User Review: Microsoft Sway and Microsoft Teams

Sway and teams are software developed by Microsoft, and both come as the part of Microsoft 356 family of products but are used for completely different things. In this section I will write about those two software, and their features I find most useful and interesting.

SWAY

Sway is web-hosted software used for presentations and it allows user (with Microsoft account) to create presentable website by combining text and media, like photos, videos and etc. The software was officially released in 2015 and it offers amazing features. Sway sites are stored on Microsoft's servers and can be viewed and edited from any web browser through Office on the web.

Most import Sway features:

1. Simple to create effective communications tools

• Drag and drop system- easy to put together all material
• Formatting functions- allows user to focus on the content rather than layout
• Image suggestion- offers the appropriate images for your content
• Ability to upload content from documents and content from the internet
• Internal search function- users are able to add content from various internet sources like Bing, Facebook, One Drive, YouTube, etc.

2. Ease of sharing information

• Your presentation is accessible on any internet- connected device at any time, and your audience can view your presentation online without need of downloading it.
• Sway presentations are shared via link and creator has a full control of it- what access people have, can they edit it or view it.
• Easy to share on social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook, and automatically updated after the presentation is edited.

3. Efficient and effective collaboration

• You can easily work with co-workers or colleague on a same presentation even if you are not based on same location.

4. Auto save

• Sway auto-saves all the work you do, and a presentation will save even if your computer crashes.

INTERFACE

Sway includes following top-level pages:

1.  The Home page

• Displays tutorials, examples, and related links.

2. My Sways

• Lists all the Sways related with the account you used to sign in.

3. Authoring

• Create or edit a selected Sway.

4. Play

• View your presentation in a slide show.

When authoring in Sway, you work in four main areas:

1. The top navigation bar, which includes Play, Share, and app-level options.

2. The menu bar, which displays Insert.

3. Story-line, where you add, import, edit, format or arrange the content.

4. Design, which shows how your finished presentation looks like.

Even though, Sway is relatively 'new' to Microsoft family and is not widely used, it offers amazing features and tools that can provide content, design and layout for your presentation. . Sway is the 'top one' software for creating presentations that I tried to use so far. I would definitely recommend it to someone who doesn't have a lot of experience in creating presentations or is struggling with finding the content.

                                    Tutorial: Using Sway

TEAMS

Microsoft announced Team, web-based desktop app, in 2017, and since its lunch it has become the fastest growing app in Microsoft's history (used by more than 330,000 companies worldwide). Platform was developed on top of the Electron framework from GitHub- combination of Chromium rendering engine and the Node.js JavaScript platform, and is considered as one of the top collaboration and productivity tools available for business and organisations of all sizes. 

User Interface: The Playlist

What is the playlist in FL Studio?

It is a window (User Interface) where producers stack multi- purpose Clip Tracks (piece of music material- melody, drum line, bass line, etc.) that can hold Pattern Clips, Audio Clips and Automation clips. Basically, with the playlist producer have the freedom of arranging their project the way they want. Learning the basic tools provided by FL Studio playlist will not take that much time and most of basics are straight-forward and once you figure it out your skills will be on the next level. 

Where is the playlist in FL Studio?

There is two simple ways to access the playlist inside FL Studio: by pressing the shortcut F5 or simply click the piano roll icon on the toolbar at the top of screen. 

Stacks and commands in the Playlist

PERFORMANCE MODE

Performance Mode allows you to trigger Clips from the Playlist. You can use a mouse on the Playlist, the typing keyboard or a controller to trigger Clips. The purpose is to create new live performances or remixes of a projects Clip content (Audio, Pattern & Automation). Performance mode works by treating the area before the Start Marker as a 'Performance Zone' that allows Clips to be triggered out of sequence between tracks. One Clip can play per track, so if you need more simultaneous Clips, use more Playlist tracks. Record mode determines whether performances are recorded and laid out after the Start marker for later rendering.  

Performance mode Options

User Interface: The Piano roll

 

What is piano roll?

A piano roll is a music storage medium and is used to operate a piano player. The Piano roll in FL Studio sends notes and automation data to plugin Instruments associated with the Piano roll's Channel. That process is called sequencing- "stringing together of a precisely- timed sequence of commands to the computer to make sound". 

Why should you learn to use the Piano roll?

In my personal opinion learning the Piano roll should be priority when starting FL Studio.As other FL Studio features, Piano roll offers number of tools you can use in creating variety of melodies, or optimising and controlling sound. The best thing about it is, once you learn how to use most important tool provided by the Piano roll, your production skills will grow and become more unique.

Piano roll features

                                 

                                    Why Does Music Use Only 12 Different Notes:

                                     Creating a basic melody tutorial:

User Interface Part 2

 

 THE BROWSER

The Browser and some features

File browser provides access to projects, samples, preset libraries and VST/AU plugins.

NOTE: FL Studio will only search for files in folders you have added to the Browser. By default FL Studio does not include any of your personal folders. The simplest way to add folders is drag and drop folders from your Operating System browser to the FL Studio Browser. Searches include sub-folders so you only need to add parent folders you want to use.

• Browser controls
• Using the Browser (working with content)
• Adding your own folders
• The Current project data
• The Plugin Database (VST/AU s and favorite plugins lists)

                                     Tutorial: File Management and Browser Controls

Some useful tips !

DRAG AND DROP- used very often

• Most of the files like effects, plugins and samples can be dragged from the Browser to specific location in FL Studio (mixer, channel, etc.).

• Left click, hold, drag 

1. Instruments presets from folder or plugin picker to channels or mixer
2. Effects to mixer tracks or FX slots
3.  Samples or instruments to create Audio clips- in case multiple, sample overloading

OPENING FL PROJECT 

FL Studio project file (*.flp)- To open Right- Click and select 'Open', middle- click the mouse- wheel or drag-n-drop on the FL Studio desktop. Project files contain the data that belongs to your project, including notes and sequencer data, patches and settings for all instruments, FX and Channels.

User Interface Part 1

 This section will specify interface controls of FL Studio and some simple features.

FL Studio User Interface

 THE MIXER

The Mixer is one of FL Studio's most important features and all audio in FL Studio passes through Mixer. It is virtual mixing console where audio signals (instruments, samples, etc.) are routed to. It offers variety of tools used for mixing, balancing and combining different sound and signals that could be used in any type of project.

One of the best features of the Mixer is that you can add effects to the sounds coming from the Channel Rack instruments. Effects can range from a simple volume changes to more advanced effects such as compression, chorus, reverb, phaser, delay, flange, and EQ.

Mixer features:

• Plugin Effects - Loading external VST and FX effects into mixer tracks.
• Mixer Track Properties - Per-track inbuilt filters and effects.
• Audio Input/Output Routing - Routing audio and side-chain signals around the mixer.
• Audio Recording - Record audio through the mixer.
• Levels, Mixing and Clipping - How to set the output levels to avoid distortion.

Opening plugins

• Select Plugins. To load an effect plugin, choose a free slot and open the effect slot menu on that slot and select a plugin from the Favorites list. At the top of the menu there are also options to Open the plugin picker

To open Mixer click this button located in the top toolbar.

Linking sample or instrument to Mixer

Mixer Interface and controls

THE TOOLBAR

FL Studio's Toolbar is located at the top of the screen and provides quick access to many commands and options. 

• FILE, EDIT, ADD, PATTERNS, VIEW, OPTIONS, TOOLS, HELP
• for more info about each click the link

                                    Some Toolbar controls that are useful to know:

1. Pat/ Song Mode

• switch between song and pattern mode

• pattern mode- only specific pattern played

• song mode- whole playlist played

2. Play/ Pause/ Stop/ Record buttons

More about buttons

3. Set tempo/ BPM

What is tempo/ BPM?

"Beats per minute" or BPM, in this case it present speed of at which your project should be played. For instance, a tempo notated as 60 BPM would mean that a beat sound exactly once per second.

It is a major element in music that can determine "mood" of your project and can provide most powerful and dynamic aspects of the music.

Selecting tempo/ BPM

• More about tempo and time signatures
  

About

Over next few days I will be publishing posts about FL Studio, it's User Interface and most important features and I will share some useful links, tips and tutorials that could help a lot when starting FL Studio for the first time. I choose this topic to write about because a lot of people are afraid to take a first step when staring music production, and at some point it may seem impossible but the basics in FL Studio are actually simple. 

About FL Studio

FL Studio, previously known as FruityLoops is a digital audio workstation (DAW- an audio editor and mixer used to record, edit, mix and master music, podcasts, post production projects, and anything else audio- related) and was first officially launched in 1998. Software was developed by Belgian software company Image-Line and it is available for Universal Windows Platform, Android, iOS, and macOS devices. Software offers variety of features and powerful and unique way of working.

Why FL Studio?

It is piano roll- based audio software program that offer wide range of features useful for creating professional quality music. FL Studio tools allow you to load instruments and samples, play them live or manually, enter the note data, record external sounds and play whole mix through the mixer...

Image-Line offers life-time free updates after first purchase- all future updates of software will be free for customers after their purchase.

                                                 Quick Demo Video- version 12

Editions:

    1.Fruity Edition- Basic

    

    2. Producer Edition- All-in-one virtual studio

    3. Signature Edition - Producer Edition + more advanced plugins

    4. All plugins Edition- Include all features and native plugins available

Comparing features and prices of Editions: