AUTOMATION & RECORDING

Recording & Automation Overview

In FL Studio you can record three different types of data - notes (MIDI/USB keyboard performances), audio (internal mixer audio or external audio from a microphone/audio-input), and continuous controller changes (volume, pan, cutoff filter tweaks, etc). This section considers these functions and recording techniques in detail. A video tutorial is also available on the FL Studio website.

Recording Notes (keyboard performances)

External MIDI keyboards can be used to play and record the synthesizers in FL Studio. For more information on recording a sequence using your MIDI keyboard, see these pages:

Live Recording - Recording a live performance on the fly.

Step Editing - Recording performances step by step.

Recording Audio (mixer, line-in, microphone)

FL Studio can also record the output of the any Mixer track, a microphone or line-in (ASIO sound cards only) and convert the recorded audio to Audio clips. For more information see these pages:

Recording Audio to Disk - Learn how to prepare and arm a mixer track for recording internal or external audio sources.

Mixer Input/Output Routing - A more detailed discussion of mixer tracks input/output, line-in and microphone input routing.

Recording Automation (controller changes)

FL Studio can capture the value changes over time of any control that can be automated (e.g. turning up the volume fader of a mixer channel). In recording mode, FL Studio captures all changes made to automatable parameters (knobs, sliders, LCDs, switches). These controls can be manipulated using the mouse or an external MIDI/USB controller. Next time the song is played the controller movements are reproduced exactly the way they were recorded.

There are two places FL Studio can store automation data.

• The first is to associate the automation data with specific pattern blocks (Automation Events). This data is able to be recorded live and edited using the Event Editor. As automation Events are associated with patterns, Automation Events are placed in the upper Playlist window.
• The second place FL Studio can store automation data is within Automation Clips, which can be drawn manually, but do not accept live recorded automation data. Automation Clips are placed in the lower Playlist window.

Some internal controller plugins (effects or generators) can also move controls for you automatically. These plugins can, for example, follow the special features of a sound (like volume envelope in the Fruity Peak Controller) and map them to the value of a control of your choice, or provide automatic LFO for controls where otherwise that would be impossible.

To determine if a control can be recorded or linked to an external MIDI controller, position the cursor over it and check what is displayed in the hint bar of the Main panel. Look for these icons:

- This icon shows the control is automatable (events can be recorded and then edited with an Event Editor)

- This icon shows the control can be remotely controlled by a MIDI controller.

So there are four ways to add "live tweaks" to your project:

Live Recording - Recording control changes during a live recording session.

Event Editor - Editing, refining and drawing control value changes in a graph.

Automation Clips - Automate your controls easily and naturally with the spline-based automation clips.

Live Recording Using MIDI Controller - Using your MIDI controller during a live recording session.

Internal Controller Plugins - Using plugins to automate control values parametrically.

 

 

Click here for a full list of supported external MIDI devices.