When it comes to making beats in FL Studio, there are literally hundreds of ways to use samples!
In this tutorial, you’ll learn a simple way to start making sample-based beats.
But a warning:
This is just ONE way to sample in FL Studio.
There are plenty of other methods you can use, so feel free to cherry pick whatever works for you in this article.
How to add samples to FL Studio 12 Firstly, launch the FL Studio app from your homepage. After this, you need to click on the tab showing “Options”, which you can find on the top left corner of your app’s homepage. Now, you need to click on the tab of “General Settings”, which you will find in the drop-down menu from Options. This FL Studio tutorial video shows how to use the sampler to sample sounds or parts of songs and how to use the slicer to slice songs, loops, or patterns up to use in sampling. Learn how to sample and slice in FL Studio with the help of this tutorial. Great for hip hop or songs where you want to add instrument tracks. Open up FL Studio, go to the “options” menu at the left corner, and click on “file settings”. Then you will see the interface as in the picture below. Just click on an empty one out of those folder icons by the left. This pops up a navigation window to locate where your samples are.
Now let’s get started at the very beginning…
Before you continue reading…
This tutorial is a beginner’s guide and doesn’t cover how to pitch shift and time-stretch your samples
Click the button below to download the advanced guide for free.
Finding samples for your projects
Step one is to find songs or sounds you want to sample.
A great place to start is online.
There are plenty of online resources to find songs and loops to download for free.
But be careful if you plan to make beats for profit. Most of the sounds you find are prohibited by the copyright police.
So be cautious. Try searching for royalty free samples, loops and sound libraries.
Royalty free samples allow you to use the content without copyright infringement.
Sample libraries also contain higher quality audio files in wav format, occasionally labelled with tempo and key.
If you’re just practicing and have no intention of sharing your music, then sample whatever you want!
But if you’re looking to practice safe sampling, start with licensed sound libraries, sample packs and drum kits.
Once you’ve downloaded audio files you want to sample, it’s time to create a new FL Studio project.
How to import samples into FL Studio
Step two is to extract the section you want to sample.
To do this, we’ll use Edison to import the audio file.
Open Edison by clicking on its icon in the menu.
Next, import the audio file you downloaded in the previous step.
With the full audio file loaded into Edison, it’s time to start sampling.
Use Edison to play the audio file until you find a section of the song you want to sample.
Ideally, you want to find at least 4 bars of music that loop seamlessly.
Once you’ve found a loop, you can drag along the waveform to highlight it.
After you’ve highlighted the loop, you can send it to the Playlist.
How to find the tempo of a sample in FL Studio
Once the sample is in the Playlist, you’ll want to find its tempo.
Finding the tempo is essential. It helps you align the BPM of your project with your sample. This ensures that the elements in your beat are in rhythm.
How To Add Samples To Fl Studio Mac
Here’s how you find the tempo:
Start by aligning the sample with the start of the song in the Playlist. Then change your project tempo settings until the loop matches the bars of the grid.
This confirms that your project tempo is in sync with your sample.
Another way to find the BPM of your sample is to use FL Studio’s tempo detection feature.
Just right click the waveform icon in the top left corner of the audio file, and click on Detect tempo.
In the new dialog window that pops up, click the option with the widest range.
Then, the software will provide an estimated tempo of the sample.
But sometimes the result is wrong. Your best bet is to learn how to count beats using the first method.
Want 100% accuracy for the tempo?
Learn a little-known method for finding the tempo without using extra software…
Click the button below to download the advanced guide for free.
How to find the key of a sample in fl studio
After you’ve found the tempo, you may want to find the key.
This step requires some basic music theory, and is entirely optional.
To manually find the key of your sample, open a new instance of a simple instrument plugin, like FL Keys, in the channel rack.
Then listen to the loop, and play the notes on your piano roll that make up the chords of the music.
If you’re unsure what key makes up the notes, refer to a reference chart.
Now that you have the tempo (and key), you have a couple options:
Option #1 is to use the loop as the foundation of your beat.
Option #2 is to chop the loop to create a new pattern.
Let’s discuss both…
How to loop samples in FL Studio
If you’re satisfied with the loop as it stands, you can repeat it throughout your track.
To loop your samples, use the Paint tool to add new instances of the loop in the Playlist, as many times as you want.
Quick tip:
If you plan to customize the loops, you’ll want to make each sample unique.
Otherwise, you’ll end up changing ALL the loops in your track.
How to chop samples in FL Studio
If you prefer to chop your loops, you’ll want to use a sampler instrument.
Using a sampler, you can split your loops into sections and arrange them into new patterns.
For this tutorial, we’re going to use Fruity Slicer.
Other tools, like Slicex and various third party samplers, offer more advanced customization. But that’s beyond the scope of this tutorial…
So what’s the difference between Fruity Slicer and Slicex, you ask?
Here’s a simple answer:
Slicex is a sampler instrument AND an audio editor. This makes it great for customizing each slice and sampling drum loops.
Fruity Slicer is just a sampler instrument, and is simpler to use.
So for now, let’s return to Fruity Slicer to keep things simple…
First, open a new instance of Fruity Slicer in your sequencer.
Next, load the sample by clicking on the sample button, and choosing “load sample”. Navigate to the audio file you want to import.
Once you load the sample, change the tempo of Fruity Slicer to the tempo of the sample.
Now it’s time to chop the sample.
Click the slicing button and choose from the incremental options.
I recommend you choose “Beat” as your slicing option for the best results.
You can choose to slice by fractions if you prefer, but using more slices will add complexity later.
At this stage, you should have your samples loaded and key mapped to your midi keyboard (if you’re using one).
Now you can use Fruity Slicer like any other virtual instrument to make your own patterns.
Draw the notes into your piano roll to find a pattern that fits your beat.
Or play the samples on your midi keyboard while recording into FL Studio.
Experiment with your samples to put your beat together.
Since sampling is the focus of this tutorial, we’re going to skip the part where you add to your beat.
This is where you would enhance your arrangement with bass, drums, one-shot vocal samples, sound FX, etc.
So let’s move on to step 3 for some tips on improving your sample-based beats.
Want more control over your slices?
Learn this simple method to manually slice your samples for Fruity Slicer…
Click the button below to download the advanced guide for free.
Tips for improving your samples
After you’ve set the foundation for your arrangement, you can customize your samples in the mixer.
Tip #1: Make room for the low end
Oftentimes your samples will include elements that detract from the overall mix.
This can lead to tracks that sound busy.
Your best bet is to use EQ to remove unnecessary elements.
But be careful when removing frequencies. Dynamic range is essential in music.
Tip #2: Customize the character of your samples/fl-studio-8-sound-packs-free-download.html.
You might want to add mixing effects to change the feel of the sample.
For example, you can apply reverb, echo or time stretching effects to alter the sample.
There are also plenty of advanced techniques to help you create unique versions of your samples, which we’ll explore later.
Tip #3: Create your own mixing presets.
Once you’ve experimented with enough plugins, you’ll find particular settings that you like.
Be sure to save your favorite configurations as presets.
Add Folder To Fl Studio
As you work, create new mixing channels for your samples, and save your configurations.
Congrats on making it this far!
Have fun sampling, and hit us up if you have any questions.
The original version of FruityLoops (FL, for short) was developed for Image Line by Didier Dambrin in 1997. It was officially released a year later while it was still, reportedly, essentially only a MIDI drum machine.
Now, for those of who-who are awake and preferably sitting the right way, a MIDI drum machine is an electronic tool that creates percussion and rhythms. Drum machines create artificial percussion lines digitally in the absence of an actual drummer, and modern versions can create interesting-sounding and unique mixes on the fly.
Most drum machines even allow users to program their own types of types of rhythms - slow, fast, medium, staccato, etc. - as well as other sounds or prerecorded samples can. These machines significantly influenced the music of the 1980’s and popular artist such as Peter Gabriel, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, and Stevie Wonder have reportedly used them.
Drum Machines, DAWs, and, Finally, FL Studio for Mac
The drum machine soon evolved to become a software version that could be downloaded for home and personal computer, but, before it could get there, the technology had to undergo one more transformation. The digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic device used for recording sound, editing it, and producing complex audio files. Essentially it is a computer and soundboard the is pre-programmed with sound manipulating software.
More advanced than a drum machine, DAWs could be rolled out in a number of configurations, but most had a central sound interface and mixing station attached to the core percussion unit. The idea, of course, was that all of the sound recording and post-production work could take place all in one machine.
Today, DAW hardware is still used in professional studios for the production and recording of music, speech, pre-recorded radio, books-on-tape, and television. Crack fl studio 12.9. But, for the home user, DJ, and casual musician a DAW usually refers to computer software for laptops, PCs, Macs, and even mobile devices, with FL Studio being one of the most well-known.
FL Studio, though, has undergone a number of updates since its introduction 20 years ago, and, on]Ma 22nd of this year it even introduced a native MacOS-compatible version. FL Studio 20 includes many items that the Mac Beta version did not, including support for time signatures, freezing for clips (to allow for processing in the background), new recording options, a smoother workflow, and the ability to have more than one project going at a time.
This long-awaited release came after the application made is original Mac-friendly debut in 2013. But, at that time, the reception was cool at best, reportedly due to errors in the programing language, Delphi, which needed to be completely overhauld to support the 64-bit MacOS running environment.
Download FL Studio for Mac From the Image Line Website
The upshot, though, was that, after the long wait, your FL Studio license would cover the software versions for both your Mac and Windows machines. Moreover, if you owned a license for the PC variety, you could download the Mac version for no additional charge, and projects were now completely compatible with both operating systems, despite third-party add-ons.
You can get the most basic “fruity” version of FL Studio for Mac or PC for $99 on the company’s website, while the pimped out, full version goes for $899 and includes all of the instruments, a boatload of plug-ins, and music samples galore.
Offering the ability to effortlessly migrate projects between PC and Mac with one license is no paltry thing, and it only improves what was an already intuitive and easy to use editing layout. Plus, the list of features tops what you would find in many DAWS that cost twice as much. So, let’s have a closer look at what FL Studio for Mac really offers.
- Time signatures support.
- Adjust the number of measures in a bar for proper viewing.
- Clip consolidation for easy viewing
- Playlist arrangements and menu for multiple projects.
- Picker panel with queued up audio clips.
- Plugin delay compensation to help support mixer sends.
- New and Improved mixer menu with FX slots
- Continuous adjustment while you roll the mouse wheel over the time icon or latency display.
- Updated Toolbar
- Graph Editor displays note velocity, pitch, pan, etc.
- Sampler Channels offer precomputed effects on the fly.
Clearly, version 20 is a beast of an update regardless of the fact that the software now offers support for MacOS. And, with support is for both VST and AU plugins as well as third-party plugins, the Mac version is as robust as the legacy version, but you will also get Image-Lines's lifetime updates plan, which, in an of itself, might be a sound reason to jump aboard the fruity loops bandwagon.
Now, as if all of those reasons were not enough to convince you to download FL Studio for Mac, the fact that you can download it for free might just seal the deal. That’s right! Get a free, non-time restricted version of FL Studio from the Image Line download page and try the software out for as long as you like.
The trial version is a complete version of FL Studio 20, and, albeit with some crucial limitations, you’ll have access to all of the plug-ins and features we talked about here. Plus, when you do decide to buy, there is no need to reinstall. Simply download the registration code, and, boom, you are in.
FL Studio Plug-Ins and Third Party Software
Much like Mac’s proprietary Final Cut, when you purchase FL Studio for Mac, you’ll have access to many plug-ins and the option to download and install a vast array of third-party software. Of course, you can buy many of these a la carte off from the Image Line website, but let's take a look at a few in order to see what you are actually getting when you buy the premium version of FL Studio for Mac.
- FX Bundle
- Gol’s Bundle
- Maxx Bundle
- Synth Bundle
- Value Bundle
Keep in mind that Image line is offering FL Studio with all bundles for $899.00, while they estimate the value of their software bundles to be at $707.50. If you factor in a lifetime of updates, you are in for deep discounts indeed, although, curiously, we noted that if you buy the 99 dollar version and then add in the $708 dollars (rounding up) of plug-ins afterward, it will only cost $808.
We guess that may be where the audio recording feature comes in? Nevertheless, there still seems to be some added value there, and, plus the addition of third-party software makes the FL Studio product even more robust. Again, this alternative software are available at a la carte from the Image Line website and are not included in any of the FL Studio for Mac bundles.
Regarding third-party software, Image-Line has created an extensive links page with resources that include a Knowledge Base, a FL Studio Help Page, YouTube Videos, a Song Exchange, and content libraries. Find topics like Sample Fusion, where you can download a vast number of free samples, FPC kits, and FL Keys libraries, and you will also enjoy links to recognized partners which include the following:
- KVR, a site for plugin reviews, news, and links to plugins
- ASIO4ALL - a site offering 3rd-party device drivers for device troubleshooting.
- The Freesound Project - one of the world’s largest databases containing Creative Commons licensed sounds.
- LibriVox - a site full of public domain recordings and modulations.
Please note, though, that in order access many of these resources, you must first create an account here. Upon successful login, you can read posts, download files, access the knowledge base and even post in the forum.
FL Studio for Mac Wrap-up
After hearing about the history, the cross-compatibility, the added value, the resources, and the intuitive, user-friendly design, you might still be on the fence about FL Studio, and, to be fair, there are competitors out there.
However, consider that FL Studio also offers mobile versions of their software for editing on the go on your iPad or Android device. And the mobile version doesn’t skimp on features, either. You can use high-quality synthesizers and samples, the Step Sequencer, for fast percussion programming, and Touch Controllers with configurable virtual piano-keyboard and drum pads.
Plus, you will get all of the MIDI controls, the ability to live record sound, and a high-performance audio engine with a mixer and effects, like Auto Ducker, Piano Roll, Chorus, Limiter, Compressor, Distortion, Equalizer, Reverb, Flanger, and more.
Moreover, you’ll be able to export formats like WAV, MP3, and AAC, as well as sync to compatible devices and share with variously sized screens. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and download FL studio for Mac today.