Image Line FL Studio 20 Fruity Edition Software

DAW software is available through several different manufactures in todays market and is an important decision you need to make when you are setting up your home recording studio.

Some things you may want to consider are: What kind of music you will be producing, Will you be sharing files online to co produce and mix with others?, What kind of effects you may need, How much of your productions will be midi based vs live recorded tracks, etc.

Choosing a good fit for DAW software will save you time, money and frustration.

Today we are going to talk about Image Line FL Studio 20 Fruity Edition Software.

How Many Versions Of FL Studio Are There?

Currently there are four versions for FL Studio Edition Software:

1. Fruity – This is an entry level version of FL Studio. If you want to test the waters this might be a good choice for you. FL Studios Fruity Edition is priced at $99 dollars. Good price but very limited on DAW features. FL Studios Fruity Version is primarily for pre sampled loop production. There is no way to record your own tracks inside the Fruity Edition Software.

You will be able to see how the software works and you have midi support, samples, loops, and a good selection of instruments and effects.

2. Producer – FL Studio Producer Version is the next level up of available versions. The FL Studios Producer Version is priced at $199 dollars and is the most popular. FL Studios Producer Version will allow you to record audio and edit your own live recorded tracks.

Producer Version comes with 86 instruments and effects, full playlist features, samples, loops, and presets. This is a full on DAW software. I say this because you can record live audio, and you can record and edit midi.

3. Signature – The next step up is the Signature FL Studio Edition. Signature Version gives you everything in the Producer Version plus you get more advanced plugins for your VST instruments and effects. FL Studios Signature Version is priced at $299 dollars and FL Studios labels this package as the best value.

This is a good DAW software as well because you can record your own tracks, edit your tracks, you have midi capabilities, and a great selection of instruments, effects, samples and loops.

4. All Plugins Edition – The All Plugins Edition of FL Studios is the flagship version. You get all the features offered by FL Studios plus all the native plugins available. The All Plugins Edition of FL Studio cost $499 dollars.

The All Plugins Edition is a full DAW setup meaning you can record live audio and you can edit your tracks. You also have midi features available, all the samples, loops, presets, instruments, and effects.

If you have already tried FL Studios Fruity Edition Software and you like the way the software performs then you might prefer to go all in with the FL Studios All Plugins Edition.

Which Version Of FL Studio Will Be Best For A Home Studio?

This decision will best be determined by you. At the beginning of this article I mentioned that you should think about what kind of music you will most likely be producing.

You probably have a good idea in your mind already. Think about what kind of music you like to play and what kind of instrument is your main instrument.

What kind of musicians will you be working with? What kind of music do they like?

One thing I know for sure is that you will most definitely want the ability to record live audio and edit your tracks. This will be a very important feature for your home recording studio.

If you are a keyboard player and are primarily interested in midi production then you will be able to do a lot more in the Fruity Edition than say a guitar player, bass player, or drummer.

The FL Studio Fruity Edition is a great price and offers some cool features but I highly recommend the ability to record and edit live audio.

My Choice For FL Studio Software And Why.

If I had to make a recommendation here I would pick the Image Line FL Studio 20 Producer Edition Software. There are several reasons why I say this.

The number one reason is because you can record and edit live audio. The second reason is because you can always upgrade to the next version of FL Studios if you love the Producer Version.

If you have never tried FL Studios Software and you go all in on the FL Studios All Plugins Edition and then do not like the DAW software, well then you just spent $499 dollars on something you don’t like. My friends.. you can’t return software to a retailer.

One thing that is really cool about Image Line FL Editions Studio Software is that you get free lifetime upgrades. Meaning, if you have the Producer Version and a new version with new features comes out, you get the free upgrade.

Not many DAW software manufactures do this for you. In fact.. I can’t think of anyone else that will do this for you.

Another great feature is that Image Line FL Studios are compatible with Mac or PC.

Be sure and check out some of my other articles about DAW software.

Will FL Studio Allow Me To Create Professional Tracks?

In short. Yes. Image Line FL Studio Software has 32 bit and 64 bit audio resolution. So the digital bit resolution magical numbers are there. Now creating a professional track comes down to a whole lot more than bit rate.

You will have all the bells and whistles you need to start making full-blown recordings when you choose the Producer Version or higher.

Learning to make professional sounding tracks takes time and lots of practice. I highly recommend getting your own DAW software for this very reason.

Set up your home recording studio. You will have your very own special place to immerse yourself in learning all you can about writing, playing, recording, editing, mixing, and mastering your own projects.

Once you learn to get those golden sounds the sky is the limit. It just takes a little practice. So again, yes this will be a good DAW software to get started with. Again, I recommend the Producer version and then upgrade if you like the software.

Can I Edit Midi In FL Studio?

All the FL Studio Versions have midi capabilities. If you are a keyboard player this might be important to you. If you want to use virtual instruments this will be important to you.

While Image Line FL Studio has midi capabilities, it is a tad bit limited in the midi editing section. By this I mean you can’t edit the modulation or expression that I know of.

Some high end virtual instruments sound their best if you can record the instrument (VST) along with the active modulation and expression levels. The active levels of modulation and expression change the VST instrument’s volume, timbre, vibrato, and fullness of sound.  We will learn more about this in another article if you are interested in this.

This is by no means a must, but, as you advance in your learning about virtual instruments you may want to have control over the modulation and expression midi editing features.

If you don’t use virtual instruments then you won’t need to worry about this.

Image Line FL Studios have a sequencer for beats and also a piano roll for writing and editing midi parts and this should be fine to write and produce your own midi parts.

Where Can I Buy FL Studio?

You can buy Image Line Fl Studio versions at most online music store retailers.

Final Thoughts

I think the best thing you can do is get started today. If you love music, playing music, writing, recording, producing, and mixing music then get started. Your home recording studio is a great place for you and your friends to hang out and make music.

You may have to start small and build your home recording studio a little at a time. That’s OK. Most all of us started small.

Take some time and learn your new DAW software, learn your instrument, practice, and most of all remember to enjoy yourself.

I like to hand out encouragement. Use your talents to the best of your ability. If you use your talent it will grow.

Please take the time to leave a comment below. If I can help out I will.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch@homerecordingstudiosetup.com