FLEXTRIK

Beginner guide

Drum kits in FL Studio

A drum kit is a folder of samples. Here is how to add it to FL Studio, load it onto a channel or a drum pad, and a few tips for getting the best out of it.

Get a free drum kit See the kits

Add a drum kit to the FL Studio Browser

  1. Unzip the kitPut the unzipped folder somewhere permanent, such as a Samples folder on a fast drive.
  2. Add the folder to FL StudioOpen Options → File settings and add the folder under “Browser extra search folders”.
  3. Find it in the BrowserThe kit now appears in the Browser panel. Click a sound to preview it.
  4. Drag a sound into the Channel RackFL Studio creates a sampler channel for it. Now you can step-sequence it or play it from the piano roll.

Load a kit onto FPC pads

FL Studio's drum pad plugin, FPC, lets you drag samples onto its pads and play them from a keyboard or a pad controller. Open FPC from the Channel Rack and drag your kick, snare and hats onto pads.

Tips for working with a kit

  • Layer: put a short click sample over a kick to make it cut through.
  • Tune the 808 to the root note of the song.
  • Keep a favourites folder of the ten sounds you reach for most.
  • Normalise the level of your drums before you balance them, so you are not fighting different loudness.

Kits to start with

SHROOMKTOBER Multi-Kit

808s (77), presets, drums, a video, 20 FLPs and a bonus.

$15one-time · digital files

Questions

Where do I put a drum kit in FL Studio?

Unzip it anywhere you like, and add that folder to the Browser in the file settings. You do not have to copy the files into FL Studio's own folders.

Which file format do drum kit samples use?

Most are WAV files, which work in every DAW. Some kits also come with FL Studio projects (FLPs) and presets.

How do I tune an 808 in FL Studio?

Open the sample in a channel and change its pitch until it matches the key of your song. See 808 samples for more.

Do the kits work in other DAWs?

The WAV samples work in any DAW. FLPs need FL Studio, and Serum presets need Xfer Serum.

Is there a free drum kit to try?

Yes: the Flextrik Demo Multikit is free for subscribers of our Telegram channel.

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