Most sound issues in FL Studio can be fixed through the audio settings menu and ensuring that you have the correct input/output devices selected there. You may also want to double-check that your master audio track is routed to the correct audio output.
Sound Issues In FL Studio
Having sound issues in FL Studio is common and one that can dampen your creativity if it keeps happening repeatedly.
In this guide, we will look at some of the most common causes for not hearing any sound in Fruity Loops Studio and then look at some of the quickest ways of fixing these issues.
Common Causes for No Sound in FL Studio
Inputs/Outputs
One of the most common causes for no sound in FL Studio is incorrect input and output routing within the DAW.
To quickly check this, go to your audio settings, which you can find under the options tab at the top of FL Studio. Within this window, you can change the audio device for your audio inputs and outputs.
If this is not set correctly, you will not hear any audio within your DAW.
In most cases, you will want to use the native FL Studio ASIO driver, as it works well in most situations.
If you are using an audio interface, you also have the option of using the driver that comes with that.
In addition, you will also want to check that you have an input/output selected on your master channel in the mixer (as shown above). You will hear no audio in your DAW if this is set to none.
Click here to check out our top pick audio interface.
Muting Or Soloing
Another one of the most common ways in which you can cause yourself some audio issues is by accidentally muting or soloing elements of your track. Doing this can be easily done by accident but can be hard to pick up on, especially for beginners.
To check if you have done this, look at the track in both the playlist view and the mixer, and make sure they are not muted. You can tell if they are muted as they will be greyed out, and the small green light indicator will be turned off.
Clicking on the small green light indicator on the track will mute and unmute it, respectively.
Automation
If you are using automation within your project, you may also want to check that you are not trying to listen to an element that has some significant automation being applied to it.
If you switch from song to pattern mode and cannot hear the element being played, an automation clip is most likely the answer to why you cannot listen to it properly.
In this case, you will want to make sure that you move the play marker in the playlist view to a part of the song where the automation clip is in a neutral state.
An example of this can be seen in the clip above, with a master volume automation being applied.
Alternatively, you can stay in the playlist view and simply mute all other tracks except the one you are trying to listen to, along with any automation clips affecting it.
Pattern Mode
Another issue that you might face, especially if you are new to FL Studio, is accidentally switching to pattern mode instead of song mode.
You can see which of these modes you currently have selected via the indicated found just to the left of the play and pause buttons on the top toolbar. If you have the chosen pattern mode when trying to hear something in the playlist mode, you will most likely not hear it.
Pattern mode lets you listen to specific MIDI patterns in the piano roll instead of the entire project in playlist view with song mode.
Knowing when you are in either of these modes comes with time after using FL Studio for a while. Eventually, it is something you will not have to concern yourself over.
Related Questions
Why Can I only Hear Certain Parts of My Project in FL Studio?
If you are only hearing certain audio parts in FL Studio, it may be because you are using pattern mode instead of song mode, which can be changed with the buttons to the left of the play and pause button.
You may also face this issue if you have certain parts of your project muted or soloed, which you can check by looking at the mixer. Muted tracks will be greyed out and have no green light indicating that it is on.
Some of My Projects Have No Audio in FL Studio?
If certain projects have no audio, it may be a more complicated problem with your DAW. First, check that you have not set the project to pattern mode or muted tracks in the mixer.
If neither of these is the case, then you may need to do a fresh reinstall of FL Studio to get your projects working again.
Why Can’t I Hear Any Audio From Serum?
If you hear sound from everything except Serum in your DAW, it is likely an issue with the plugin itself rather than with the digital audio workstation. You can try opening another instance of Serum or try closing and opening your project again.
If your Serum has stopped producing sound in all of your projects, then you might need to reinstall it again to get it working.
Why Do I Hear Crackling in FL Studio?
Crackling audio is usually caused by your CPU being overloaded with processing. It cannot process all of the information in your DAW.
To minimize this, you can try consolidating your midi into audio samples. This means you can close some of your generator VST’s that generally take up a lot of processing power.
Click here to read our complete guide on fixing crackling in FL Studio.
Why Are Some of My Samples Not Working in FL Studio?
Two of the most common causes for samples not working are having either removed/moved where the sample is being stored or renamed the file since putting it in the project.
You can quickly fix this by rescanning your samples folders in the file options menu.
What Is the Difference Between Pattern and Song Mode in FL Studio?
Pattern mode is used to specifically loop a particular pattern repeatedly, which is great for focusing on a specific aspect of your project. Song mode is used to hear the entire project from within the playlist view.
Can You Mute/unmute Multiple Channels at A Time in FL Studio?
You can right-click on the small green light above the channel panning knob within the mixer, which will solo that specific when clicked. You can also do the same within the playlist view with each audio track on the left-hand side.
Final Words
After looking through these methods, you will hopefully find one that helps you fix your sound issues in FL Studio.
Once you know these common causes for no audio in FL Studio, you will be able to sort out any issues in the future much faster.
Want to get your DAW running smoother? Click here to fix FL Studio lagging problems.
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