FL STUDIO

New Features in FL Studio 21

FL Studio owners enjoy LIFETIME FREE UPDATES, so always check for the latest release here online. For the complete log (including bug-fixes) please check the WhatsNew Change Log. You can also view the FL Studio YouTube playlist.

Next Version

Explore FL Studio 24... - There was no FL Studio 22 or 23 ;)

WHAT'S NEW FL STUDIO 21

FL Studio 21.2

WHAT'S NEW?

Released: 26 October 2023.

• FL Cloud - Integrated content and services under Sounds Tab in the Browser. Including Samples, Loops & Mastering and more to come.
  • Sounds - Drag and drop content straight from the Cloud into FL Studio.
  • Mastering - An AI-powered, fast and easy way to master your tracks. Compliant to the specifications of all major digital streaming platforms. Find it under File > Export > Master ...
  • Distribution - Get your music into Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube, and more. Powered by DistroKid. Best, you get to keep 100% of your earnings.
  • Browser search - Extend your local browser search via direct shortcut to FL Cloud Sounds from the panel shown at the bottom of the Browser when you search for local files.
  • Show downloaded content - Use the context menu to select 'Show in FL Studio Browser' menu for downloaded samples inside the Sounds Tab.
• FL Studio:
  • Fruity Edition - Now supports up to 8 Audio Clips.
  • Themes - Now include customizable waveform display, audio frequency-to-color customization. Use responsibly!
  • Projects - 'Copy used samples to the project folder' is now stored with Projects instead of a Global option
  • Tools Menu - Added direct-access menu items for FL Cloud functionality.
  • More plugins menu - Middle-click the 'Add instrument track' [+] button in the Playlist or middle-click the + Channel button and the Effect slot arrow button.
  • Audio Export - Renamed 'Background rendering' in the render window to 'Minimize when rendering'.
  • Saving Projects - Samples that weren't found when a project is loaded are now remembered after saving.
  • MIDI scripting - Added a 'value' parameter for channels.soloChannel. Scripts can now solo track groups in the Playlist.
  • Audio settings - Buffer length slider control now shows buffer in ms.
  • File Settings - Added a button to the File Settings to re-download all optional features
  • General Settings:
    • Automation Clips - Added an General Settings option to 'Create automation clips at the playback position'
    • Mouse wheel - New Vertical / Horizontal scrolling speed controls.
    • Warnings - That can be hidden are now categorized in General settings
    • Monophonic painting in piano roll - Reverses the Paint brush default painting mode with the (Shift) held mode.
• Playlist:
  • Stem Separation - From the Audio Clip Menu, choose 'Extract stems from sample' to split audio into component tracks (Drums, Bass, Instruments and Vocals).
  • Automation Clips - Are now added at the position of the playback cursor.
  • Open Channel Rack - Use (Alt + Double-Click) (was Shift) on a Pattern Clip to show the Channel Rack and Instrument. Without Alt, the Piano roll will open.
• Piano roll:
  • Tools menu - Open the Piano roll Tools menu when clicking on the 'magnifying glass' icon for downloaded scripts.
  • Scale highlighting - Now saved per project.
  • Piano roll scripting - Added clone() method to Note, deleteMarker(i) method to score, deleteNote(i) method to score and getTimelineSelection() function.
• Browser:
  • Sounds Tab - Integrated Cloud-based samples, loops and more.
  • FL Cloud Content - Right-Click downloaded content in the Browser to show its pack in the Sounds panel.
  • Projects - Project items in the browser now have a 'Project' tag.
• Plugins:
  • Kepler (Producer Edition) - Authentic Juno-6 emulation included free and retrospectively in FL Studio Producer Edition and up.
  • FL Studio Mobile - Updated to v4.3.19.
  • Slicex - Markers are now added at the playback position.
  • Layer Channel - The volume of new Layer Channels is now set to 100%.
  • Vintage Phaser - Added a new 'Engine', 'Drive' and 'Inv FB' controls under the Advanced section (click the gear icon).
  • ZGE Visualizer - The 'ImageMashup' effect can now support up to 20 image sources. The preview window can now stay open even if the plugin editor is closed.

FL Studio 21.2.2 (Maintenance Update)

Released: 11 Dec 2023

• FLEX - Sample based presets load much faster.
• FL Studio Mobile - Updated to version 4.4
• Piano roll scripting - Added the 'form.SetText' method.
• Bugfixes - Many bugfixes listed here.

FL Studio 21.1

WHAT'S NEW?

Released: 8 August 2023

• FL Studio:
  • Colored waveforms - General settings option to color code frequency content in audio waveforms. This applies to the Browser, Playlist, Sampler Channel etc.
  • MIDI Control - New 'External sync' mode & improved MIDI master clock stability. This allows FL Studio to sync to an external MIDI Clock so that it plays in time to an external MIDI clock source.
  • Automated updates - Option to automatically download FL Studio updates and apply them at the next restart.
• Piano roll
  • Snap to Scale - Piano roll option to snap Notes to the selected scale on placement or movement. See the Note icon on the toolbar.
  • Menu > Tools > Script - Scripts are Python based that allows custom manipulation of Piano roll data. There are several pre-made scripts or you can write your own. Scripting also includes automatic user interface creation. See the Piano roll scripting forum to share and discuss Scripts.
• New & Updated Plugins
  • Hyper Chorus - Extreme chorus FX plugin, included with Producer Edition and up.
  • Edison Declipper - New and improved AI-based declipping tool. Can restore recordings that have been clipped due to level issues.
  • SliceX - Now resizable by dragging the lower-right corner.

For the full list of bugfixes see the What's New Changelog.

FL Studio 21.1.1 (Maintenance Update)

Released: 4 Sept 2023

• Projects - Don't automatically set the 'Show info on opening' option when editing project info.
• FL Studio Mobile - Updated to 4.3.16.
• Bugfixes - Many bugfixes listed here.

FL Studio 21.0.0

Released: 6 Dec 2022

• FL Studio & User Interface
  • Themes - Change the mood of your favorite DAW. Look under General Settings > Miscellaneous > Theme.
  • Project Folders - Option under the 'Projects > General Settings' that opens a 'New project' window, optionally shown, when a new project is created or saved. This allows all project data to be saved in a unique per-project folder with sub-folders for Recorded, Rendered and Sliced audio.
  • File Settings - Added an option to auto save every minute (Afrojack request).
  • General Settings:
    • Language support - Spanish, French (coming soon) & German, in addition to English and Chinese.
    • Put undone recordings in the recycle bin' - On by default. Otherwise they will be deleted on undo.
    • Invert pencil buttons - Swaps the behavior of a pen's secondary button with the primary button.
    • Alternate Undo - Now on by default when installing on a new computer.
  • Export - Rendered files are automatically selected in the System file Browser when opening the destination folder.
  • File (menu) - There is a new 'More' sub-menu showing up to 50 recent items.
  • File Support - Apple .m4a Audio format now load.
  • Metronome - Separate options for the Preview and Metronome Mixer track in Audio Settings.
  • New from template - Menu updates when templates are added and removed.
  • Plugin Manager - Some non-compliant plugin search paths are no longer allowed.
  • Settings window - The window has been redesigned to allow multi-language text which may require more space. Also allows adjust the height of the settings window so it fits on screens with a low vertical resolution.
  • Startup - If the startup project crashes the default project will be used at next startup (when load last project is set) to prevent crash-loops. The Splash Screen is hidden when an audio device shows an error so the message can be read.
  • Support - Crash logs now show the Windows version.
  • Text entry - Typing a long and short space character is now done with (Alt/Opt+Ctrl+Space) and (Alt/Opt+Shift+Space).
  • Touch Controller - Visualize Note activity on the touch controller coming from the selected Channel when Note data is being played from the Piano roll.
  • Type in value - More information about current value is shown when selected.
  • Typing to Piano - The octave for the typing keyboard can now be changed with (Alt/Opt+Number-Pad 2-6).
  • CPU - Improved CPU usage associated with Mixer processing improvements.
  • View > Tests - Run tests asynchronously
  • Debug log - Show names of updated Browser folders in the debug log.
• Playlist:
  • Audio Clip Fade & Gain controls: - Audio Clip fade in, fade out and gain controls with optional Automatic Crossfades.
    • View - Hold (Alt) for temporary previews of fades and gain when Show fade previews / gain previews are deselected.
    • Menu - (Right-Click) the 'Show fade editing controls' icon for quick access to fade options.
    • Snapping - Hold (Alt) to snap when fade handle snapping is off and so (Alt/Opt+Click) no longer resets fades.
    • Shortcut - Added (Shift+F) to toggle the 'Show fade editing controls' icon.
  • Adding tracks - New [+] button on the Playlist Clip Focus area to add Instrument and Audio Tracks via Left and Right-Click options.
  • Paste Location - Clips added to new Audio Tracks are placed at the Playhead location or inside any time selection.
  • Drag & Drop - When dropping multiple samples, hold (Shift) to add them sequentially in the Playlist. Dropping samples on, or Cloning a track will select it.
  • Multi-selection - Support for multi-selection when using the Clip Menu > Chop options.
  • Warning dialog - Track-name pop-up when deleting multiple Playlist tracks to remind you what is about to go.
  • Play list & Piano roll - Deleting overlapping Clips and Notes selected using the Select > Overlapping notes option, will delete only the top layer/s leaving the lowest.
  • Playlist & Piano roll - Pasting of clips and Notes now happens at the Play position (when possible).
  • Chopping - You can now chop Pattern and Automation Clips (from the Clip Menu > 'Chop' option).
  • Recorded Audio - Added 'Adjust position of recorded audio' option to the mixer input latency menu.
  • Playlist - Renamed 'Punch in / out recording' markers to 'Start / Stop recording'.
• Automation Clips:
  • Editor - New button under the Automation Clip settings window to convert Automation to Event data.
  • Warning dialog - New 'Don't show this in the future' to warnings about approximated automation merging.
  • Merging - Can be merged with an approximated curve where precise merging isn't possible, including LFO mode.
  • Automation Clip Editor - Grid lines are thicker to aid visibility.
  • GUI - The 'Add target links' (+) button pulses when actively adding links (click to start process). Changed the Automation Clip channel's envelope grid division to 4
• Channel Rack:
  • Channel Button (Right-Click) - New 'Patcherize' option to convert the current instance into a Patcherized format.
  • Channel Rack - Now scrolls when moving a Channel outside of the visible vertical range.
  • Channel - Shows a floating hint when a Plugin replaces a Channel Sampler.
• New Plugins & Tools:
  • LuxeVerb (All Plugins Edition) - Advanced algorithmic reverb with a 'luxurious' and malleable sound that is capable of simulating realistic and experimental acoustic spaces of all sizes.
  • Vintage Phaser (Signature Bundle +) - Inspired by and modelled after the 1970's Electro-Harmonics Small Stone Phase Shifter™.
  • Multiband Delay (Producer Edition +) - Splits incoming audio into 16 frequency bands and allows you to delay each band individually. Quite the sound-design tool!
  • VFX Sequencer (Fruity Edition +) - A pattern Arpeggiator and Step Sequencer designed to be used in Patcher to send Note sequences to connected instrument plugins.
• Browser (improved):
  • Tags - Click on TAGS (at the bottom) to open more options.
  • Favoriting - Click the star on mouse-over of content.
  • Search - Boolean search queries ("Big Kick" vs Big Kick). Folder icon in search field to restrict found items to the current folder only. 'Type to filter' menu option to decide if typing a letter filters or selects items. Selects the first folder when searching in views with multiple columns. Search results show folders with a matching name. Show the full path as the hint for filtered items.
  • Locate file - Right-Click option on a file to highlight it in the System file Browser.
  • Tags - You can (Right-Click) to remove tags.
  • Tabs - (Right-Click) Tabs to enable option to individually remembered Tab sizes.
  • Multi-selection - Multiple selection of items including: (Shift+Click) and (Alt/Optmand+Ctrl+Click).
  • Content Formats - .fxp, .fxb and .vstpreset files are now tagged as plugin 'presets'. .mid MIDI files are tagged as 'score'.
  • Tabs - New (Right-Click) Tab options to move Browser Tabs Left/Right. 'Clone this tab' option.
  • Library Tab - Added online content for free and paid download. Content will be automatically available to plugins that can use it. Audio demos - Content library items can now have in-line audio demos.
  • Audio Preview - Starting Playback from the mouse-cursor position now possible via (Right+Click) OR (Shift+Click) and mouse-over for fine positioning. Browser Menu option 'Full sample preview'. Sample preview panel shows Sample Rate, Bit Depth and Stereo meta-data.
  • Option - 'Show icons and text on tabs'.
  • Browser - Added a 'Frozen' option for tabs. When 'Frozen' the Browser stops saving the state (which folders are collapsed or not). The 'Collapse structure' button acts as 'restore to frozen state'.
• Piano roll:
  • View - Automatically scrolls the Piano roll while transposing Notes.
  • Mouse wheel precision - Increased precision when editing Note voice properties with the mouse wheel.
  • Piano roll - The selected Channel is opened when (Double-Clicking) on an empty Pattern Clip.
• Updated Plugins
  • Vintage Chorus - Added context aware type-in value support.
  • Maximus - Grid lines and labels of the Compression Envelope are now more visible.
  • FLEX - Changes to presets can be undone with (Ctrl+Z). The default value for the Master Output volume control is now 100%.
  • Plugin Wrapper - Option to control if FL Studio can handle (Ctrl+Z) key presses to undo.
  • FL Studio Mobile - Updated to v4.1.4.
  • 3x Osc, DX 10 & Fruit Kick - Can now be used in Patcher.
  • Edison - Added multi selection to Envelopes.
  • Convolver - Impulse samples no longer have length limit.
  • Audio Editors (Scripting) - Convolver, Edison & Slicex; Python replaces PaxCompiler. Existing scripts have been converted to Python. Scripting now works on macOS in addition to Windows.
  • Editors (synced playback) - Relocate the Play head to any position in the Playlist, Piano roll and Event editor.
  • Formula Controller (and other formula locations) - Added new operators and functions to formulas:
    • New operators: fmod - 2 Operands (Floating & Modulo), 2 Operants (shl & shr), Bit operators (shift left & shift right).
    • New functions: Fold(x) - Wave folding operation (x = input signal Threshold and gain are always 1.0). Warp(x, y) (Warps signal "x" around to warp point "y"). Map(x, y, z) (Maps the value x into range [y,z]. Equivalent to x * (z - y) + y).
  • Gross Beat - New "Juggling Science" preset.
  • Soundfont Player - Added a 'Program mode' option to determine how patches are triggered.
  • Visualizer - Added new post-process effects from Dubswitcher.
  • Visualizer (ZGE):
    • UI - Supports separators between parameters in effects. Added a toolbar button as a shortcut to show transparency. You can now select what buffer to show in the preview window.
    • Zip - Added custom effects to zipped projects.
    • Touch controllers - Supports the touch controller window in the 'Add window' list.
    • New Effects - Audio Generator (Windows only), Dubswitcher Field Generator, Dubswitcher Dropshadow, Dubswitcher Fast HSV, Dubswitcher Fast Static, Dubswitcher Soft Glitch, Dubswitcher AlphaKey, Dubswitcher Color Shaper, Dubswitcher Inverter, Dubswitcher Jitter Glitch, Dubswitcher Linear Blur, Dubswitcher Smudge, Dubswitcher Solidify, Dubswitcher Starburst, Dubswitcher Whitehole.
    • Presets - HUD Text can now locate fonts outside the font folder.
    • Surface tab - Added a Surface tab for easier customization of presets.
    • Images - Added export to APNG image format. .jpeg extension is now the default when saving bitmaps.
    • Updated Effect - Added blend parameter to "TextDraw" effect.
• MIDI scripting & MIDI:
  • Performance Mode - getPerformanceModeState function. Tests if the FL Studio Playlist is in 'Performance mode'.
  • MIDI Controller ID - Identification of MIDI devices is now delayed until scripts have been downloaded a first time.
  • External links - Allow redirect links for the help link in a script (must be to IL forums).
• Mixer:
  • Select all tracks (Ctrl+A) - This applies to actions enable/disable track FX and level changes.
  • Bypass effects - Now works for all selected mixer tracks.
  • Render Option (Mixer menu) - 'Render selected tracks to wave files'.
  • Mixer - The window no longer automatically opens when a new audio or instrument track is created.
• Windows:
  • Installation - Users can no longer save files to the FL Studio install location. The FL Studio installer will no longer associate the program with .flp files in Beta builds to prevent accidental saving to Beta.

21.0.3 (Maintenance Update)

Released: 12 April 2023

What's New?

• Browser - Added a shortcut to send a file to the selected Channel (Ctrl + Alt + Click / Cmd + Option + Click).
• Browser - Default plugin Tags can now be disabled in the Browser Menu.
• Browser - New 'Installed' content badge for items in the Library tab.
• Browser - New 'Refresh' icon / button appears in the search window when Projects change.
• Browser - Pattern groups from the Picker Panel show in the Current Project section.
• Browser - Tab list can now scroll when there are too many tabs to show.
• Channel Settings - Master Pitch wheel now increments per 100 semitones when the mouse wheel is used.
• Files - Project files can be dropped on the Channel Rack to open them.
• FL Studio Desktop - The HTML background option now uses the embedded Edge browser (on Windows).
• FLEX - Packs can now be dropped from the Browser on the Channel Rack window to open a new FLEX instance.
• MIDI Settings - The Controller Type list in the MIDI settings window now shows scripts first.
• News Panel - Items show the date they were published.
• Playlist - Audio Clip Fades. Old projects now load with automatic crossfades turned off.
• Playlist - Deleting all grouped clips in the Picker Panel doesn't remove group if it's empty.
• Plugins - New detached plugin windows are now opened on the same screen as the FL Studio window.
• Project Info - Now includes the number of Playlist Arrangements in the project.
• MIDI Scripting: - Added the following:
  • Function to get information to identify a device.
  • mixer.setActiveTrack function.
  • Function to start and stop playback.
  • Function to clone patterns.
  • Function to get the index of the "active" effect plugin.
  • Function to retrieve the MIDI channel for a linked control.
  • support for global channel indexes within the plugins module.
  • Function to open the editor window for effect plugins.
  • Function to set the target mixer track for a channel.
  • Functions to control step input mode.
  • Allow MIDI devices with the same name to use different scripts.

Continued

Explore FL Studio 20 here...