I don't know ultrabeat, but I have used Fruity Loops almost exclusively in my last two recordings of
abstract electronica ( "Purple Hand" and the soon to be released "Orange").

Fruity Loops or FLStudio as they are now calling it, began life as a simple drum machine, sample sequencer
styled program with an interface much like the old Roland TR808 paradigm.

The company, however, has been extremely aggressive about adding feature after feature to the program in the last
four releases so that now, there is extensive midi sequencing possible, drum machine graphic interface sequencing,
Vst and Vsti instruments, a pretty sophisticated mixer with many different routing possibilities and the ability to
record all movements made in a real time mix of a program (like Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer, Sonar, et. al.)

What separates the program from many, however, is the fact that you have massive non-destructive editing capabilities
of all the sounds you use which makes extremely radical and very, very rapid sound design possible.

In older days, I would use a sound editor (Sound Forge) with a looping program (Acid) or sequencer program (Cubase)
and do all of my sound design inside of Sound Forge...........now I don't even bother with Sound Forge anymore (with the exception
of final mastering stages and dithering because Fruity Loops has become so powerful.

With every sample (with out affecting the tempo of a piece) you can change it's pitch over a whopping 9 octaves instantaneously,
you have extensive ADSR capabilities, delays that you can control the cutoff, resonance, pitch, panning, velocity, and feedback (c,r, p,p,v f) of
in real time, extensive randomization algorithms of c,r, p,p, v, f and extensive randomization of note placement that all have variable
constraints built into them. This means I can constrain the number of notes in a pattern (one measure of a drum or melodic pattern),
the octave (or octaves) they are in, and also, which scales they are playing (with an extensive set of chords and different world music scales).
There is also a 'CUT' and 'CUT BY' function where you can assign any instrument (or multiple instruments) a number which will allow it to
cutoff any other insrument that has the identical "CUT BY". This is wonderful for having kick drums cut off backwards cymbal sounds , etc.

In addition , there is a large graphic interface for you you arrange your different patterns so that you can throw together a song form
extremely quickly.

It's so fast in terms of programming, that I can throw together a random 7 minute piece of music that is very, very sophisticated sounding
in 15 or 20 minutes.

Additionally, you can export or import any midi sequences (if you want to do more sophisticated sequencing in one of the biggee
DAWs like Logic, Cubase or Digital Performer).

You can export whole songs or you can export individual patterns (or even individual samples) which is something I love to do when using a hip proprietary software like Tuareg 2 or Granulab.

The final thing is that this entire package only costs $150 for the Producers Edition which makes it the most inexpensive DAW that has such extensive capabilities on the entire market AND...........................when you purchase it, you have UPGRADES FOR LIFE!!!!!!!
I bought version 4.0 and just had my mind blown that I was able to download and register version 7.0 for free.

I can't say enough things about it. I only wish they would port it to OSX but I don't think it's going to happen.

I teach digital design on both Mac and Windows and I just wish there was something this cool with a similar paradigm on the Mac.
I'd be using it if there was but so far, there's nothing quite like it. I say this because it is so much faster to teach someone how to start making sophisticated electronic music on Fruity Loops than any other single program I've found on the Mac side and it's so vastly less expensive than something like Pro Tools, Logic or Digital Performer.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars (and I have no affiliation , officially , with the company by the way..........I paid for it and I'm a huge fan).

Try it if you have a new Intel Mac and have Windows to boot into.

that, I did not know...I puzzled with those things for a LONG time, & even called in for some advice from others with more experience at the time, & we just couldn't figure them out. thanks for the feedback.

oh, & just so you know, Logic 8 is a single window interface, with more than I care to type, to let me cut & paste:

Logic, remastered.

Logic Pro 8 is the center of Logic Studio, featuring a redesigned interface that makes it easier than ever to write, record, edit, and mix your music.
Top new features

* • A redesigned, single-window interface eliminates clutter and lets you focus on your music.
* • Multi-take management and Quick Swipe Comping dramatically streamline the overdub process.
* • Powerful audio editing features such as snap-to-transient, graphical time stretching, and sample-accurate editing in the Arrange window let you work faster and with greater precision.
* • End-to-end surround production includes multichannel tracks, busses, and support for True Surround software instruments and effects.


What’s in the Box

* • DVD containing Logic Pro 8, MainStage, Soundtrack Pro 2, Studio Instruments, Studio Effects, WaveBurner 1.5, Compressor 3, Impulse Response Utility, Apple Loops Utility, QuickTime 7 Pro, and required content
* • Six content DVDs containing Jam Pack collections, sound effects, surround music beds, EXS24 samples, and impulse response files
* • Demo content DVD
* • Printed and electronic documentation


comes with about 46gigs of content & is only $160 more than FL XXL Edition ($110 if you are a student)

& unlike FL, but like most other DAW programs(excluding Reason), it has very easy, click & drag universal plugin automation capabilities


pound for pound, dollar for dollar, capability for capability, FL doesn't quite match up...which, was, originally my point. some of my subpoints were admittedly off the mark, but I taught myself 99% of FL without any reference material of any kind, I even composed & produced an entire album in FL. your point about the interface codes for vst's is well taken, but it could be that much easier if FL, like Logic or Cubase, simply automapped it.

& the one other thing I have personally found, right out of the gate using any DAW, is that with out quite a bit of processing, FL just sounds flat by comparison, & many people I know have also noticed that difference. ultimately, for sound & production quality purposes, it left me wanting for more that I easily found elsewhere. I highly recommend, as I have said countless times before, that anyone interested in learning MIDI & Sequencing start with FL. Logic was until this release one of the more complex interfaces to be found & one of the more expensive, & didn't come with much in the way of plug ins...now it comes with 3 proprietary programs, a whole suite of virtual instruments & processing plugins, & over 32 gigs of samples. while it seems apparent to me that this was influenced in some way by the host of goodies that FL XXL Edition boasts, it also makes it for me a clear, obviously better choice for the money. another big factor is the new price/feature ratio of the new Intel Duo Core iMacs. all-in-one housing for the monitor, hard drive, cpu & superdrive. 5 USB & 2 Firewire ports, 320gb hard drive starting at $1199, with total virus invulnerability. to me, it's simply a better route if you can afford to make that choice.