FL Studio probably helped shape the type beat industry. This powerful digital audio workstation (DAW) is popular among type beat producers due to the plugins and settings used to become signature sounds by some of the most legendary trap producers.
In this article, we’ll cover the essential techniques and best shortcuts to help you get the most out of FL Studio and create type beats that hit hard. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Getting Started with FL Studio
- Understanding the Interface
- Setting Up Your Project
- Making Beats in FL Studio
- Choosing Your Sounds
- Building Your Drum Patterns
- Adding Melodies and Chords
- Using FL Studio Shortcuts
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Navigation Shortcuts
- Playlist Shortcuts
- Mixing Your Trap Beats
- Balancing Levels
- Adding Effects
- Using Automation
- Mastering Your Trap Beats
- Understanding Mastering
- EQ and Compression
- Limiting and Maximizing
- Exporting Your Trap Beats
- Choosing Your Format
- Setting Export Options
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Getting Started with FL Studio
Understanding the Interface
When you first open FL Studio, you’ll see the main interface, which includes several windows that you can arrange and customize to suit your workflow. The most important windows are the Channel Rack, Piano Roll, and Mixer.
The Channel Rack is where all your sounds are, like drums, one shots, and samples. The Piano Roll is where you’ll create your melodies and chords, while the Mixer is where you’ll use the digital mixer to tweak the levels and effects of every sound on your project.
Setting Up Your Project
Before you start making beats, you can take some steps to setup your workspace correctly. Start by choosing a BPM that you want your beat to have, you can always change the BPM later to make the beats faster or slower. Then create a new pattern in the Channel Rack for every sound you want to use. You can then add or delete your sounds to the selected pattern and start making your beat.
How To Make Beats in FL Studio
Choosing Your Sounds
To make a type beat that hits hard, you’ll need to choose the right sounds. Start by selecting your drum samples, including kicks, snares, hi-hats, and percussion. You can then add melodic sounds to create melodies and chords. You can get some quality sounds from our website here.
Building Your Drum Patterns
When building your drum patterns, you can use the pattern steps or you can drop them straight to the playlist. Start with a basic hip-hop kick pattern, then add your snare on the fourth beats. You can then add hi-hats and other elements to create a bounce.
Adding Melodies and Chords
To create melodies and chords in FL Studio, you will use the Piano Roll. Start by choosing a sound from the Channel Rack, then clicking next to your desired note in the Piano Roll to add it to your sequence. You can then edit the note length, pitch, and velocity to create your melody.
Using FL Studio Shortcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts
FL Studio shortcuts will make your life easier, and will let you see why it’s one of the best DAWs for type beats. Some basic shortcuts include Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+V to paste, and Ctrl+Z to undo. You can find a full list of FL Studio shortcuts by pressing F1 and searching for “Keyboard Shortcuts.”
Navigation Shortcuts
To navigate you FL Studio project easily you can use Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow to move between patterns, Ctrl+Up/Down Arrow to zoom in and out of the playlist, and Ctrl+Shift+Up/Down Arrow to move between channels in the Mixer.
Playlist Shortcuts
The Playlist is where every element is placed to shape the final instrumental. The shortcuts like Ctrl+Left Click to select multiple items, Ctrl+Alt+Left Click to create a new pattern, and Alt+Left Click and Drag to duplicate a pattern save you lots of time.
Mixing Your Type Beats
Balancing Levels
When mixing your type beats, it’s crucial to balance the levels of each sound. Start by working on each sound and adjusting its volume until it sits well in the mix. You can then use the Mixer to adjust the levels of each sound in relation to each other.
Adding Effects
Adding effects to your sounds can help them stand out in the mix. Some legendary effects for FL Studio beats include Gross Beat and the Soft Clipper. Experiment with different effects to find the right sound for your beat.
Using Automation
Automation in FL Studio allows you to control various parameters over time, such as volume, pan, and effects. You can use automation to create different sounds and changes to your beat, such as filter sweeps, volume fades, and panning.
Mastering Your Trap Beats
Understanding Mastering
Mastering is the last process. This is the part where you make sure your beat will sound loud enough on every device your listeners play it on. Mastering involves adjusting the overall EQ, compression, and limiting of your track to ensure it sounds good on all playback systems. Most of the times, producers only work to make their beat sound loud enough, the real mastering work gets done by the audio engineer.
EQ and Compression
When mastering your type beats, it’s important to use EQ and compression to control the overall frequency balance and dynamics. You can use EQ to cut unwanted frequencies and boost certain frequencies to make your beat sound how you intend too. Compression can help control the dynamic range of your beat, making it sound louder and more consistent.
Limiting and Maximizing
Limiting and maximizing are two essential techniques in mastering that help increase the perceived loudness of your track. Limiting involves setting a maximum level for your track, preventing it from clipping or distorting. Maximizing involves using a limiter to increase the overall volume of your track.
Exporting Your Trap Beats
Choosing Your Format
When exporting your type beats from FL Studio, you’ll need to choose the right format. The most used formats in the industry are WAV and MP3. WAV files are higher quality but take more time to render, while MP3 files are faster but lower quality.
Setting Export Options
When exporting your type beats, it’s important to set the right export options. Most artists will need your trackout of the beat, but sometimes only the MP3 or Wav file of the master.
Conclusion
In conclusion, FL Studio is an excellent DAW for producing high-quality trap beats. By understanding the interface, choosing the right sounds, and using essential shortcuts and techniques, you can create beats that hit hard and stand out in the mix.
FAQs
- Is FL Studio suitable for beginners?
Yes, FL Studio is very intuitive. It also has a very big library of tutorials online.
- What are some essential plugins for making type beats in FL Studio?
The most used plugins from the producer community are Nexus, Omnisphere, Serum, and Kontakt. They are not native FL Studio plugins, but you might get a package deal with FL for some of them.
- Can I use FL Studio on a Mac computer?
Yes, FL Studio is available for Mac computers.
