Configuration articles and guides for software and hardware. These settings are mandatory unless otherwise stated
In a hurry? Download User Guide for Image-Line Fruity Loops Studio to read offline
v1.0.0 – 2020-March-10
In this little Image-Line Fruity Loops Studio User Guide you will find the instructions to get our plug-in to work with Image-Line Fruity Loops Studio with ease. This is universal tutorial for all of our plug-in, but we are using our Roland JP-80×0 Editor in this guide.
Checkout the Editor user manual prior to this guide, so you have the knowledge to setup the Editor properly.
Also, as we are not Image-Line Fruity Loops Studio experts, we engourage you to read the Fruity Loops Studio manual in order to fully understand your DAW.
We hope you have taken all the necessary precautions prior to using our product, like making a full backup of your synthesizer memory.
DISCLAIMER
Our company & plug-in has nothing to do with Image-Line company, so please don’t bug them if you encounter issues with the Editor – open a support ticket in your account page in such case. You can find support details at the end of this document.
Support is free to anyone who has bought the license from our store
Image-Line Fruity Loops Studio
Settings
Open your DAW and enter MIDI Settings. We will make sure that MIDI ports are disabled for those ports, where your synthesizer is connected at. This will ensure that your DAW won’t crash and we won’t be getting double data in to the DAW processing loop.
Options -> MIDI settings
Fruity Loops Config – Open MIDI Settings
MIDI settings
Open MIDI tab in preferences. Locate the Input port, which receives MIDI from your synth. Now check that the physical input port has not been assigned to any port number. Do the same for Output port as well. Example: My JP-8000 MIDI Out sends MIDI to RayDAT Port 1 Input. Toggle OFF port assignment.
Fruity Loops Config – Toggle Off MIDI Ports as Needed
Windows: Now in the next image you can see how I have enabled JP-8000 vMIDI Out [1] and JP-8000 vMIDI In [2] as I’m using my JP-8000 as a master keyboard. Both are assigned to port 0.
Fruity Loops Config – Assign MIDI Output as Needed
You can now close the Preferences. We are now ready to add the plug-in to the project!
NOTE #1: Check our support site for additional guides like Setting MIDI Devices to learn how we added JP-8000 vMIDI In and JP-8000 vMIDI Out ports in the DAW.
You can adapt the settings to your Hardware!
Insert the plug-in
Drag the plug-in from the Plug-ins pool to the track you want.
Fruity Loops Config – Open MIDI Settings
Plug-in window will now appear.
Fruity Loops Config – Plug-in Window will now Appear
MIDI IN / MIDI OUT
Now we can select the Physical MIDI input port which receives MIDI data from your synthesizer.
Fruity Loops Config – Assign MIDI Input
And then we choose the Physical MIDI Out port which sends data to the synthesizer MIDI input.
Fruity Loops Config – Assign MIDI Output
Plug-in will now attempt to establish connection with the synthesizer, so it might take some time if your settings are not right or if you chose a wrong MIDI port by mistake. You should see plug-in saying PROCESSING… somewhere in the plug-in interface and also ABORT PROCESS button will appear.
Fruity Loops Config – Editor Attempts to connect
If all of the settings are correct, you will see “Plug-in is ready to go!” [1] message in the plug-in display.
Fruity Loops Config – Connection Established
If something is wrong with your settings, plug-in will say “No response from JP!” [1] and that indicates something is wrong with your synth settings, MIDI device or Studio One Preferences.
Fruity Loops Config – Failed Connection
Once the connection is in, you should sync the data with your hardware. Usually this function can be ran from the patch librarian tab / page of the plug-in & “Sync Data From HW” button. Check the plug-in user manual to learn more.
We can now close the plug-in window and move on.
Note #1: Check troubleshooting from the Editor, DAW or synthesizer manual if you can not establish connection. You can also seek help from our support site if you can’t find out what is causing error in your setup.
Automating Plug-in Parameters
First, we need to right click the arrow in top left corner to reveal the menu. Choose “Browse Parameters”. See image below.
Fruity Loops Config – Reveal Parameters for Automation
Next we are going to right click on the parameter we want to automate and choose “Create automation clip”. See image below.
Fruity Loops Config – Create Automation Clip
Now the Filter Cutoff is in the arrangement window and we have drawn in some curves for it. See image below.
Fruity Loops Config – Automation Clip in Arrangement
Note #1: You can add as many parameters as you wish. System Exclusive (SysEx) parameters and system buttons can not be automated.
Note #2: With some Editors, it is not yet possible to draw automation in DAW when moving the knob from the hardware. Move knob from the Editor user interface instead.
Start drawing in OR move the knobs in the plug-in while recording to make automation! Before you start to pursue with MIDI blocks, read the next chapter!
Assign MIDI tracks to Fruity Loops Studio arrangement
Now, in order to send MIDI notes to the synthesizer, we need to have MIDI tracks in the DAW. Click the + -sign [1] to reveal the menu.
Fruity Loops Config – Choose MIDI Out Device
Select “MIDI Out” from the list.
Fruity Loops Config – Select Port and Channel as Needed
Now we need to configure the MIDI Out to work as we want. MIDI Out is pointing to port 0 [1] (JP-8000 vMIDI Out), which I’ve created in our Setting MIDI Devices guide. Channel is set to 1 [2]. macOS users can point the MIDI out directly to physical MIDI port of synth.
Fruity Loops Config – Rename Tracks for Clarity
Just for the clarity, I’m gonna rename my track to JP-8000 ch1 so that its easier to spot in the DAW. Right click on the top left corner and choose “Rename, color and icon…” if you wish to do the same.
Fruity Loops Config – Track Renamed
Check track channel number. This must be the same as the plug-in channel setting. Example, if Lower layer in the plug-in points to channel 1, then MIDI channel 1 in the MIDI track will send MIDI data to synthesizers lower layer.
Note #1: Assign MIDI Channels so that they match your synthesizer part / layer MIDI channels. I have set JP-8000 Lower to MIDI channel 1 and JP-8000 Upper to MIDI channel 2.
Note #2: MIDI out is pointing to JP-8000 vMIDI Out, which I’ve created in our Setting MIDI Devices guide. macOS users can point the MIDI out directly to physical MIDI port of synth.
Note #3: If you have multitimbral setup / use with your synthesizer, which most can do, then add more MIDI tracks and point them to respected MIDI channels.
Note #4: You should always put MIDI blocks in the MIDI tracks because our plug-in can not talk to DAW about delay compensation. This is because we do not generate any audio with our plug-in.
I am going to add one more track, which will point to JP-8000 Upper layer and set it to channel 2. This way I can play both of my JP-8000’s layers individually – essentially having two JP-8000’s in one song!
Finishing it up!
Final step is to add Audio, so we can hear the synthesizer in action. In this case I have chosen track in the mixer which I renamed to JP-8000 Input [3] and I’ve chosen the Input where my JP-8000 Audio Output jacks are connected to. Now you need to enable track monitoring to hear the synth in action while playing some chords!
Summary: MIDI track 1 is pointing to port 0 at channel 1 [1], MIDI track 2 is pointing to port 0 at channel 2 [2], Mixer is set to have input from [3] from the RME RayDAT channels 1-2 [4].
Fruity Loops Config – Enable Input Monitoring
Now the setup is ready, and you should hear the synth while making some MIDI blocks and you have some sort of automation (if needed).
Note #1: You might have routed your Audio Output from the synth itself to external mixing desk or speakers, so make sure you power those units on. Otherwise there won’t be any sound because our plug- in does not transmit any audio data to the DAW.
Thats it for the Image-Line Fruity Loops Studio user guide. We hope you find this useful.
Troubleshooting
loopMIDI and MIDI-OX are both shipping their own user manuals, so please refer to their documentary to learn more about how they work.
Editor User Manuals: https://docs.auraplugins.com/
Editor Updates: https://auraplugins.com/downloads/
Check our Knowledge Base for documentation regarding to the Editor and Hardware configurations.
Use the website search to find answers / solutions to possible issues.
You have some suggestions? Yes please!
We are always open for new suggestions and ideas regarding to our products. Send your suggestions to us because it will make our products better.
Head down to our main site and drop your idea in, we will have a look at it and let you know if it can be done.
If you have found an error in this document, open a support ticket or join our Discord server so we can have it fixed.