Using Symphonic Choirs in FLStudio

PostDateIcon Saturday, 03 November 2007 18:43 | PostAuthorIcon Author: Alex Parker | PDF Print E-mail

This tutorial presents an easy way to use East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs and Word Builder within FLStudio, and is arguably a better method than running them both as stand alone applications.  You may also download this tutorial as a PDF.


Overview of the issues involved & the traditional solution

Users of FLStudio may be disappointed to discover that the Word Builder tool used to power the EWQLSC library doesn’t load in FLStudio.



This is because the plugin format for Word Builder uses protocols which differ from ordinary VST instruments.  Word Builder uses a format known as VST-MA (VST-Module Architecture), or MFX (MIDI-FX), neither of which FLStudio currently supports.



The generally accepted solution seems to be to run Word Builder and Symphonic Choirs as stand alone applications (outside of FLStudio) and use a variety of virtual MIDI cables to control it.



Problems with the traditional approach
The problems I have found when running Symphonic Choirs and Word Builder as stand alone applications are:

  1. You have to install and configure another driver on your computer to reroute MIDI data from FLStudio to Word Builder, and from Word Builder to Symphonic Choirs.
  2. There is no easy way of getting the sound from Symphonic Choirs back into FLStudio, so you either have to use a virtual audio cable to reroute audio into FLStudio or record your choir tracks to disk and then import them into your project as audio files.
  3. When you open your project in FLStudio, you also have to open the Word Builder and Symphonic Choirs applications.  You then have to load your saved vocals in Word Builder and the voices you want to use into Symphonic Choirs.
  4. Because of the above workarounds, workflow is severely degraded and there’s a lot of going back and forth between FLStudio, Word Builder and Symphonic Choirs, which is frustrating and impedes creativity.


An alternative, easier, and (I think so) better approach
Fortunately there is a way to load Word Builder inside FLStudio.  This requires the download of one VST shell plug-in, known as mfxshell.


This plug-in was programmed by a guy named Frank Potulski, and although it is an experimental plug-in with little technical support, on my system I found it works flawlessly for Word Builder.  All the above problems are cured, and all your edits in word builder are loaded and saved within the FLP file itself, keeping everything together in the one application and really smoothing out the workflow. 



Basic Setup
Install mfxshell

  1. Download this file, and extract mfxshell.dll into your VST folder
  2. Make sure you have Symphonic Choirs installed.

Load Symphonic Choirs in FLStudio

  1. Open FLStudio
  2. Right click on an empty channel, choose insert from the context menu.
  3. Choose “More”
  4. Click “Refresh” to find mfxshell
  5. Select mfxshell
  6. A small box will appear with the text “Word Builder [MFX]”, plus any other MFX plugins you have installed.  Click on Word Builder.
  7. Now add a new channel for Symphonic Choirs VST

Get Word Builder and Symphonic Choirs working together

  1. Set the input port of Word Builder to 1
  2. Set the output port of Word Builder to 2
  3. Set the input port of Symphonic Choirs to 2


Now you should be able to load a Multi in Symphonic Choirs, write some text in Word Builder, and play Word Builder with your keyboard or edit the piano roll.



Finally, achieving full control
There is one final step that is necessary to get full control over the mod wheel and expression controllers, if your keyboard does not natively support these features.  If you don’t want to access the mod wheel or expression controls of Symphonic Choirs, then you can skip this section, but I think it’s worth the extra step:

  1. Insert a Midi Out channel, and open the channel to edit the “plugin” settings.
  2. Set the channel to 1 and the port to 1
  3. Right click on one of the blank knobs and select “Configure”
  4. Name it “Mod” for both long and short names, set the CC number  to 1.  This will give us the ability to control and automate the mod wheel effects.
  5. Configure another knob, call it “Expression” and set the CC number to 11.  This gives us control over the expression effects.
  6. The EWQLSC manual gives details on other CC controller numbers that can be used for various reasons, such as resetting Word Builder to the first word, holding a vowel, and so on.  You can automate all of these by configuring the knobs and sliders in the MIDI Out plugin to correspond.

And that’s it.  I can’t promise that this work around will work for all future versions of FLStudio and Symphonic Choirs, but for the current releases this solution works fine and I’ve been able to open multiple channels singing different parts with no problems.



The main thing is to make sure the input port of Symphonic Choirs matches the output port of Word Builder, and you’re all set to go.



Feedback & Questions
If you have found this information useful or you are having difficulties please contact me so I can make the necessary improvements and hopefully help you to get this working.




Disclaimer
I do not support or provide a warranty for the effectiveness and safety of mfxshell, meaning that by following the instructions in this guide you accept full responsibility should something go wrong as a direct result of using mfxshell, including (heaven forbid) the loss of important files, system instability and other dire consequences.



Having made my disclaimer, I have not experienced any problems at all with mfxshell in FLStudio, but to be on the safe side you should make sure you have a recent backup of all your files, or test mfxshell on a separate system where, if anything does go wrong, it won’t matter too much.



Good luck and happy composing!
 

Comments (90)
  • |77.49.148.xxx |2007-11-23 21:27:37 Scott  - problem
    1. Set the input port of Word Builder to 1
    2. Set the output port of Word Builder to 2
    3. Set the input port of Symphonic Choirs to 2

    Dude can you pls explain better where can these be found?
    or make some images of them pls?
    i really want it towork in FL
    btw i m using FL studio 5
    Reply | Quote
  • |202.72.171.xxx |2007-11-24 00:22:16 Alex
    Hi Scott, I received your email and I've sent you a reply with an image showing where the port selection bits are.

    Also, I have only tested this in FL6 and FL7 and it works fine for me there, I haven't used FL5 in a couple of years though so I won't be much help for FL5 specific issues.

    Let me know how you go.
    Reply | Quote
  • |202.72.171.xxx |2007-11-24 00:23:25 Alex
    Also - I just uploaded a FL7 project file to the downloads section if anyone is interested, its called "Wordbuilder& Mfxshell in FL7" in the downloads section.
    Reply | Quote
  • |89.122.211.xxx |2008-02-24 10:25:48 Azzael  - thx
    works fine, i now can start my malefic composition... thx
    Reply | Quote
  • |202.72.171.xxx |2008-02-24 16:13:11 Alex  - Cool
    Glad to hear it's helped :)
    Reply | Quote
  • |91.177.82.xxx |2008-07-03 09:01:40 Dero  - Thanks for your help
    Nice your search for fl members. Thanks you very much for your help to wordbuilder.
    Reply | Quote
  • |216.254.13.xxx |2008-07-23 17:14:36 Anonymous  - Port numbers and other details
    For those wondering about the answer to Scott's question, the MIDI port number is shown in the upper right hand corner of the VST plugin. There are two "drop down" arrows in the upper left hand corner of the VST plugin, clicking the lower one (called "extra options";) will let you choose whether you're editing MIDI in or MIDI out.

    So set MIDI in and out ports as Scott said on your Wordbuilder and Choirs channels. Then in the Choirs plugin load a multis preset (in the first dropdown menu right under the "Symphonic Choirs" text). Then activate the Wordbuilder channel and play some notes.
    Reply | Quote
  • |202.72.171.xxx |2008-07-24 17:12:23 Yup  - Thanks Anonymous
    I have been meaning to update this tutorial with this info, as I get asked this a lot. Cheers for the reminder :)
    Reply | Quote
  • |82.170.7.xxx |2008-10-17 04:22:28 Bubba  - No sound
    I have done everything what the tutorial says

    But when i type a word in my wordbuilder and hit my keyboard i see the little midi light blink but no sound.

    If i go to my symphonic choirs vst and i hit a key i will only hear a 'aaaaa' or a 'iiiiiiii'

    What did i do wrong?
    Reply | Quote
  • |202.72.171.xxx |2008-10-19 18:56:31 Alex  - Probabky
    The problem is somewhere between wordbuilder and choirs.

    It's probably something to do with the output port of wordbuilder not matching the input port of choirs. Anonymous said how to set input and output ports in FL a few posts up. Make sure the output port of WB matches the input of Choirs.

    Perhaps also you are playing outside the range of the selected choir? Try playing an octave or two higher or lower to see if that fixes the problem.
    Reply | Quote
  • |212.182.93.xxx |2010-02-24 21:01:22 Help  - Help Me!
    I'm using WIn 7 64-bit, FL 8. When I'm hitting the keys of WB i don't hear words but just the same what i would hear whan i'm not using the WB.When i release keys i hear short delay of that i just played. There is a difrence between "iiii" or "aaaa" when i type it in but, but the words are not recognizable. PLACE HELP ! :(
    Reply | Quote
  • |89.239.172.xxx |2010-02-27 06:51:08 Nick  - Help me plz(((
    :angry: Hi guys(
    I cant Word Builder and Symphonic Choirs working together...((( Help me.. ((( How write "Bubba - No sound" I have done everything what the tutorial says. But my vst choir sing "aaaaa" and "iiiii" and "ooooo"... Maybe it FL studio v4.0 it old version?
    Reply | Quote
  • |89.239.172.xxx |2010-02-27 10:06:57 Nick  - YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
    :D Guys! I'm understand why my vst plugin dont work with FL Studio))) I'm dowload new FL Studio version 8))) And all work))) :D
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