FL Studio Playlist

The Playlist 

The Playlist sequences (plays) all elements of the project to make the final song. The Playlist window is a stack of multi-purpose 'Clip Tracks' that can hold Patterns Clips, Audio Clips and Automation Clips. Unlike most other sequencers, the Playlist tracks are not bound to a single instrument, audio recording or even Clip type. You can put any Clip type anywhere and even overlay Clips. Clips function like notes in the Piano roll. When the play-head reaches a Clip, FL Studio plays whatever the Clip instructs it to do. This also means Clip Tracks are not bound to Mixer tracks, rather Channel Rack to Mixer routing of instruments used by Clips decides the Mixer track/s that are used.

By default Instrument Channels are bound to Mixer tracks, not Playlist tracks. For example, a single Pattern Clip on a single Playlist track, could trigger every Channel Rack instrument, and so all Mixer tracks if they were routed accordingly. If you want to simulate traditional sequencer workflow: Route each Instrument to a separate Mixer track. Use one Instrument Channel per Pattern Clip and use one song-length Pattern Clip per Playlist track.

However you can change the default Playlist behavior by setting 'Track Mode'. Drop Instruments or Samples on Playlist Track headers to create a link from the Instrument Channel <> Playlist <> Mixer. Any Change to name or color will ripple through this chain. Playlist tracks linked this way are known as Instrument or Audio Tracks depending on what the Channel Instrument is, an Instrument or Audio Clip. NOTE: This is mainly a visual/organizational feature, and the Instrument Channel will still respond to Pattern Clips on other Playlist tracks.

NOTE: Pattern Clips can hold two types of data, MIDI notes and/or controller movements (stored as 'event automation').   Video tutorials are available on the Image-Line YouTube Channel.

Playlist Controls

·         Tool Bar icons - Along the top of the Mixer window:

	Playlist Menu - Includes: Edit, Tools, View, Snap, Select, Group, Zoom, Time Marker, Clip Source, Performance Mode, playhead and Detach options.
	Playlist Snap - Snap determines how Clips will move and quantization aligns events relative to the background grid (Hold Alt to temporarily set snap to 'none'). For a detailed list of Snap options see the Piano roll menu > Snap section. NOTE: There is a Global Snap selector on the Snap Panel.
	Add clips by Draw mode (P) - Left-click to add the currently selected Clip. Left-click-and-drag to reposition the clip before releasing it. Right-Click to delete Clips. Right-Click and drag to delete multiple clips. Right-Click and hold on the background to open the slice tool (F10 > General settings > Click and hold functions on). Modifier keys: (Shift) add in Paint mode. (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Alt) to add in Draw mode with snap set to 'none'.
	Add clips by Paint mode (B) - Left-click to adds the currently selected Clip. Click-and-drag to paint multiple clips. Right-Click to delete Clips. Right-Click and drag to delete multiple clips. Right-Click and hold on the background to open the slice tool. Modifier keys: (Shift) to copy the selected Clip. (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Alt) and click on a Clip to move it with snap set to 'none'.
	Delete (D) - Click or Click-and-drag to delete Clips. Modifier keys: Hold (Shift) to make a selection, then press (Delete).
	Mute (T) - The mute tool mutes individual Clips. This is independent of the Track mute switch which has no effect on Muted Clips. Left-click on clips to mute them. Left-click and drag to mute multiple clips. Right-Clickto delete Clips. Right-Click and hold on the background to open the slice tool. Modifier keys: (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Alt) and click on a Clip to move it with snap set to 'none'.
	Slip Edit (S) - Left-click on the content of Clips to slide them left or right relative to the time-line while retaining the start/end points of the Clip. NOTE: Slip Editing is used where the Clip has been sliced, or resized, shorter than the original length.
	Slice (Alt+Right-Shift). Click and drag vertically to make a slice through the clip. NOTE: The Settings > Project > Advanced > Play truncated notes in clips option can be useful when slicing Clips. Modifier keys: (Shift) slice without dragging. (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Shift+Alt) Slice without dragging and with snap set to 'none'.
	Select (E) - Either Left-click on Clips or Left-click and drag to make group selections. Modifier keys: (Shift) add to or remove from selection.
	Zoom to selection (Shift+Z) - When in Paint mode, use (Ctrl+Right-Click) and drag to make a zoom-to selection. Right-Click again to swap between zoom and unzoomed modes.Right-Click to open a menu of quick zoom options: ·         Zoom in/ Zoom out (Page up / Page down) - Zoom centers on the Cursor position. ·         Quick-zoom 1, 2 & 3 (Shift+1, 2, 3) - Three handy zoom levels. ·         Zoom out far (Shift+4) - Minimum horizontal zoom. ·         On Selection (Shift+5 - Zoom to time-line selection. The command will be disabled if no time region is selected in the timeline.
	Play selected (Y) - Click the clips you want to play. Click position will set the start location.
	Play / Pause - Left-click to start/pauses playback. Right-Click (while playing) to stop and return to the last set start position. Right-Click (while stopped) to return the playhead to the start of the song. NOTE: There is an option on the Right-Click main transport Stop button Remember seek time for the start position to be remembered.

·         Arrangements - An 'Arrangement' is the layout of Audio, Automation and Pattern Clips in the Playlist. Use the drop-down 'Arrangements menu' on the Playlist Title Bar to manage multiple versions of the project (working ideas, sound design, versions etc). The menu options include:

·         Clone - Copy the current arrangement to a new arrangement.

·         Rename - Rename the current arrangement.

·         Delete - Deletes the current arrangement.

Merge with - Select another arrangement to Merge with the current Arrangement. This will open a pop-up window with more options

     ·         Source arrangement - Select the arrangement to be merged into the current arrangement. NOTE: The source Arrangement remains intact after a Merge.

         ·         Position - Start: Merge from the start of the Playlist, Current: Merge from the start of the current selection, End: Append to the end of the current Playlist data.

         ·         Mode - Insert: The inserted data moves the existing data to the right. Merge: The merged data is blended with the destination data. Replace: The source data replaces destination arrangement.

·         Add one - Add an empty Arrangement to the project.

NOTES: Arrangements share the Channel Rack and Mixer layout, so be careful not to delete Channels, Effects or Mixer tracks/routing used by other Arrangements. Likewise, don't change level settings of the Mixer or Channel unless you want it to affect all Arrangements.

·         Clip Source Menu, Picker Panel and Project Picker (indicated above) - Left-click - The menu at the top of the Playlist shows Clips available to be placed in the Clip Tracks area. Right-Click - to open the Project Picker (Ctrl+F8). Once a Clip is selected it can be added to the Playlist by Left-clicking on an empty Clip Track space. Alternatively Right-Click the Clip Focusicons to see menu-selections of Clips unique to each type.

·         Play Position Marker (indicated above) - Displays the current playback position, can be (Left-clicked & dragged). You can Left-click to reposition this marker while the song is stopped or playing. NOTE: There is an option on the Right-Click main transport Stop button Remember seek time for the start position to be remembered.

·         Song Loop (uses Time Markers) - Right-Click a Time Marker and select the option 'Song loop'. See below for more information on adding Time Markers. The 'Song loop' marker (note the down facing arrow) defines the repeat point for a playing project, repeats are not played when a song is rendered although the marker can be used to define render length. TIP: The Repeat Marker is ignored during rendering except for the special case where the marker is set beyond the end of the last Playlist data. This will force the project to be rendered to the point set by the marker, useful for ensuring decaying effect sounds are captured. LIVE: The song markers can also be used to control live playback & performance. NOTE: There is a Loop Recordingoption on the Toolbar shortcut icons.

·         Timeline Selection (indicated above) - (Ctrl+Left-click) & drag in the bar-ruler area to make a vertical selection across all tracks. (Shift+Left-click) & drag to copy-move selection. The Timeline Selections will play in loop mode or render as a single section. Actually we cheated a bit with the screen shot, while only the selected portion of the Playlist will play, any portions of a Clip outside the selected area will also turn red (i.e. be selected), but these out-of-bounds clip-parts won't play. NOTE: See here to learn more about using the time-line selections to add or delete time sections of the Playlist.

·         Horizontal Zoom / Timeline Zoom (indicated above) - Left-click and drag on the left or right edge of the horizontal scroll handle. Alternatively place the Mouse cursor over the location to zoom and (Ctrl+Mouse wheel). Maximum Zoom/Snapresolution may be increased by changing the Project Timebase (PPQ) setting (F11), in the General Project settings. The default PPQ should provide adequate zoom/resolution for most projects.

·         Vertical Zoom (indicated above) - Left-click and drag the track height control up/down to change the vertical zoom of allPlaylist tracks. You can resize individual tracks by dragging on the dividers between tracks in the name area (as indicated above 'Drag here'). (Ctrl+Right-Click) on an empty Playlist track area to zoom to full view. (Ctrl+Right-Click) again to return to the previous Zoom and location.

·         Window controls (indicated above) - Maximizes/minimizes the Playlist. The playlist can also be detached from the FL Studio desktop from the Main Menu > Detached option.

·         Clip Focus & Options Selector (indicated above, top left) - Left-click: each tab to bring that Clip type to the top of any stack that includes Audio, Automation or Pattern Clips. Each tab contains some edit options unique to each Clip type. Right-Click:each tab to select Clips of that category to be added to the Playlist (this is an alternative to the Clip Source menu).

·         Time Markers (indicated above) - Add by selecting (Alt+T) or '  Time markers > Add time marker' . Left-click, hold & drag a marker to reposition it. Once the first Time marker is added to a project, it can be Right-Clicked to Add a new marker, Deleteit or Rename. Time markers can also be used for selections & live jumping (see below).

·         Track Mute / Solo (indicated above) - Applies to all Clips on the Playlist track/lane.

·         Mute/Unmute - (Left-Click) the Mute icon.

·         Solo/Unsolo - (Ctrl+Left-Click), (Alt+Left-Click) OR (Right+Click) and Select 'Solo' on the Mute icon. NOTE:The General Settings > 'Restore previous state after solo' option will preserve the pattern of muted and unmuted items prior to a Solo action.

·         Mute/Solo a group - (Alt+Click) a Mute icon for the Muted/Unmuted group. Groups are defined by Channel Filter groups.

·         Lock state - (Shift+Click) a Mute icon.

·         Clip Menus (indicated above) - The Clip menu can be found at the top-left corner of each Clip. Click to open. Options may vary depending on Clip type.

·         Clip Tracks - While there are three different Clip types: Audio Clips (holding audio recordings), Automation Clips (automation data) and Pattern Clips (note & event-automation data). You can put any Clip type on any Playlist track, and even overlay Clips of any type. Clip Tracks are not bound to Mixer tracks, Channel Rack to Mixer routing of the instruments used by Clips determines the Mixer track/s that play. Remember, a single Pattern Clip could trigger every Channel Rack instrument, and so all Mixer tracks if they were routed accordingly. To reorder Clip Tracks, hold (Shift+Mouse-wheel) over the Clip Track label area.

·         Track divider (where it says 'Drag here' above) - Resize - Click and drag vertically to resize individual tracks. Group tracks - Drag upward (and keep going) until the track groups with the one above. Do the same thing to ungroup a track OR right-click the track header area and select 'Group with above track'. Alternatively (Right-click+G) on the track to group it with the above.

Playlist Track Header Right-Click Menu

Right-Click Track Header Options (indicated below) - Right-Click the area at the front of any Playlist track for the following options:

         ·         Rename / color - Renames or re-colors the channel. Click on the Channel name and type to rename, Left-click on the color square (shown below) to open the re-color dialog, or Right-Click to randomly assign a color from a palette pre-approved by the Image-Line Aesthetics Committee. Once the name dialog is open, press (F2) to randomly select colors OR (F3) to select the last used color.

·         To Set an icon - Choose from a number of preset icons to display on the Channel button. NOTE: Middle-click on existing icons to directly open the icon menu.

·         Auto name - Automatically names the track after the first Pattern Clip in the track.

·         Auto name clips - All Clips are renamed based on the Track's name.

·         Track Mode - Speed workflow by grouping a Channel Instrument, Playlist Track and Mixer track so changes to the name, color and or icon of any member in the group will ripple throughout the chain.

To create a group - Right-Click Playlist Track headers and choose Instrument or Audio track. Subsequent pop-ups will allow you to choose an Instrument or Mixer destination. Alternatively drop plugins or audio files on Playlist Track headers for even faster workflow. A default Pattern will also be created for Instrument tracks.

Track mode icons - The following icons will appear on all components of an Audio track or Instrument track groups:

N/A	Unassigned - The track has no associations. Use this to disassociate a linked Playlist Instrument or Audio track. Also, see 'Instrument and Audio Track Mixer routing' below.
	Audio track - An Audio Track is defined when a Playlist Track is linked to a Mixer Track. This link changes how Audio Clips dropped on the track OR recorded Audio through the Insert Mixer track will behave: ·         Audio Clips - Drop an audio file on a Playlist track to link it with a Mixer track OR Right-click a Playlist track header and choose an existing Audio Clip. Changes to the name, icon or color (Channel, Playlist Track, Mixer Track) will ripple throughout the chain. NOTE: See the Playlist Menu > Edit > Drop audio on track headers options to set the default behavior when dropping Audio files on the Playlist Track headers. ·         Audio recording - Right-click a Playlist Track to associate it with a Insert Mixer track. All audio recorded from this Mixer Track will be placed on the selected Playlist Track. If there is no room, sub-track/s to the parent will be created to hold the Audio Clips. NOTE: The (A) icon will turn red when the Mixer Track is armed for recording.
	Instrument track - An instrument track is defined when a Channel Instrument is linked to a Playlist Track. Drop plugins on the Playlist Track header OR Right-click a Playlist Track header and choose a plugin instrument to associate with the track. This will link the Instrument Channel, Playlist Track (including a default Pattern) through to a Mixer track. Changes to the name, icon or color of any member (excluding the Pattern) will ripple throughout the group. The Playlist Track will be locked to the auto-created Pattern (although you can manually add other Clips). ·         Open the Instrument plugin - Double-click the track header. ·         Deleting - If you delete the Channel or Playlist Track there will be an option to delete everything associated with the Instrument. ·         Add plugins without opening the interface - Hold Shift to stop the plugin opening when dropping plugins on Track headers. ·         Open the plugin - Double-click the Playlist Track header. ·         Add an existing Instrument Channel - Right-click the Playlist Track and choose 'Track mode > Instrument track > Use existing > ...'. If you do this from a Playlist Track that is already named and colored, this will be preserved, along with the linked Mixer track name and color.

TIPS: 1. Hold (Shift) when dropping plugins on track headers to prevent the Plugin GUI from opening. 2. Drop Effects plugins on Instrument and Audio Playlist track headers and they will be added to the linked Mixer Track.

·         Edit patterns in piano roll - Double-click on Pattern Clips to open the Piano roll.

·         Edit patterns in channel rack - Double-click on Pattern Clips to open the Channel Rack and Instrument.

Instrument and Audio Track Mixer routing - Instrument Track Channels stay linked to the selected Mixer Track as the routing selector is changed. The selector dims to indicate that it is part of a grouping. Mixer Tracks then move instead of re-routingwhen the control is adjusted. When grouped, routing automation is not possible. To re-route an Instrument or Audio track group, first Right-click the Playlist Track header and choose Track mode > Unassigned, then to re-route the Instrument Channels as needed. Audio Track Audio Clips will re-route.

·         Performance settings - Performance mode must be selected for these to be available.

·         Size - Select a default height for the Clip Track in percent. This allows relative scaling to the other tracks. TIP: To reset a track height (Alt+Click) on a track resize handle/divider.

·         Lock to this size - Prevents the Clip Track's vertical height rescaling.

·         Group with above track - All tracks in a group can be soloed/muted by acting as follows for any member of the Group: (Alt + Right click) Toggles solo for the grouped tracks. (Alt + Left click) Toggles mute for the grouped tracks.

·         Auto color group - Sets all tracks in the group to the same color as the track that was used to open this menu.

·         Current clip source - Lists Clips used in the current track.

·         Lock to content - Locks the Playlist Tracks to the first Clip added to the track OR if Clips are already present, the most common Clip on the track. Clicking on the track will then always add that Clip to the track. NOTE: Older projects made using the legacy Pattern Block tracks are loaded with each Clip track locked to a specific Pattern number, so that Clip tracks behave in the same manner as Pattern Block tracks did. See the   From Blocks to Clips video tutorial.

·         Merge pattern clips - Merges the Pattern Clips on the Clip Track into a single Clip. NOTE: Save before using this function, there is no undo.

·         Send pattern instances here - Moves selected Pattern instances to the selected track. Used when manually converting Block Track based projects to Clip Tracks.

·         Consolidate this track (freezing) - Converts all Pattern and Audio Clip/s on the track to a single Audio Clip and mutes the source Clips. The new Audio Clip is routed to the Master Mixer Channel. By default, all Channel Instruments / Audio Clips are captured through their respective Insert Mixer Channels, with FX but without Master FX (so the Master FX are not applied twice). You can change these settings at the Render Dialog pop-up that appears to confirm the action. There are two length options:

·         From track start (Ctrl+Alt+C) - Consolidated Audio Clip starts at the first Clip in the track.

·         From song start (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C) - Consolidated Audio Clip starts from the beginning of the Playlist. Use this method when you are creating song-length 'stems' to share with other projects. There will be no confusion where the Clip should be placed (at the start of Bar 1).

NOTE: You can use this feature to merge vocal or instrumental recordings into a single Audio Clip, or to reduce CPU load (disable Mixer Insert FX not in use afterward).

·         Mute all clips / Unmute all clips - This mutes and unmutes Clips on the Playlist track as per the Mute Tool. This is not related to the track Mute switch. Use this feature to quickly unmute Clips that have been muted by a Consolidate function (see above).

·         Insert one/ Delete - Inserts a Clip Track or deletes the selected Clip Track.

·         Move up/ Move down - Moves the selected track up/down the stack. Alternatively use (Shift+Mouse-wheel).

NOTE: Drag an audio file (from the Browser, for example) and drop it on the Track label area to auto-create an Audio Clip and auto-name the Clip track to match the file.

Timeline, Time Markers & Time Signatures

Time is displayed horizontally in the Playlist (in bars displayed along the top of the window). The grid resolution is determined by:

     ·         The window's 'Snap' value ( ). Alternatively, select 'Main' to apply the global snap value (for all windows where snap applies) defined in the Global Snap panel.

   ·         The Horizontal zoom. That is, the snap resolution increases as the Playlist is zoomed in, until it reaches the maximum set by the Snap value. Note how Playlist vertical grid-lines increase as the Playlist is zoomed.

·         The Project 'Time Signature' (F11) setting. When 'Time settings > Set as time signature' is selected the grid will reflect the set Time Signature. When 'Time settings > Set as time division' the grid will be 4/4. This was the default prior to the introduction of Time Signatures. NOTE: Time Markers (Shift+Alt+T) can also set the Time Signature from a selected point or over a range (use a selection).

NOTE: Patterns can have independent Time Signatures to those set in the Playlist. Changing the Time Signature for any Pattern will affect all instances in the Playlist. Use the Pattern Clip menu option 'Make unique' to avoid this, if it is a problem.

·         The 'Project Timebase (PPQ) setting' (F11). Higher PPQ settings offer greater zoom levels and so higher resolution, although the default setting of 96 PPQ is adequate for most situations.

Playback - Controlled from the Main Transport controls or the Play button as indicated above.

·         Relocate the playback position - Click on the upper timeline (Bar numbers) where you want the playback position indicator to start. You can use the (Home) key to reset to the song beginning. NOTE: There is an option on the Right-Click main transport Stop button Remember seek time for the start position to be remembered.

·         Play notes straddling the playback position marker - When stopping and starting you can play notes that cross the playback position by opening the Audio Options and selecting 'Play truncated notes'.

 Timeline markers - For information on Marker functions see the Time Marker Menu         Section below. Examples include:

·         Setting Time Signatures.

·         Labeling parts of your song (such as 'chorus' or 'verse', for example)

·         For performance ('Jump to' locators)

·         Selection of regions (between markers).

·         Punch in/out automation for audio recording.

Patterns, Audio Clips and Automation Clips

This section covers general editing and Playlist operations. For specific details on using Audio Clips, Automation Clips and Patterns Clips, please see the following pages:

·         Pattern Clips

·         Audio Clips

·         Automation Clips

NOTE: Audio, Automation and Pattern Clips can share the same Playlist tracks, as shown above and will overlap, with transparency, to aid with the grouping of related Clips.

Playlist Clip Focus

The Clip focus selector, below, is used to focus Clip types. This is particularly useful when Clips are stacked, the focused Clip is brought to the top for selection and editing. To select all Clips in a layered stack, use (Ctrl+Left-click), then they can be moved together. NOTE: Use (M) to cycle modes when Typing keyboard to piano (Ctrl+T) is off.

Audio

·         Right-Click tab - Show Audio Clip menu.

·         Zero-Cross - Slicing & resize edits will be made at the nearest zero-crossing to the slice point. Useful to avoid clicks at the slice location. NOTE: This setting will naturally interfere with your ability to specify exact slice locations.

·         Stretch (Shift+M) - When the left or right edge of the Clip is selected and dragged the Clip will be stretched according to the Audio Clip Time stretching settings. To maintain pitch while the sample length is stretched, select an option other than 'Resample' in the Stretch Method field. See the section Working with the stretch/pitch functions for more details on synchronizing/beatmatching Audio Clips to the project tempo.

Automation

·         Right-Click tab - Show Automation Clip menu.

·         Step - Sets the automation Clip curve editor in 'step editing' mode. Left-click and drag in the Clip to create a "free hand" curve where a new control point is defined for every step in the timeline (steps depend on the current snap settings). Hold SHIFT while dragging to draw "pulse" lines (straight vertical/horizontal lines only). Note that each new segment created this way uses the last tension set while adding a segment.

·         Slide - Preserves the relative distance between a dragged control point and all control points following it.

Patterns (notes & events)

These control the color display for Pattern Clips.

·         Right-Click tab - Show Pattern Clip menu.

·         Note - Uses the parent pattern's (notes & event) colors. Note color is set from within the Piano roll. Event data defaults to pink, so anyone uncomfortable about being seen using pink in the Playlist needs to 'suck it in' and stop being a 'big cry baby' about it. Alternatively, change the note color for the channel.

·         Chan - Uses the parent channel's color settings (Right-Click the channel button and use the color selector on the Channel re-name pop-up panel).

·         Pat - Uses the parent pattern's color settings.

Picker Panel

The Picker Panel (Alt+P) is a Pattern, Audio and Automation Clip manager / browser. It shows all Clips in the project, accessed with the filter switches at the top of the panel. Click and drag from this list to the Playlist or click to select, then click on the Playlist to place. Use it to rename and color Clips, auto-select and delete all unused Clips, freeze Patterns, reorder patterns etc. NOTE: Each Clip type has a comprehensive Right-Click menu available on the Clips in the list.

Controls

·         Filter Switch Options (Right-Click) - Select All or Unused (not in Playlist) Clips. Sort Clips by Name, Color or Mixer Track Number (Audio Clips).

·         Panel Options - See the Playlist Menu > Picker Panel section for features and controls of the panel.

·         Right-Click Clip menu - See the Pattern Menu for details.

Working with the Picker

·         Place Clips in Playlist - (Left-Click) to select, or (Alt+Left-Click)/(Shift+Left-Click) to select multiple Clips, then drag to the Playlist. Or (Left-Click) to select Clips, then (Left-Click) to place in the Playlist.

·         Select multiple clips - (Ctrl+Left-Click) individual Clips or (Shift+Left-Click) the first and last Clip in a range. It is possible to Rename, Recolor and Gradient Recolor multiple Clips this way.

·         Vertical Zoom/Scroll - Use the scroll-bar to the right of the panel OR (Mouse-Wheel) over the Clips. The Zoom control is at the top of the Scroll-bar.

·         Preview Clip - (Alt+Right-Click+Hold) Clips. Release hold to stop playback.

·         Rearrange Clips - (Right-Click) the Filter Icons at the top and choose a sorting option. Drag and drop Clips or select Clip/s then (Shift+Mouse-Wheel) to move. NOTE: Rearranging the order of Pattern Clips changes their pattern number.

·         Rename Clip/s - (Shift + Click) on item/s in the Picker Panel to open the Rename pop-up.

Bouncing to Audio / Freezing

There are several Playlist Menu options for bouncing Pattern Clips and Audio Clips to audio. The method you choose will depend on what you plan to do with the audio, and most importantly, whether Playlist Automation is important to the final sound.

NOTE: This section specifically references the Playlist Menu > Consolidate ... options. Alternatively, you can use the File > Export > Wave file... option with 'Split mixer tracks' selected to export all Mixer Tracks in the project to stems at once. This will also include Automation.

Including Automation

Remember, the sound from a Pattern or Audio Clip may depend on contextual Playlist Automation. These options can be useful when manually 'Freezing' Instrument Channels and or Mixer effects to reduce CPU load OR to merge Audio Clips, as shown below:

·         Playlist Menu > Tools > Consolidate playlist selection - The 'selection' refers to Pattern & Audio Clips, not a time-line selection. You can choose to consolidate from the very start of the Playlist (useful when creating 'stems' for later remixing) or from the selection start (to save disk space and replace existing content). After using this option, the source Clips will be muted.

·     Playlist Track Header > Right-Click > Consolidate this track - All Clips on the track are rendered to Audio. After using this option, all Clips on the Playlist Track will be muted.

NOTE: Pay attention to your Render Settings.

TIP: You can consolidate both Audio Clips and Pattern Clips, at the same time into a single Audio Clip.

Excluding Automation

These options are accessible directly from the Picker Panel. The main use is where there is no contextual Playlist Automation, or you are planning to use the content in another plugin or for further manipulation. To convert Clips to Audio (Right-Click) Patterns in the Picker Panel and select:

·         Quick render as audio clip - Bounces the Pattern/s to Audio Clip/s, in the Picker Panel, using the current Render Settings.

·         Render as audio clip - Bounces the Pattern/s to an Audio Clip/s, in the Picker Panel, after you set the Render Settings. This and the previous option can be useful when creating samples to drop onto the Playlist as an Audio Clip or to Sampler Channels for further manipulation.

·         Render and replace - Renders the selected Pattern/s to an Audio Clip (.WAV only) allowing you to set Render Settings AND replaces instances of the Pattern Clip in the Playlist with the Audio Clip. NOTE: Consider using Playlist menu > Tools > Consolidate clips to include context Automation.

NOTES: 1. Pay attention to your Render Settings. 2. As the automation of Patterns can change with Playlist position, automation is not active during Picker Panel Pattern rendering. The song start, or Playlist selection, is used to set fixed automation values for the duration of the Pattern/s. If you want to bounce a Pattern Clip to audio, with in-situ Playlist Automation, use the Consolidate optionsabove.

Render Settings

It's important to take a moment to think about how you plan to use bounced Audio. Let's consider the Render Settings > Miscellaneous > Insert and Master FX combinations and how these can influence your workflow:

·         Master OFF / Insert ON - Bouncing Instrument Channels and Insert Mixer FX to audio. Route the Audio Clip to the Master Channel. Replace the Pattern Clip instances with the matching Audio Clip/s. Optionally disable, or remove, the Insert Mixer FX and or Instrument Channels if they are not used by other Patterns.

·         Master ON / Insert ON - Bouncing Instrument Channels, Master and Insert FX to audio. Replace the Pattern Clip instances with the matching Audio Clip/s and route the Audio Clip to the Master Mixer Insert Channel. Disable, or remove, the Instrument Channels (if they are not used by other Patterns), Master and Insert Mixer FX.

·         Master OFF / Insert OFF - Bouncing Instrument Channels to audio. Special-use case. A caveat with this combination, when multiple Mixer Channels are used by the Pattern, their FX can't be easily re-applied to a single Audio Clip. So, how you use this option will depend on your 'special needs'. Let us know in Looptalk.

·         Master ON / Insert OFF - Bouncing Instrument Channels and Master FX to audio. Another 'special-use' case, let us know in Looptalk.

Project Picker

The Project Picker can be opened by (Ctrl+F8), Right-Clicking the Clip Source selector (indicated above) or Mouse X1 button on the Playlist, Piano roll or FL Studio background wallpaper.   Plugin Picker video tutorial here.

·   Preview items - Place the Mouse Cursor over items without clicking. When an item is previewed related Patterns or Channels display a yellow tick. For example, the image above shows that two Patterns use the Sytrus Channel previewed.

·         Select items - Click on items and the Project Picker will close automatically.

·       Change Category (Mouse wheel) - Roll the Mouse wheel when the picker is open to change category (All, Pattern or Channel view).

·         Close (Esc) - Press the Escape key, Right-Click on the Project Picker background or select an item.

Audio Clip Specific Features

Audio Clips have a few unique properties, as discussed on the Audio Clip page.

Automation Clip Specific Features

Automation Clips have a range of unique properties, as discussed on the Automation Clip page.

Pattern Clip Specific Features

Pattern Clips have a few unique properties, as discussed on the Pattern Clip page.

Clip Menus

Under the menu icons at the top left corner of each Clip you will find a menu with the following options, depending on the Clip type selected:

·         Pattern / Audio / Automation Clip

·         Preview - Previews/plays the Clip.

·         Select source pattern/channel - Replaces the existing Clip with the selected source.

·         Edit pattern (Patterns) - Opens the Piano roll.

·         Channel settings (Audio / Automation Clips) - Opens the channel settings for the Clip.

·         Rename and recolor - Rename and recolor the Clip.

·         Change color - Change the color of the Clip.

·         Make unique - Clones the original Clip so that edits on the new Clip do not affect other instances. NOTE: With Audio Clips the original audio file is re-used in the new Audio Clip channel. Alternatively use 'Make unique as sample' (see below).

·         Select all similar Clips - Selects all instances of the same Clip in the Playlist.

·         Delete - Deletes the Clip. Beware that the Clip may be used in other places in the Playlist.

·         Use current time signature (Patterns) - Sets the Pattern to the Time Signature a the Clips current location.

·         Region

·         Select region - Selects a region if existing.

·         Chop (Audio Clips) - Opens a sub-menu with chopping options. Slices the Clip into rhythmic pieces aligned with the grid.

·         Sample (Audio Clips)

·         Make unique as sample - Clones the original Audio Clip AND clones the sample file on disk. Use this when you want to physically edit the sample data and change it in some way.

·         Edit sample - Opens the sample in Edison audio editor.

·         Pitch-correct sample - Opens the sample in Newtone pitch correction & time-stretching editor.

·         Detect tempo - Opens the tempo detection dialog and offers to set FL Studio to the same tempo.

·         Fit to tempo - Fits the sample to the project tempo. You can also use this to lock samples to the project tempo so they stretch as the to fit a new tempo when it is changed.

·         Automate (Audio Clips) - Opens a sub-menu with the following options:

·         Volume / Pan - Create Automation Clips for the sample Volume or Pan.

·         Crossfade with - Creates a crossfade Volume Automation Clip envelope for overlapping Audio Clips. The single Automation Clip created is inversely linked to the other Clip of the pair, so the crossfade is performed between both Clips with a single envelope.

Playlist Menu

The Playlist menu button   has options and commands for managing the Playlist.

·         Edit - Many of these functions can be achieved with the edit tools along the top of the Playlist.

·         Cut (Ctrl+X) - Cuts all selected pattern bars and Audio Clips to the clipboard.

·         Copy (Ctrl+C) - Copies all selected pattern bars and Audio Clips to the clipboard.

·         Paste (Ctrl+V) - Pastes pattern bars and Audio Clips from the clipboard.

·         Duplicate (Ctrl+B) - Duplicate the selection to the right of the current location. If no selection is made all patterns are duplicated.

·         Delete (Del) - Deletes all selected pattern bars and Audio Clips. If no selection is made deletes all pattern bars and Audio Clips.

·         Shift left / right (Shift+Left-arrow) / (Shift+Right-arrow) - Shifts the current selection left / right by 1 snap-unit.

·         Shift up / down (Shift+Up-arrow) / (Shift+Down-arrow) - Shifts current selection up / down by 1 track. If no selection is made all patterns are moved.

·         Allow resizing from the left (Ctrl+Alt+Home) - Allows the start of Clips to be resized from the left (start).

·         Dropping on track header locks to content - When locked to content the track will insert/paint the Clip that it is locked to.

·         Drop audio on track headers - Associated with Track Mode assignment. Choose between the following options:

·         As audio clips - The Playlist Track will be renamed to match the Audio file and an Audio Clip will be added to the Track. No other associations are made, this replicates default behavior prior to FL Studio 20.

·         As audio tracks - The Playlist Track and auto-assigned Mixer Track are named to match the Audio file. The Audio Clip is also added to the Playlist Track. Subsequent audio files dropped on the Playlist Track will be auto-routed to the associated Mixer Track. TIP: Hold (Shift) to prevent the Channel Editor from opening.

·         As instrument tracks - The Playlist Track, auto-assigned Mixer Track and Pattern will be named to match the Audio file. The Pattern will be added to the Playlist Track. The audio will be added to the Channel Rack as a Sampler Channel. This is useful when sequencing percussion, for example.

·         Always ask - An annoying pop-up will offer the options above, each time audio files are dropped on the Track Headers. This will be confusing as you won't remember what the options do. You will learn to hate the pop-up and start using the options above to suit your workflow preferences.

·         Mute / Unmute - Mute (silence) or un-mute the selected Clips/s or Clip groups.

·         Insert space (Ctrl+Ins) - Creates an empty space that matches the current selection (Ctrl+Click-and-drag) on the bar numbers at the top of the Playlist) by shifting all the following Pattern Clips forward.

·         Slice and insert space (Ctrl+Alt+Ins) - Slices at the start of the current selection and moves the sliced Clips to the end of the current selection.

·         Delete space (Ctrl+Del) - Erases all patterns in the current selection and shifts Clips to the right of the deleted section, left to close the gap.

·         Merge pattern clips (Ctrl+G) - Merges the selected Pattern Clips into a single Clip. NOTE: Save before using this edit, there is no undo.

·         Merge similar pattern clips (Shift+Ctrl+G) - As above, but merges similar repetitions everywhere in the Playlist. NOTE: The process creates a new 'merged' Pattern, the original Patterns still exist. There is no undo to reverse the Playlist changes.   Video Here

·         Tools - Quantize.

·         Quick quantize start times (Ctrl+Q) - Aligns all selected patterns to the snap setting set in the ( ) Snap Selector.

·         Consolidate playlist selection - Converts the selected Pattern and Audio Clip/s to a single Audio Clip and mutes the source Clips. The consolidated Audio Clip is routed to the Master Mixer Channel. By default, all Channel Instruments / Audio Clips are captured through their respective Mixer Channels including FX, but without Master FX (so the Master FX are not applied twice). If necessary, you can change these settings on the Render Dialog pop-up that appears to confirm the action. There are two length options:

·         From selection start (Ctrl+Alt+C) - Creates an Audio Clip starting at the first selected Clip or Timeline selection to the last selected Clip end.

·         From song start (Shift+Ctrl+Alt+C) - Creates an Audio Clip starting from the beginning of the Playlist. Use this method when you are creating song-length 'stems' to share with other projects, as there will be no confusion where the Clip/s should be placed (at the start of Bar 1).

NOTE: You can use this feature to merge several vocal or instrumental recordings into a single Audio Clip, or to reduce CPU load.

·         View - Change the way the Clips and Playlist appear.

·         Grid Color(Ctrl+Alt+G) - Opens a dialog box that lets you choose a color for the Playlist grid.

·         Invert grid - Changes the Playlist bar-grid lines from light to dark.

·         Track separators - Track separators are the horizontal lines separating Clip Tracks when this switch is selected.

·         Time segments - Change the Playlist background shading to represent time-periods according to the option selected. The default is 'Bars'.

·         Keep labels on screen - When the Playlist is scrolling, Clip labels are slid along the Clips to keep them in view as long as possible before the Clip disappears to the left.

·         Content in title bars - Displays Clip contents when in 'Tile' mode, activated by vertical zoom setting.

·         Behind clips - Choose the background shading of Clips.

·         Nothing - Clips are transparent.

·         Plain - Clips lightly colored on their background.

·         Cel - Clips show a hint of color on their background.

·         Glass - Reflections from top and bottom.

·         Aqua - Reflections from top.

·         Solid - Solid color on background.

·         Shadow - Ads a shadow beneath Clips.

·         Resize all tracks - Choose from 33% to 200% to resize all Playlist tracks to the selected size.

·         Hide collapsed grouped tracks - Collapsed grouped tracks will be hidden. A small arrow will appear on the right side of the track header to open/close the group.

·         Incremental scrolling - The Scroll-bar position will move slowly, rather than jumping to the precise location, when you click on the Scroll Bar rail. To move the Scroll-handle quickly, click on it and drag.

·         Precise time indicator - A vertical line is drawn through the editor window to show playback and edit position.

·         Performance clip progress - In Performance mode, Clip play-progress is animated on active Clips as a horizontal bar.

·         Performance track progress - In Performance mode, track play-progress is indicated on the Playlist track header as a shaded clock animation.

·         Mini playlist preview - Shows a context aware preview of Clips, in the Playlist, on the Scroll bar. Sub-options include:

·         Enable - Show the mini-preview.

·         Double height - Doubles the vertical space to show the preview.

·         Show time markers - Time markers show as orange triangles along the preview bar.

·         Remove background picture - You can drag-and-drop .png format images on the Playlist to create a background image. Use this to remove them.

·         Snap - Snap determines how events will move relative to the Playlist grid and how quantization aligns events (NOTE:holding the Alt key temporarily sets snap to 'none'). The options are:

·         Main - Snap is set to the Global snap value.

·         Line - Clips snap to the nearest grid-line, notice that the grid changes resolution as the Playlist is Zoomed horizontally.

·         Cell - Clips snap to the start of the grid-cell they fall in.

·         (none) - No snapping. Movement is limited only by the Project Timebase (PPQ) setting (F11). NOTE: Snapping can be temporarily disabled by holding the Alt key when dragging Clips.

·         Steps 1/6 to 1 (step) - Absolute grid values equal to the nominated fraction of a step.

·         Beats 1/6 to 1 (beat) - Absolute beats values equal to the nominated fraction of a beat.

·         Bar - 1 bar.

·         Events - Relative to existing events. This is useful to show the boundaries of sliced events when they are butted against each other, as events surrounding the selected event change color.

·         Select - Making selections:

·         Deselect (Ctrl+D) - Undo any selection.

·         Select all (Ctrl+A) - Selects all Clips.

·         Select by selected source (Shift+C) - Selects all Pattern Clips associated with the currently selected source Clip.

·         Select muted - Select all Clips that have been muted (by the mute selection tool).

·         Select possible conflicts -

·         Invert selection - (Shift+I) Inverts the selection (what was selected is now deselected and what was deselected is now selected).

·         Select time around selection (Ctrl+Enter) - Selects the time-line range occupied by the Clips currently selected in the Playlist. If no selection is made the Zoomed range will be selected.

·         Select previous time (Ctrl+Left arrow) - Shifts a selection (made by Ctrl+Left-click and swiping the time-bar) by its own width to the right.

·         Select next time (Ctrl+Right arrow) - Shifts a selection (made by Ctrl+Left-click and swiping the time-bar) by its own width to the left.

·         Group - Make a selection then use the following:

·         Group - (Shift+G) - Group selected Clips. Grouping functions so that selecting, moving or deleting any Clip in a group will cause all others notes in the group to be selected, moved or deleted, etc. Any number of groupings may be created. To group Clips: make a selection using the ( ) Select tool, then use the Group function. Activated / deactivate grouping: Use the Note / Pattern Grouping switch on the Toolbar shortcut icons. Deselecting the Note / Pattern Grouping switch will disable note grouping behavior until the switch is reactivated.

·         Ungroup - (Alt+G) - Ungroup selected notes. Select one Clip in the group then use this function to ungroup all Clips in the group.

·         Zoom - Contains a submenu with a set of quick zooming levels:

·         Zoom in/ Zoom out (Page up / Page down) - Zoom centers on the Cursor position.

·         Quick-zoom 1, 2 & 3 (Shift+1, 2, 3) - Three handy zoom levels.

·         Zoom out far (Shift+4) - Minimum horizontal zoom.

·         Zoom on selection (Shift+5) - Zoom to time-line selection. The command will be disabled if no time region is selected in the timeline.

·         Zoom on performance clips (Shift+6) - Zoom to the Performance zone in the Playlist.

·         Time markers - Markers can be used to label parts of your song (such as 'chorus' for example), define regions or to change live Playlist playback behavior. Playlist menu options are:

·         Add marker... (Alt+T) - Add a time marker above the time-line. Type a name for the marker and press Enter. The marker can be dragged into the correct location after naming. If the project already has markers, then Right-Click a marker and select Add new marker from the pop-up menu. NOTE: Time markers are used to annotate the Playlist and can also serve as live performance points (see marker type below).

·         Add auto (Ctrl+T) - Adds a time marker named 'Auto' ready to be edited.

·         Add two - Make a time-line selection and use this option. Markers will be added at the start and end of the selection.

·         Add one every - Select from Bar, 2 bars, 4 bars or 8 bars. You must make a time-line selection first.

·         Add jump to next bar - Adds a marker of type Jump to the next bar (Skips to the next marker after that).

·         Add time signature change... (Shift+Alt+T) - If a selection is made, the Time signature will apply for the selection. A second markers is added, reverting the Time signature to the setting before the selection.

·         Place loop (Shift+T) - Adds a loop return Time Marker.

·         Delete - Delete the marker/s in the time-line selection. If no selection is made then all markers are deleted.

·         Change marker to loop - Changes the marker/s in the time-line selection to the Loop type. If no selection is made then all markers are changed to loop. Right-Click markers to choose other marker types.

·         Punch in/out at selection - Adds start/stop recording markers to the selection. These automate the main Recording control on/off.

Marker/lane right-click menu:

·         Add marker... (Alt+T) - Add a time marker above the time-line. Type a name for the marker and press Enter. The marker can be dragged into the correct location after naming. If the project already has markers, then Right-Click a marker and select Add new marker from the pop-up menu. NOTE: Time markers are used to annotate the Playlist and can also serve as live performance points (see marker type below).

·         Add time signature... (Shift+Alt+T) - If a selection is made, the Time signature will apply for the selection. A second markers is added, reverting the Time signature to the setting before the selection.

·         Place loop (Shift+T) - Adds a loop return Time Marker.

·         Delete - Delete the marker/s in the time-line selection. If no selection is made then all markers are deleted.

·         Rename... - Edit the name at the pop-up name dialog and press enter.

·         Move content left / right - This option moves this content to the left or right of the next markers content region. A markers 'content' is defined as those Clips between the current marker and the next. NOTE: Selecting the menu option View > Time segments > Markers will display marker region/s by shading the Playlist.

Action - Set the Markers purpose:

·         None - The marker has no effect. Default type used where markers are just labels.

·         Start - Playback and time = 0 starts from the set point.

·         Loop - Playback will return to this marker when the end of all data in the Playlist is reached. NOTE: Placing this marker type beyond the end of the last data will also cause FL Studio to render to that point.

·         Marker loop - When the playback reaches the next marker playback will jump back to the Loop marker creating a loop.

·         Marker skip - Playback will jump to the next marker skipping any Playlist data between them.

·         Marker pause - Playback will Pause unless the preceding marker is the Loop type.

·         Time signature - Set a Time signature to start from this point.

·         Punch in recording / Punch out recording - Automates the main recoding button on and off respectively.

NOTE: Check the Playlist Menu option View > Time segments > Markers to see the Playlist grid shaded by marker region.

Working with Time Markers

·         Reposition a marker - Left-click and drag the marker from its left-most edge and release when desired. Markers can be dragged past existing markers without disturbing them.

·         Using the time line - Right-Click on the time line to add a marker at the desired location and select 'Add marker'.

Live song jumps - You can using a MIDI keyboard, typing keyboard shortcuts (see below) or FF/RW transport keys on a multimedia keyboard to jump between time markers to create innovative live performances.   Video tutorial here. To use a MIDI keyboard:

·         Set the MIDI options 'Song marker jump MIDI channel' to the same MIDI channel as your controller. NOTE: To play plugin instruments just use different MIDI channel to the 'Song marker jump MIDI channel'.

·         Turn OFF the Audio Option 'Reset Plugins on Transport'. This should give a faster and less glitchy response when jumping and moving the song position marker.

·         Turn ON the Audio Option 'Play truncated notes'. This ensures any notes started before a jump point, and crossing it, still play.

·         Select 'Live mode' from the Playlist menu. This changes the jump-to behavior so that jumps happen on bar divisions and also shows the jump-to points (as a gray position marker).

NOTE: Link the Channel mute switches to buttons on your MIDI controller to mute and unmute instruments during a performance for added variation.

Once markers have been added and their type defined they will respond as follows:

NOTE: Keyboard shortcuts apply to the Number Pad only.

·  Picker panel - Shows all Pattern, Audio and Automation Clips used in the project. See the Picker Panel section for more details.

·         Enable - Show/hide the Picker Panel.

·         Show on right side - Moves the Picker Panel to the right side of the Playlist.

·         Width - Select a predefined Picker Panel width.

·         Select linked channels - Channels associated with the selected Clip will be selected in the Channel Rack.

·         Select from playlist/channel rack - Clicking Clips in the Playlist will select them in the Picker Panel.

·         Show empty patterns - Shows empty patterns in the Picker Panel.

·         Drag to rearrange - Allows you to click and drag on Clips to rearrange them.

·         Auto group patterns/channels - When using 'Clone' and 'Make Unique' commands, keeps the copies in the same Groups as the source Clips.

·         Select unused - Select unused Pattern, Audio or Automation Clips. Unused Clips are those not placed in the Playlist.

·         Sort - Sort Pattern, Audio or Automation Clips by Name, Color, Mixer track etc, depending on what is appropriate for the Clip type.

·  Current Clip source - Shows the list of Clips available in the project. The currently selected Clip will be highlighted.

·  Performance mode (Ctrl+P) - Performance mode is designed to trigger and loop individual Playlist tracks and Clips to create live performances. Performance mode is explained in detail here.

·  Center (0) - Center (grid) centers the Playlist's grid so the play position marker is in the middle. Useful when you want to see the playing position in a long sequence.

·  Detached - Detaches the Playlist from the FL Studio workspace, allowing it to be dragged to another monitor.