There are a lot of rumours about the digital audio workstation known as FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops Studio). Many people say that the sound quality isn't top-notch, it's a beginner's program, and it's laughable when doing larger projects. All of these assumptions are completely false, and I'm about to explain why FL Studio is a great choice for producers of all skill levels.

FL Studio is very popular with beginners and poorer musicians. The choice of Image-Line to make FL Studio so cheap allowed many beginning music producers to use the program, even allowing Soulja Boy to create his #1 hit "Crank Dat" using the starter edition of the program. These examples are part of the reason that FL has gotten a rep for low sound quality - not because the program is bad, but because many users of the program aren't advanced enough to create high quality music. Over time, of course, these users can become more advanced and learn either FL Studio or another DAW to it's max potential. FL Studio has incredible sound quality, is VST-supported (meaning you can use plug-ins) so there is absolutely no limit to the quality of the sound other than 192K kbps 32-bit float wave audio. The rumours of low quality are false and likely due to the large beginner userbase of the program, which isn't comparable to the small amounts that other DAWs have.

The issue of FL Studio being too clunky or impossible to use with larger projects is completely subjective to the user's ability to use the GUI and the user's computer. Again, many poorer musicians use the program, and with lots of tracks or VSTs loaded, the program will lag on most computers. This is the same issue for any DAW on any low-mid-quality computer. The only DAW that can nearly completely avoid lag is Pro Tools HD/HDX (they come with hardware that reduces lag in extreme amounts). Aside from massive projects or massive amounts of VSTs, there is no lag in the program and it functions to the same standards of every other DAW excluding Pro Tools HD/HDX.

Aside from rumours of quality and stability, many people simply assume that the program just isn't good. They've heard songs like "Crank Dat" and assume that the program must only be capable of basic production, this is again wrong! Before I get into the reasons, I would like to list artists who predominatly use FL Studio as their DAW of choice. Avicii (famous for "Levels" and "I Could Be The One") uses FL, Deadmau5 (famous for "Ghosts n Stuff" and "Professional Griefers") occasionally uses FL, Basshunter (famous for "All I Ever Wanted" and "Dota") uses FL, and Madeon (famous for "Pop Culture" and "The City") uses FL. These artists alone show the incredible potential and variety of FL Studio users! The program is predominately used for hip-hop, pop, and electronic music, though. There are a few rock and alternative artists who use the program, though (such as myself)!

The program's default sounds and plug-ins aren't all that amazing, but luckily the program can be used as simply a workstation. You can put nearly anything on this workstation, samples (they have great sampling features), drum kits, plug-ins, and recorded tracks! The program works incredibly easily with popular programs such as Massive, Nexus, Z3TA, and Sylenth. The mastering capabilities are also great, with countless great plug-ins available for EQing and Compressing, even the default EQUO and Fruity Compressor can do the job well! There are also great plug-ins for reverb, chorus, delay, and distortion included in the program, with more always available in plug-ins. It's versatile and customizable to fit any genre and any artist's preference.

Perhaps the program isn't great for songs done off-tempo, though! The program can change tempo of a song, but it can't do a song with no meter at all. If you are an indie artist trying to do something fancy like Imogen Heap's "Hide & Seek," the program will not suit your needs as it is made to work with music that is metered. The program can work without a meter, but it won't be easy to use as the entire thing is lain out in metered bars. While things such as this are possible, they are difficult! Creating songs off-tempo is pretty much the only down side to using FL Studio (unless you have a bad computer)! If you are into this, I would recommend Avid Pro Tools or Propellerhead Reason.

I hope this article helped you realize the great quality that FL Studio has and debunked any rumours you have heard about the program! Look forward to hearing your sounds 'round the net!