How to Record Guitar in FL Studio: DI, Amps & Acoustic

To record an electric guitar directly in FL Studio, plug it into an instrument/Hi-Z input, select that input on a dedicated Mixer insert and use the EXT recording pickup. You can then hear an amp simulator through FL Studio while the incoming DI file stays free of FL Studio effects. Miking an amp or an acoustic guitar uses the same recording controls but a different hardware input, and it will never give you a raw electric-guitar DI.

Make that choice first. No amp preset, however loud, can rescue a guitar plugged into the wrong input, and a great sound in your headphones does not prove you recorded the signal you meant to keep.

Edition check: this external-audio workflow needs Producer Edition or higher, according to Image-Line’s audio-recording prerequisites. In the standard time-unlimited Trial, pick an edition that supports recording. You can save projects and export audio, but you cannot reopen saved projects until you purchase and unlock FL Studio. Keep needed work open, export what matters and check the edition and plugin requirements before closing.

Record guitar in FL Studio in ten steps

1. Choose and connect the source. Use an instrument/Hi-Z input for a guitar DI, a mic input for a microphone, or the documented matching input for a modeler’s output. Never connect an amp’s speaker output directly to the interface.
2. Select the interface. Open Options > Audio settings. Use its manufacturer’s ASIO driver on Windows when available, or select the interface through Core Audio on macOS. On macOS, allow FL Studio microphone access if requested.
3. Set the hardware gain. Play the hardest section you intend to record. Watch the interface’s input indication, leave headroom and avoid clipping; do not set input gain from the amp sim’s output loudness.
4. Link a dedicated Audio Track. In the Playlist, right-click a track header, choose Track mode > Audio track and select an unused Mixer insert. Name the route for its role, such as Rhythm L DI.
5. Select the input and pickup. Choose the mono version of the connected socket for one guitar or microphone. Click the recording-pickup selector immediately before the Input menu and choose EXT to exclude FL Studio processing. Confirm the track’s disk-record arm is on.
6. Choose one monitoring path. For hardware direct monitoring, set FL Studio’s Monitor external input to Off. To hear an FL Studio amp/cab chain, turn hardware direct monitoring off and set FL input monitoring to When armed or On.
7. Prepare the recording start. Select Song mode. Enable Audio in the main Record button’s right-click filter. For this arm-then-Play sequence, turn Recording starts playback and Wait for Input off. Leave Auto-create audio clip enabled under the Mixer’s Disk recording menu.
8. Record a test. Arm the main Record button, press Play, perform a short loud passage and stop. Listen back for clipping, noise, unwanted printed effects and consistent clip placement.
9. Record the performance. Mute unused earlier takes before another pass. Record separate performances for a rhythm double; label the chosen takes and keep their original audio files.
10. Save the project and its audio. Check where the recorded WAV files are stored and include them in your backup. On a licensed installation, reopen and verify playback. In standard Trial, check the files in the open session and do not close work you still need before purchase/unlock.

The broader FL Studio audio-recording guide goes deeper into device setup, Playlist recording and Edison. On this page, the decisions that matter are the guitar input, the tone you play through and the file you keep.

Choose the guitar recording route before the input

Electric guitar direct: keep the pickup signal

Connect the guitar with an ordinary 1/4-inch TS instrument cable to an input marked Instrument, INST or Hi-Z. For an unprocessed DI, connect ahead of any pedal or hardware processing you do not want baked in. What you capture is the pickup signal itself; the sound of a speaker in a room is a different recording.

If the interface has no instrument input, a suitable instrument DI box can feed its microphone input instead. Focusrite’s instrument-input troubleshooting explains why an unsuitable mic or line connection can sound weak, dull, distorted or noisy. Combo sockets do not always switch to instrument mode on their own, so check the input’s documented capabilities.

Microphone on an amp: keep the amp sound

Here the amp, speaker, microphone and room all become part of the performance. Plug the microphone into a microphone input. EXT keeps later FL Studio effects out of the recording, but it cannot remove distortion, cabinet tone or room sound the microphone has already picked up.

If you want a raw DI as well, use a suitable DI/split arrangement before the amp: one path feeds the amp, the other records the guitar on its own. A spare copy of the amp-mic file is not a clean DI.

Acoustic guitar: microphone or pickup?

A microphone captures the strings, the body and the room, while an acoustic pickup captures its own transducer signal. Decide which sound you need, then match the input to the pickup or preamp’s documented output. Acoustic preamps do not all put out the same level.

For a first microphone position, try about 20 cm from the 12th-fret area, as Shure’s home-recording guide suggests. Record a phrase and listen to it in the song. It is a starting position, and no guitar is obliged to sound best there.

Use the right input and keep speaker outputs out of it

For a passive electric guitar, use the interface’s instrument/Hi-Z mode. Active pickups, pedalboards and modelers need a bit more checking, because their output levels vary and a modeler may offer line-level or USB recording outputs. Follow the output device’s instructions and match that output to the interface input.

Never connect a powered amplifier’s speaker output directly to an audio interface. Use only a documented recording/line output or a correctly rated load-box setup with an appropriate output. An ordinary instrument DI box is not automatically a speaker load. Even when using a line output, keep whatever speaker or load the amp manufacturer requires connected. Two notes explains the different jobs of a load box, DI and reamp box. If you cannot verify the exact amp and connected device, do not make the connection.

Set guitar input gain without chasing a magic number

Watch the interface’s input meter or clip light while you play the hardest palm mute, chord attack or lead accent in the part, and set the hardware gain so those attacks do not overload the input. Then listen back with FL Studio effects bypassed. A distorted amp preset can easily hide distortion you never meant to record.

No single gain-knob position suits every pickup and interface. Start from the interface maker’s guidance and leave room for an attack harder than you expect. Turning up an amp sim’s output only changes how loud you hear it; it cannot fix a weak connection. And lowering a Mixer fader cannot undo clipping that happened before the audio ever reached FL Studio.

Weak or intermittent input? Check the simple things first

Plug the guitar in directly, bypass the pedalboard and try a known-good instrument cable. Check the guitar’s volume, pickup selector, tuner mute and any active-pickup battery, then try another compatible interface input. If the fault follows the guitar or the cable, rebuilding the FL Studio Mixer will not help.

Create a dedicated FL Studio guitar Audio Track

The manual setup in the ten steps gives you time to check the source before the transport starts. After linking a Playlist lane to a Mixer insert, select the connected input and confirm the disk-record arm. The clickable recording-pickup selector sits just before the Input menu; use it to choose EXT and to reach the separate external-input monitoring options. For a custom WAV filename or location, right-click the Mixer track’s recording icon. The resulting clip points to an audio file on disk, since the FLP does not store the audio itself.

There is also a quick route: the toolbar microphone’s Into the Playlist as an audio clip command creates an Audio Track and opens the input selector. Selecting that input starts recording after a four-click count-in. So set up the instrument, gain and monitoring before you use it, because it does far more than open an idle input menu.

Use names such as Rhythm L DI, Lead Amp Mic or Acoustic Mic. The Mixer routing guide explains insert, bus and Master connections if the link between lane and insert is new to you.

Why a mono input fixes many one-sided recordings

One guitar output or microphone usually feeds one interface channel, and selecting a stereo pair can leave that signal on only the left or right side. Pick the connected socket from the mono list in the Mixer input menu, and FL Studio feeds that source into both channels of its stereo Mixer track. Then pan the part wherever you want it.

That does not mean every guitar setup has to be mono. A stereo pedal or modeler may have two distinct outputs worth recording together, so select and cable both correctly. If a mono test still comes out one-sided, check pan and output routing before recording the whole session again on the same assumption.

Use an insert, not the Master

A dedicated insert makes the guitar route easier to inspect and to mix on its own. The Master receives the rest of the song, and pickup modes that include internal audio can capture that material too. EXT excludes internally routed Mixer audio, but a separate guitar insert still gives you a clearer input and effects route.

Record a dry DI while hearing the amp sim

With the guitar plugged straight into the instrument input, put your amp/cab chain on its Mixer insert and choose EXT as the recording pickup. Enable Monitor external input > When armed or On, and turn off hardware direct monitoring if you want to hear only the software-processed input.

The file captures the interface input before any FL Studio effects, while what you hear passes through the insert’s plugins. In Audio Track mode, recorded Audio Clips normally play back through that same insert, so hearing the amp again on playback does not mean it was printed into the file. Bypass the chain and listen.

EXT does not undo upstream processing. Pedals, a modeler, a miked amplifier, interface processing or a processed input/loopback source may already be part of the incoming signal. Only call the file a dry guitar DI when the selected source really is that unprocessed DI.

When should you print the effects?

Print a sound when you have decided to commit to it, and never just because the headphones sounded good. The FX pickup records after the last Mixer effect slot and can include internally routed audio as well. It sits at a different point from track EQ, level, pan or mute, and Image-Line’s recording-pickup reference explains those stages.

For a flexible DI session, keep EXT and save the amp settings you want with the project. If you also record a processed version on purpose, label it clearly so nobody mistakes it for the raw source.

Check the cabinet stage before blaming the DI

The amp model and the speaker-cabinet model do different jobs. Focusrite’s amp-sim explanation separates the amp’s core tone from the cabinet/IR stage that shapes it. Many amp plugins already include a cabinet, and others rely on a separate stage.

If the result sounds unexpectedly harsh, check what is switched on before adding corrective EQ. There is no reason to add a second cabinet processor when the first one already sits inside the amp plugin. Use the stock-plugin guide to see which native effects you have, then build a small chain you understand.

Choose direct or software monitoring

Hardware direct monitoring sends the interface input to its headphone/output mix without a round trip through FL Studio, while still passing audio to the DAW for recording. Focusrite describes it as a near-zero-latency monitoring path, which is not the same as a guarantee of zero delay. You will not hear an amp sim running inside FL Studio this way, though hardware tone from upstream may still come through.

Software monitoring sends the input through FL Studio’s amp/cab chain and back out of the interface. You get to play into the tone you want, but the buffer and processing path add delay. Use wired headphones from the monitoring device you plan to use, and keep listening levels comfortable.

If you can hear a thin direct guitar and a delayed distorted one at the same time, you have two live paths. For direct monitoring, set FL Studio’s Monitor external input to Off and leave the recording pickup at EXT, because input monitoring is a separate control. For software monitoring, switch off the interface’s direct path and use When armed or On in FL Studio. If the doubling persists, check for older takes that are still playing.

Reduce monitoring delay without making the session unstable

Start with the correct interface driver and a small tracking project, and lower the buffer only while playback stays free of audible glitches. Image-Line’s current Audio Settings guidance recommends 128 samples as a starting point on Apple Silicon, with specific higher values if needed. That number is not a universal setting for every computer, and it does not measure total round-trip latency.

Take processing that adds significant delay out of the monitored route for now. Some look-ahead, linear-phase or oversampling modes add latency, but how much depends on the plugin and mode, so check its reported delay and documentation. Track through a simple amp/cab chain instead of a finished mastering setup. If the smaller buffer crackles, work through the crackling-audio checklist rather than living with damaged takes.

A late recording is a different problem

Live monitoring delay is what you feel while you play. Recorded alignment is where the new clip lands against the arrangement. The Mixer’s disk-recording latency compensation deals with the second one and does nothing to the live sound.

For clips that land early or late by the same amount every time, test with the native interface driver, check recording latency compensation, then look at the documented Playback Tracking or per-input delay controls. Never guess an offset from one loose performance. The audio-settings and latency guide helps you keep those checks apart from buffer changes. Hardware reamping can add a real round trip of its own, which needs a separate alignment check.

Place a microphone by listening, not just measuring

Acoustic guitar: start around the 12th fret

Try the starting position described above and record a phrase at performance level. Moving toward the sound hole adds bass, while moving away can help when the sound is boomy. Change one thing at a time, including where the player sits in the room, and compare against the backing track instead of judging the solo sound alone.

Guitar cabinet: compare positions across the speaker

Shure’s home-recording guide suggests an outer-cone starting position about 9 cm away. Its separate amp-miking guidance explains the usual contrast: toward the center sounds brighter, toward the edge less so. These are experiments, and no single spot is guaranteed to suit your amp, mic and part. Once you like the playback, write the position down.

Find hum and hiss before adding a gate

Start at the source, then add processing back in step by step:

1. Listen to a DI test with the FL Studio effects bypassed.
2. Connect directly with a known-good instrument cable.
3. Check instrument input mode and hardware gain.
4. Check the guitar’s controls, pickup position and any active battery.
5. Try a different playing position away from nearby power supplies and other interference sources.
6. Add the amp/cab plugins one at a time and listen during rests.

Radial’s guitar-noise guidance separates pickup interference from ground-loop problems. A change in hum when you touch the strings is not enough to diagnose the wiring from an article. If you suspect faulty equipment or unsafe power, stop using that setup and ask a qualified technician. Never remove a protective mains earth/ground to reduce hum.

A gate can mute low-level noise between phrases, but the noise is still there at the source. Set the gate by listening to quiet notes and decays as well, because an aggressive threshold can chop off the very performance you wanted to keep.

Make a test take before recording the whole part

Play a loud passage, stop, and listen back with your hands off the guitar. Check:

• Input: the interface did not clip on the hardest attacks.
• File: bypassing FL effects reveals the source you intended (raw DI, modeler or microphone), not an accidentally printed plugin chain.
• Tone: the playing sound supports the part without hiding a faulty input.
• Noise: rests and decays are usable.
• Timing: the live response was playable and the clip placement is consistent.
• Storage: the actual recorded WAV is in a known location and included with the project backup.

Run the reopen check on a licensed installation. The standard Trial cannot reopen saved projects until purchase/unlock, so verify and export needed work while the session is still open.

Keep doubles, leads and raw files identifiable

A real rhythm double means two performances, for example Rhythm L, Take A and Rhythm R, Take B. Copying one clip and panning it does not create a second performance. Decide how wide to pan them by listening in the arrangement; not every guitar has to be a hard-panned pair.

Give leads, harmonies and textures clear names. Keep the original DI files wherever you recorded DI, and mute unused clips instead of letting every safety copy play at once. RhythmL_T03_DI tells you far more than Guitar final new. The project-organization workflow covers the wider folder and naming setup.

Pick the performance before you spend time editing every pass. If you need repeated attempts at one section, use the loop-recording guide to set the loop range and decide whether earlier takes stay audible. A named source and a deliberate monitoring route make those repeated passes easier to judge.

Reamp the DI without feeding it back into itself

Swapping the amp plugin later just reuses the existing DI file. Sending that file to a real guitar amp needs a hardware route. For a standard amp instrument input, Radial’s reamping workflow runs a dedicated interface line output through a reamp box to match level and impedance, then records the miked amp on a new input.

Send only the intended DI to that dedicated output. Never route the new amp-mic return back into the output feeding the reamp box, because that creates a feedback path. Follow the manuals for your specific amp and reamp device, including any required speaker/load connection. If you cannot verify the route, keep the DI and put the hardware experiment off.

Save the guitar files, not just the project

Image-Line’s project-format reference is clear about it: an FLP does not contain its separate audio samples, so back up the recorded WAV files along with it. A zipped project includes the Audio Clip and Sampler files the project uses, but not every external library that third-party plugins rely on, unless the plugin’s saved format embeds that data.

Before moving or deleting a recording folder, verify the backup and, on a licensed installation, reopen it and play the guitar parts. In the standard Trial, leave needed work open until purchase/unlock and export what you need. A convincing live tone is nice; the result worth protecting is a clearly labeled recording you can actually come back to.

Head to the FL Studio Recording hub for the next step, whether that is another input source, looped takes or editing the recorded performance.

Frequently asked questions

Can I plug a guitar directly into my computer?

Use an audio interface with a suitable instrument/Hi-Z input, or an instrument DI box feeding a microphone input. A generic computer microphone socket cannot stand in for a guitar input. For a modeler with USB or line output, follow that device’s documented connection and driver setup.

Should I record guitar dry or with an amp sim?

For an unprocessed electric-guitar DI, use EXT to exclude FL Studio effects and monitor through the amp/cab chain with software input monitoring enabled. EXT cannot remove pedals, modeler processing or amp tone already present in the incoming signal. Print plugin effects only deliberately, using the pickup point you intend.

Why can I hear dry guitar and the amp sim together?

Hardware direct monitoring and FL Studio input monitoring may both be audible. To hear the FL amp sim alone, disable the hardware direct path and use Monitor external input When armed or On. For direct monitoring, set FL input monitoring Off. If doubling remains, check older takes and other monitored routes.

Why is my guitar recording only on one side?

A stereo input pair may contain your single guitar or microphone on only one side. Select that socket from the Mixer’s mono input list and record a test; FL Studio feeds it to both Mixer channels. If it is still one-sided, check pan and output routing. A true stereo hardware source needs both outputs connected correctly.

Can I connect an amplifier speaker output to my interface?

No. Never connect a powered amp’s speaker output directly to an interface. Use a documented recording output or a correctly rated load-box setup with a suitable output, and keep any speaker/load the amp requires connected. An ordinary instrument DI box is not automatically a load box, so read both devices’ manuals before connecting anything.

Can I record guitar in FL Studio Trial?

The standard Trial lets you test editions; choose Producer or higher for this recording workflow. You can save and export, but cannot reopen saved projects until purchase/unlock. Check required edition and plugin entitlements, and keep needed work open or exported before closing the session.

Eric Norris Nashville-based FL Studio producer and editor focused on practical workflow, mixer routing, troubleshooting, sampling and native Image-Line tools.