{"id":4686,"date":"2022-08-16T18:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T22:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=4686"},"modified":"2024-08-09T13:37:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T17:37:32","slug":"gross-beat-the-secret-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/gross-beat-the-secret-weapon\/","title":{"rendered":"Gross Beat: How to use FL Studio\u2019s signature plugin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gross Beat<\/strong> is an extremely popular time- and pitch-shifting effect manufactured by Image-Line<\/strong> and distributed alongside FL Studio since version 9.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Similar to Sugar Bytes’ Effectrix<\/a> or KORG’s KAOSSILATOR,<\/a> Gross Beat is an incredibly powerful tool that can quickly apply rhythmic pitch-shifting and gating patterns to a channel\u2019s output. In this article, we explore the unique history of the plugin, its cultural impact, how to use it in your music, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A brief history of Gross Beat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike most other plugins that rival its level of popularity, Gross Beat was historically only supported for Windows systems, due to the same limitations of its parent DAW (although this has changed in recent years).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, since FL Studio has always been a reasonably priced DAW, and since Windows devices have tended to be less expensive than their Apple counterparts, the DAW’s barrier to entry was often much lower for a budding producer without a significant budget. This led to a very large population of hip hop and trap producers first getting their start in FL Studio, and by extension, encountering Gross Beat and incorporating it into their workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, that’s not to say that FL Studio is solely for beginners. The current iteration of the DAW\u2014FL Studio 20\u2014is well-suited for experienced producers as well; it\u2019s a full-fledged workstation with serious horsepower, and tons of award-winning producers who got their start on the DAW continue to swear by it decades later. And even today, Image-Line includes a demo version of Gross Beat in their DAW for anyone who downloads it (with the full version being available for purchase at $69.00).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gross Beat’s cultural impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FL Studio and Gross Beat have become synonymous with the sound of Atlanta trap music, whether it\u2019s creating a gate effect, slowing down a sample (as heard on TM88\u2019s beat for Lil Uzi Vert\u2019s “XO Tour Llif3”<\/a>), or as a tape stop. The sound is so ubiquitous that it\u2019s almost difficult to find a trap song that doesn’t<\/em> involve the plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n