FL Studio AS A PLUGIN

FL Studio as a Plugin (VSTi/DXi2)

FL Studio can be loaded and used as a VSTi or DXi2 instrument in a compatible host application. In this mode the output is sent to the host; the play/stop events and tempo are synchronized as well. Controlling FL Studio channels and parameters using MIDI messages is supported. You can also send each mixer track to a separate output, if the host supports VSTi/DXi plugins with multiple outputs.

Installing the VSTi/DXi2 connection plugins

VSTi Connection

Normally FL Studio asks where to copy the VSTi connection during the installation. However, if you didn't install the plugin at that time, or you want to install it on more that one host, in the Windows Start Menu, select Programs>FL Studio 3>Advanced>Install Plugin Version. You will see a dialog where you can set the plugin folder of the host where you want the connection installed. You will be asked also whether to install the DXi2 version of the connection (click Cancel to skip this step).

DXi2 Connection

All DirectX plugins are registered directly in Windows and since then available to all compatible hosts, no matter of the plugin location. FL Studio asks whether to install the VSTi connection during the installation. However, if you didn't install the plugin at that time, in the Windows Start Menu, select Programs>FL Studio 3>Advanced>Install Plugin Version. First you will see a dialog where you can set the plugin folder of the host where you want the VSTi connection installed (click Cancel to skip this step). You will then be asked whether to install the DXi2 version of the connection - click Yes.

You can uninstall the DXi2 connection at any time by selecting Programs>FL Studio 3>Advanced>Uninstall DXi plugin from the Windows Start menu.

Basic usage of the VSTi/DXi2 connections

Add an instance of the FL Studio VSTi (FL Studio DXi for DXi hosts) plugin or the Multi FL Studio VSTi (Multi FL Studio DXi for DXi hosts) plugin. Open the editor of the plugin (for more information on how to work with plugins, check the manual that comes with your host application). Click the FL Studio button (shown on the picture) to bring up the interface of FL Studio. Now you can work as usual - load projects, edit instruments and melodies. However the audio output of FL Studio is sent to the host application. Also, when you play in the host application, FL Studio plays synchronized as well. You can select whether FL Studio should follow its own tempo or the host tempo with the Slave tempo option in the Audio Settings.

The Time Offset setting in the plugin editor sets how many bars earlier FL Studio should start playing compared to the host. With negative values, FL Studio starts later than the host. Because of a VSTi plugin issue (not FL Studio related), it's always better to leave one bar time empty in the start of the song. You can do that with this setting or leave empty bar in both the FL Studio Playlist and the host sequence.

NOTE: When you want to hide the FL Studio interface and work in the host, don't use the minimize button, this will hide the host window as well. Use the close button. FL Studio will stay active.

Using multiple outputs

The FL Studio plugin connections have two versions - single and multiple outputs. The single output version sends the whole audio output of FL Studio as single pair of channels (left and right channel). The multiple outputs version allows you to link each mixer track in FL Studio to one of 16 possible stereo outputs. You can then mix each stereo output separately in the host. To select output for the specific track, in FL Studio, open the Mixer window and use the I/O Routing options to select the output for the current FX track.

NOTE: Not every host may support VSTi or DXi plugins with multiple outputs. In that case just use the single output version of the plugin.

Controlling FL Studio channels & patterns from the host

All FL Studio channels can be controlled via MIDI messages from the host. To do so, create a MIDI channel in the host, select the FL Studio connection plugin as an output and check the instruments list. If the host supports properly custom instrument names, all FL Studio channels will be listed. Just select the name of the channel to control. Also, don't forget to give the track a unique MIDI channel number (out of 16 available).

You can control any automatable FL Studio parameter from the host as well. This feature works exactly like using MIDI remote control with external MIDI device. Just link the parameters as usual to the corresponding MIDI controller number and MIDI channel. You can select whether to record MIDI messages from the host application during recording sessions from the Audio Settings.

Since FL Studio 4, you can also trigger patterns directly from your VSTi host, using the Playlist Live Preview MIDI channel, see MIDI Settings.

Issues with the VSTi/DXi2 connections

Slide notes, per note shift, pan, cutoff and resonance are not supported by the MIDI standard, you have to use FL Studio for sequencing to have these features available.

When running the VSTi connection from Cubase, drag and drop operations in the Browser do not work.