SPARE STATE in FL Studio Plugins [FL Wrapper]

Updated: Oct 8, 2023

In Season 2 Episode 3 of my podcast, I talked about SPARE STATE..

Every plugin in FL Studio has the ability to switch to a BEFORE and AFTER version in FL Studio, which is absolutely essential for a powerful mixing workflow.

It doesn’t matter what plugin you use, either a stock or third-party plugin, Spare state is built into the FL Wrapper which allows you to do A/B comparison.

(A/B comparison is one of the 5 GOLDEN PILLARS OF MUSIC PRODUCTION.. which is a course coming very soon to my beatmaker training platform.)

How to Access Spare State On An FL Studio Plugin

On any plugin, in the top left plugin menu, click the drop down arrow.

Then in the Spare state section, you first have to select Store in spare state. Now, you’ll be able to use Flip with spare state to switch to an A/B version of the plugin.

Best Practices of Using BEFORE and AFTER Comparison (A/B Testing Plugins)

The most important thing is having a FAIR VOLUME COMPARISON!

That means when switching from Version A to Version B that the volume is very similar.. otherwise we will be skewed to the louder one.

High-end plugins usually have this A/B comparison feature built right into the plugin, but it’s also possible in FL Studio with any plugin to have a BEFORE and AFTER switch.

One final thing for a good FL Studio workflow is using the ON/OFF switch by hitting the cog! I am very happy FL Studio implemented this workflow feature, rather than always going to the mixer insert’s plugin chain, which was tedious and time-consuming!

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.

Do you have any FL Studio questions? Leave a comment below! (and.. you may like my Piano Lessons for Producers Course!)

About Author: GratuiTous

GratuiTous manages his Beatmaker Training Platform, authors Beatmaking Books, and hosts the "Music Production Made Simple Podcast". Introduced to FL Studio by his good friend in 2009.. he began FL Studio tutorials in 2011, eventually leading to his 35+ Courses in the platform. Fun Fact: He was an electrician for 10 Years!

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