AUTOMATION & RECORDING

Live Recording

Basics

FL Studio allows you to record three different types of data - notes (MIDI/USB keyboard performances), audio (external audio from a microphone/audio-input or internal mixer audio), and continuous controller changes (volume, pan, cutoff filter tweaks, etc). This chapter considers these functions and recording techniques in detail.

To start a recording session, turn on the Record button in the Transport panel. Now press the Play button (located in the Transport panel too). FL Studio will play the song as usual, but will also record the MIDI events coming from your MIDI keyboard. You can select whether you want the melody recorded in the Piano Roll score of the channel or the Step Sequencer (see the MIDI settings page).

Audio Recording, External and Internal

FL Studio handles all audio recording via the Mixer. During a recording session, FL Studio will record any armed Mixer tracks to audio files on the disk. The source may be an external input from your soundcard AND OR an internal Generator feeding the Mixer. FL Studio can optionally insert the audio as audio clips in the playlist OR as sampler channels.

To learn more about this process visit the following links:

Audio Recording Proceedure

Playlist Audio Tracks

Recording Internal and External Controler 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 upperPlaylist 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.

Canceling a recording session

You can cancel a recording session (so it does not apply the recorded notes and automation events) in two ways. The first one is to choose Cancel Current Recording command from Help menu, but note that you should do this while recording, BEFORE pressing the Stop button. If you press it, you can still undo the whole recording session by choosing Undo from the Edit Menu. If you had recorded mixer tracks during the last session, you will be prompted if you agree that the files are erased (i.e. undone). Be careful, because once you undo audio recording, the files can not be restored and you will have to record them again if needed.