It is time to explore yet another form of communication: music!

Since mankind's earliest days, people have used sound to communicate ideas and express themselves. However, the methods of doing so have changed dramatically over the centuries. Today, much of what we hear is crafted and arranged through digital means: computers, digital audio workstations, midi composition, and control surfaces.

Learning how to use a Digital Audio Workstation (like FL Studio, or Garageband, or Ableton Live, or Apple's Logic, or Cubase, or Reaper, or Reason, or Presonus One, or Magix's Acid, or....the list goes on) is not a study of music theory. It is a study of technology that can help a musician create a finished Track (song). However, if you are already versed in music theory then learning how to control a DAW can enhance your musical experience and understanding. Likewise, if you understand how to use a DAW (only, now, more than you used to) you may reflect on music theory in a different way.

Part 1: Where do we begin?

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 1A: Get Started with FL Studio
• Part 1B: Learn how to use the Channel Rack and the Step Sequencer
• Part 1C: Learn how to Step Sequence with 16 Steps and make a Pattern
• Part 1D: Learn How to save a bit of time by using Fill in a Pattern
• Part 1E: Learn how to organize by Naming and Coloring of a Pattern

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Part 1A: Getting Started 

Create a new folder in your Multimedia folder and name it Digital Audio Workstation (This is where all materials for this assignment will be saved)

Open FL Studio

Before we do anything, we need to test for sound. 

Plug your headphones into the headphone speaker jack into the front of the Microsoft Windows PC (Personal Computer)

Open "FL Studio" from Windows Task Bar. Once you do this, FL Studio will probably ask if you want to update the program. Choose "No". (or, "Skip" or "I Decline" or whatever)

FL Studio always opens up a sample song when a user first opens it up for the first time.

There is a set of buttons at the top of the page called 'Transport Controls." Click on the PLAY button to see if you can hear sound. 

If you do not hear sound, please see your teacher for assistance). If you can hear sound, we need to create a new project. Simply click "File" (upper left hand corner) and then choose "New." (you will never see that sample song again - this is okay). 

If FL Studio opens up and you see the splash screen appear with a blue appearance, this indicates it is in "Trial Mode." Please me about registering it in it's full development mode.

Now, click on "Options" on the menu bar. Now, choose "Audio Settings." Select "FL Studio ASIO" (if it is not selected already) for your Device and click on the "X" in the upper right hand corner. This should enable our sound. 

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Part 1B: Learning the Channel Rack and Step Sequencer

FL Studio is broken up into several different parts. The first area of concentration that will be your focus is the “Channel Rack" and it's "Step Sequencer.”

*If the Channel Rack/Step Sequencer is not displayed, click this button:

The Channel Rack is composed of different instruments or “Channel Instruments” as FL Studio will call them.

The Channel Rack is also composed of different things like knobs and buttons (Pan and Volume are knobs).

The rotary style knobs control channel “panning” (whether sound comes from the left or the right) and channel volume (the level of sound). When you change the settings, the percentage or amount will be displayed in the upper left hand corner of FL Studio. 

1. Rotate the Clap instrument’s pan knob so that it’s pan is set to 35% left
2. Rotate the Clap instrument volume knob so that its volume is 66%
3. Rotate the Hat instrument’s pan knob so that its pan is set to 35% right
4. Rotate the Hat instrument’s volume knob so that it is set to 71%

The Buttons labeled “Kick,” “Clap,” “Hat,” and “Snare” are clickable and changeable.

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Part 1C: 16 Step Sequencing

When FL first opens a New file, it loads this default setup of a really basic drum arrangement. These instruments can be changed out to other drums, different instruments, or patterns called “automation.” (we will get to that later on)

The little “block” style buttons are actually just called “steps.” But, they are usually the heart and soul of most musical arrangements in FL Studio, as they provide the heartbeat of your track,.

These step buttons are the step sequencer beat/note buttons.

*notice that the step sequencer is broken up into four sections (dark gray/red-gray buttons). Modern day club/dance/pop/hip-hop music is typically 4/4 timing (16 notes/blocks/beats), so these colored block areas act as a sort of 1/2/3/4 timing mechanism.

The timing mechanism of the track can be changed by modifying the “Beats Per Bar” box on the step sequencer.

Reminder! At the top of the screen, you will find a Play button. The Play Button, Stop Button, and Record Button are commonly known as Transport Controls in music circles. Click on the button to see if you can hear the 808 Bass Kick drum beat we have so far.

Let's add in some 808 Snare drum

Cick, on Play to see how it sounds now.

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Part 1D: Saving time: A Handy Feature for Fill

Right click on the 808 HiHat name on the HiHat instrument and select Fill Each 2 Steps. 

It should look like this if you did it correctly: 

Let's repeat this process doing the same thing for our 808 Clap. This time, select "Fill each 4 Steps instead of the Fill Each 2 Steps

Click on the Play button to see how it sounds.

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Part 1E - Renaming/Recoloring the Pattern

*If you look under the time-clock (at the top of the screen) you will notice that the name of this step sequence arrangement is called “Pattern 1.” The reason it is called “Pattern 1” is because a lot of FL Studio’s music is considered “pattern based music,”(loop based music) meaning that you create patterns that are re-usable and recyclable again and again. For organization purposes, patterns can be labeled whatever you like by right clicking on the name and selecting “Rename/Color.” You can also clone the pattern (copy) or delete the pattern in this fashion.

1. Right click on the word "Pattern 1" on the step sequencer. Choose Rename/Color on the dropdown menu
   
   
   
   
2. Change the name to My First Drum Pattern and change the color to a more Red color
3. Hit the “Enter” key  on your keyboard when you are finished
4. Click on the “Play” (on your Transport)  button at the top of the screen 
   
    

Congratulations! Your first drum pattern has been created.

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Part 1 COMPLETED!

Save your file in your “Digital Audio Workstation” folder as “ Part 1- My First Drum Pattern”

Your folder should look like this:

Part 2: View, Instruments, and Notation

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 2A: Add new instruments to the overall sound.
• Part 2B: Switch Views between Step Sequencer View and Piano Roll View
• Part 2C: Use MIDI notes (Musical Input/Digital Interface) to create a melody
• Part 2D: Create a chord (multiple notes overlapping each other)
• Part 2E: Create Blended notes using the chord that we created

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Part 2A: Adding Instruments

On the Menu Bar, click on Add and then select FL Keys.

 This is what you should see:

This is a basic piano that we will use to create our melody. Also, notice that FL Studio added the FL Keys to the bottom of the Instrument Rack. Every time you add a new instrument, it will list it down at the bottom. These software based instruments actually have a fancy name: Virtual Instruments (VSTI). 

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Part 2B: Switching Views

Sixteen (16) Step Sequencing is a great way to get things started. But, when you want to compose (write) a song, most songs have high and low notes. Notes are not exactly best represented by a single block. Single blocks (step sequencer blocks) work fine for making basic beats and percussion but when you are trying to create melody and harmony, we need something with more flexibility. 

On the Step Sequencer/Channel Rack, there is a button that allows us to toggle our view to Piano Roll View. 

After this button is selected, notice how the blocks are now switched out with simple gray bars with little green triangles. These triangles show the still-existing drum pattern that we created before. But, it just shows it differently. If you click on the button again, it will revert back to Step Sequencer view.

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Part 2C: Creating a Melody with the Piano Roll and MIDI

1. After your view has been changed to Piano Roll View, click on the gray bar to the right of the FL Keys instrument. The image below is what you should see. This is the actual Piano Roll. 

*If the Piano Roll window is not visible, select this button:

This is what the Piano Roll window looks like: 

Select the Pencil (if it is not already selected) on the menu bar of the Piano Roll.  This Pencil will allow us to create MIDI notes (in the form of green blocks/bars) on the Piano Roll.

Now, create some MIDI (Musical Input Digital Interface) Notes (starting on the note C6) inside the Piano Roll. These MIDI notes should:

• • Be only four blocks in length
  • Not go past the #2 on the top of the piano roll (see the little #2?)
  • *if you want, you can switch between your drums and your FL Keys by changing the instrument (highlighted in blue) at the top of the Piano Roll menu bar.

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Part 2D: Making a Chord

Using the scroll bar on the right hand side, move the Piano Roll down a bit and add in these notes underneath the ones you already created. This will create a chord (two or more MIDI notes that play at the same time).

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Part 2E: Blending Your Notes

Our MIDI notes sound okay but they would sound nicer if they blended into each other more. By blending the notes, it creates a more involved, deeper sound because the notes overlap more seamlessly.

Follow the instructions in the image below to blend your notes.

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Part 2: COMPLETED!

Save your file in your “Digital Audio Workstation” folder as “Part 2 - My First Piano Pattern”

Your folder should look like this:

 

 

Part 3: Working with Patterns

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 3A: Create a New Pattern
• Part 3B: Copy a Pattern's MIDI notes
• Part 3C: Clone a Pattern
• Part 3D: Control the Tempo (time)

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What is a pattern?

In FL Studio, a pattern (also known as a "loop") is a sequence of notes that are repeated over and over again. In DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software, like FL Studio, these are like building blocks that you stack together to make a Track (song). Not every track (song) uses patterns (or, loops) but a lot of modern-day music does - most Hip-Hop, EDM, Electronica, Dance, Rave, House, Drum-n-Bass, etc.,. Different software refer to these by different names. In Ableton Live, they are known as Clips. In Magix' Acid, they are referred to as Loops.

 

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Part 3A: Creating a New Pattern

On your menu bar, next to where you Renamed your Pattern, there is a little + sign. Click on this and it will create a new, empty pattern called Pattern 2. 

Rename this pattern as "My Second Drum Pattern and color it Blue

Switch your view in the Channel Rack back to Step Sequencer View (so we can see the little blocks again)

Recreate the exact same drum sequence that you did before in My First Drum Pattern (formerly, Pattern 1). Only now, make it look like this (there are some additions to the original sequence):

Click on the Play button to see how it sounds. You should be able to hear the difference between how the different drums sound because the sequencing has changed.

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Part 3B: Copying MIDI Notes from one Pattern to another

Sometimes, we can make the process of pattern building faster by reusing what we already have. There are two ways to accomplish this. This is the first method.

Create a third pattern by clicking on that little + symbol next to the pattern name. 

Name the pattern First Drum Copied and color it Green

It should appear like this: 

Switch back to My First Drum Pattern by clicking on First Drum Copied (on the menu bar) and then dragging your mouse downward. You will see the pattern change back to the My First Drum Pattern.

Switch your view back to Piano Roll View (the gray bar with the little green triangles).

On the menu bar of the Piano Roll, make sure it is set to Piano Roll - 808 Kick

Change the My First Drum Pattern back to First Drum Copied and Paste the Kick Notes into it.

We know this is pasted into a new pattern because of the absence of the ghosted notes that was seen in the pattern before (those grayed out notes on the Piano Roll)

Continue this process for the 808 Clap, 808 HiHat, and the 808 Snare. DO NOT COPY THE FL KEYS  SEQUENCES

When you are finished copying/pasting these notes from one pattern to another, My First Drum Pattern and First Drum Copied should look identical.

When you have completed copying all of the MIDI notes between My First Drum Pattern, edit your sequence so that it looks like this: 



If you listen to all three patterns, you will notice that they sound different even if the actual instruments are the same. 

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Part 3C: Cloning an Existing Pattern

Sometimes, there are tools just too good not to use. Clone is one of them. Clone will allow us to duplicate our drum sequence without all of the copy/paste. Sometimes...this is a good thing (but, not always).

Right click on the First Drum Copied pattern and select Clone. It should now look like this:

Right click on the pattern name and Rename it to First Drum Cloned

 

If you look at the patterns of First Drum Copied and First Drum Cloned you will notice that they are completely identical. 

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 Part 3D: Controlling Time (TEMPO)

The drums are a bit fast. Sometimes, controlling the speed, time, or tempo of a song is key to the sound you're going for.

Tempo is rated as BPM (Beats per Minute).

The tempo can be controlled here. 

Click and drag up or down to increase or decrease the tempo. For this song, set the tempo to 105 BPM. 

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PART 3: COMPLETED!

Save your file in your “Digital Audio Workstation” folder as “Part 3 - My patterns copied and cloned”

Your folder should look like this:

 

 

Part 4: Playlist and Arrangement of a Track (song)

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 4A: Understand Bars
• Part 4B: Use the Playlist to arrange a track (song)
• Part 4C: Switch between Pat (Pattern) and Song (song)

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What is an Arrangement?

When putting together a track (song) (using Patterns), the patterns are like little building blocks that you can string together to make an actual track (song). In an art or design project, it might visually look something like this. 

In FL Studio, it would look something like this:

These patterns help the digital musician to arrange something so it's easy to work with. Instead of recreating sections of a track (song) that occur again and again, they can make a pattern and then reuse those patterns repeatedly and in any order that they want. However, most successful music follows a certain sense of timing that occurs when you build your patterns according to Bars.

What are Bars? Bars are areas where music notes exist within a certain amount of time. In FL Studio, Bars are represented by numbers at the top of the piano roll. Any MIDI note (or recorded sound) that is drawn or recorded between two numbers is considered within a bar.

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Part 4A: Working with and understanding Bars?

If it isn't open, open the file Part3 - My patterns copied and cloned

Switch your view to Piano Roll View.

On a new Pattern (should be Pattern 5) ,create these MIDI Notes in the Piano Roll. Be sure that the Piano Roll is set to FL Keys.

Rename the Pattern to Piano Sequence A

This is how it should look:

Our MIDI (Musical Input Digital Interface) notes are created according to a series of steps/blocks/notes. These steps/blocks/notes are collectively known as "Bars." 

Here is how Bars are represented inside of FL Studio (usually thicker, black lines...but I chose red to help you see them). And, these Bars are numbered so that the bar starts at 1 and then goes to 2, and then 3 and then so on. This particular pattern uses two bars (all the blocks/steps/notes between 1 and 3.

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Part 4B: Arranging Your Patterns Into a Song

It is time to put together a little track (song). To do this, we need FL Studio's Playlist.

The playlist is like a playlist you might create in Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music. However, the playlist is not playing random songs in a random order. It will playback intended songs in an intended order or sequence. And, it will do it where you can stack songs (patterns, clips, loops,...) on top of each other.

When we first open our playlist, this is how it appears:. Your patterns will be displayed on the left hand side.

*By the way: You can actually change patterns, rename, recolor all from the left-hand sided panel just like you do at the top of the menu when you select a pattern.

Select Pencil/Draw tool  on the menu bar.

Now, select My First Drum Pattern and then draw out your patterns in the playlist like this:

Continue using these patterns in this order and layout in your playlist.

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Part 4C: Switching Between Pattern and Track (song) listening

When you click on the Play button on the Transport controls, you will notice that it only plays the last pattern that you have selected. This is because FL Studio is in it's default state of PAT. We will change this to SONG so that it will play the patterns in sequence on the playlist.

 

Now, click on the Play button on the Transport Controls. At the top of the playlist, you will see the Playback Head move across the playlist, playing the actual Track (song) and not just the pattern.

Whenever you want to playback your entire track (song), and not just your pattern, you must have the SONG button enabled.

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Part 4: Completed!

Save your file in your “Digital Audio Workstation” folder as “Part 4 - My Playlist Created”

Your folder should look like this: 

 

Part 5: Mixing Your Track (song)

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 5A: Color/Name Coordination between Channel Rack and Mixer
• Part 5B: Assign an Channel Rack Instrument to a Mixer Channel Insert
• Part 5C: Adjust Signal/Volume with the Mixer

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What is Mixing?

Imagine that you are making home-made chocolate chip cookies (YUM!) Every recipe for chocolate chip cookies is a bit different and it is because everyone who has ever made them has a slightly different take on what makes a good cookie a good cookie. This comes in the form of a recipe. Creating a song is similar in that it is a form of recipe. But, it's not just the ingredients that are in the recipe that make a good cookie. It is also the amount of individual ingredients that make it a good cookie. Too much sugar: too sweet. Too much flower: too "cakey." Not enough chocolate chips: why bother?

For cookies, you have: Flour, Eggs. Sugar, Salt, Vanilla, Baking soda, Brown sugar, Butter, and Chocolate Chips...or whatever you believe will help make a good chocolate chip cookie. 

For music, you  have: Bass Drum, Snare drum, HiHat, Claps, Piano...or whatever you believe will help make a good track (song)

The bottom line is that there needs to be the right ingredients, in the right proportions, and they need to be mixed together properly. By not mixing them, it is the same as throwing a bunch of ingredients in a bowl and then baking it. What you have left is a total mess and not something worth serving to your friends and family.

And, how do we get this to mix properly? Well...FL Studio conveniently provides us with this tool: The Mixer

 

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 Part 5A: Organizing our ingredients (Renaming/Recoloring)

If it isn't open, open the file Part 4 - My Playlist Created

Click on this button on your Menu Bar

When you start a FL Studio project, by default, the drums (808 Kick, 808 Sare, 808 HiHat, and 808 Clap are all mapped to a Mixer Insert Channel. The channel inserts they are mapped to are 1, 2, 3, and 4. How can we tell?  The number next to the instrument on the Channel Rack will show us.

 Unfortunately, it is difficutlt to see a lof of the time. So, Rename the Mixer Channel Inserts to reflect what the instrument names are: 

• • Insert 1: rename to 808 Kick and recolor it to Red
  • Insert 2: rename to 808 Clap and recolor it to Yellow
  • Insert 3: rename to 808 HiHat and recolor it to Blue
  • Insert 4: rename to 808 Snare and recolor it to Green

Do the same for the Channel Rack instruments

Your Mixer and Channel Rack should look like this:

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Part 5B: Assigning an Instrument to a Mixer Channel

In order for FL Keys to be assigned to a Mixer Channel Insert, we have to click on the blank spot where there is usually a number. Currently, it is blank. Click on that blank area and drag your mouse upwards until the number 5 appears. While you are doing this, you may notice the Mixer Track Inserts will highlight as you go through the numbers. 

Rename/Recolor FL Keys and Insert 5 to have the same name and same color of Purple

Click on the Play Button on the Transport Controls. Your Mixer should display sound coming through Channel Inserts 1 - 5. 

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Part 5C: Adjusting the Signal (Volume) with the Mixer Insert control

The Mixer's Channel Inserts have several knobs, buttons, and a Slider for each one. The Slider controls the overall volume of whatever instrument is assigned to that Mixer Channel Insert.

The FL Keys (Piano) seems a bit too loud. Adjust the slider (by dragging it up or down) to lower the volume to these settings:

Your mixer sliders should appear like this:

If your song is too loud for your ears to handle, you can always adjust the slider on the Master channel which lowers the overall volume of the track arrangement.

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Part 5: Completed

Save your file in your "Digital Audio Workstation" folder as "Part 5 - My Mixer Settings"

Your folder should look like this: 

 

Part 6: Adding Effects

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 6A: Mute/Solo a Channel Insert (this works on the Channel Rack too)
• Part 6B: Add Effects to a Channel insert
• Part 6C: Stack Effects in a Channel Insert
• Part 6D: Pan a Channel Insert Left or Right (Stereo)

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What are Effects (and why add them?)

Effects in music are common.

• If you have ever listened to a song and the singer is obviously auto-tuned, that is an effect (Autotune).
• If you have ever listened to a song and the snare drum sort of echoes (echoes...echoes...) this is also an effect (Delay).
• If you have ever listened to a song and the guitar has a mechanical twang that sort of bends and distorts, this is an effect (Flange/Phaser).

Consider the good chocolate chip cookie scenario. A well mixed cookie batter is the foundation for how well the cookie is going to taste. Imagine that your cookies are placed on a baking sheet and ready to go into the oven to bake. Before you do, you decide at the last second that they need a little something extra: SPRINKLES!

On a chocolate chip cookie? Maybe not. That's more of a sugar cookie thing. 

What about some chopped walnuts? That would work. 

What about drizzled caramel? Even better!

Just like with anything else, when something extra is added it is more for effect or to enhance the sound. Sometimes, this creates a very dramatic/dynamic change. At others, the change is slight, or just a little bit. 

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Part 6A: Muting/Soloing a Channel Insert (and on the Channel Rack)

If it isn't open, open the file Part 5 - My Mixer Settings

Make sure that the Mixer window is displayed

When we work in the mixer, sometimes we want to focus on just one instrument or sound to make sure that it sounds the we want it to. This would be the same as tasting the chocolate chips apart from the butter, the sugar, the eggs and other indredients that might influence our taste buds. So, we would "single out" (solo/mute) an ingredient or a sound, instrument (or whatever) to focus solely on that one thing. 

*This also works for anywere you see a Green Light within FL Studio (Channel Rack Instruments or Mixer Insert Slots)

For this, we can simply select a Mixer Channel Insert and left click or right click on one of the green lights on the insert itself.  

• • SOLO the insert means that only that insert can be heard. (Green light ON)
  • MUTE the insert means that all inserts (except for the one Muted) can be heard (Green light OFF)

Solo the FL Keys Channel Insert on the Mixer. Now, only the FL Keys can be heard

Now, unSolo FL Keys Channel Insert on the Mixer so you can hear all of the instruments again.

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 Part 6B: Adding an Effect to a Mixer Channel Insert

Good ingredients are necessary. But sometimes, we want special ingredients (Chocolate chips vs Mint Chocolate Chips?). 

We are going to make our FL Keys piano sound bounce around a bit by adding a Delay Effect. 

Select the FL Keys Mixer Channel Insert and then click on the area (to the right) of Slot 1

Now, select Fruity Delay 2 from the Menu Drop Down List.

Click on the Play button on the Transport Control. You should hear only the FL Keys and they should definitely sound different than they did before.

The Fruity Delay 2 is a bit crazy (too much bounce). We can make an adjustment to the overall delay to make it sound better.

Adjust the volume of the Fruity Dela 2 Input to this:

If you want to hear the FL Keys with or without the added Fruity Delay 2 effect, you can click on the Green Light on the actual Slot 1 to Mute the effect.

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Part 6C: Stacking Effects (Using Multiple Effects on the same Slot)

Select the 808 Snare Mixer Channel Insert and apply these effects to these slots:

• • Slot 1: Fruity Flanger
  • Slot 2: Fruity Delay 2
  • Slot 3: Fruity Reverb 2

All three effects are now affecting the sound of the 808 Share drum. All these effects, working together, are known as Stacking.

However, the 808 Snare drum is too loud. Adjust the 808 Snare drum Mixer Channel Insert volume slider to: 

On the 808 Clap Mixer Channel Insert, add a Fruity Reverb 2 effect on Slot 1

Adjust the slider for the 808 Clap Mixer Channel Insert Volume to 90%

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 Part 6D: Panning Left to Right (Stereo)

Part of making music is deciding where sounds are coming from. Because we (usually) have two ears, we are usually sensing sound coming from the left, right, or center of a song, movie, event, conversation, or wherever sound originates from.

On the Mixer, adjust the Pan knob for the 808 Clap and the 808 Snare like the image below (50%:

Click on the Play Button the Transport Controls. You should hear how the Clap, the Hat, the Snare and the FL Keys Piano are affected by their effects and their panning.

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Part 6: Completed

Save your file in your "Digital Audio Workstation" folder as "Part 6 - My Effects Settings"

Your folder should look like this: 

Part 7: Automation

For this part, we are going to:

• Part 7A: Prepare to Record
• Part 7B; Enable the Countdown Timer
• Part 7C: Record Real Time Automation
• Part 7D: Create an Automation Clip

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What is Automation?

Often times, when we listen to a song (or “track”, as they are referred to in the music industry) there are changes that occur throughout the listening experience. These changes in sound, pitch, volume, that sweeping sensation that you hear, a vocodor and auto tune effect on a singer's voice, are all part of “automation” – the automated changes over time. Some of these automations are created by hand (Real Time Automation). And, some are drawn and inserted into the track (Automation Clip). We will explore both methods.

Where do we hear automation in a song? Here are some examples:

• When instruments gets softer/louder (fade in/out)?
• When a singer sings and their voice suddenly echoes (reverb/delay/chorus) out of nowhere.
• When the tempo (beat/bpm) goes from slower to faster, or vice versa.

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Part 7A: Prepare to Record

If it is not open, open Part 6 - My Effects Settings in FL Studio

On the FL Keys Mixer Channel Insert, move the slider to the bottom (0)

If the Playlist is not displayed, make sure that you click on the button to open it up. We will be recording our automation inside of our Track.

Change the pattern to a blank pattern (it should be pattern 7...or at least an unnamed pattern that we haven't used/renamed yet).

Rename this pattern to Recorded Automation.

Click the red Record Button on the Transport Controls. This will allow us to actually record something.

The Record Button will also allow you to record vocals and instruments if you have a microphone or an instrument plugged into an audio interface.

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Part 7B: Prepare to liftoff: The Countdown

There is one more button that needs to be selected: The Countdown. The Countdown button forces FL Studio to perform a 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - GO! action where you can prepare yourself to do something before it just starts recording. If this is not checked, once you start recording, FL Studio will just take off and you will have to do your best to try and catch up. This button alleviates that.

Now, we are ready to record. 

Notice that when the red Record Button was selected FL Studio did not actually record anything. This is because the Record Button only "ARMS" the recording process. In order to actually record you must ARM recording and then click on the Play button on the Transport Controls (this is the same with all DAW/Recording software and hardware).

To put it another way, here is (basically) how it works; 

• • Clicking the Red Button (ARMing) = Get Ready! 
  • Clicking on the Play Button: = Get Set!
  • Waiting until the end of the Countdown Timer = G0!

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 Part 7C: Recording the Real Time Automation

Once the countdown gets to 0, and the Playback Head on the PlayList begins to move from left to right, slowly drag the FL Keys Mixer Channel Insert Slider until it is back up to 80% (be sure to keep your eye on the upper left hand corner to watch your percentages). Your recorded automation should look like this:

When you are finished, click on the Stop Button to stop recording.

Disable the Record Button (to disarm the recording process) .

Your recorded automation should look like the image below. If your automation is too long or too short you can simply lick on "Edit" on the Menu Bar and then select Undo and then try again until you get it right.

Click on the Play Button to hear how the FL Keys Piano sound fades in to the track so that you can hear the automation work. If you watch the Mixer, you can see how the FL Keys Mixer Channel Insert Slider moves from the bottom to 80% automatically.

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Part 7D: Creating an Automation Clip

Create a new pattern (Pattern 8) and Rename it to Automation Clip - PAN

When you add an Automation Clip, a new window will display that allows you to create an automation. It basically works like the Pen Tool that you would find in Adobe Illustrator or Phootoshop. It looks like the image below. You can add nodes/points/anchors by using the Right Mouse Button to create the V shape. Notice that our Automation Clip will occur over four (4) Bars.

Notice how many Bars our Real Time Automation and the Automation Clip fills up? It is four (4) bars.

 The Automation Clip we created doesn't actually do anything by itself. It must have something to interact with. Right Click on the FL Keys Mixer Channel Insert Pan Knob and select Link to Controller. 

A new window will display:

Click on Play on the Transport Controls. Notice now that the FL Keys Piano sound (and Pan knob) will move from Right to Left (Stereo) and then eventually end up at the center during playback.

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Part 7: Completed!

Save your file in your "Digital Audio Workstation" folder as "Part 7 - My Automations"

Your folder should look like this: 

 

Part 8: Rendering the Song (for Playback across devices)

FL Studio files are not a audio file that anyone can listen to, unless the listener has a copy of FL Studio installed on their computer. The entire point of creating a song is to create something that can be distributed to people who use common devices and softwares to hear what you have created. In order to accomplish this, we must render the FL Studio file into an actual audio format. In this instance, we will render our song as an MP3 (Moving Pictures Expert Group) or WAV (Microsoft Wavetable) file. FL Studio will actually allow you to save or render to .OGG and .MID (MIDI) files, but those cannot be played back on standard playback devices like a Smart Phone, Personal Computer, or media player. Only MP3 and WAVs are allowed files types for the  purpose of standard playback.

1. Open your “Part 7 - My Automations” file
2. Click on File
3. Choose “Export”
4. Choose “MP3 File” or "WAV" file
5. Save the file to your “Digital Audio Workstation” folder as “My First Song - Rendered”
6. Click on “Start”

When the Render box disappears, you have completed the creation and rendering of your very first FL Studio song. This .mp3 or .wav file can be uploaded to a phone, tablet, website, burned to a disk and any other manner of listening to media via device or software.

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Congratulations! You have finished.

Your folder should look like this: