PANELS

Main Panel

The Main panel contains some essential controls for each application including the title bar, main menu bar, hint panel and the minimize/maximize/restore and close buttons. It also contains the global volume and pitch controls.

1. Menu Bar - Provides access to the main menus in FL Studio. For more information, see the Menu Bar.
2. Hint Bar - If you place your cursor over any control a short description of it will appear here. The hint bar will also display the value of a wheel or slider during adjustment. There is an additional Extended Hint Panel, that displays the same information in a larger format. To select it, use the View Menu > Toolbars > Hint bar option.
3. Title Bar - Shows the name of the song currently open in FL Studio.
4. Minimize - Hides the main window.
5. Maximize/Restore - Maximizes/restores FL Studio's main window. Multi-monitor mode - After opening FL Studio, click this button then click on the right-most edge of the FL Studio desktop and drag across the screens you want to occupy. Alternatively, a number of FL Studio windows can be detached from the desktop and moved to a different monitor. See the menus associated with the main FL Studio windows (e.g. Playlist, Piano roll, Mixer, etc.) and look for the 'Detached' option.
6. Close (Alt+F4) - Closes FL Studio.
7. Sync LED - Blinks at the beginning of each beat and signals blue at the beginning of each bar. Note: The Sync LED works only when the Enable MIDI Output option in Options menu is checked.
8. MIDI Activity LED - Blinks when MIDI data is received from the MIDI input device (see Linking Controllers). Colors:
   • Orange - MIDI input handled. Input was received and was assigned to a Project-level link target.
   • Blue - MIDI input received and was assigned to a Generic-level link target.
   • Green - MIDI input unhandled. MIDI input received but was not used by anything (the futility!).
   • Grey - No MIDI input detected.
9. Main Volume - Sets the main volume in FL Studio; the last volume level the audio passes before it leaves the program. The main volume control provides quick level adjustments while listening to projects. However, when rendering projects, the main volume should be set at the default level (Right-click and select 'reset' to restore to the default value). See the help section on Levels and Mixing to learn how to set mixing levels in FL Studio.
10. Main Pitch - Sets the main pitch of instruments in FL Studio.

Hint Bar

The Hint Bar is particularly useful. Position your cursor over any control and a short description will appear. If you click on a control, the value will be displayed (Right-click and copy any value from a control if desired). Similarly 'hovering' your cursor over most peak meters will show the value at the pointer position. On the right you will find different icons explaining what the hovered item is capable of:

From left to right -

• Control name ('Play / Pause' in this case) - The actual text depends on what part of the user interface the mouse pointer is over. Keyboard shortcuts (if available) also display on the right side of the Hint Bar near any icons.
• Icon display - On the right-side of the Hint Bar (no not all at once, that's just to show you the possibilities). From left to right:
  • MIDI plug - The parameter can be linked to anything (a MIDI control, an internal controller etc)
  • Recording - The parameter can be automated, recorded, respond to an envelope controller.
  • Happy face - Shown when things went fine (such as a successful search in the Browser).
  • Right mouse button - Whenever you see this, it means that you can Right-click the control in order to access a popup or other feature. However, the lack of this icon doesn't necessarily mean that there is no Right-click feature. Always try clicking a control with every mouse button.
  • Sad face - Shown when things went wrong. Rarely seen.
  • Arrow to the left - To be honest we can't remember where we used this one, or if it was *ever* used. Tell us if you see it, and what you were doing, we want to know
  • Fast forward - Shown when holding a fast-forward key (Playlist, Edison)
  • Attention/warning - Shown when the hint is important and you shouldn't miss it.
  • Hourglass - Shown for lengthy operations. Rarely used, as the hourglass mouse cursor is used instead.
  • Backward - Shown when holding a backward keyboard key (Playlist, Edison etc)
  • Links - Shown for 2 events that are linked (grouped) together.

There is an optional, larger, floating Hint panel revealed by the View > Toolbars > Hint bar setting.