks, loops and realistic drum loops.

New Plug-ins

• DirectWave is a powerful and versatile sampler
• EQUO is an advanced morphing graphic equalizer
• Fruity Delay Bank is a powerful delay/filter plugin with 8 available banks
• Fruity Multiband Compressor is a three band stereo compressor with limiter functionality
• Fruity Reeverb 2 simulates different types of acoustic spaces
• Fruity Squeeze is a bit reducing, distortion ‘Puncher’ and filtering plugin
• Chrome is a visualization plugin
• Envelope Controller

Enhancements

• Revamped Mixer with enhanced free track routing
• Plugin Delay Compensation
• Sytrus v2 included in XXL edition
• Visually revamped Browser with various enhancements

A free Trial version (only save disabled) is available.

FL Studio will come in 4 different editions:

• FL Studio Express Edition: Downloadable US $49; Boxed: N/A
• FL Studio Fruityloops Edition: Downloadable US $99; Boxed: US $139 SRP
• FL Studio Producer Edition: Downloadable US $149; Boxed: US $209 SRP
• FL Studio XXL Edition: Downloadable US $299; Boxed: US $399 SRP

More information is available at the FLStudio site.