How To Use The Edison - FL Studio Tutorial

Edison is a stock and free plugin included with all versions of FL Studio that functions as an audio recorder and editing tool loaded onto a mixer track.

• External sources like microphones or guitars plugged into an audio interface • Internal sources such as MIDI clips triggering synthesizers or previously recorded audio • Records audio into WAV files without requiring the project to be playing

• Normalization, fades, reversing audio • Slicing and cutting audio, noise gating • Adding reverb through impulse responses for creative sound design • Drag and drop samples from the project or FL Studio browser directly into Edison

Three parts: getting audio into Edison, understanding the plugin layout and modes, and diving into detailed tool exploration.

Select an empty mixer track, go to slot 1, access the Miscellaneous tab where Edison appears as the top plugin, and resize as needed.

• Drag and drop samples from the browser directly into the waveform display • Set the mixer input to your microphone or external source • Choose different recording modes for various scenarios

• Separate recording: Record without playing the project, useful for warming up or practicing • Record with track: Record while the project plays along • Loop recording mode: Loop around a selection to record multiple takes

• Use the drag tool to manually place audio on the playlist • Use 'Send to Playlist as Audio Clip' for automatic placement • Press Ctrl+C to drop loop takes into the playlist with perfect time alignment

Change recording mode to 'On Play', select the section you want to loop, and set a duration like 'Record for 5 minutes'.

Press record and play to begin looping takes around the selection. Each new loop automatically creates a new take separated by song jumps that align with the loop start point.

• Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between takes • Listen to each take to evaluate quality • Delete unwanted takes by pressing Delete

Keeps the playlist clean without cluttering it with multiple demo takes, allows practicing while playing along with the track, and ensures perfect time alignment when selecting the best take.

• Off view: Basic waveform display • Dual view: Shows spectrum underneath the waveform • Spectrum mode: Shows fundamental frequencies and noise without background

• Change colors with spectrum gradient options (blue, green, glacier) • Adjust quality from 64 bands to 8,192 bands for different resolution levels • View mono, left, or right channels independently for stereo sources

• Left-click and drag to select a region • Adjust selection boundaries by clicking the sides • Use Ctrl+Click and drag for precise section selection • Use Ctrl+Delete to remove everything outside a selection

Use Ctrl+Z to undo one step, right-click to access full undo history allowing multiple steps back.

Dragging everything so the maximum amplitude reaches zero dB, helping visualize audio clearly. Can be applied to the entire sample or just selected sections.

• Trim Side Noise: Removes noise at the start automatically • Gate Noise: Removes noise below a threshold (right-click to set threshold) • Acquire Noise Threshold: Press Alt+N to establish a noise gate baseline

• Fade In/Out: Gradually fades audio, useful for artistic sound design • De-Click: Ensures audio ends at a zero crossing to prevent clicks or pops • De-Click is less obtrusive than fade and good for vocals between phrases

De-Noise tool removes background noise from the entire sample, not just the sides, making it particularly effective for vocals and guitars.

Reverse audio using the Time Reverse tool or Alt+Left Arrow shortcut. Creates dramatic effects and can be combined with other techniques like adding reverb.

• Add convolution reverb using impulse responses • Select different presets like 'Smooth Cathedral' • Adjust wet level and accept to apply reverb to the entire sample

Combine reversed audio with reverb, then reverse again to create atmospheric reverse reverb effects. Add crossfades and volume adjustments for integration.

Edison serves as a powerful sound design tool for experimenting with effects before sending audio to mixer tracks, allowing quick iteration without complex plugin chains.

Apply an equalizer directly to selected sections of audio. Select regions like high-end only and accept to process just that frequency range.

• Edit pan position from left to right across the sample • Create custom curves by dragging points or right-clicking to add new points • Choose pulse types like wave for automatic panning effects

Adjust volume levels across the sample by dragging points up and down. Useful for emphasizing risers or creating dynamic volume changes throughout.

Control stereo width from mono to full stereo separation across the sample timeline.

• Medium auto slicing: Adds markers where chords are detected • Dull auto slicing: More conservative marker placement • Manually add markers by selecting a point and pressing the marker button

Creates a rich, atmospheric pad from transient sounds. Adjustable amount controls the level of blur applied, ranging from subtle to heavily blurred.

• Drag blurred samples to playlist as atmospheric underlays • Remove low-end and boost highs before ducking under the main track • Creates characteristic pad sounds that sit underneath entire songs

• Save samples to hard drive for future use • Access view modes, edit modes, and file options through dropdown menus • Export processed audio in various formats

Edison is used in almost every production for recording voice overs, guitars, vocals, and creative effects. Provides powerful audio manipulation without relying on mixer plugin chains.

• Quick experimentation with effects and sound design • Time-saving workflow for reversing samples and adding reverb • Eliminating the need to print audio through the mixer repeatedly

The more you use Edison, the more comfortable you become with it. Most seasoned FL Studio users rely heavily on Edison for recording and editing tasks.

Explore individual tools at your own pace. More specific videos covering each tool in detail may be created in the future for deeper understanding.