FL Studio or Ableton Live?

[Rainbowjack]

I can't decide which one I should get further into!

I have the full version (pirated) of FL Studio and it's awesome, the sound is a fuller and the instruments are great, I've only just started using it so I'm still getting used to it, though.

I have the lite version of Ableton Live 8 and it doesn't sound like I want it to and there isn't many instruments, lots of people say it's amazing and I have the money to upgrade to the full version (or I could pirate it and buy monitors or synths or something) and I assume that the full version has better instruments and stuff.

What do? Buy full version of Ableton (or pirate) or keep going with FL and buy monitors and synths to work with FL?

Thanks!

P.S. If FL, monitors or synths?

P.P.S. If synths, which synths? I have $500 for studio stuff.

[bartekko]

1.) do not talk about pirating
2.) do NOT talk about pirating.
3.) YOU FAGGOT DONT TALK ABOUT PIRATING SOFTWARE ON MLR


Both daws have their pros and cons.

FL has some decent instruments, but frome the moment you acquire Z3TA+2, Massive, JP6K, and Vanguard, you won't need built-in instruments ever again.

Ableton is very good at processing audio. It's also more minimalistic which helps find stuff quickly.

FLStudio has patterns, Ableton has Clips. the difference is, every midi/audio riff/loop in ableton can be used on any instrument/fx channel.

also, http://www.ableton.com/free-trial

[Rainbowjack]

1.) do not talk about pirating
2.) do NOT talk about pirating.
3.) YOU FAGGOT DONT TALK ABOUT PIRATING SOFTWARE ON MLR

Okay, I won't, and that doesn't help me choose, all of that I already knew.

[IndustrialBreeze]

What about a 3rd option, LMMS?
It's free in all the ways that count. No charge, free redistribution, etc.

[Rainbowjack]

Is it any good for electronic music?

[Expy]

I use FL, and it works great. However, I think (from what I've heard overall) Ableton is better overall, because of it's live capabilities, although FL does have some really nice inbuilt synths (3x Osc <3). Also, a lot of people use FL, so it's good if you want to do a collab with someone.

Ultimately, it's your choice. I suggest you try both and see which one you prefer, and stick with that.

(Also, don't believe anyone who says something like "FL has a terrible sound engine". It's nonsense.)

[BinaryBludgeon]

Anything that supports VSTs and has a nice sequencer in my book goes. I use VSTs only, and I think they're useful. If FL floats your boat, use it-- A lot of famous people use it and like it. If you like LMMS-- That works. I find that whatever fits you the best is the best for you.

[K3WRO]

Don't Pirate, use LMMS, or at least a demo of FL Studio

C'mon, LMMS is full of nice stuff, it works just like Fl Studio ( No Automation Clips and High quality synths though )

It also has 3xosc and a gameboy synth for chiptune, I can help you out with them, I have a-lot of experience with them

So, when you are worthy, you shall proceed to FL studio or abelton, and remember, don't pirate

But wait, option 4, REAPER, It's a good synth and it's only $60 http://www.reaper.fm/

[soup2504]

Personally, I prefer FLS, however, I can't tell you which one is better. Why? Because while I might say FL is better than Abelton, someone else might say Abelton is better than FL, then others might say LMMS or Reaper is better. In the end, it all comes down to preference. You can't possibly say one DAW is better than the other, because other people might notice flaws in the other DAW's while others won't, and people might claim one is better than the other, but others might not agree. *shrugs* I wouldn't give up 3xosc, but maybe you will like what Abelton has, I can't really help you, it's different from person to person.

[the4thImpulse]

Because you have invested none of your personal money into music; you will care a whole lot less about making music, which means you will not progress remotely as fast as if you put some of your money towards music. Don't pirate software if you want any sort of future in electronic music.


FL is your best bet money wise, the full version includes all the synths and effects you need to learn the basics. It will also leave you with money left over which you can then later save for monitors and a soundcard. I do hate FL's workflow now that I am using Ableton, I find it terribly slow and akward to use (That is a just personal opinion).

Ableton will likely be more confusing at first and it does not include synths unless you get the suite version which I believe is far over your budget. There are plenty of freeware synths though so that should not be much of a problem.


I own two hardware synths now and my best advice is don't buy them until you know what your doing and want to keep doing it. The enrty level synths SUCK, they sound bad in everyway, if you must use hardware synths you are looking at spending minimum $500 on the used market ($1000 if you want new). You will need monitors and a soundcard before hardware synths or even midi controllers.

[ChromaticChaosPony]

I have Ableton Live, but I have never used FL Studio. Is FL Studio easier to use?

[the4thImpulse]

I have Ableton Live, but I have never used FL Studio. Is FL Studio easier to use?

I found FL easier to use when I first opened it up where as Ableton took some time before I grasped it. Once I learned both of them I quickly droped FL as I found Ableton's workflow made perfect sense to me.

[ChromaticChaosPony]

I have Ableton Live, but I have never used FL Studio. Is FL Studio easier to use?

I found FL easier to use when I first opened it up where as Ableton took some time before I grasped it. Once I learned both of them I quickly droped FL as I found Ableton's workflow made perfect sense to me.

Thank goodness I have a decent DAW.

[Legion]

This thread made me install Ableton.

MY HEAD HURTS.

[soup2504]

This thread made me install Ableton.

MY HEAD HURTS.

Yuuupppp, it probably will for a long time.

I'll just, you know, stick with FLS for now, um, yeah. Although I've hear great things about Abelton, it makes my headasplode and I'm not ready for it ;_;

[Versilaryan]

I like Ableton SO much more than FLS. That's my personal opinion.

For new songwriters, FL's pattern-based composition would probably be easier to grasp than Ableton's slightly more convoluted methods of posting MIDI, especially if you're into more repetitive genres like trance or house. It also comes with a TON of neat bundled effects and synths, and if you get the full version, it includes a shit ton of drum samples and stuff. The effects in it are, for the most part, really nice, and it's convenient not to have to spend more and more money on synths and third-party VSTs.

The thing with Ableton, though, is 1) it's meant for live performance, so if you plan on performing at all, that's your go-to program, 2) FLS is the absolute worst thing in the world when it comes to recordings, and 3) it's easier to write more convoluted things in Ableton. For me personally, I feel that FLS puts constraints on my creativity and what I can do. Especially because I work a lot with recorded music (rock and stuff), FL was an absolute nightmare to work with. And then I got into dubstep, and there's WAY too much automation going on in that for FL to handle.

So really, if you like FL, stick to FL, but if you feel like you'd be missing out on something, try writing music in Ableton and figure it out. If you don't like it, then at least you're more flexible with your DAWs and hopefully have more ideas on how to use FL to your advantage. I'd highly encourage you do that, mostly because I feel that Ableton can do so much that FL can't, especially when it comes to audio tracks and the way it handles effects busses and automation.

[K3WRO]

I've heard more good things about ableton than I have in FL studio.
so I would have to say ableton. ;3

Personally, I like FL Studio IMO, it has pretty decent instruments and nice automation controls, Once you get in hand of it, you can do almost anything, but If you want abelton, give it a shot, I heard It has a pretty nice workflow and it has more capabilities for live performances than any other DAW, and reason 6 might make a good team with abelton.

and, if your getting FLS, make sure you have a nice sound card, or it's not gonna end up pretty.

[K3WRO]

I've heard more good things about ableton than I have in FL studio.
so I would have to say ableton. ;3

Personally, I like FL Studio IMO, it has pretty decent instruments and nice automation controls, Once you get in hand of it, you can do almost anything, but If you want abelton, give it a shot, I heard It has a pretty nice workflow and it has more capabilities for live performances than any other DAW, and reason 6 might make a good team with abelton.

and, if your getting FLS, make sure you have a nice sound card, or it's not gonna end up pretty.

what drivers do you use? ASIO?

ATI Radeon I guess

by the way, My processor is AMD Turion X2 Dual-core Mobile ZM-82 2.20GHz 64 bit

[ChromaticChaosPony]

I have'nt tried FL, but from what I can tell, FL is easier while Ableton is better (but confusing).

[Twilight Enigma]

I have'nt tried FL, but from what I can tell, FL is easier while Ableton is better (but confusing).

Really? Well, I have to find my self disagreeing with this. Personally, I found FL Studio's UI to be confusing and overly complex, while, on the flipside, I found Ableton's UI to be much, much easier to use.

Then again, Your Mileage May Vary. If you like FL, stay with it. If you don't, try Ableton, or Cubase, or Reason or Sonar, or whatever.....

[Matthew N.]

FL has some decent instruments, but frome the moment you acquire Z3TA+2, Massive, JP6K, and Vanguard, you won't need built-in instruments ever again.

I disagree. I still use 3xOsc and and the great, powerful sytrus, with the latter being simply amazing in terms of capabilities.

I have'nt tried FL, but from what I can tell, FL is easier while Ableton is better (but confusing).

Really? Well, I have to find my self disagreeing with this. Personally, I found FL Studio's UI to be confusing and overly complex, while, on the flipside, I found Ableton's UI to be much, much easier to use.

Then again, Your Mileage May Vary. If you like FL, stay with it. If you don't, try Ableton, or Cubase, or Reason or Sonar, or whatever.....

FL... CONFUSING?!



It's like the most plain and easy DAW of all time - and that being an advantage, of course!

[Versilaryan]

I disagree. I don't think either of them are that confusing at all. Y'all who think Ableton's mind-boggling haven't done anything in it at all.

Of the two, though, FL does have a metric shit ton of windows to keep track of, and you have to pay attention to what is going into what mixer track at what given moment. That's confusing. Especially in the mixing phase.

[Expy]

I've never found the windows in FL to be confusing... Then again, if you have a small screen, it may be really congested. I have two screens, so I don't have a problem there.

[Rainbowjack]

Yeah I have two screens so the windows aren't that confusing.

[Dabrenn]

I Love ableton. I used FL for ahwile at first, but I decided to give Ableton a go.

Only took me a couple hours with Ableton to realize that I was going to stick with it. The workflow and interface is much smoother for me and the software just seems to make more sense than FL. I love that you don't have to compose linearly and you have the Set View to mix aspects together and come up with new ideas. Ableton seems much quicker, and I always get a more polished sound out of it.

I love Ableton.