SupaStar
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
A few hints & tips (these are from JC Beats, who I believe uses Fruity)... but yes, fruity has a pretty comprehensive manual (if you dont have it in the program, you can download it from the fruityloops web page)...
1. "I'm using a midi controller with fruityloops and when i press a key on my keyboard I get a long delay before the sound plays in FL"
Go to Options>Wave settings, now move your buffer length down to around 30, if the program is acting real twitching move it up some.
2. "Is there anyway I can work with more than one bar at a time?"
Yeah, goto Options>Song settings, and change the Bar lenght to 32 or 64.
3. How Do I load my own sounds in Fruityloops?
Put all your sounds in a Folder, then open FL and go to Options>File Settings. Click one of the folders and explore to your folder where you keep your samples, then click OK. Now your folder will show up in the browser on the right.
4. "How do I use soundfonts in Fruityloops?"
You have to buy their "Soundfont Player" plugin, its like $20 or $30.
5. "I loaded a sound in FL and when I trigger the sound it wont stop playing"
Go to the sounds channel settings and go to MISC and click "Cut Itself"
6. "I loaded a sound in FL and when I trigger it in the Big piano roll it wont stop playing"
You need to set up the envelopes for that sound. Go to the sounds channel settings and go to INS. Turn the ATT knob all the way to the left, turn HOLD all the way to the right, turn DEC all the way to the left, turn SUS all the way to the right, turn REL all the way to the left. Now when your playing that sound in the big piano roll the note will only sustain as long as you specify. (I.E. when you let your finger off the key it will stop playing)
7. "I loaded a sound in FL and when I play it with my midi controller the sound keeps playing when I let my finger off the key.
See No. 6.
8. "How can I use my keyboard as a midi controller in Fruityloops?" You need a Midi to Joystick cable to connect your keyboard to the game port on your soundcard. Then open FL, go to Options>Midi Settings adn select a Remote Control Input. Then go to options and Enable MIDI Remote Control. 9. "How do I make a full beat in FL?"
You gotta make multiple patterns and string them together with the playlist.
10. "My beats sound real distorted in FL"
Your probably clipping, turn down your master volume in FL a little. See the two faders between the play button and the toolbar? its the one on the left.
Tips
---------------
1. How to create those G-Funk style Synth lines.
First your going to need a Sine Wave or a Saw Wave with Set Loop Points or a really long sample of one. If you dont have one, I'll tell you how to make one in FL.
Go to Channels>Add One>3x Osc
Go to the channel settings of the 3x Osc
Now Turn the volume all the way down on Osc 2 & Osc 3
Now you have a basic Sine Wave.
Now that you have your sound, go to the channel settings of that sound and go to MISC. Now click the "Mono" Button, this gives the sound Mono Polyphony so it can slide from note to note.
Now open up the Big Piano roll and create a melody, but when your creating the melody make all your notes over lap. Now they will slide from note to note, this is usefull for creating those 90's g-funk synth lines.
2. EQ.
I'm not going to discuss how an EQ works and how all the different frequencies effect your sound.
But here are some good master EQ settings that will work for beginners that just need a quick quality boost.
Load up the 7-Band EQ and put it in the Master Effects section.
Now apply these settings:
63Hz - 4.1 dB
250Hz - 3.0 dB
500Hz - 1.1 dB
1500Hz - 3.0 dB
3kHz - 1.1 dB
5kHz - 3.7 dB
8kHz - 4.5 dB
Note: Everytrack is different and will need adjustments, but I've found that to be a good default starting point "for me".
3. Giving your kicks a little more thump.
What I like to do with kicks is assign them to a seperate FX channel and put a a Parametric EQ on that channel. Now give the EQ a little boost in the 70-90 Hz Range. (Or just use the defualt Parametric and raise the very last fader on the left up a little).
4. Reverb.
I like to put my reverb on FX Send channel 1. Go to Send1 and add the Fruity Reverb, and select the "Defualt (Send)" preset. Now adjust the color to "Warmer". Now whatever sounds you want to add reverb to you just go to the FX channel their set to and turn the little knob called "1" on the lower right and it will send some reverb to that channel. Most of your sounds will be on FX 1 most likely. (I personally like to send about 5-6% to every channel)
5. Swing.
If you want to get that MPC swing feel to your beats turn the "Shuffle" fader up to around 65%. (I know that seems obvious but people miss that.)
6. Layering Drums
If you want that slight double snare hit effect. Load two snares up and have them hit in the same spot. Now go to channel settings for one of the snares (the one you want to hit slightly later) and go to FUNC. Now turn the OFS knob a little (Under "Time"), the more you turn it the later it hits. THis is a good trick to use with a snare and a clap, especially if your going for that "Neptunes" sounding snare.
Source: JC Beats
And Krzy adds:
Fruityloops is a complex software based on mathematical and scientific principles, it only looks easy because the user interface is designed to be this way, but bare in mind it is not. It is not a software that you learn to use in a day - you might make a track, but it is not enough to qualify you ready. All new users out there bare in mind it took me 2 years of constant reading, experimenting to know enough to make a track worthy for the illest mc's. So, if ya just starting and you Find fruityloops to be a pain, just be patient and treat FL, like a lady, take time to know her its not an overnight thing "Percy Sledge"<-the man. If all in all there's tons of help right here at Ill -
:This ends the free session at Krzy University:
1. "I'm using a midi controller with fruityloops and when i press a key on my keyboard I get a long delay before the sound plays in FL"
Go to Options>Wave settings, now move your buffer length down to around 30, if the program is acting real twitching move it up some.
2. "Is there anyway I can work with more than one bar at a time?"
Yeah, goto Options>Song settings, and change the Bar lenght to 32 or 64.
3. How Do I load my own sounds in Fruityloops?
Put all your sounds in a Folder, then open FL and go to Options>File Settings. Click one of the folders and explore to your folder where you keep your samples, then click OK. Now your folder will show up in the browser on the right.
4. "How do I use soundfonts in Fruityloops?"
You have to buy their "Soundfont Player" plugin, its like $20 or $30.
5. "I loaded a sound in FL and when I trigger the sound it wont stop playing"
Go to the sounds channel settings and go to MISC and click "Cut Itself"
6. "I loaded a sound in FL and when I trigger it in the Big piano roll it wont stop playing"
You need to set up the envelopes for that sound. Go to the sounds channel settings and go to INS. Turn the ATT knob all the way to the left, turn HOLD all the way to the right, turn DEC all the way to the left, turn SUS all the way to the right, turn REL all the way to the left. Now when your playing that sound in the big piano roll the note will only sustain as long as you specify. (I.E. when you let your finger off the key it will stop playing)
7. "I loaded a sound in FL and when I play it with my midi controller the sound keeps playing when I let my finger off the key.
See No. 6.
8. "How can I use my keyboard as a midi controller in Fruityloops?" You need a Midi to Joystick cable to connect your keyboard to the game port on your soundcard. Then open FL, go to Options>Midi Settings adn select a Remote Control Input. Then go to options and Enable MIDI Remote Control. 9. "How do I make a full beat in FL?"
You gotta make multiple patterns and string them together with the playlist.
10. "My beats sound real distorted in FL"
Your probably clipping, turn down your master volume in FL a little. See the two faders between the play button and the toolbar? its the one on the left.
Tips
---------------
1. How to create those G-Funk style Synth lines.
First your going to need a Sine Wave or a Saw Wave with Set Loop Points or a really long sample of one. If you dont have one, I'll tell you how to make one in FL.
Go to Channels>Add One>3x Osc
Go to the channel settings of the 3x Osc
Now Turn the volume all the way down on Osc 2 & Osc 3
Now you have a basic Sine Wave.
Now that you have your sound, go to the channel settings of that sound and go to MISC. Now click the "Mono" Button, this gives the sound Mono Polyphony so it can slide from note to note.
Now open up the Big Piano roll and create a melody, but when your creating the melody make all your notes over lap. Now they will slide from note to note, this is usefull for creating those 90's g-funk synth lines.
2. EQ.
I'm not going to discuss how an EQ works and how all the different frequencies effect your sound.
But here are some good master EQ settings that will work for beginners that just need a quick quality boost.
Load up the 7-Band EQ and put it in the Master Effects section.
Now apply these settings:
63Hz - 4.1 dB
250Hz - 3.0 dB
500Hz - 1.1 dB
1500Hz - 3.0 dB
3kHz - 1.1 dB
5kHz - 3.7 dB
8kHz - 4.5 dB
Note: Everytrack is different and will need adjustments, but I've found that to be a good default starting point "for me".
3. Giving your kicks a little more thump.
What I like to do with kicks is assign them to a seperate FX channel and put a a Parametric EQ on that channel. Now give the EQ a little boost in the 70-90 Hz Range. (Or just use the defualt Parametric and raise the very last fader on the left up a little).
4. Reverb.
I like to put my reverb on FX Send channel 1. Go to Send1 and add the Fruity Reverb, and select the "Defualt (Send)" preset. Now adjust the color to "Warmer". Now whatever sounds you want to add reverb to you just go to the FX channel their set to and turn the little knob called "1" on the lower right and it will send some reverb to that channel. Most of your sounds will be on FX 1 most likely. (I personally like to send about 5-6% to every channel)
5. Swing.
If you want to get that MPC swing feel to your beats turn the "Shuffle" fader up to around 65%. (I know that seems obvious but people miss that.)
6. Layering Drums
If you want that slight double snare hit effect. Load two snares up and have them hit in the same spot. Now go to channel settings for one of the snares (the one you want to hit slightly later) and go to FUNC. Now turn the OFS knob a little (Under "Time"), the more you turn it the later it hits. THis is a good trick to use with a snare and a clap, especially if your going for that "Neptunes" sounding snare.
Source: JC Beats
And Krzy adds:
Fruityloops is a complex software based on mathematical and scientific principles, it only looks easy because the user interface is designed to be this way, but bare in mind it is not. It is not a software that you learn to use in a day - you might make a track, but it is not enough to qualify you ready. All new users out there bare in mind it took me 2 years of constant reading, experimenting to know enough to make a track worthy for the illest mc's. So, if ya just starting and you Find fruityloops to be a pain, just be patient and treat FL, like a lady, take time to know her its not an overnight thing "Percy Sledge"<-the man. If all in all there's tons of help right here at Ill -
:This ends the free session at Krzy University:
