The fruityloops compressors aren't really all that good, but you will be overcomplicating things if you start putting external plugins in there so I'd learn with them for now. Multiband compressors are also a really good way to fuck up your mix if you don't know what you are doing!

But yes in a sense a mixer is the control desk (whether virtual in software or real in hardware) that you use to manipulate the separate elements of your music in terms of volume, I/O, EQ, and routing to processors and/or effects.

Please elaborate on what information you actually need. Did you mean that you want to know which plugins / effects are useful?

I'll be honest with you I don't like much of what comes with fruityloops, largely because alot of it is based around presets. Presets prevent you learning alot of what sounds 'good' by using your *ears*, which is the most important thing.

Before you think about which plugins are 'good', it would be advisable to read up about general sound production so you understand what the different plugins do, why you would use them, and how they interoperate with one another (we call this an 'effects chain').

Commonly used *effects* would be reverb (eg small room or large hall) or delay (a configurable echo).

Commonly used *processors* are EQ (equalisers are used to boost/cut specific frequencies) and compressors (compressors are essentially gain control, and squash the dynamic range - volume peaks - of whatever you put them on).

There are many, many other effects - and other processors - but those are the most basic ones and probably the most relevant when you start out with FL.