How to save a preset in Serum 2

Serum 2 saves a preset with the disk button next to the preset name. Here is how to save a new sound, overwrite one you have changed, where the file ends up, and what to do before you send a preset to someone else.

Save a new preset

Optional: double-click the ARTIST field under the preset name and type your name, then double-click DESC and add a short note about the sound.
Click the Save button, the disk icon to the left of the preset name.
Type a file name in the dialog and click Save.

The preset is saved as a .SerumPreset file. Serum 1 cannot open it; Serum 2 can open presets from Serum 1.

VISIONS OF TOMORROW71 finished Serum 2 presets for house and techno: 26 basses, leads, pads, plucks, keys, stabs and FX. Royalty-free.Requires Serum 2.

Save changes to a preset you already have

Click the disk button again. The dialog lets you type a new name, so you keep the original, or save over the old file.

To overwrite without the dialog, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click the disk button. The preset is saved under its current name straight away, so only do this when you are sure you want to replace it.

Where the file goes

Your own presets belong in the User folder inside the Presets folder of Serum 2 Presets: Documents\Xfer\Serum 2 Presets on Windows, or /Library/Audio/Presets/Xfer Records/ on a Mac. Keeping them there, in folders of your own, means an update or a reinstall never touches them. See where the Serum 2 presets folder is for the full paths and the OneDrive catch on Windows.

Before you share a preset: embed your wavetables and samples

If the sound uses a wavetable or sample you imported yourself, the other person does not have that file, and the preset will not sound the same for them. Serum 2 can store the file inside the preset:

When you save, turn on the embed button in the save dialog, or
click the name of the wavetable or sample on the oscillator and choose Embed in Preset.

An embedded file is marked on the oscillator. Factory wavetables and samples cannot be embedded, and do not need to be: everyone with Serum 2 has them. Xfer suggests embedding only when you plan to share the preset.

Name presets so you find them again

Start the name with the type, like BA for bass, LD for lead or PD for pad, then what it does: BA Rolling Reese, LD Acid Squelch. You see what each file is at a glance, in Serum and in the folder. This is a habit, not a Serum rule; use whatever system you will keep to.

Five free Serum 2 presets →A house 808, a distorted 303, a French touch lead, a retro pad and a trance pluck. Open them and see how they are built.EDM Serum presets: 71 for Serum 2 →VISIONS OF TOMORROW: basses, leads, pads, plucks, keys, stabs and FX. Requires Serum 2. $29.Where to save your Serum 2 preset →The Serum 2 presets folder on Windows and Mac, and how to make new presets show up.Try it in the browser first →Seed synth plays lead, chords and bass in your browser and shows the oscillator, filter and envelope as you turn the knob.

Five free Serum 2 presets

From our VISIONS OF TOMORROW pack: an 808 bass, a distorted 303 acid bass, a French house lead, a retro pad and a trance pluck. The same download has 16 house drums and three guitar loops. Royalty-free.

Questions

How do I overwrite a preset in Serum 2?

Alt-click on Windows or Option-click on Mac the disk button next to the preset name. It saves under the current name without asking.

What file type are Serum 2 presets?

.SerumPreset. Serum 1 cannot open them, but Serum 2 opens Serum 1 presets.

Why does my shared preset sound different for someone else?

Most often because it uses a wavetable or sample they do not have. Embed it in the preset before you share: turn on embed when saving, or choose Embed in Preset on the wavetable or sample.

Where do my saved Serum 2 presets go?

Into the Serum 2 Presets folder, ideally in a folder of your own inside Presets > User. On Windows that is under Documents\Xfer, on a Mac under /Library/Audio/Presets/Xfer Records/.