Creating Organic Beats in FL Studio

We discuss our process to record our single note, which will be used to create multiple instruments towards a full composition!  We quickly discuss mono vs. stereo recording, as well as getting the cleanest sounding bass in our note.  (Also mentioning how to properly label our note in case we want to use VSTs, and for long-term use.)

You are given a super quick overview of the piano.  Each octave has 12 notes (this includes white and black keys), which repeats over and over on the piano.  You are then shown how to actually record the note to give different timbres/flavors come beatmaking time!  (It's all about flexibility!)

I have recorded a guitar just in case I didn't like the piano sound.  As you'll find out in later videos, I went with the guitar sound :)

The guitar sound usually tends to sound cleanest, giving the cleanest bass, as well as warm fullness for chords/melodies.  (I've found piano notes I've had to process quite a bit more to get the result I want.)

You are shown how to structure yourself for the long-term as a music producer with a solid music production folder set up.  (See course notes for a download to the music folder template we create in this video.  Also included in the folder is the notes I've recorded in this video, if you'd like to use them yourself!)

I also mentioned one of my other courses.  It's called A Specific Music Production Folder - I have included a link as an external resource to the course inside this lecture on Udemy.

I love the way I set up my FL Browser, so I thought going out of my way to show you how I personally set mine up will give you that clean, minimal look that I enjoy every time I use FL Studio. :)

This is an important craft to know; editing notes for long-term use!  We import the audio of our recorded notes into FL Studio's Edison where you are shown how to create markers, and fine-tune the sound before exporting the note for use.

We also discuss forcing to mono and my own personal preferences of editing the note when it comes to using FL Studio's IN/OUT knobs.

This is on the same level as backing up your files.  It's one of those things where some people care, and some people don't! LoL ! ;)

Anyways, in the video I show you to label your note with the microphone you've used to record your note, as well as the instrument, and key played.

This way, you'll know the type of microphone you used at a later date, as well as the key in case you'd like to blend in some digital VSTs!

As discussed in Section 2, where we actually recorded our note, testing for a clean bass line is super important to get a high quality sound!

This is the reason I recorded both a piano and guitar, as the guitar was going to be my backup.

Even though I didn't really show you much of the piano sounds, I decided to go for the guitar to get the best quality for this course, and show you how powerful a single note to record a full composition can be.

If you'd like to try the piano out for yourself, just check the course resources where I've left the music folder with my recorded/edited notes from the video!

This is the fundamentals to get the best result from your single note.  I'd highly recommend watching this video a couple times I've you are newer to audio production.

Setting up your ADSR the way I have explained is crucial to getting that beautiful, controlled sound.  Remember, once you apply effects onto your note, that will enhance it's power tremendously!

Since using the same note for all our instruments (main melody, guitar, lead, filler, stabs, etc.), it's super possible to have frequency masking/clashing.

What this means is some notes will not stand out because other frequencies have already filled their space, or they could be cancelling out.

A way to avoid this, as discussed, is to think in terms of your whole frequency spectrum.  If you play some instruments on lower octaves, and some one higher octaves, you'll be able to achieve powerful instruments that cut through your mix much easier!

This is an advanced topic, and a turning point in a producer's journey!

Sends not only allow us to save CPU power, but they allow for a very quick workflow and consistency in your track.

If you use two sounds with the same reverb, it can kind of create a type of symmetry/unison to your track.

But this does not mean you can't put a reverb/delay on an individual instrument!  This all comes down to creative choice.  But now you'll know the option is available to you, and now you'll know how to set up a powerful mixer in FL Studio!

I've discussed how I've laid out this course in terms of drum loop/melodies.

I premade them so you don't have to watch me build the drum loop, and record/edit MIDI notes.  (Trust me, it only saved us time, and allowed me to focus on the meat of this course!)

You do however get a quick walk-through into my mindset as I produced the drum loop in the next video.

We discuss my mindset as I created the drum loop.  I explain why I've layered drums, nudged snares, had multiple hat loops, and created duplicate patterns with a few changed notes.

This is the first time you'll actually hear the recorded note in action.  With the right ADSR settings on the Volume Envelope, it may sound a bit dry.  But don't you worry, once those effects are added on, it sounds like instant ecstasy.

Because I have chosen the guitar note for our bassline, just raw, the bassline sounded pretty amazing with our main melody guitar!

However, I did a bit of processing to the bassline just to show you what I'd do to get a bassline sitting right and tight!

An important point is how I adjusted the ADSR of the Volume Envelope a bit different than the main guitar.

This lead ended up pretty cool - By going into the wrench settings of the recorded note in FL Studio, and apply some polyphony, it instantly changed its sound from the main melody, which sounds like an original guitar.

Don't be afraid to try the arpeggio setting with some chords on another instrument!

For this filler, I tried to achieve more of a guitar chug sound.  I did this by adjusting our ADSR Volume Envelope to make the sound very short.  We then applied heavy effects to get a bit closer to our sound.

What really topped this sound off was when I used the lead's parallel track!  I really found it made the sound fit where I wanted in the track.

When creating this MIDI loops prior to recording the video, I found the stabs to be my favorite loop; it was what completed the beat, and made me waiting for it to come back in when it wasn't playing!

Just more processing was applied in this video to get the sound we wanted.  You'll have to watch to find out! :D

After editing this video, I realized I missed such an important point I wanted to share with you, so I made this additional video.  Don't forget to use those IN/OUT knobs :)

BONUS, BONUS, BONUS!

I through this video in just because we've already come so far.  Why not show you some tips to polish off your track on a professional level showing you how to structure an intro, build excitement up to a chorus, and play around with verse structure.

I really hope this one inspires you!

Hey.. thanks SO MUCH for your support by taking this course.  Please check the external resources if you'd like to take any of my other courses!

Topics I wanted to get across to you in this video, since it was a recap!:

• MAKE SURE TO TEST YOUR BASS!!! - Make sure it sounds nice and tight!  (Also test your upper notes by playing some keys/chords.  Just make sure you like the note before proceeding to building more instruments off the note!)
• THINK ABOUT THE FULL FREQUENCY SPECTRUM! - Since it's only a single note we're using, you gotta play down low, up high, and in the mids.  This will only make your life easier, help you to achieve different sounds, and make them cut through your mix much easier!

Thanks again!

# GratuiTous