Setup tab
1. Setup
The Setup tab contains controls and options that affect the behavior of features at other locations in FL Studio mobile as described by the tabs.2. General settings
2.1 Latency (iOS Only)
The time interval between your finger touching a key in the keyboard tab and the sound being audible is called latency. Low latency is required for a musician to feel connected with the virtual instrument and to play fast pieces. However, on slower devices, high CPU load can lead to stuttering/crackling in the audio output. This can happen if a complex song with many tracks is played back or if the device is busy with background tasks like mobile phone network processes. To avoid these performance dropouts, the latency can be increased, however the keyboard's responsiveness will suffer.
You might want to choose the lowest possible latency for recording and a higher latency to ensure stutter-free editing and playback.
2.2 Polyphony
Polyphony defines the maximum number of notes that can be played simultaneously. High polyphony requires more CPU and can lead to stuttering/crackling in the audio output, but low polyphony can result in notes fading out too soon.
If it is set to 16 and at one point during playback, the song would require 17 notes to be played simultaneously, the oldest note will quickly be faded out to allow the new one to play. The required polyphony of a song depends on the number of simultaneous notes on all tracks, and heavily on the release times. When exporting a song to a wav file, a polyphony of 128 is applied.
In addition to this setting, the polyphony is automatically restricted for each track to 16 (8 on devices prior to the iPhone 4).
2.3 Keep attack/release times on instrument change
Preserves the current (PAN, VOL, ATT, REL) settings on an instrument change for the selected track.
2.4 Loop region in the step editor
Loops the region of the Step Sequencer pattern currently displayed.
2.5 Lock interface orientation
Stops the interface from rotating with the device orientation.
2.6 Background audio (iOS only)
The Background audio option allows playback while FL Studio Mobile is running in the background. To send FL Studio Mobile to the background - Start a song playing and click the home button, and playback continues, even if you launch other apps. Battery usage - If background audio is enabled, FL Studio will drain your battery significantly faster than normal, even if the screen is turned off or if other apps are running. To save battery - press the power button to switch the screen off during playback of a song. To quit FL Studio from background - double tap the home button, tap and hold the FL Studio Mobile icon, then tap the red minus icon.
In combination with MIDI, background audio has several practical uses:
- Play a backing track from FL Studio Mobile, in the background, while performing with another music app (synth for example).
- Use any app that sends Core MIDI (or virtual MIDI) data to trigger FL Studio Mobile's instruments.
TIP: Set MIDI IN to TRACKS, create 16 empty tracks and assign different instruments to them. Then configure the other app to send on a specific channel 1-16 to select the instrument.
- Use FL Studio Mobile as a sequencer to control other background apps that can use Core MIDI (or virtual MIDI).
TIP: Set MIDI OUT to TRACKS to send each track’s notes to the MIDI channel corresponding to its track number. Configure other apps to receive MIDI IN from a specific channel to select the track.
2.7 Register FL Studio Mobile
FL Studio Mobile (iPod Touch & iPhone) & FL Studio Mobile HD (iPad) are registered to your device trough the Apple Store and iTunes. There are however additional benefits of registering your copy with us here at Image-Line:
- Join our user community and share projects and tips.
- Get technical support.
- Download the FL Studio Mobile content for FL Studio so you can import your projects.
To register FL Studio Mobile:
- Make sure 'private browsing' is OFF and cookies are enabled from the home screen Settings > Safari.
- Tap the 'Setup' tab.
- Tap the 'Register' button.
- Tap the 'OK' button on the pop-up window. This opens the Web browser and takes you to the Image-Line website where you can register FL Studio Mobile with us. If you are already an Image-Line customer make sure to select the 'returning customer' option and password.
Shown below are the first two Web-pages of the account creation process where you can enter your login email and create an account. NOTE: If you are already an Image-Line customer make sure to log in with the 'returning customer' option and your password.
Enter your account details and select a password:
2.8 User Forum
Opens the Safari Web browser to the FL Studio Mobile user forum where you can share projects, instruments and tips with fellow FL Studio Mobile users. NOTE: Requires registration to gain access (see above).
2.9 WiFi Server Connection (iOS only)
The WiFi server allows you to transfer files between FL Studio Mobile and your computer or other iOS devices connected to the same WiFi network. Alternately you can use iTunes file sharing. The WiFi server allows files to be added, downloaded or removed via the other device's Web browser as follows:
- Make sure your iOS Device & Web-browsing device/computer are connected to the same WiFi network.
- Tap the 'Setup' tab.
- Tap the 'WiFi Server' button.
- From the pop-up note the Web to address to use in your Browser.
- Enter the Web address into the Web browser on the second device/computer and press enter.
NOTE: You may need to re-boot your device to get it to show on your local network AND needless to say your computer needs access to the wireless network also (most ADSL modem/routers have WiFi and this is the path to the wireless network).
Once you enter the Web address shown on your iOS device into Safari on your second iOS device, or your computer's Web browser, you will gain access to the first iOS device it over the WiFi network and the following home-screen will appear:
Tap on folders to see their contents:
NOTE: Both your iOS Device and the Web browsing device/computer need to be connected to the same WiFi network.
Use the Browse, Import, Delete buttons to manage your data.
2.10 External Hardware (iOS only)
The hardware setup section indicates if compatible hardware is connected. In this case, the Configure button becomes active and shows a popup with hardware specific settings (iOS only).
2.11 Restore defaults button
Brings up a popup asking you if the factory defaults should be restored. This means resetting all preferences in the setup tab and creating a new song. Saved songs (i.e. all files in the projects tab file list) will remain unchanged.
3. Keyboard settings
3.1 Velocity control
Enable velocity to control the note volume while playing on the keyboard. The volume depends on where you touch a key (top = quiet, bottom = forte).
3.2 Snap to white keys
If enabled, scrolling in the keyboard tab will snap to the nearest white key.
3.3 Allow touches between black keys
If enabled, white keys can be touched in the area between the black keys. Otherwise, white keys can only be touched on the area below the black keys.
3.4 German key labeling
The German key naming system uses the letter H instead of B and B instead of A#. If checked, key labels on the keyboard tab and the piano roll editor's display use this naming convention.
3.5 Auto quantization
To save time, quantization can be automatically applied after each recording on the keyboard. The default setting is off, meaning that the Bar Editor or the piano-roll editor need to be utilized in order to quantize notes. Keep in mind that automatic quantization can lead to undesirable results and is not undoable. It is recommended for bass and drum recording.
3.6 Transposition
If you tap a C on the keyboard with the transposition set to +2, a D will be played. The transposition range of -11 to +11 semitones allows you to play in a different key without having to learn the melody again.
4. Pitch Bend
If the pitch bend effect and the accelerometer button in the keyboard tab are enabled, the pitch of the currently played notes can be influenced by tilting the device.
Unlike most MIDI sequencers, FL Studio Mobile stores pitch bend data per note, not just per track. This means that two simultaneous notes on the same track can have different pitch bend data (events). The big advantage of this method is that editing a note automatically affects the pitch bend data for this note, but does not affect any other notes on the track (other software sequencers commonly ask if you want to move the pitch bend data too, this is obsolete with this method).
In the piano roll editor, notes with pitch bend data have a different texture (a vertical color gradient).
4.1 Semitone slider
Set the pitch bend range with the semitone slider from +/-1 to +/-24 semitones.
4.2 Sensitivity slider
The tilt angle required to bend the maximum semitone range is controlled with the sensitivity slider. The text to the right of the sliders clarifies the behavior of the current setting (e.g. the device needs to be tilted 45 degrees to achieve a pitch bend of 8 semitones).
4.3 Pitch bend accelerometer axis
This knob selects if the pitch bend reacts to tilt in the x or the y direction. If you are holding your device in landscape orientation X is left/right and Y front/back
4.4 Pitch bend invert axis checkbox
Enable it to invert the behavior of the current accelerometer axis, e.g. moving down (instead of up) will increase the pitch.
4.5 Pitch bend record mode
The recording mode controls how existing pitch bend data is treated at recording.
- In overwrite mode, existing pitch bend events on the recorded track are overwritten by the new ones.
- Overdub mode preserves existing pitch bend data and stores the new pitch bend events only for newly recorded notes.
5. Metronome settings
5.1 Volume
The volume slider controls the gain of the metronome tick sound.
5.2 Precount
Set how many bars a recording will be precount. This is useful if you want to record the first note at the very beginning of the song (beat 1.1). Without precount, there wouldn't be enough time to tap the record button and immediately play the first note. Additionally, precount helps to get in time with the rhythm before you start playing (recording).
For example if precount is set to 2 bars, the playhead position is at the beginning of the song (1.1) and you tap the record button, the playhead will count 2 bars from -2.1, -1.1 until the recording starts at 1.1.
5.3 Precount only at the beginning of the song
If checked, precount is only applied if the left song marker is positioned at the beginning of the song. If it is not checked and the left song marker is for example at position 7.1, a 1-bar precount will begin at 6.1.
6. Hardware Configuration Popup (iOS only)
The MIDI hardware configuration popup looks different depending on the kind of hardware connected. For the Akai SynthStation 25, it shows the battery level. For CoreMIDI devices, it presents parameters for input and output. Port selection is available for CoreMIDI devices only.
6.1 MIDI IN (iOS only)
Connect the MIDI IN port to any keyboard’s MIDI OUT port. Every key that you press on the hardware keyboard will be received by the app. The channel can be set to the following values:
- TRACKS: Incoming MIDI events are routed to the corresponding tracks 1-16 (if existing).
- ALL: All incoming MIDI events are routed to the keyboard (upper row), regardless of their channel.
- 1-16: Only events with this channel are routed to the keyboard.
In addition to note on/off events, FL Studio Mobile responds to the following MIDI events:
- Note velocity
- Sustain pedal (also called hold switch) on/off
- Pitch wheel: the pitch bend effect will be enabled automatically
- Mod wheel: if the filter effect is enabled, it can be controlled with a hardware mod wheel (MIDI CC01)
- Volume and pan: the selected track’s parameters can be set with a hardware controller (MIDI CC07 and CC10)
6.2 MIDI OUT (iOS only)
Connect the MIDI OUT port to any keyboard’s MIDI IN port to control it with your iOS Device. Note on, note off and pitch bend MIDI events are sent to the connected device as you play on the keyboard tab, tilt the iOS Device or play back a song. The channel can be set to the following values:
- TRACKS: MIDI events from all tracks are sent to the MIDI OUT port during playback. A track’s channel is defined by its track number. Tracks above number 16 are mapped to channel 1.
- 1-16: Only the keys touched in the keyboard tab are transmitted to the selected MIDI channel. When a song is played back, recorded notes will not be transmitted in this mode.
6.3 Port (iOS only)
If a CoreMIDI device is connected, the input and output ports can be selected. The possible values are ALL (send to or receive from all ports) and the respective port number. For example, most MIDI-USB adapter cable have two plugs and thus two ports.
6.4 MIDI Panic (iOS only)
Tap the MIDI Panic button to silence both FL Studio Mobile and the device connected through MIDI Mobilizer. This can be useful in the rare event that notes are "hanging".
6.5. Akai SynthStation 25 (iOS only)
Your iPhone or iPod Touch can be inserted into the SynthStation to input notes with its 2-octave velocity sensitive keyboard. The audio output is routed through the SynthStation where you can connect headphones or use RCA jacks. Here is how FL Studio Mobile responds to the SynthStation’s controls:
- Pitch bend wheel: controls the pitch bend
- Mod wheel: controls the filter effect
- Drums button:
- When pressed while piano keys are pressed, this button acts as a sustain button.
- Otherwise (when no piano keys are down) it selects a drum kit.
- Synth buttons: select various synth instruments
- Program prev/next: change the current track’s instrument to the previous/next one in the instrument list
- Octave down/up: change the keyboard’s position on FL Studio Mobile’s full 7 octave keyboard. Note: the on-screen keyboard is independent of these buttons.
6.6. Core MIDI (iOS only)
For devices with iOS 4.2 (or later), connected Core MIDI devices are supported. Certain USB keyboards and USB-MIDI adapter cables can be connected to the iPad via the Camera Connection Kit, if they match the CoreMIDI standard and have very low USB power requirements or an external power supply.
6.7. Compatible Hardware List (iOS only)
FL Studio Mobile supports up to 24 input channels.
- All Core MIDI devices
- Akai SynthStation 25 - Your iPhone or iPod Touch can be inserted into the SynthStation to input notes with its 2-octave velocity sensitive keyboard. The audio output is routed through the SynthStation where you can connect headphones or use RCA jacks. The SynthStation’s mod wheel controls the filter effect. The program prev/next buttons let you browse the instrument list.
- Alesis IO Dock (iPad only) - The IO Dock has 2 audio inputs for stereo or 2x simultaneous mono recording. Features MIDI IN and OUT ports.
- Ampkit Link - Mono instrument recording through the headphone jack.
- Apogee Jam - Mono instrument recording through the dock connector.
- Apple Camera Connection Kit - USB adapter (iPad only).
- Apple earphones - With microphone for mono recording through the headphone jack.
- BlueMikey- iPod Touch up to 3rd generation only.
- Guitar Jack - iPod Touch 2nd and 3rd generation only.
- Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 & 18i6 - 2 & 18 inputs. Connect via cable to dock.
- iConnectMIDI - Sports 4 MIDI and 3 USB ports and provides very low latency.
- iRig Mic - Mono microphone recording through the headphone jack.
- iRig MIDI - MIDI IN, OUT and Thru ports and a micro USB port for charging the iDevice are iRig MIDI’s features.
- iRig - Mono instrument (guitar and bass) recording through the headphone jack.
- iTrack Solo - 1 Switchable phantom powered XLR mic and 1 instrument input – 1/4" unbalanced (guitar etc). Connects via custom cable direct to the docking port.
- Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer I & II - The MIDI Mobilizer works on all devices and has MIDI IN and OUT cables (ports).
- Line 6 Mobile In - Stereo line in with guitar input.
- Line 6 Mobile Keys - MIDI keyboard. Connects via dock cable.
- RØDE iXY Stereo Microphone - Connects via the dock (30-pin). Use the RØDE Rec app to set the recording levels then open FL Studio Mobile.
- RME FireFace UCX - Connected via Apple’s CCK (iPad only) and set into CC mode, the RME FireFace UCX provides 18 input channels, which can be recorded simultaneously as 18 mono or 9 stereo files.
- Some mono USB microphones - Inc. Samson Meteor Mic & Logitech Desktop Mic, work when connected to the CCK USB adapter.
- Sonoma GuitarJack 2 - 1/4 inch instrument input with configurable Pad, Lo-Z and Hi-Z modes. 1/8 inch stereo mic/line input with Pad, Normal and Boost modes. 1/8 inch stereo output. Connects via dock connector.
- Tascam iM2 - Turns the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into a high-quality stereo recorder. Connects through the dock directly.
- Tascam iU2 - Stereo audio interface for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Features two 1/4" & XLR mic inputs with phantom power, MIDI in/out & connects through the docking port via a cable.
- Tascam iXZ - Single input audio interface for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Connects through the headphone jack.
- Yamaha i-MX1 - MIDI interface cable which enables iPad/iPhone to be connected to any MIDI instrument. Connects via dock.