MIXING & EFFECTS

Mixer menu

This section covers the Mixer menu commands (1). For reference, the Mixer diagram is at the bottom of this page.

Options

• Disk recording
  • Render to wave file - Renders all Mixer Tracks prepared for recording to a wave file (see Disk Recording).
  • Auto-unarm - If enabled, all armed Tracks for recording will be automatically unarmed after the recording session is complete.
  • Auto-create audio clips - If enabled, FL Studio inserts all rendered Mixer Tracks as audio clips in the Playlist after recording.
  • Latency compensation - This applies to external audio input latency caused by the ASIO Buffer length setting. When selected FL Studio attempts to remove input latency from recorded Audio Clips so they correctly align with the Playlist. NOTES: 1. Internal mixer Audio does not need latency compensation so this option should be off. 2. Depending on your system and ASIO drivers, you may still need to fine tune the clip placement. See also: Delay compensation on the 'Rendering dialog' options. This removes delay introduced by internal PDC where appropriate.
  • 32-Bit float recording - If enabled, audio recording Tracks are saved as 32-Bit wave files, otherwise the standard 16-Bit format is used. '32-Bit floating point recording' is only necessary if your soundcard is set to record at a bit-depth higher than 16-Bit (24-Bit for example). 32-Bit will preserve the full quality of all soundcard quantization's above 16-Bit. NOTE: FL Studio receives audio from the soundcard as a pre-digitized stream, the bit-depth set here has no effect on the recorded bit-depth (that is set in the soundcard options). Saving a 16-Bit sample at 32-Bit will make the file significantly larger with no gain in quality.
• Plugin delay compensation (PDC) - Compensates for plugin processing delays to bring Mixer Track audio back into sync (see the section on PDC).
  • Set for all tracks - One-time automatic setting of the PDC delay panels (C) of all active Mixer tracks. The system adds the same delay as the maximum plugin delay detected to all active Mixer tracks, minus each individual track's own delay (if any). This method may use more CPU than 'intelligent' (yes you are) manual PDC setup where fewer tracks may need delays. This option is grayed-out when 'Automatic' (see below is selected).
  • Automatic - Automatically applies PDC (as described above) and updates the PDC settings when changes are detected. This is the default mode for new projects. If APDC fails you will need to reset the delays on each active mixer track and use manual PDC. NOTE: This option's state is saved per-project.
• Link all parameters... - Opens a link-dialog that is designed to link automatable software parameters to 'tweaked' hardware controllers and then automatically move to the next item in the 'parameter list' ready for the next link. There are options for skipping parameters or jumping to new locations in the list as described below:
  • Basic operation - Select 'Link all parameters' from the menu, and move the first hardware controller to be linked (the link is made to the first item in the 'Current parameter' list), when you move the second hardware controller it will be auto-linked to the next parameter and so on, until the end of the parameter list is reached or the link-dialog is closed. You may choose to keep moving the same hardware controller (in this case all parameters will link to the same hardware knob) or move to a new hardware controller, where the new hardware controller will be linked.
  • To skip a link - Left-click the Skip button at the bottom of the link-dialog (immediately left of the 'Accept' button).
  • To jump directly to a parameter - use the Current parameter menu (top most in the link-dialog) and select the target parameter you are interested in. You can then continue auto-linking from that point in the list by moving hardware controllers as before OR jump to another parameter in the list using the 'Current parameter' menu as previously described.
• View
  • Waveforms ( Alt+W) - Replaces the Mixer peak meters with waveform views. Width now determines peak level.
  • Wide tracks - An alternative, wide-mixer, view. See, nagging in Looptalk works :)
  • Big meter - Toggles the visibility of the large peak-meter (5).
  • Names at bottom - Toggles the position of the Track names (3) from the top (default) to the bottom (alternative).
  • Tracks on right side - Toggles the position of the FX slots, Track Properties and Track I/O (6, 7, 8 & 9) from the right (default) to the left (alternative).
• Detached - Detaches the Playlist from the FL Studio workspace, allowing it to be dragged to another monitor.

Mixer Track

• File - Open and save Mixer state files.
  • Open mixer track state - Allows you to restore a previously saved Mixer Track state in the selected Mixer Track.
  • Save mixer track state - Allows you to save the state of the selected Mixer Track, which includes the Track settings and plugin filters.
  • Browse states - Opens the Mixer presets in the Browser menu.
• Open audio editor ( Ctrl+E) - Opens Edison in the first available FX slot in the selected Mixer Track.
• Open audio logger ( Ctrl+E) - Opens Edison in the first available FX slot in the selected Mixer Track. Edison will be set to 'audio logging' mode, that is, recording on FL Studio play and set to a 5 minute rolling audio-log.

• Link Selected Channels - Inter Mixer Track routing options.
  • To this track ( Ctrl+L) - All channels selected in the Channel Window will be linked to the currently selected Mixer Track.
  • Starting from this track ( Shift+Ctrl+L) - All channels selected in the Channel Window will be linked to individual Mixer Tracks, starting from the current one. For example, if three channels were selected and the current Mixer Track is 4, the channels will be linked to Tracks 4, 5 and 6.
• Select Linked Channels ( Alt+L) - Select Channels linked to the active Mixer Track .

• Create submix to - Modifies Mixer Track routing so that the currently selected Mixer Track is inserted between the Track chosen from the pop-up menu and all the Tracks originally routed to the chosen track. For example, in a new project, select Track 1 then use the Create submix to option and choose Master from the pop-up menu. Now all Mixer Tracks are routed to Track 1 and Track 1 is routed to the Master. Track 1 is now between the Master and all the Tracks originally routed to the Master. The intended purpose is to assist PDC setup where a Track needs to be created between the Master and all plugins requiring an added delay compensation.
• Set icon - Select from a menu of icons to appear at the top of the Mixer Track label area. Use these to improve the visibility of important Mixer Tracks or to aid surround-mixing setups (a set of surround-mixing icons have been provided). Once the name dialog is open, press ( F2) to randomly select colors.

• Rename ( F2) - Set the selected Mixer Track name and color.

• Solo ( S) - Solos the output from the selected Track.
• Alt Solo ( Alt+S) - Solos the selected Track AND all other Mixer Tracks routed TO and FROM it.

CPU

• Allow threaded processing - When OFF will override any individual Plugin Wrapper Plugin Menu 'Allow threaded processing' ON settings. NOTE: When ON this will not override Plugin Wrapper Plugin Menu 'Allow threaded processing' OFF settings or the Plugin Wrapper Processing Tab Option 'Allow threaded processing' OFF settings.

• Move left ( Shift+Left Arrow) - Move the selected Mixer Track left.
• Move right ( Shift+Right Arrow) - Move the selected Track right.

Mixer reference diagram

Full descriptions are available on the main Mixer page.

1. Mixer menu
2. Mixer Track Scroll Bar
3. Mixer Insert Tracks
4. Send Tracks & Selected Track
5. Big Peak Meter
6. External mixer input
7. External mixer output
8. FX slots
9. Mixer Track Properties
10. Master Mixer Track
11. Small Peak Meter
12. Mute Switch
13. Pan Knob
14. Level Fader
15. Send Knobs
16. FX Enable/Disable Switch
17. Track Recording Switch
18. Track Send / Sidechain Enable Switch

NOTE: Most controls are automatable (Right-click and select 'Create automation clip').