FL Studio’s Constantin Koehncke Engages with Reddit for Insights and Enjoyment

If you’ve been in the music production scene for a while, you might remember experimenting with a certain app known as Fruity Loops. Now rebranded as FL Studio, this powerful digital audio workstation (DAW) is guided by Constantin Koehncke, who has been instrumental in evolving it for today’s creators. As the CEO of Image Line, he has introduced innovative AI features like stem separation and the Gopher chatbot.

Before stepping into his role at Image Line in 2022, Constantin led Native Instruments, where he drove the transition to digital services, worked in marketing, and spent five years as a freelance music journalist. He stays connected to the community by engaging in FL Studio forums, browsing Reddit daily, and keeping the platform’s origins in mind.

What’s your go-to tool (analog or digital, app or hardware)?
AirPods Pro. They’re essential for calls, podcasts, walks, flights, and, yes, even music. I rely on them throughout the day, and losing them would set my productivity back by about 40 percent.

What’s one thing you’d change about your phone?
The new iOS Contacts UI. Apple has transformed a simple two-tap process into a confusing array of UI elements that I hesitate to touch. Am I just getting older, or is the iPhone becoming less user-friendly?

What sites do you keep pinned in your tab bar?
Mainly internal dashboards, product documentation, analytics, the FL Studio forums, and Reddit. Checking these every morning has become second nature.

How many tabs are open right now?
Thirty-four across two windows. They’re organized, which is key. One window is for work (lots of tabs), and the other is for everything else (also lots of tabs). I never end a day with open tabs; reaching Tab Zero means I can finally get some sleep.

Which social media platform do you use the most?
Reddit is the only platform I still enjoy scrolling through. It’s not perfect, but it retains that old internet vibe: passionate debates over niche topics mixed with genuinely funny content. I also spend a lot of time on YouTube and Substack for learning and staying informed.

LinkedIn comes with the CEO territory. It’s useful once you learn to filter out the AI-generated thought leadership about life lessons in B2B sales. You know the type: one sentence per paragraph.

What’s your happy place online?
Long-form journalism. I love The New Yorker, FT Weekend, and The Economist. They all believe that complex topics deserve more than just a quick take and a catchy thumbnail.

What’s your favorite gadget you’ve ever owned?
Right now, it’s definitely my Teenage Engineering OB-4 speaker. Its design is inspired by Dieter Rams’ philosophy of “less, but better.” The built-in handle makes it easy to move around, and it’s become my go-to device for helping my daughter fall asleep.

What tech trend do you wish would disappear?
Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be. The notion that replacing human creativity is a noble goal completely misses the point. Writing, painting, and making music are deeply human activities. Technology should enhance our ability to express ourselves, not take away the act of creation.

What creation are you most proud of?
Creating environments where talented individuals can focus on building things that users truly want and love.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Many things can be true at the same time.” We live in a world that favors certainty, outrage, and quick opinions. Reality is often more complex, and recognizing that is a much better starting point for problem-solving than pretending everything has a simple answer.

What do you do when you feel stuck?
I go for a walk, then sit down with a blank sheet of paper to outline the problem. Breaking it down to first principles often helps, and usually, things get clearer after a cup of coffee.

What’s the last piece of physical media you bought?
The Chronicles of Doom, the biography of MF DOOM (I’m a fan). I’ve never really gotten into ebooks, so I keep buying physical copies.

What do you think is worth splurging on?
Sports equipment. For me, that’s a Standert Pfadfinder steel bike.

What would the tagline for your biopic be?
Failed DJ turns helping others make music into a career.

What’s the last GIF or meme you used?
I recently sent a GIF that pops up from time to time. It’s funny because it’s true: music owes a lot to Didier “Gol” Dambrin for creating FL Studio.