How to score and record audio in FL Studio

Score means one or more parts of a musical composition in a format indicating how the composition is to be played. In this stance, score is a composition delivered into a DAW by the aid of a MIDI controller.

Latest technology has made music production both interesting and exciting but more technical. The same is the case when you want to score for that wonderful song you are working on. It is so interesting to note that scored notes can be edited for perfection instead of repeating the process. This step to step procedure will lead you through the whole process in FL Studio.

After your MIDI controller has been properlyconnected and the driver installed, this can be ascertained by a blink of light at the ‘MIDI/audio sync beat’ at the left portion of the tool bar once any key of the MIDI controller is punched.

Select ‘VIEW’ located at the left side of the toolbar. Then select plugin picker, choose the plug-in you intend to score with. Set the plug-in to the desired sound, this plug-in has been added automatically to your Channel Rack. Go to your Channel Rack and right click on the plug-in to reveal the options, select piano roll. By this stage the piano roll is open having piano keys on the far left.

Select record located on the tool bar, a pop-up having options like Audio into the Edison audio editor/recorder, Audio into the playlist as an audio clip, Automation and score, Everything, Show me some more help, will appear. Select Automation and score.

At this point some options which can also be selected at the tool bar, right to the record button can be important based on your choice. These options include; metronome (to help count your beat), countdown before recording (to help count time before the recording process), wait for input to start playing (the recording starts immediately your punch the first key), etc.

Whichever choice, once the play button is clicked the recording starts and once the stop button is clicked recording stops and the score can be seen.

The score produced can be edited or discarded and another one produced as the case may be. Deselect the record button and place the choice score on the playlist.

The similar procedure is followed in audio recording once the microphone to be used is connected and properly selected. Anyways, these are required:

You must be using at least FL Studio Producer Edition.

An ASIO soundcard driver is selected for your soundcard (press F10 to open the options settings, select Audio and select an ASIO driver).

The recording filter is set to record audio (Right-click the Transport Panel record button), if you are recording to disk (Playlist recording).

A sound source is connected to the soundcard/interface audio input/s.

The active soundcard input/s must be selected on the Mixer track 'IN' menu.

Edison must be set to record audio on the input Mixer track (Edison recording) OR the Mixer track must be armed to record audio to disk (Playlist recording).

There are three main methods for recording external audio, the first two (Quick audio recording procedure (using Edison) and Edison recording procedure) record into an Edison plugin loaded into the Mixer track of your choice. The third method (Playlist audio recording procedure) records audio into an Audio Clip displayed in the Playlist - please note that the clip will not be visible until the recording has been completed. In our subsequent posts these procedures will be discussed in details in such a way it can easily be understood.

Please note that most producers do not like using FL Studio for voice recording or voicing due to the fact that it is not all that flexible when it comes to voice recording and editing. They prefer Cubase for that purpose due to its high flexibility when it comes to voicing or voice recording and editing. Once the voice notes are recorded or collected and edited, it can now be transferred to FL Studio for mixing and mastering.