My Top 12 Suggestions for the Folks at Image Line [Added Solutions]

[i5]

Hi Everyone,

I've been using FL for about a year now, and I thought I'd share my top 10 suggestions for improving it:

1) Shifting in smaller increments on the playlist. When it comes to sound design for short sounds like drums, the smallest increments you can shift in on the FL playlist are too big! Solved: ADJUST PPQ UNDER Settings > Project

2) Smaller default automation clip size. When you add a last tweaked parameter, it defaults to the size of the entire track unless you have an area selected. Now, I personally have never used an automation clip nearly half this long. So my suggestion is for the default size of automation to be tempo based, and something in the region of 5-10 seconds. If you want an automation clip that spans the entire track, it would be far easier to select the entire track than a delicate 5-10 second portion of it (which usually requires changing the snap to grid value). I would also suggest that a new track is inserted whenever an automation is added, and that it is labeled whatever the automation is called. In terms of workflow, this would make a big difference.

3) Reverse assignment for patterns. Instead of always locating patterns via the playlist or a list, it would be nice to be able to right click on a sound generator or audio clip and see which patterns it contains midi information for. I.e. if I right click on Harmor it might say "Patterns> Pattern 5, Pattern 21, Pattern 22". Then clicking on one of the patterns would bring up that pattern.

4) A way to assign the same automation clip to different parameters. This doesn't need much explanation. If I want the exact same automation for a different parameter I usually have to create a new automation clip, go into the properties of the old automation clip, copy the old value, then paste it into the new clip. The other solution to this is to have a function which copies information INSIDE the midi or automation clip you have selected. I.e. maybe ctrl + shift + c copies automation or midi information inside a clip, and ctrl + shift + v pastes it inside a clip. Solution: LINK NEW PARAMETER TO CONTROLLER AND SELECT THE AUTOMATION YOU WANT IT TO MIRROR

5) Layers should show their children by default. When I put a bunch of sound generators into a layer, I usually spend a lot of time tweaking parameters on those sound generators. Having to 'show children' every time I want to see them, for me has offset the value of using layers in the first place.

6) Automation doesn't return to its original value. I'm not sure if this is an option, but when an automation clip ends, the parameter it automates doesn't return to its original value. Instead it is necessary to make new automation data to signal that the old one has ended. This is of course highly inefficient, unless all of your automation clips span the length of your track! I have a feeling that I might be missing an option somewhere for this one..

7) Pasting. This is something I've actually given up on in FL. I never paste things, I shift click them. I have no idea why pasting is so counter-intuitive in FL, but here is my simple suggestion. When you paste something you've copied, it should start exactly where the thing you've copied ends. NOT BEFORE!! It is absolute madness that pasting defaults to your snap to grid value, I have never used the ctrl + v function in FL without immediately undoing what I've done. For the snap to grid to be useful, it should snap the pasted information to the nearest grid value that comes AFTER the copied information. Solution: Ctrl + B WILL PASTE INFORMATION DIRECTLY AFTER IT ENDS

On the same subject, I have not yet found a way to select or copy individual points in an automation clip. Is it possible? This would be very helpful once the integrity of the paste function has been restored.

8.) Search filter for plugin menu. This is another easy one. Please please add a search function for the plugins menu.

9) Undo function for replaced audio samples. Ok, so sometimes I accidentally click my middle mouse button on a sample I'm browsing. What this does is it replaces whatever audio you have selected with that sample. It sucks that this is a middle mouse click function, but what's worse is you can't undo replaced audio samples. I have reverted to backups several times because I keep having this silly accident!

10) Tooltip for length of audio clips in milliseconds. This would be useful mainly for the purposes of quickly determining release times on compressors. When you hover over an audio clip, its length could be displayed in milliseconds.

EDIT: 11) Converting audio clips to sampler clips and midi data. I just remembered this one. A function whereby highlighted audio clips are converted into sampler clips and placed into a midi sequence/pattern that mirrors how they were arranged on the playlist.

EDIT: 12) Duplicate automations should not fight each other!. If there are two automatons both trying to change the same parameter to different things, the parameter will oscillate between them. This is an incredibly unproductive way to resolve competing automations. Either don't allow the oldest automation to compete at all, or preferably sum the two automations together and come to a new consistent value. E.g. if one volume automation says a parameter should be at 0% at a given time, and the other wants it at 100% at that time, it should resolve as 50% at that time. It shouldn't jump between 0% and 100%.

If you've read through all of this thank you so much for taking the time. I believe these are some of the greatest weaknesses in an otherwise very solid DAW. I'm a big fan of FL and I love that you guys update so regularly, so I hope you'll consider some of the above for the next one!

Much love

Ivan [iGBk]

[tomaschavez00]

1) Have you tried to hold ALT while shifting? A...

[user000001]

Nice list. I can agree first hand with 3,7,8,9

[i5]

Hey, thanks for the tips! Re 1) yeah I often ...

[tomaschavez00]

6) Right click the parameter and then click on ...

[tomaschavez00]

i5 wrote:Hey, thanks for the tips! 1) yeah I ...

[i5]

Oh great, adjusting the PPQ did the trick. It w...

[i5]

tomaschavez00 wrote:7) You can try CTRL+B or ho...

[amiller]

Hi to Ivan and all your other FL Studio lovers ...

[KerrinGreally]

8.) "More plugins..."

[i5]

Thanks amiller, those are some useful workaroun...

[Ayjent]

As to No. 4 in the original post. I think th...

[kurlz]

#9 undo for accidentally dropped samples on to...