FlowState's interface is designed to keep everything you need within reach. This guide walks you through the main areas of the DAW so you can navigate with confidence.
The Main Layout
FlowState is divided into four main areas:
-
Transport Bar (top)
Playback controls, tempo, time signature, and the voice command button. -
Track List (left side)
All your tracks with volume, pan, mute, solo, and arm controls. -
Timeline (center)
The main canvas where you arrange clips, record, and edit. -
Bottom Panel (bottom)
Tabbed panel with Drums, Mixer, Samples, and Vocal processing.
Transport Bar
The transport bar at the top controls playback and project settings:
- Play/Stop — Start and stop playback (Space)
- Record — Begin recording on armed tracks (R)
- Loop — Toggle loop mode (L)
- Tempo — Click to change BPM (40-300)
- Time Signature — Usually 4/4 for most music
- Metronome — Toggle click track (M)
- Microphone — Activate voice commands
- Save Indicator — Shows save status (auto-saves)
Track List
The track list on the left shows all tracks in your project:
- Track Name — Click to rename
- M (Mute) — Silence this track
- S (Solo) — Play only this track
- R (Arm) — Enable recording on this track
- Volume Slider — Quick volume control
- + Button — Add new track (Audio or Drum)
Tip: Double-click a track name to rename it. Good naming helps you stay organized.
Timeline
The timeline is where your music takes shape:
- Ruler — Shows bars and beats at the top
- Playhead — The white vertical line showing current position
- Clips — Audio regions displayed as waveforms
- Grid — Vertical lines for beat alignment
- Loop Region — Yellow/orange bar showing loop boundaries
Timeline Navigation
- Scroll — Mouse wheel or trackpad to scroll horizontally
- Zoom — Cmd/Ctrl + scroll to zoom in/out
- Click ruler — Jump playhead to that position
- Drag clips — Move clips to different positions or tracks
Bottom Panel
The bottom panel has four tabs, each with different tools:
1. Drums Tab
The drum machine with 16 pads and step sequencer:
- Click pads to trigger sounds
- Use the step sequencer to program patterns
- Change kits from the dropdown menu
- Adjust swing and groove settings
2. Mixer Tab
Full mixing console with channel strips:
- Volume faders for each track
- Pan controls for stereo positioning
- 3-band EQ per channel
- Effects sends (reverb, delay)
- Master channel with limiter
3. Samples Tab
AI-powered sample browser:
- Search by description ("punchy kick", "dark pad")
- Filter by category (drums, bass, synth, etc.)
- Preview samples before adding
- Drag samples directly to timeline
- Save favorites to collections
4. Vocal Tab
Vocal processing chain:
- Autotune with key selection
- Compression and EQ
- Reverb and delay effects
- Preset vocal chains
Keyboard Navigation
Quick keys to switch between panels:
| 1 | Open Drums panel |
| 2 | Open Mixer panel |
| 3 | Open Samples panel |
| 4 | Open Vocal panel |
| Tab | Cycle through panels |
Context Menus
Right-click (or Ctrl+click on Mac) to access context menus:
- On clips — Delete, duplicate, split, rename
- On tracks — Delete track, change color, add effects
- On timeline — Paste, add marker, set loop region
Project Management
Access project features from the top-left menu:
- New Project — Start fresh
- Open Project — Load a saved project
- Save — Save current project (auto-saves enabled)
- Export — Render to MP3 or WAV