Well, we have told you much about the application; it's time to describe the struc-ture of this book.

The book consists of an introduction, eleven chapters, references, and index.

It is accompanied by a CD.

Chapter 1 introduces FL Studio's ideology and a way of preparing it for work.

It clarifies terms used in the application description, such as pattern, step sequencer, generator, channel, song position, and automation. It also describes the purpose of con-trols in the main window: the main panel, the main menu, the hint bar, and a few indica-tors.

Preparing the application for work is also described. The following operations are emphasized:

• Selecting parameters of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and audio interfaces of FL Studio
• Making general settings and project settings
• Configuring FL Studio folders and setting paths to files of projects, samples, and virtual synthesizer settings and to some other files supported by FL Studio

Chapter 2 comprehensively describes the main operations of FL Studio:

• Creating a new project and selecting a template
• Selecting a current pattern
• Using the transport panel and tools on the Shortcut panel
• Using the step sequencer and performing basic operations on patterns

The Playlist editor is described as it applies to creating a simple composition from available patterns. Procedures of adding a new channel and changing the pattern length are also described in Chapter 2. An example of creating a bass part is given to illustrate the ways of editing keyprints in the Piano roll window.

The structure of a typical mixer and the purpose of its components are described. The Mixer window is described as it applies to the following:

• Routing channel signals to different mixer strips
• Connecting plug-ins in the insert mode (using sequential effects)
• Connecting plug-ins in the send mode (using parallel effects)

Recommendations on connecting a MIDI keyboard to the sound card using MIDI or the universal serial bus interface are given.

Options available on the Recording panel that relate to recording a MIDI composi-tion are described. Also described are procedures of recording from the MIDI key-board, writing and editing automation, and changing the composition tempo.

Many operations described in this and the following chapters are illustrated with examples saved in FLP files on the accompanying CD.

Chapter 3 describes how to build patterns in the Step sequencer window. The chapter begins with an overview of controls in this window. A procedure of program-ming a musical sequence is given. Peculiarities of the musical sequence playback de-pending on the step sequencer settings are described.

The Graph editor is described. It is a bar chart that allows you to specify the values of the following parameters for each step of the step sequencer: the panorama, the ve-locity (the speed of pressing a MIDI key), the properties of a filter used for timbre modulation, and the pitch bend and the time shift of a note.

The Keyboard editor is described. It allows you to specify the pitch (note) for each step of the step sequencer. An individual MIDI keyboard corresponds to each step.

Implementation of the portamento effect (a gradual transition from one note to an-other) is described.

There can be tens of channels in a project. To sort them out, you can choose, which ones should be displayed in the step sequencer's window. An example illustrates channel filtration by grouping them according to certain criteria.

Commands of the following menus are described:

CHANNELS - Operations over channels; adding a new channel, and connecting VSTi and DXi to a project are emphasized.

EDIT - Operations over patterns:

• Undoing the last operation and cutting, copying, and pasting the contents of a pattern
• Shifting a pattern one step to the left or to the right
• Randomizing (i.e., randomly choosing notes and synthesis parameter values)
• Converting a note sequence programmed in the step sequencer into a key-print sequence

Multilayering is explained. It is a technology that plays multiple timbres simultane-ously when generating the sound of one instrument. An example is given to demon-strate the use of the Layer plug-in that implements multilayering in FL Studio.

Chapter 4 describes creating a melody in the Piano roll keyprint editor. This editor first appeared in Fruity Loops version 3 (a predecessor of FL Studio 4). Currently, the Piano roll editor is ousting programming with the step sequencer, which was typical of Fruity Loops. Each pattern channel can be associated with a keyprint track that doesn't depend on the note sequence programmed with the step sequencer.

The Piano roll window consists of two sections: one for editing keyprints and the other for graphically editing synthesis parameters. The window offers you tools for ed-iting keyprints and synthesis parameter graphs and for zooming their images.

The following operations on the elements of the Piano roll window are described:

• Drawing and moving individual keyprints, changing their lengths, and drawing syn-thesis parameter charts
• Drawing keyprint sequences
• Selecting and deleting keyprints and synthesis parameter graphs
• Selecting graphical objects or a fragment of the time ruler
• Listening to notes that correspond to keyprints
• Drawing slide notes to implement the portamento technique
• Selecting a mode for binding keyprints to the sequence's step and fractions of a step
• Implementing quantization and quick quantization using a template

The menu of the Piano roll window is described:

• File - Working with files
• Edit - Editing elements of the Piano roll window
• Tools - Performing quantization and cutting keyprints
• View and Zoom - Controlling how elements of the Piano roll window are displayed
• Chord - Automatically creating chords of the selected type

Chapter 5 looks at how you build a composition from individual patterns in the Playlist editor. The Playlist window consists of two sections: a pattern section and an audio track section. The pattern section is the main component of the Playlist window. It is a coordinate plane whose horizontal axis is musical time measured in bars:beats:ticks. The marks on the vertical axis correspond to pattern tracks differen-tiated by numbers or names. Here, you can draw, move, and delete graphical objects. This is how you build a composition from patterns like you would build a toy house from blocks.

The audio track section allows you to place audio files on the same time axis as patterns.

The buttons on the toolbar of the Playlist window are described. The use of the loop marker and text markers is explained.

FL Studio allows you to build a composition of patterns spontaneously. You can start the playback of desired patterns using the MIDI keyboard (or the computer key-board, which can substitute for it). A mode of "live" pattern playback and the purpose of commands and buttons are described. An algorithm for editing existing audio clips and adding new ones in the audio track section is explained. The use of automation clips to automate audio clip parameters, other FL Studio parameters, and plug-ins used in the project is described.

The Playlist window's menu is also described:

• Edit - Editing operations
• Tools - Quantization
• Patterns - Operations with pattern tracks
• Audio tracks - Control over audio clip display
• View - Choice of colors of tracks
• Zoom - Zoom of graphical objects

Chapter 6 describes built-in generators and generators implemented as plug-ins. The methods for connecting the generators to a project are overviewed. Channel pa-rameters common to all the generators (the menu of the Channel settings window) and the controls of the Channel settings window available on the MISC and FUNC tabs are described.

Sound synthesis methods implemented in the generator plug-ins are explained, and the structure of the sound element of a typical synthesizer is given. Both built-in in-struments and those connected as Fruity plug-ins are described:

• Sampler - A simple built-in sampler that allows you to load only one audio file.
• TS404 - A pseudoanalog synthesizer that makes it possible to simulate the sound of the legendary Roland TB-303 synthesizer and a few other famous analog synthesizers. In addition, TS404 can generate unique sound. It is designed to create bass parts with "electronic" timbres.
• 3x Osc - A synthesizer based on the additive synthesis method. You use it to cre-ate bright timbres with many high-frequency components. Its sound strongly differs from TS404's sound. 3x Osc isn't a built-in FL Studio synthesizer, but it is a Fruity plug-in.
• BeepMap - A unique synthesizer that converts an image into an audio-frequency signal.
• BooBass - An audio module that allows you to synthesize the sound of a bass guitar.
• FL Keys - An audio module designed to create top-quality parts of the piano, electric piano, and organ. The advantages of this plug-in are a small load on the processor and sparing use of the computer memory.
• Plucked! - A synthesizer used to simulate the sound of strings.
• Fruity Slicer - A drum loop player. Slices of a loop are mapped to the MIDI key-board so that only one MIDI key corresponds to each slice. A keyprint track that can play all the loop slices in a sequence is created automatically. After that, you can change the order of the loop slices by changing the order of the keyprints. You also can adjust synthesis parameters for each drum sound separately by editing pa-rameters of the keyprints.
• FPC - A drum machine.
• Fruity Granulizer - A grain synthesizer. It synthesizes sound from short fragments (grains). The timbre of the synthesized sound depends on the properties of the grains and their order. This synthesizer isn't good for creating parts of traditional instruments because distortions introduced by this plug-in are too noticeable. How-ever, it is an excellent tool for implementing effects based on processing a human voice.
• Wave Traveller - A specialized audio file player that can use the scratch effect. Scratch is a special technique of playing vinyl records used by DJs: They manually move a record in different directions while the pickup touches the record.
• Sytrus - A 6-operand FM/RM synthesizer with excellent sound. In functionality and sound quality, it is similar to Native Instruments FM7, one of the best software synthesizers. Like FM7, Sytrus is compatible with the famous synthesizer Yamaha DX7 on the Sysx (system MIDI events) level. It allows you to load DX7 presets from SYX and DX7 files.
• Fruit kick - A synthesizer designed to create parts of a synthetic bass drum.
• Fruity Vibrator - A plug-in that allows you to use a device with feedback (such as a joystick or a steering wheel.)
• Fruity Wrapper - A plug-in of the Fruity family used as an adapter that allows FL Studio and a DXi or VSTi plug-in to exchange audio and MIDI information.
• MIDI Out - A generator that allows you to control any MIDI instrument external to FL Studio. Here, external means hardware or virtual MIDI devices (including VSTi and DXi connected using Fruity Wrapper).
• Fruity Keyboard Controller - A specialized controller that allows you to convert a Key Pressed MIDI event into an angle of rotation of a knob. That knob can be set to control any parameter of any virtual device.
• ReWired - A plug-in that allows you to connect to FL Studio other applications that support ReWire technology.

FL Slayer, a VSTi that simulates a six-string electric guitar and a bass guitar, is comprehensively described. It was developed using methods similar to physical model-ing. Although the program is small and undemanding of computer performance, it al-lows you to simulate many playing techniques typical to the contemporary electric gui-tar. You use it to create guitar parts with a typical "electronic" sound processed with effects similar to overload. However, its sound differs from that of an actual acoustic guitar and even that of an electric guitar without processings.

In addition to a virtual electric guitar proper, the plug-in incorporates a few variants of a combo box (an amplifier plus an acoustic system) and an effects processor. This is a complete instrument that allows you to create guitar parts using all traditional ef-fects and processings. The influence of various settings on the timbre of this instrument is clarified.

The latest product of MusicLab, Inc. (http://www.musiclab.com), RealGuitar VSTi, is comprehensively described. It is a VSTi whose sound closely resembles the sound of an actual acoustic guitar. It allows you to simulate guitar techniques by playing on the MIDI keyboard. RealGuitar is based on original high-quality samples obtained by re-cording actual guitars. (Individual sounds were recorded rather than fragments of gui-tar parts). This VSTi is equipped with a sound bank of seven guitar types.