How to edit frequencies in FL Studio

ByMunyaradzi Mafaro

FL Studio is a digital audio workstation or DAW for short. It’s a computer program that lets you make music by recording and mixing sounds together. One important thing you can do in FL Studio is change the frequencies of the sounds. This is called frequency editing.

Frequency means how low or high a sound is. Low-frequency sounds are deep and rumbly, like a bass or a drum. High-frequency sounds are thin and sharp, like cymbals or some synth noises. Every sound has frequencies in it. Some have more low ones, and some have more high ones.

In FL Studio, you can boost certain frequencies to make them louder. You can also cut frequencies to make them quieter. This lets you shape how your sounds, well, sound! It’s a big part of making your music the way you want.

Why edit frequencies?

There’s a few reasons you might want to change the frequencies in a sound:

  • To make room for other sounds. Like if your bass and kick drum are fighting over the same low frequencies, you can cut some lows from one so they both come through clear.
  • To clean up sounds. Some sounds have harsh or weird frequencies in them that don’t sound good. You can find these and get rid of them.
  • To fit the mood. Darker moods might need more low frequencies. Happier ones might want more highs. You can shape this with EQ.
  • To add character. Boosting or cutting in creative ways can give sounds their own style and flavor.

So frequency editing is a way to fine-tune your music and get things sounding just right. It takes practice but it’s a powerful tool.

Equalizers in FL Studio

To change frequencies, you use something called an equalizer or EQ. This lets you turn different frequency ranges up or down. FL Studio has a few different EQs you can pick from.

Fruity Parametric EQ 2

This is FL Studio’s main EQ. It’s easy to use but has a lot of control. You’ll find yourself grabbing this one a lot.

When you open it up, you see some lines going across the screen from left to right. This shows all the frequencies from lowest on the left to highest on the right.

You make changes by clicking and dragging those little dots up or down. Dragging up boosts that frequency area. Down cuts it. You can also click the background to add new dots and adjust those.

The numbers at the bottom show what frequencies you’re changing. The numbers on the left show how much you’re boosting or cutting by. Plus a bunch of other options to play with – try them out!

EQUO

This is another EQ with more advanced options. Good for surgical EQing and finding problem spots.

It looks pretty different than Parametric EQ 2. You get a really detailed view of the frequencies. The graph can be zoomed in and each dot gives you extra control over the shape of the EQ curve.

EQUO also has a real-time frequency analyzer so you can see which frequencies are loudest while the song plays. Handy for tracking down issues.

Use EQUO when you need that extra precision, but Parametric EQ 2 handles most daily EQing just fine.

How to EQ in FL Studio

Alright, so how do you actually do frequency editing in FL Studio? Let’s go through it step by step. We’ll use Parametric EQ 2 for this example.

Step 1: Put Parametric EQ 2 on the mixer track

In the mixer window, find the track you want to EQ. This could be an audio clip, a synth, a whole bus – whatever needs those frequencies changed.

Click on one of the empty slots with the little arrow. That’ll open up a menu of effects. Find Parametric EQ 2 in there and click it to load it up.

Step 2: Solo the track and loop a section

In the playlist, solo the track you’re EQing so you can just focus on that sound. Find a part where that sound plays clearly and loop it. Usually a bar or two works well.

This will make it easy to hear what your EQ changes are doing. You want something playing fairly constantly while you EQ.

Step 3: Identify frequencies to change

Play the loop and listen closely. Are there any frequencies that stick out as too loud or just off in some way? Harsh high-end? Muddy low-end?

If you’re not sure, try sweeping a boost around the spectrum slowly. When a frequency range jumps out strongly, you’ve probably found an area that could use adjusting.

Step 4: Adjust the gain of frequencies

Now you know what needs changing. Make a new dot on the EQ line at that frequency area. Slowly drag it up if you want to boost or down if you want to cut.

Small moves are your friend! Try boosting or cutting by just a decibel or two to start. You can always add more. Big EQ moves can really change a sound so go gentle at first.

Keep playing the looped section to hear your changes. Bypass the EQ on and off to compare. That’ll make sure you’re going in the right direction.

Step 5: Adjust the Q of frequencies

Q means how wide or narrow the EQ curve is around a dot. High Q is more precise and affects less nearby frequencies. Low Q is broader.

With the dot selected, use the Q knob in the bottom right. Go higher to be more exact, lower to impact more around that frequency.

The right Q depends on the sound and the problem. You might want to slice out a very small region or gently dip a wider one. Let your ears choose!

Step 6: Check in context

Once you’ve got the frequency balance sounding good, unsolo the track. Listen to it in with the rest of the music. Everything still working together?

EQing in solo is important for focus but things can sound different with the whole mix playing. The bass might need more cut to stay out of the kick’s way. The vocals might need more high-end to stay crisp over everything else.

Go back to the EQ and make little tweaks with the whole song playing to get the best fit. It’s a back and forth between the part and the whole.

Step 7: Trust your ears!

There’s no perfect EQ shape that works every time. It depends on the sounds you’re working with and the goals of your music.

So use your ears first and foremost. What sounds right is right, even if it looks weird. EQing is a skill so don’t worry if it takes time to train your ears. You’ll get there with practice.

Wrap up

To sum up:

  • Frequency editing means boosting or cutting different frequency ranges in a sound
  • You do this with an equalizer or EQ effect
  • FL Studio has some solid EQs, especially Fruity Parametric EQ 2 and EQUO
  • Put the EQ on the mixer track you want to edit
  • Solo the sound and loop a section to focus in
  • Identify the frequencies that need adjusting
  • Boost or cut them gently, adjusting the Q width as needed
  • Check how it sounds with the whole mix
  • Go with what sounds right to you!

EQ is a core mixing skill. It can clean up your mix, make space for all your parts, and add unique flavors to sounds. So dive into those FL Studio EQs and start shaping some frequencies. Your music will thank you

Munyaradzi Mafaro is a music enthusiast and he also likes to tackle topics of business, productivity, and the possibilities for growth in the digital world.