How FL Studio handles Pitch

Pitch means how high or low a sound is. When you sing Do re mi fa so la ti do, each note has a different pitch. Do is low, and each note after is a little higher. Pitch is measured in numbers called frequencies. Higher frequencies mean higher pitch.

In music, pitch helps make melodies and chords. Notes played together that have the right pitch steps between them sound good to our ears. But if the pitches are off, the notes can sound wrong or out of tune. So, it is very important to have the right pitches when making music.

How FL Studio handles pitch

In FL Studio, pitch can be changed in a few main ways:

Piano roll

The most used way is in the piano roll. This shows a grid with all the notes. You can draw, move, or resize notes to change their pitch and length. The piano on the left shows the pitch of each row. You can also use the arrows or mouse wheel to go up and down to different pitches.

Channel pitch

You can also change the pitch of a whole channel or pattern. The channel settings have a pitch knob. Turning this will move the pitch of everything in that channel up or down evenly. You can also use the pitch wheel on a MIDI keyboard to bend the pitch smoothly up and down while playing.

Sampler pitch

For audio clips, the sampler has a pitch setting too. This will change the speed and pitch together, like a record player. The sampler also has a stretch mode to change the pitch without changing the speed.

Main pitch editing features

To really control the pitch in FL Studio, you should learn about:

Envelope pitch adjustment

Instruments have a pitch envelope. This can make the pitch slide up, down, or wobble over time automatically. It’s good for effects and special sounds.

Pitcher and Newtone

FL Studio comes with a pitcher and newtone plugins. These can help fix out-of-tune notes in audio recordings. The pitcher corrects the pitch for you, while Newtone lets you draw the pitch how you want – even if it’s not possible to sing!

Tuning VSTs

Other VST plugins can also help control and fix pitch. Some let you auto-tune a singer’s voice. Others let you make harmonies. Good VSTs can save a lot of time.

Tips for mastering pitch

Here are some tips to get better at working with pitch in FL Studio:

Learn some music theory

Knowing about scales, chords, and keys helps a lot. It can help you choose the right notes and understand why some pitches sound good together. Try learning the major scale and major chords to start.

Use your ears

Even if you know music theory, trust what sounds right to you, too. If something sounds good, it is good! And if it seems off, adjust it until you like how it sounds. With practice, your ears will get better at knowing the right pitches.

Edit carefully

It’s easy to click the wrong note in the piano roll. Always listen back to what you did to make sure it’s right. You may need to zoom in to get the pitch perfect sometimes. Take your time and nudge notes up or down until they’re just right.

Try humming

If you have a melody in your head, try humming or singing it. Then, you can match the pitches to figure it out faster. You can even record yourself humming and put it in FL Studio. The Edison tool can help you see the pitches of your voice.

Tune your instruments

Some plugins like Sytrus let you choose the tuning for each note. Please make sure the tuning is how you want it. You may want to make a note or two a little higher or lower than normal. This can give an instrument its own unique sound.

Don’t tune too much

Autotune and pitch correction are popular. But if you use too much, the life can be taken out of a recording. The small flaws are part of what makes music human and interesting. So try not to make everything “too perfect.” Let some little pitch changes stay in there!