FL STUDIO BASICS
New Features in FL Studio 8
This is a list of the important new features in FL Studio 8. For a complete list of new features (and bug fixes) in this and older FL Studio releases, please check WhatsNew.doc in the FL Studio
installation folder.
FL Engine/Interface
- Cleartype not forced on anymore for mixer labels for Win9X platforms (and there was much rejoicing!).
- Added recording filter (right-click record button). Choose to record Audio, Automation or Note data independently.
- Menu icons replaced by global down arrows for a more consistent GUI.
- New spectral view in monitor panel.
- Event automation now displayed in pattern clips.
- Channels in piano roll channel selector are now sorted by channel group.
- New list of available patterns when right-clicking the pattern selector.
- Patterns named '-pattern name' now act as separators in lists.
- Added mouse wheel support to popup menus & combo selectors.
- Added plugin interface thumbnail pictures to project browser (manual process to add) .
- Generator smart disable is now compatible with threaded rendering.
- Added OGG Vorbis rendering (open source compressed audio format).
- Some FL plugins now support .ogg format audio.
- Never lose a keyboard performance. The new score logger records all MIDI activity from controller keyboards and the 'typing-piano keyboard' in a 3 minute buffer.
- Updated MP3 codec (LAME 3.97).
- One-click audio recording now prompts to record in Edison.
- Default audio device changed to ASIO4ALL.
- Sinc interpolator now faster (64point sinc now usable real-time if you have a fast CPU).
- FL Studio can permanently learn and remember links to external controllers. The new 'multilink' function + 'Override generic links' option.
- Tweaking controls on VST(i)s now show a hint message in FL's hint bar (when possible).
- Rendering with latency compensation.
- Introducing FL-chan in wallpapers.
New Plugins
Revised Plugins
- Edison:
- New phase editing feature in Edison's EQ.
- Added middle note & audio to MIDI analysis to Edison.
- Edison's EQ, blur & reverb tools now remember their envelope editor settings.
- Improved recording for larger files.
- New drum(loop) stretching tool (& paste replace (drum)), with improved gaps filling.
- CTRL+DRAG drums from one instance to another, to replace drums in a loop with drums from another loop.
- Slide option now works on markers/regions too.
- Hold right-shift to move markers more accurately (temporary zoom).
- Tools->Send to playlist as audio clip, to send the clip to the playlist at selection, linked to the same mixer track as Edison.
- New slave sync, pause button, transport active when not playing, support for control surfaces and keyboard input (to slice or for sampler preview).
- Can now link notes to markers/regions (for use in Fruity Slicer).
- Added "Undo mix (spectral)" and "Paste mix (spectral)" features.
- Added keyboard (to note or to slice) preview.
- Added 'quick rename (all)' option to rename all regions to drum names.
- new 'dual view' mode showing both waveform & spectrum.
- New fancy waveform display mode and option to export display to bitmap file.
- New stereo waveform display mode (superimposed channels in different colors).
- Tools > Send selection to playlist as audio clip. Send the clip to the playlist at selection, linked to the same mixer track as Edison.
- Video Player:
- Detached video will now keep playing if the plugin editor window is hidden.
- Added 'Ignore tempo changes' option.
- "Render fast" is now the default
- FPC:
- Better behaviour when samples are missing
- Changed direction for changing pads from mouse wheel
- Added wave preview in open dialog.
- Fruity Wrapper:
- Support for sysex messages sent by the plugin (untested)
- FL will re-read key names when update-display message is received from VST plugin
- Renamed menu items for saving/loading fst and fxb files to 'VST' instead of 'Cubase'.
- Added 'Send note off velocity' option.
- Direct Wave:
- "Gain" control on zone tab now defaults to 0.0dB again
- "Gain" control on zone tab is now multiplied to the volume instead of added
- Updated downloader implementation
- Double-click on zone (or zone index) now opens sample tab
- Now need to right-click on sample scroll bar to zoom
- Changed volume and velocity implementation
- Re-implemented soundfont support, now supports 24bit SoundFonts
- Effect switches on the zone page now also act according to the "global" switch
- Ogg import now uses 32bit float samples instead of 16bit int
- Parametric EQ 2:
- New slope modes for LP/HP/LS/Peak/HS bands in Parametric EQ 2 plugin.
- Love Philter:
- Sytrus:
Piano roll
- Right-click upper/lower splitter for 2nd position.
- Changed/New keyboard shortcuts and functions: Added new SHIFT+click to add note in resize mode.
- 'Select at random' to select 10% random notes, for variations (menu item).
- Caps lock function changed to allow resizing of notes from left side in Piano roll.
Play List
- Changed/New keyboard shortcuts and functions: Added new SHIFT+click to add clip in resize mode.
- Added slip editing and resizing tool for Playlist clips.
- Newly-recorded patterns now added as pattern clips (when in song mode).
- Right-click upper/lower splitter for 2nd position.
- Optional stereo waveform display (accessed from audio-clip channel settings wave-display, right-click).
- Clip source selection now available from titlebar
- Clip tracks now on top by default.
- Can now resize multiple playlist clips at once.
Mixer
- Mouse wheel can re-order effects. Hover over effect to be moved and roll!
- Introducing 'Selected mixer track', to which the selected mixer track is routed, and in which you place visual effects or a recording Edison.
Browser
- Right-click (right edge) splitter for 2nd width.
- Added 'Edit whole mapping' to Remote control section.
- Default peak meters scale bottom changed to -70dB, alternate scale down to -50dB.
MIDI
- FL supports MIDI SysEx input, and handles basic MMC functions.
Changes and Additions
- Ctrl+E opens an audio editor in a mixer track, or Shift+E to open an audio logger.