Crafting your signature sound with FL Studio’s stock sounds
FL Studio is a powerful digital audio workstation that includes a sizable sound and sample library. Using FL Studio standard sounds can be a useful approach to creating a distinctive and recognized sound, even though many producers might disregard them in favor of third-party plugins and sample packs. The stock sounds that come with FL Studio are extensive and contain anything from vintage analog synths to contemporary electronic drums and percussion. By opening the Browser tab on the left side of the screen or the Browser window in the Channel Rack, you can access the incredible stock sounds that FL Studio has to offer. The Browser tab, which can be customized to incorporate your own unique sounds and folders, is a fantastic tool for searching for and organizing sounds.
Layering FL Studio stock sounds with additional sounds or samples to get a distinctive hybrid sound is one way to use them. For instance, to produce a unique drum sound that nobody else has, you may layer a stock kick drum with a third-party snare sample. Similar to this, to give your tracks a distinctive texture, you could mix a stock synth patch with a sample of your own voice or a field recording.
Using FL Studio stock sounds as a jumping-off point for sound creation is another approach to making use of them. A stock sound can be modified to match your unique requirements by changing its settings and parameters. By altering the filter cutoff and resonance of a pre-made bass patch, for instance, you can radically change the sound and make it work with your track.
Moreover, FL Studio has a number of integrated effects that may be used to further sculpt and tinker with the basic sounds. Equalization (EQ), compression, distortion, reverb, and other effects are among these. You can build distinctive and captivating textures that give your music depth by playing with these effects and applying them to the stock sounds. It’s important to remember that while FL Studio stock sounds are excellent tools for creating your own distinctive sound, it’s crucial to experiment with a range of sounds and samples.
Finally, using and leveraging FL Studio standard sounds is a useful strategy for creating a signature and distinctive sound. The possibilities are unlimited, whether you layer them with other sounds, use them as a foundation for sound design, or add built-in effects to shape and alter them. To find your unique distinctive sound, don’t be scared to experiment and explore the enormous library of sounds that comes with FL Studio.
The Mixer is one of the most powerful tools in FL Studio we can use to start augmenting FL Studio’s stock sounds to create your own signature sound. One of FL Studio’s primary features is its Mixer, which enables musicians to mix and master their songs to generate music with a professional-quality sound. Let’s look at how to master FL Studio’s Mixer so you can use its standard sounds to create distinctive signature sounds:
- Understanding the Mixer: The FL Studio Mixer is a complex tool that allows you to control the various elements of your track, such as volume, panning, EQ, and effects. Before you start using the Mixer, it is important to have a good understanding of its different parts. The Mixer (as shown in Figure 3.1) is divided into channels, with each channel representing a different element of your track, such as a drum loop, a bassline, or a vocal track. Each channel has a number of controls, including volume, panning, and mute/solo buttons. You can adjust these controls by clicking and dragging on the sliders or buttons.
Figure 3.1: Mixer
- Using EQ to shape your sound: EQ is a powerful tool that allows you to shape the frequency spectrum of your track. FL Studio comes with a built-in EQ plugin called Parametric EQ 2, which is a great tool for creating signature sounds. Parametric EQ 2 (as shown in Figure 3.2) allows you to adjust the volume of specific frequency bands using sliders. You can also adjust the width of each band and choose from different filter types, such as low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass filters. Experiment with different EQ settings to shape the sound of your track. For example, you can boost the low-end frequencies of a bassline to make it more powerful or cut the high-end frequencies of a vocal track to make it sound warmer.
Figure 3.2: Parametric EQ 2
- Adding effects: FL Studio comes with a wide range of built-in effects, such as reverb, delay, and distortion. These effects can be used to create unique signature sounds for your tracks. The Settings window allows you to adjust the various parameters of the effect, such as the decay time for a reverb effect or feedback for a delay effect. Experiment with different effect settings to create your own unique sound.
To illustrate this point, it’s important to note that every individual plugin possesses a unique array of customizable settings that offers opportunities for fine-tuning and enhancement. A prime example of this concept can be found in the Parametric EQ 2 plugin, where we can delve into the intricacies of its functionality and observe how these settings can be manipulated to achieve desired sound outcomes. This process not only empowers us to shape and mold the audio to our liking but also highlights the potential for creative exploration within the realm of sound design.
- Using automation to create movement: Automation is a powerful tool that allows you to create movement and variation in your tracks. FL Studio allows you to automate almost any parameter in the Mixer, including volume, panning, EQ, and effects. You can then use the pencil tool (shown in Figure 3.3) to draw the automation curve. For example, you could automate the volume of a synth lead to create a sweeping effect or automate the filter cutoff of a bassline to create a pulsing effect.
Figure 3.3: Pencil tool
- Using sidechain compression: Sidechain compression is a popular technique that allows you to create a pumping effect by ducking the volume of one element of your track in response to another element. For example, you could use the kick drum channel as the trigger for the sidechain compression on the bassline channel. Adjust the settings of the compressor to achieve the desired pumping effect. You can adjust the threshold, ratio, attack, and release settings to fine-tune the compression.
- Using the Mixer to create space and depth: The Mixer can also be used to create space and depth in your tracks. By using panning and reverb, you can create a sense of space and place each element of your track in its own sonic environment.
To use panning, simply click on the panning knob in the Mixer and drag it left or right to adjust the position of the sound in the stereo field. This can be used to create a sense of movement in your track or to separate different elements of your track. In Figure 3.4, I have highlighted the panning knob to show you how you can do this directly in the Mixer plugin with sound routed to that specific channel:
Figure 3.4: Mixer | panning knob
Reverb can be used to create a sense of space and depth in your track. FL Studio comes with a built-in reverb plugin called Fruity Reverb 2, which is a great tool for creating realistic-sounding reverb.
Figure 3.5: Fruity Reverb 2
- Mastering your track: Once you have mixed your track using the FL Studio Mixer, it is time to master it. Mastering is the final step in the production process and involves making final adjustments to the overall sound of your track. FL Studio comes with a built-in mastering plugin called Fruity Limiter, which is a great tool for mastering your tracks. Fruity Limiter allows you to control the overall level of your track and apply compression to make it sound louder and more polished. In Figure 3.6, we can see Fruity Limiter:
Figure 3.6: Fruity Limiter
Mastering the FL Studio Mixer is a key skill for any music producer. By using EQ, effects, automation, sidechain compression, and the Mixer itself, you can create unique signature sounds that stand out from the crowd. Experiment with different techniques and settings to find the sound that works best for you.
Now that we have discussed a solid foundation of FL Studio’s stock sounds and how we use the Mixer and mixing plugins to augment and creatively change stock sounds as a baseline to craft our signature sound, it’s time to dive deeper into sound design and creating your own unique drum sounds. Specifically, let’s take a closer look at creating kicks that really hit.
