TROUBLESHOOTING

Compatibility with Older Projects

In order to improve FL Studio for better usability and feature set, some changes are introduced through the various releases which might be incompatible with projects created in earlier versions of FL Studio & FruityLoops.

NOTE: "FruityLoops" is the name of the basic software package that only existed in previous versions. The current product is called FL Studio and it comes in 3 editions: Express Edition, FruityLoops Edition and Producer Edition. FL Studio XXL is a 'package deal' that includes FL Studio Producer Edition + a number of extra plugins sold at a heafty discount.

Compatibility with Projects Before FL Studio 5

Corrected tempo calculation

In earlier releases the tempo was improperly computed based on the number of steps per beat (4 steps would always make a beat for the timer). This was fixed in FL Studio 5, by preserving the beats-per-minute value regardless of the number of steps the beat has.

This may affect older projects with number of steps different than 4 per beat, and may result in slower or faster tempo than expected. FL Studio will not attempt to correct the tempo of old projects so manual correction is needed.

The new tempo that should be set can be computed using this simple formula:

4 * (old project tempo) / (number of steps per beat) = (new tempo)

For example if you have an FL Studio 4.5 project with tempo 150 and 6 steps per beat, the proper FL Studio 5 tempo to achieve the same effect is:

4steps * 150bpm / 6steps = 100bpm

Compatibility with FL Studio 4.5 and Earlier

Altered Mono Mode Behaviour

In earlier release the mono mode worked in this way:

1. If a key is pressed and second is pressed the synth glides (portamento) to the second tone.

2. If the second key is released, the sound stops.

In the current release this behaviour changes to:

1. If a key is pressed and second is pressed the synth glides (portamento) to the second tone.

2. If the second key is released, the synth pitch glides back to the previous key.

This can result in some changes to the behaviour of synths in mono mode authored in older releases.

Compatibility with FL Studio 4.1 and Earlier

Different Pitch Bend Range

In earlier releases, the range of the pitch pend control was +-72 semitones (12 octaves). This overly wide range was rarely used and was causing problems with automation. In FL Studio 4.12 and later, the range is decreased to +-48 semitones (8 octaves). Older projects will import properly into FL Studio 4.12 and their pitch bend events and settings will be remapped properly to the new range. The only exceptions are:

1. Pitch bend using a wider range than the now supported +-48 semitones.
2. Using internal controllers to automate the pitch bend control. In this case, the internal controllers have no knowledge of the altered property range, so the effect of the controller automation is "scaled down". To fix this issue, you can increase the controller strength, range, or use the following mapping formula for the pitch bend: 1.5*(Input-0.1666666667).

Cut/Reso Filter Samplerate Independence

The cutoff/resonance filter available in all Sampler channels and Sampler (hybrid) plugins (such as Beepmap, 3xOSC etc.) produced different results when used in different samplerates. FL Studio 4.12 fixes this problem, however this means that older projects might sound different due to the fix.

Note that none of the projects authored in 44100Hz samplerate will experience a difference in their sound, but only some projects authored in other samplerates - 22050Hz, 48000Hz, 96000Hz etc.

Adjusting the cutoff/resonance settings in such projects can restore the original sound.

Compatibility with FruityLoops 3.56 and Earlier

Empty Playlist Functionality

In earlier releases, the lack of sequence in the Playlist caused FruityLoops to play all patterns in the song in sequential order. FL Studio 4 doesn't have that feature anymore. You need to order the patterns manually in the Playlist window to achieve the same effect.

Legacy Precomputed Effects

Some of the precomputed effects in the Sampler Channel Settings tab are deprecated in FL Studio and were hidden or replaced by better alternatives. However, for compatibility reasons, FL Studio still supports those legacy effects. To see them, turn on Show Legacy Precomputed Effects in your General Settings window.

Non-standard time Signature

In earlier releases, the project's time signature was defined as a number of steps per bar and number of steps per beat. This allowed for wrong time signatures, for example, ending a bar with half the steps from a new beat.

The current release defines time signature as a number of steps per beat and number of beats per bar. For compatibility with older projects that use non-standard time signatures, the beat steps are set to 1 to preserve the song structure.

Linear/Logarithmic Volume

Earlier releases had an option to turn off the logarithmic volume mapping and use linear mapping instead. The current release has logarithmic levels as a hard coded characteristic of the mixing engine.

Older projects that use linear volume mapping switch to logarithmic levels when opened in the new version of FL Studio.

Compatibility with FruityLoops 3.1 and Earlier

Rebuilt TS404 Generator

• The enhanced TS404 generator in FruityLoops 3.5 and later supports Piano Roll sequencing (no compatibility issues)
• Additional note properties supported include: velocity, pan and shift (no compatibility issues)
• The off notes in the Step Sequencer are not used anymore by the TS404 generator. This won't affect most older projects, but if the TS404 melody sounds different when opened in FL Studio 3.5, you can replace the inactive notes with active ones with lower velocity (volume).
• Slides work differently in TS404. Now the slides work the same way like in a Sampler channel. Previously, slide on a note in TS404 meant "slide the current note to the next one". Now it means "slide from the previous note to the current one". You can fix compatibility with older projects to a degree if you place all slides one step later in the sequence (without moving the actual notes). Also, you can now set the slide length with the portamento length property in the Misc Channel Settings.
• The TS404 doesn't have its own gate anymore. It uses the generic gate in the Function Channel Settings page. FL Studio uses the generic gate when loading older projects.
• The global TS404 delay was removed. You can easily fix older projects by using Fruity Delay 2 effect in a send FX track and use it to delay the insert track the TS404 channel is linked to.

Gate Knob Behavior Changed

• The values of the generic gate knob for all channels was remapped for better usability (now it's easier to fine tune short lengths for the gate). FL Studio 3.5 will remap the gate values in older projects to the proper value.
• Automation in older projects is also translated to sound properly with the changed gate knob behavior.
• Possible differences might occur for older projects that use internal controller to automate the gate setting for a channel.

Channel Name Colors Removed

FL Studio 3.5 doesn't support custom channel name color. Channel name colors in older projects are ignored. However, you can change the color of a channel button from the Channel Settings window.

NOTE: FL Studio 3.5 will load and play older projects without problems no matter if they include or not incompatible features.

Running FL Studio with an Older FruityLoops Release

You can upgrade to FL Studio 6 and still work with an older release to finish old projects, to avoid any compatibility issues. The registration information of FL Studio will not overwrite registration information of older releases.

To do that, before upgrading to FL Studio, ensure you have your earlier release installed properly with all plugins you need to have (don't install the plugins released with FL Studio on earlier FruityLoops release, because they might not be compatible). Then install FL Studio and its plugins in another folder. Your earlier FruityLoops release will retain its own registration and settings independently of FL Studio.