We have released FL Studio Mobile 2.5 for iOS and Android 2.0.6, see the end of this News item for details. This will be the last release of the current FL Studio Mobile 2 (FLM 2) design. Here's why:
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT FL STUDIO MOBILE 3
FL Studio Mobile 3 ...
FL Studio Mobile 3 (FLM 3) is almost ready and it is a complete ground-up re-write of the platform. We need you to make the decision whether you stay with the current design or migrate to the new platform. If you want to stay with the current design DO NOT UPDATE beyond iOS 2.5 or Android 2.0.6. If you do, you will receive FLM 3 and it will be very different and there is no going back.
Why do I need to decide anything?
The Google Play and Apple iTunes App stores do not allow us to change a product name and transfer customers to a new application. In order to deliver free updates, to the product that you paid for, we need to insert FL Mobile 3 in place of FL Mobile 2. The key point is that FLM 3 is a radical departure from FLM 2. It will require learning a whole new application and workflow. We know many people don't like that, but the App must progress.
Why are you doing this? Too slow our bad!
We know many of our customers have been disappointed with the delivery of FL Studio Mobile Android features. We expected iOS and Android to be in sync over 12 months ago, but the development platform proved to be more complex and development much slower than anticipated. In turn, this slowed down iOS development and it got to the point we decided to start over. We completely re-wrote FLM 3, on a new development platform using our own custom framework that we developed for Groove Machine Mobile.
What's going to change?
FLM 3 is not simply an update of FLM 2. It's a completely new application. This includes the user interface, internal architecture and features. We have built FLM 3 around the feature-set you would expect on a modern desktop DAW.
Starting again meant we took the logical step of incorporating many features and changes that have been suggested by customers over the last 3 years and so redesigning the application. FLM 3 1.0 is likely to be a little rough around the edges, being a brand new application, so if you are not up for that, please ignore updates until you see people reporting the application is clearly better than FL Mobile 2.
What OS formats will be supported?
Android, iOS, Windows App, Windows Phone, FL Studio Plugin, VST/AU Plugin (to be decided)...and more if we decide to. The point is, that we are now able to compile for just about any OS as needed, from the same source code. This was not possible with FLM 2.
FLM 3 works as a FL Studio plugin. The plugin version is 100% identical to the mobile version, it's the same code just compiled as a Windows compatible plugin. This allows you to start projects on the desktop and move to your mobile device and back again. No translation of projects will be necessary; you are running the same app inside FL Studio (for the desktop) as you run on your mobile device.
Mobile 2 vs 3 project compatibility
FLM 2 projects will load in FLM 3, however we can't guarantee 100% identical sound. Yes, FLM 3 will have MiniSynth (plus more plugins, which is the point) and it will be able to load the same sample libraries. However the effects & instrument architecture is different, so this will result in some changes to the sound of projects made in FLM 2 when loaded in FLM 3. See below:
Purchased instruments
Your in-app purchased instruments will be transferred to the new version and will continue to work. No need to buy anything twice.
Project structure
Like FLM 2, FLM 3 has Playlist tracks. But that’s about where the similarities end. Each FLM 3 Playlist track has an associated ‘rack’. This can contain any number of instrument and effects plugins. The only limit is your CPU power. There are now also automation-clip style tracks that can be edited just as you can now in FL Studio for the desktop.
There is a new Step-sequencer sampler instrument, a multi-sample player instrument, synthesizer plugins (such as MiniSynth), and multiple effects plugins. You can choose to use any or all of these on each Playlist track.
When will it be ready?
This time, from day one, all formats Android, iOS, Windows App and FL Plugin will have the same feature set. We are presently in ALPHA testing. In other words the Application is under heavy development and we have been working on this for some time, one reason FL Studio Mobile 2 development stalled. FL Mobile 3 will be released when it's ready, we hope that will be soon, but can't give you an exact date.
Can I see more of it?
Sure, see here on the user FL Studio Mobile user forum.
About the user interface
FLM 3 is designed to work on any screen from the size of a phone to a TV sized touch-monitor. It’s one of those things that you will need to experience first-hand to understand it. The new design is more open-ended and flexible.
Summary
Thanks again for your support and making FL Studio Mobile one of the most successful music production Apps on the Apple & Google App stores. We are sure that FL Studio Mobile 3 will take the application to the next level in more than just version number ;) Please be patient while we roll this out and address the early bugs and issues that inevitably follow a new release.
WHAT'S NEW FOR FL MOBILE iOS 2.5 ANDROID 2.0.3
iOS
- 64-bit support
- Inter-App Audio
- iCloud Drive
- Polyphony increased to 128
- Bug fixes
- FLM 3 announcement popup
Android
- Bug fixes
- FLM3 announcement popup
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