Every time I read posts throughout various forums, I always find that the first reply to people who ask the simple question "I'm new to the music producing scene. Which DAW should I use?" is Fruity Loops.. No disrespect to Fruity Loops or the people who use it but I tried using it when I first got into music production and I wanted to rip my hair out. I quit and didn't look back for 3 years. Then I came across Ableton and immediately I was awe struck with the simplicity of the DAW and cannot imagine why people ALWAYS suggest Fruity Loops. All DAWs sequence music, all DAWs have their weaknesses and strengths, but why do people always suggest Fruity Loops over other DAWs first? I don't find it any more noob friendly than reason, cubase, ableton or any of these other sequencers out there today.
Why suggest fruity loops?
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kebeats
New member
So you looked back after those 3 years? Lol. How bout you make it yo goal to be the first to suggest Ableton from now on..
pfeezing
New member
I can't ****ing stand fruity loops but the reason people recommend it is because
a) it's simple (though it *can* be deeper)
b) good step sequencer suited for retards/non musicians
c) it's cheap (or free if you're an *******) and has free updates for life. Let's be real, a lot of people are pathetic and don't bother to pay for a product they use every day.
d) 3-4 different ways at least to sample within the program without using third party vsts - a big one imo.
For me, the "simplicity" (aka kiddie pictures instead of labled buttons) actually made it more confusing as it's pretty much nothing like any of the other DAWs I use. That said, much like anything else, it's how you use it and create. It's too easy to get caught up in daw wars which really are some of the stupidest and most inane arguments on the internet.
That said, FL has one of the worst (laid out) mixers ever of any program except maybe maschine which isn't even at version 2.0. God that thing is ACTUALLY SHIT. Every time I try to use FL I want to shank something.
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pfeezing
New member
No offence, but this is so blindingly ignorant I barely want to respond.
I suppose you feel as though you have refuted my points, congratulations. You realize this was based on a user vote right? You realize there are a lot more kiddies with FL studio than there are legitimate producers (and engineers) who read crap like music radar? You realize it received 4/5 stars from the publication you cited while a lot of other daws got 4.5 or 5? From the way you view music radar as your bible, it seems to me that that publication views - logic, ableton, reaper, sonar x1(LOL YEAH RIGHT), cubase and just about every other major DAW as "Better" than FL Studio. It has the same "rating" as garage band.
In fact, I'd like to get what you're insinuating rather than just posting a shitty link. Maybe you could expand your ideas?
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This is the real reason everyone recommends it first.
Let's face it.. when FL is becoming popular, most producers at the time were taking samples of live recordings from the 60s & 70s, putting some drums behind them, maybe a chorus and a bridge... and presto... HIT RECORD!!!!
With FL's step sequencer... it's ridiculous how easy this becomes. Even in FL 4 you could stretch a sample to fit so it would loop better, and then just throw some hard drums behind it and you're done. I know b/c I had FL 4. I left it for Reason... and then left Reason for Studio One. Now i'm at home.
FL's best asset is that step sequencer. It's what makes the program. Especially when you put instruments on it.
pfeezing
New member
hah cuz it makes me angry.
That music radar article (which I read earlier this year) made me more mad because it wins for all the wrong reasons.
Some of the best pure beatmakers I know use FL though so I'm not saying you can't do nice stuff with it, it's just definitely not for me.
That music radar article (which I read earlier this year) made me more mad because it wins for all the wrong reasons.
Some of the best pure beatmakers I know use FL though so I'm not saying you can't do nice stuff with it, it's just definitely not for me.
rayzer
Oldschool
i used to use FL all the time until recently i switched over to reaper, the only thing i miss about FL is the sequencer. making simple drum loops on it was so easy which is why most people recommend it. i hated recording audio through the mixer on it though which is why i moved away from FL, and also i started getting bored of it.
THA_REAPER
What? Killin em!
I used to use FL. I honestly think the step sequencer crippled my creativity. The whole 16 beats per bar thing just slows me down by creating another pattern when its filled. I like to record like a whole verse in one go and much prefer to play on a midi controller, but even still I would effectively use the grid when I'm not.
You guys are right about the step sequencer though. Soon as you open up FL you got those 4 one shots that are in the default template. The browser is drag and drop into the step sequencer so even if its not a drum you still can get something going. To a beginner, you make any sort of randomized drum pattern with those, you get a reaction like
oh shit oh shit! With other stuff you gotta know how to make tracks, use a piano roll, and find drums to get any sound. Even if you play an instrument the common daw piano roll is different from a sheet.
Then its also a popularity thing, this major producer made that in FL...you can do it too. I admit they have a nice full package of things to get you going with samples and vsts already. I'm comfortable with Ableton and Reaper...If someone asked me to show them the way i'd still say FL though, less technical and more straight forward to get started.
You guys are right about the step sequencer though. Soon as you open up FL you got those 4 one shots that are in the default template. The browser is drag and drop into the step sequencer so even if its not a drum you still can get something going. To a beginner, you make any sort of randomized drum pattern with those, you get a reaction like
oh shit oh shit! With other stuff you gotta know how to make tracks, use a piano roll, and find drums to get any sound. Even if you play an instrument the common daw piano roll is different from a sheet.Then its also a popularity thing, this major producer made that in FL...you can do it too. I admit they have a nice full package of things to get you going with samples and vsts already. I'm comfortable with Ableton and Reaper...If someone asked me to show them the way i'd still say FL though, less technical and more straight forward to get started.
pfeezing
New member
do you bro, don't let me stop ya
CrunkNationEnt
All Killa, No Filla!
"Why do people always suggest Fruity Loops over other DAWs first?"
1. Its a surface and jump off program that can go as deep as you feel like going.
2. Damn near every home studio producer has heard of or used it! So there's lots of support and tutorials.
3. It does almost everything that any producer might need. If not, there's plugins for support.
* It's highly pirated, which is a gift and a curse. A curse cause it sucks for them, but imagine at least a 1/4 of the people that pirated the program finally bought it (like myself
, it would be a huge windfall for them! Plus they'd have a captive user that would hate to move away from it to anything else.
1. Its a surface and jump off program that can go as deep as you feel like going.
2. Damn near every home studio producer has heard of or used it! So there's lots of support and tutorials.
3. It does almost everything that any producer might need. If not, there's plugins for support.
* It's highly pirated, which is a gift and a curse. A curse cause it sucks for them, but imagine at least a 1/4 of the people that pirated the program finally bought it (like myself
, it would be a huge windfall for them! Plus they'd have a captive user that would hate to move away from it to anything else.
pfeezing
New member
Counter point: There are a lot more bad "home" producers using it making poor tutorials.
kifferei
New member
i don't really see how its that confusing. you make patterns in the step sequencer window and paste your arrangements of the patterns you make in the playlist (arrange) window. you use song mode to jam on the whole song or patten mode to listen to each pattern individually. its pretty simple. i think one of the things that throws people off is that you paste each channel (instrument/sound source) into a channel strip in the mixer individually. its just a s powerful as reason and its piano roll has an edge over abletons in my opinion. Ableton rules for people who play piano or do a lot of sampling as its warping technology is unlike any other program. It handles midi controllers really well. i personally use both.
hollandturbine
New member
I don't think everyone on Fruityure Producers is only promoting fruity loops, why just the other day a noob asked what was the ideal software for starting out on and instead of fruity loops I suggested he go with something different like FL Studio.
It's not the best, and definitely not the worst. Probably one of the most versatily DAW's out there, however.
It's a good starting point in that it's very simple to get something going and you can get pretty deep with it. You can be as basic or as in depth as you choose to be. If you do decide to move to a different DAW, you can still use FL as a vsti. Nothing works as fast for me when I need to load up sounds quickly in the middle of a recording or mixing session.
FL can't do everything that I need, which is why I use Cubase, but FL has a lot of value. Just has some awkward things about it.
It's a good starting point in that it's very simple to get something going and you can get pretty deep with it. You can be as basic or as in depth as you choose to be. If you do decide to move to a different DAW, you can still use FL as a vsti. Nothing works as fast for me when I need to load up sounds quickly in the middle of a recording or mixing session.
FL can't do everything that I need, which is why I use Cubase, but FL has a lot of value. Just has some awkward things about it.
BaseProductions
New member
For people who are starting out, FL Studio is inexpensive and therefore attractive. It has several capabilities that appeal to new users, like the step sequencer. Most producers I know started with FL then "graduated" to Pro Tools, Cubase, Reason, Ableton, etc.
BeanTheBeast
Member
I agree most starting beat makers, not gone call em producers (complete disrespect to actual producers) do start off with FL studio , and most do find there way into other DAW's. Personally i started with FL and i still use it as a rewire into Pro Tools , so really you can't judge one DAW over another they each have there own qualities to bring to the table