This is the FL Studio version of how to chop a sample. The ideas are the same in every DAW; here's where to click in FL.
Step 1: Load Slicex
Add a new instance of Slicex to the Channel Rack, then drag your sample into it. Slicex analyzes the audio and places slice markers automatically.
Step 2: Check the slices
Auto-detection is a starting point. Zoom in and check that each slice starts right on a transient: the start of a chord, a hit or a phrase.
- Move markers where they're slightly off.
- Delete markers where it has cut too much. Longer chops are often more musical.
- Add markers where you want a chop it didn't find.
Step 3: Send slices to the piano roll
Use "Dump score to piano roll" to send the slices to FL's Piano Roll as notes, in their original order. Playing it back recreates the original sample.
Step 4: Rearrange
Now the fun part. In the piano roll:
- Move notes in time to reorder your chops.
- Move notes up or down to pitch individual chops by semitones.
- Delete, repeat and shorten notes to build a new pattern.
Or skip the dump and play slices straight from your MIDI controller, recording the performance instead.
Step 5: Clean up
- Add a short fade in and out to slices that click.
- Use Slicex's per-slice settings to adjust volume or pitch where needed.
- Filter the low end of the sample so your drums and bass have space.
Other ways to chop in FL
- FPC: drag chops onto pads if you want an MPC-style workflow.
- Edison: edit and slice audio precisely before loading it into a sampler.
- Audio clips in the playlist: for simple arrangement chops, slicing audio clips directly is quick.
Questions producers ask
What is the best way to chop samples in FL Studio?
Slicex is built for it: it slices samples automatically, maps each slice to a note, and can send the slices to the piano roll so you can rearrange them.
How do I send Slicex slices to the piano roll?
Use the 'Dump score to piano roll' option in Slicex. The slices appear as notes in their original order, ready to rearrange.
How do I pitch a single chop in FL Studio?
In the piano roll, move that slice's note up or down. Each semitone step changes the chop's pitch by a semitone.
Skip the paperwork
Original soul, cleared before you press play.
Every sound in Soul Sample Club is an original composition, pre-cleared for commercial releases. Download it, flip it, release it. Nothing to negotiate.
Chris, Founder of Soul Sample Club
Producer and the person behind Looplair and Soul Sample Club. I started SSC so producers could sample soul without the clearance headache.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a specific release, talk to a music lawyer.
Keep reading
How to chop a sample
How to chop samples cleanly: where to cut, how to avoid clicks, how many slices to make, and how to rearrange chops into something new.
How to chop samples in Logic Pro
A step-by-step guide to chopping samples in Logic Pro with Quick Sampler's Slice mode: slicing by transients or beats, playing chops and building patterns.
How to chop samples in Ableton Live
Two ways to chop samples in Ableton Live: Simpler's Slice mode, and Slice to New MIDI Track with a Drum Rack. Step by step, with tips for soul samples.