FL Studio: Mixer for creative music productions

In this tutorial, you will learn the basic functions of the mixer in FL Studio. The mixer is an essential tool for editing your tracks, adding effects, and optimizing the sound image. Whether you are interested in music production, sound design, or audio editing, the mixer will play a crucial role in your creative process. So let's dive right in and explore the possibilities that the mixer in FL Studio offers you.

Main takeaways

The mixer in FL Studio allows you to mix individual tracks, add various effects, and actively shape the overall sound of your compositions. You can control the volume, apply effects, and adjust the signal direction. This gives you control over sound creation, which is necessary for professional music production.

Step-by-step guide

1. Open the mixer

To open the mixer in FL Studio 21, simply press the F9 key on your keyboard. The mixer will then appear on your screen, and you will see the different tracks and the master track.

2. Listen to the track

Before you start mixing, it's important to get an idea of the sound of your track. Play the track that is already placed on your Step Sequencer to assess the sound quality.

3. Understand the master track

The mixer includes a master track that allows you to control the overall volume of the track. You can both reduce and increase the volume, which is important for sound mastering. To make a quick adjustment, hold down the ALT key and click with the left mouse button on the volume control.

4. Select tracks

In your mixer, you can have up to 20 tracks. You can adjust the displayed tracks by using the options in the mixer. Choose the number of tracks you want to work with to improve clarity.

5. Link tracks

The individual numbers in your Step Sequencer indicate which sounds are connected in the mixer. You can activate or deactivate this connection. If you hide a track in the mixer, the sound will no longer be routed through the mixer.

6. Add effects

To add effects, select one of the effect slots in the mixer. For example, if you want to add an echo effect, select the first slot and click on "Delay Bank." This will open a plugin that you can then activate for the corresponding sound.

7. Adjust effects

After adding an effect, you also have the option to select presets available in the plugin. Experiment with different settings to find what best suits your sound.

8. Control effect intensity

You can adjust the intensity of an effect by moving the effect slider. Perform some simple tests to create the desired sound image.

9. Try out more effects

Take a look at the other effect slots in the mixer and add additional effects like reverb if needed. Click on a free slot and select the reverb effect to bring more spaciousness to your sound.

10. Perform mastering

Use the various tools in the mixer to adjust the volume levels of your tracks. A multiband compressor can help you work on specific frequencies of sounds and optimize the overall dynamics of the mix.

11. Activate and Deactivate Effects

In each effects slot, you can activate or deactivate the effects. This gives you the opportunity to analyze different sounds and find the ideal mix without having to go through the entire mixer again.

12. Optimize Workflow

Take advantage of the ability to connect different racks. This way, you can combine and manage multiple channels and effects effectively, without having to constantly open new channels.

Summary

In this tutorial, you have learned how to effectively use the mixer in FL Studio 21 to mix your tracks and add creative effects. You had the opportunity to familiarize yourself with various functions, from selecting tracks to applying effects that give your sound depth and character.