Fix: Windows 8 Start Screen Live Tiles Won’t Update Beyond Specified Limit ##TOP##
The Playlist sequences (plays) all elements of the project to make the final song. The Playlist window is a stack of multi-purpose 'Clip Tracks' that can hold Pattern Clips, Audio Clips and Automation Clips. Unlike most other sequencers, the Playlist tracks are not bound to a single instrument, audio recording or even Clip type. You can put any Clip type anywhere and even overlay Clips. Clips function like notes in the Piano roll. When the play-head reaches a Clip, FL Studio plays whatever the Clip instructs it to do. This also means Clip Tracks are not bound to Mixer tracks, rather Channel Rack to Mixer routing of instruments used by Clips decides the Mixer track/s that are used.By default Instrument Channels are bound to Mixer tracks, not Playlist tracks. For example, a single Pattern Clip on a single Playlist track, could trigger every Channel Rack instrument, and so all Mixer tracks if they were routed accordingly. If you want to simulate traditional sequencer workflow you can use 'Track Mode'. Do this by dropping Instruments or Samples on Playlist Track headers to create a link from the Instrument Channel Playlist Mixer. Any Change to name or color will ripple through this chain. Playlist tracks linked this way are known as Instrument or Audio Tracks depending on what the Channel Instrument is, an Instrument or Audio Clip. NOTE: This is mainly a visual/organizational feature, and the Instrument Channel will still respond to Pattern Clips on other Playlist tracks.Working with Playlist TracksTrack Selector - Playlist tracks are selectable by clicking the selector (see above). Use (Ctrl+Up/Down Arrows) to change the selected track. (Ctrl+Alt+Up/Down Arrow) to extend the selection.Clip Data - Pattern Clips can hold two types of data, MIDI notes and/or controller movements (stored as 'event automation').Channel Rack > Playlist > Mixer Linking - Drop instruments on Playlist Track headers to create a link between the three windows. See a video tutorial here.Playlist ControlsTool Bar icons - Along the top of the Mixer window:Playlist Menu - Includes: Edit, Tools, View, Snap, Select, Group, Zoom, Time Marker, Clip Source, Performance Mode, playhead and Detach options. Playlist Snap - Snap determines how Clips will move and quantization aligns events relative to the background grid. For a detailed list of Snap options see the Piano roll menu > Snap section. NOTES: 1. Holding the Alt key temporarily sets snap to 'none'. 2. There is a Global Snap selector on the Snap Panel that is used when this local Snap is set to 'Main'. 3. Scroll speed will slow when snap settings other than 'Line' are used. 4. If items are placing off-grid after changing snap, select them and use the Quantize command (Alt+Q). This will reset the grid offset of the last touched Clip, which is remembered. Add clips by Draw mode (P) - Left-click to add the currently selected Clip. Left-click-and-drag to reposition the clip before releasing it. Right-Click to delete Clips. Right-Click and drag to delete multiple clips. Right-Click and hold on the background to open the slice tool (F10 > General settings > Click and hold functions on). Modifier keys: (Shift) add in Paint mode. (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Alt) to add in Draw mode with snap set to 'none'. Add clips by Paint mode (B) - Left-click to adds the currently selected Clip. Click-and-drag to paint multiple clips. Right-Click to delete Clips. Right-Click and drag to delete multiple clips. Right-Click and hold on the background to open the slice tool. Modifier keys: (Shift) to copy the selected Clip. (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Alt) and click on a Clip to move it with snap set to 'none'. Delete (D) - Click or Click-and-drag to delete Clips. Modifier keys: Hold (Shift) to make a selection, then press (Delete). Mute (T) - The mute tool mutes individual Clips. This is independent of the Track mute switch which has no effect on Muted Clips. Left-click on clips to mute them. Left-click and drag to mute multiple clips. Right-Click to delete Clips. Right-Click and hold on the background to open the slice tool. Modifier keys: (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Alt) and click on a Clip to move it with snap set to 'none'. Slip Edit (S) - Left-click on the content of Clips to slide them left or right relative to the time-line while retaining the start/end points of the Clip. NOTE: Slip Editing is used where the Clip has been sliced, or resized, shorter than the original length.Slice (C). Click and drag vertically to make a slice through the clip OR use (Right-Shift) to Slice without the need to drag vertically or switch to the Slice Tool. NOTE: The Settings > Project > Advanced > Play truncated notes in clips option can be useful when slicing Clips. Modifier keys: (Shift) slice without dragging. (Ctrl) to make a selection. (Shift+Alt) Slice without dragging and with snap set to 'none'. Select (E) - Either Left-click on Clips or Left-click and drag to make group selections. Modifier keys: (Shift) add to or remove from selection. Zoom to selection (Shift+Z) - When in Paint mode, use (Ctrl+Right-Click) and drag to make a zoom-to selection. Right-Click again to swap between zoom and unzoomed modes.Right-Click to open a menu of quick zoom options:Zoom in/ Zoom out (Page up / Page down) - Zoom centers on the Cursor position.Quick-zoom 1, 2 & 3 (Shift+1, 2, 3) - Three handy zoom levels.Zoom out (Shift+4) - Switches between 'zoom out' and previous zoom level.On Selection (Shift+5) - Zoom to content selection. Play selected (Y) - Click the clips you want to play. Click position will set the start location. Play / Pause - Left-click to start/pauses playback. Right-Click (while playing) to stop and return to the last set start position. Right-Click (while stopped) to return the playhead to the start of the song. NOTE: There is an option on the Right-Click main transport Stop button Remember seek time for the start position to be remembered.Arrangements - An 'Arrangement' is the layout of Audio, Automation and Pattern Clips in the Playlist. Use the drop-down 'Arrangements menu' on the Playlist Title Bar to manage multiple versions of the project (working ideas, sound design, versions etc). The menu options include:Clone - Copy the current arrangement to a new arrangement.Rename - Rename the current arrangement.Delete - Deletes the current arrangement.Merge with - Select another arrangement to Merge with the current Arrangement. This will open a pop-up window with more options:Source arrangement - Select the arrangement to be merged into the current arrangement. NOTE: The source Arrangement remains intact after a Merge.Position - Start: Merge from the start of the Playlist, Current: Merge from the start of the current selection, End: Append to the end of the current Playlist data.Mode - Insert: The inserted data moves the existing data to the right. Merge: The merged data is blended with the destination data. Replace: The source data replaces destination arrangement.Add one - Add an empty Arrangement to the project.NOTES: Arrangements share the Channel Rack and Mixer layout, so be careful not to delete Channels, Effects or Mixer tracks/routing used by other Arrangements. Likewise, don't change level settings of the Mixer or Channel unless you want it to affect all Arrangements.Clip Source Menu, Picker Panel and Project Picker (indicated above) - Left-click - The menu at the top of the Playlist shows Clips available to be placed in the Clip Tracks area. Right-Click - to open the Project Picker (Ctrl+F8). Once a Clip is selected it can be added to the Playlist by Left-clicking on an empty Clip Track space. Alternatively Right-Click the Clip Focus icons to see menu-selections of Clips unique to each type.Play Position Marker (indicated above) - Displays the current playback position, can be (Left-clicked & dragged). You can Left-click to reposition this marker while the song is stopped or playing. NOTE: There is an option on the Right-Click main transport Stop button Remember seek time for the start position to be remembered.Song Loop (uses Time Markers) - Right-Click a Time Marker and select the option 'Song loop'. See below for more information on adding Time Markers. The 'Song loop' marker (note the down facing arrow) defines the repeat point for a playing project, repeats are not played when a song is rendered although the marker can be used to define render length. TIP: The Repeat Marker is ignored during rendering except for the special case where the marker is set beyond the end of the last Playlist data. This will force the project to be rendered to the point set by the marker, useful for ensuring decaying effect sounds are captured. LIVE: The song markers can also be used to control live playback & performance. NOTE: There is a Loop Recording option on the Toolbar shortcut icons.Timeline Selection (indicated above) - (Ctrl+Left-click) & drag in the bar-ruler area to make a vertical selection across all tracks. (Shift+Left-click) & drag to copy-move selection. The Timeline Selections will play in loop mode or render as a single section. Actually we cheated a bit with the screen shot, while only the selected portion of the Playlist will play, any portions of a Clip outside the selected area will also turn red (i.e. be selected), but these out-of-bounds clip-parts won't play. NOTE: See here to learn more about using the time-line selections to add or delete time sections of the Playlist.Horizontal Zoom / Timeline Zoom (indicated above) - Left-click and drag on the left or right edge of the horizontal scroll handle. Alternatively place the Mouse cursor over the location to zoom and (Ctrl+Mouse-wheel). Maximum Zoom/Snap resolution may be increased by changing the Project Timebase (PPQ) setting (F11), in the General Project settings. The default PPQ should provide adequate zoom/resolution for most projects. NOTE: Click the (Middle-Mouse-Button) and drag in the Playlist to scroll vertically and horizontally at the same time.Vertical Zoom (indicated above) - Left-click and drag the track height control up/down to change the vertical zoom of all Playlist tracks. You can resize individual tracks by dragging on the dividers between tracks in the name area (as indicated above 'Drag here'). (Ctrl+Right-Click) on an empty Playlist track area to zoom to full view. (Ctrl+Right-Click) again to return to the previous Zoom and location.Window controls (indicated above) - Maximizes/minimizes the Playlist. The playlist can also be detached from the FL Studio desktop from the Main Menu > Detached option.Clip Focus & Options Selector (indicated above, top left) - Left-click: each tab to bring that Clip type to the top of any stack that includes Audio, Automation or Pattern Clips. Each tab contains some edit options unique to each Clip type. Right-Click: each tab to select Clips of that category to be added to the Playlist (this is an alternative to the Clip Source menu).Time Markers (indicated above) - Add by selecting (Alt+T) or ' Time markers > Add time marker' . Left-click, hold & drag a marker to reposition it. Once the first Time marker is added to a project, it can be Right-Clicked to Add a new marker, Delete it or Rename. Time markers can also be used for selections & live jumping (see below).Track Mute / Solo (indicated above) - Applies to all Clips on the Playlist track/lane.Mute/Unmute - (Left-Click) the Mute icon.Solo/Unsolo - (Ctrl+Left-Click) OR (Right+Click) on the Mute icon. NOTE: The General Settings > 'Restore previous state after solo' option will preserve the pattern of muted and unmuted items prior to a Solo action.Mute/Solo a track group - (Alt+Click) the Mute icon for any member of the group. Groups are defined by the Right-Click 'Group with above track' option.Lock state - (Shift+Click) a Mute icon.Clip Menus (indicated above) - The Clip Menu option 'Make unique' to avoid this, if it is a problem.The 'Project Timebase (PPQ) setting' (F11). Higher PPQ settings offer greater zoom levels and so higher resolution, although the default setting of 96 PPQ is adequate for most situations.Playback - Controlled from the Main Transport controls or the Play button as indicated above.Relocate the playback position - Click on the upper timeline (Bar numbers) where you want the playback position indicator to start. You can use the (Home) key to reset to the song beginning. NOTE: There is an option on the Right-Click main transport Stop button Remember seek time for the start position to be remembered.Play notes straddling the playback position marker - When stopping and starting you can play notes that cross the playback position by opening theAudio Options and selecting 'Play truncated notes'.Timeline markers - For information on Marker functions see the Time Marker Menu Section below. Examples include:Setting Time Signatures.Labeling parts of your song (such as 'chorus' or 'verse', for example)For performance ('Jump to' locators)Selection of regions (between markers).Start recording/Stop recording automation.Patterns, Audio Clips and Automation ClipsThis section covers general editing and Playlist operations. For specific details on using Audio Clips, Automation Clips and Patterns Clips, please see the following pages:Pattern ClipsAudio ClipsAutomation ClipsNOTE: Audio, Automation and Pattern Clips can share the same Playlist tracks, as shown above and will overlap, with transparency, to aid with the grouping of related Clips.Playlist Clip FocusThe Clip focus selector, below, is used to focus Clip types. This is particularly useful when Clips are stacked, the focused Clip is brought to the top for selection and editing. To select all Clips in a layered stack, use (Ctrl+Left-click), then they can be moved together. NOTE: Use (M) to cycle modes when Typing keyboard to piano (Ctrl+T) is off.NOTE: The + icon to the left of the Clip Focus selectors allows you to add Instrument Tracks and Audio Tracks to the Playlist from a pop-up menu. (Right-Click) to quick-add an Audio Track.AudioAudio Icon - (Left-Click) - Focus Audio Clips. Select and (Right-Click) - Show Audio Clip Menu. Below the icon are the following options (left to right):Show Fades (Shift+F) - Show the Audio Clip Fade and Gain controls. (Right-Click) open context menu:Create new clips with manual fades - Set all newly created Audio Clips with a manual Crossfade setting.Snap fade handles - Fade handles move and snap to the Playliust grid (snap setting).Show fade previews - When Audio Clip Envelopes are used, the waveform will reflect level changes caused by the envelope.Show gain scale - Determines if the audio will scale visually as Clip gain is adjusted.Show gain value - Shows the gain value badge at all times, if the value was changed from the default dB.Zero-Cross - Slicing & resize edits will be made at the nearest zero-crossing to the slice point. Useful to avoid clicks at the slice location. NOTE: This setting will naturallyinterfere with your ability to specify exact slice locations.Stretch (Shift+M) - When the left or right edge of the Clip is selected and dragged the Clip will be stretched according to the Audio Clip Time stretching settings. To maintain pitch while the sample lengthis stretched, select an option other than 'Resample' in the Stretch Method field.See the section Working with the stretch/pitch functions for more details on synchronizing/beatmatching Audio Clips to the project tempo.AutomationAutomation Icon - (Left-Click) - Focus Automation Clips. Select and (Right-Click) - Show Audio Clip Menu. Below the icon are the following options (left to right):Right-Click tab - Show Automation Clip Menu (the small icon in the top left corner of each Clip) and from the Select source channel menu, pick an alternative Clip. Hold (Shift) to preserve the Start and End points of the Clip. That is to preserve the relative position in each Clip that is changed.Edit Clip channel settings - To open the Channel Settings associated with a Clip, open the Clip Menu (the small down arrow at the start of each Clip) and press the Stop button in the Transport panel to stop the preview).Clone Clips - Open the Clip Menu and from the Chop into menu select Bar or Beat. Beat Random) splits the Audio Clip in beats and reorders the resulting pieces in a random order.Audio Clip Specific FeaturesAudio Clips have a few unique properties, as discussed on the Audio Clip page.Automation Clip Specific FeaturesAutomation Clips have a range of unique properties, as discussed on the Automation Clip page.Pattern Clip Specific FeaturesPattern Clips have a few unique properties, as discussed on the Pattern Clip page.Clip MenusUnder the menu icons at the top left corner of each Clip you will find a menu with the following options, depending on the Clip typeselected:Pattern / Audio / Automation ClipPreview - Previews/plays the Clip.Select source pattern/channel - Replaces the existing Clip with the selected source. Hold (Shift) to apply the relative start/end points of the current Clip to the new one.Channel settings (Audio / Automation Clips) - Opens the channel settings for the Clip.Edit pattern (Patterns) - Opens the Piano roll.Rename and recolor - Rename and recolor the Clip.Change color - Change the color of the Clip.Make unique - Clones the original Clip so that edits on the new Clip do not affect other instances. NOTE: With Audio Clips the original audio file is re-used in the new Audio Clip channel. Alternatively use 'Make unique as sample' (see below).Select all similar Clips - Selects all instances of the same Clip in the Playlist.Delete - Deletes the Clip. Beware that the Clip may be used in other places in the Playlist.Use current time signature (Patterns) - Sets the Pattern to the Time Signature a the Clips current location.RegionSelect region - Selects a region if existing.Chop (Clips) - Opens a sub-menu with chopping options. Slices the Clip into rhythmic pieces aligned with the grid. NOTE: Chopping will be applied to all selected Clips.Sample (Audio Clips)Make unique as sample - Clones the original Audio Clip AND clones the sample file on disk. Use this when you want to physically edit the sample data and change it in some way. NOTE: Hold (Shift) to skip t