Write an article based on this "Map out your song. Develop your song using different layers. Determine which instruments to use. Plan one instrument at a time for longer songs. Know your beat and break options."
Plan the basics of your song on some paper, your computer's word processing program, or a spreadsheet before you start making it. Determine what instruments and plugins you might want to use or at least start with. Simulate the program by using either a piece of grid paper or your computer. If it's a short 3-4 minute song, you may wish to start off with a simple melody, pads, vocals, and so on. Particularly if you are doing an extended piece, consider building the track in layers. The first layer can be a drum pattern to establish the beat. A 4/4 time beat is common in pop and dance songs. Another way of thinking about this is to emphasize the first and third beats of a measure. Bring in a simple bass line. The most common bass line would probably be a bass guitar sound or a standing bass, but you could also try a bass sax, tuba, or related sounds. You can then add in the melody on top of this. With rhythm and bass established, you can get a better feel for the track and begin to introduce melody. Begin simply with a few of FL Studio's pre-recorded chords. This will give a richness and depth to your sound that individual notes often lack. FL Studio Demo includes a full group of software instruments, with each channel containing one instrument plugin. You add a plugin/instrument by clicking the "+" sign on a channel. Usually, an instrument is a synthesizer or a sample player, used to make your melodies and percussions. FL Studio also offers vintage instruments and analog-sounding ones. There are also special effects and sample voice sounds. You can add new instruments by adding new plugins through a Virtual Studio Technology (VST) interface. You may want to add an instrument if, for example, you don't see the instrument you want, you want to use a rare/uncommon instrument, or you want to try a different version of an instrument you do have. For melody especially, you'll usually want to plan one instrument at a time as you would do using the piano roll. That said, you don't have to map out your entire song. You may get inspired on the spot to fill in remaining gaps in the track. You might also intentionally leave space in the song for improvisation. A step-based drum machine lets you create your own beats. The step system rounds note length to an established duration, making note length uniform. You can also use something called the Fruity Slicer to chop up breaks. The Fruity Slicer plugin can be added through the Channels menu in the Main menu bar.