This is a basic rundown of each plugins’ features and interface. We won’t cover all of them, but we’ll get to the important ones. So let’s delve in and demystify the main ones for you.

When I first used FL, I just wanted to get in a start getting my hands dirty, without feeling like I’m drowning. You can find a LOT of information on each of them online, but it requires hours of research and understanding just to know how to use them. These are a ‘Native’ format unique to FL Studio, not VST or anything. In fact, it’s one of the reasons people pick FL Studio over other DAWs. FL Studio PluginsĪs previously mentioned, FL Studio comes with a great set of plugins. VST is the most popular and supported, but Audio Units are great on macOS because they are native to the platform. Just make sure your computer supports it. What should you use? It doesn’t really matter, they all work the same and don’t sound any different. Many instrument plugins also have standalone versions that you can use outside of FL Studio or a DAW environment – this is usually an option when you install a plugin on your computer.

Native – not really a format, just when a plugin is hard-wired to only work with the DAW it came with.

RTAS – compatible with older Pro Tools versions.

AAX (Avid Audio eXtension) – compatible with newer Pro Tools versions.

AU (Audio Units) – compatible with most DAWs on macOS only.

VST3 – a newer VST version compatible with some DAWs.

VST (Virtual Studio Technology) – compatible with most DAWs.

Here’s a full list of the most popular ones:

VST is a type of plugin format, but there are a variety of others too. Plugin? VSTs? What are all these words?!Īnother word used interchangeably with ‘plugin’ is ‘VST’.īut many producers get confused here – they aren’t necessarily the same thing. What’s a VST?Īt this point, the terms can get confusing. Plugins made by third parties are something you can purchase or download separately to FL Studio, usually made by a variety of different manufacturers.

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