manual/include/managing-plugin-presets.html

<p>
  All plugin control widgets, whether they are created by Ardour or
  by the plugin, have a common set of controls at the top of the window.
  These include 4 controls for managing <dfn>plugin presets</dfn>.
</p>

<figure class="center">
  <img width="50%" src="/images/plugin-presets.svg" alt="The plugin presets toolbar">
  <figcaption>
    The plugin presets toolbar.
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<h2>What Is a Plugin Preset?</h2>

<p>
  A <dfn>preset</dfn> for a plugin is simply a saved set of values for
  all of a plugin's parameters. If you load a preset, you are restoring
  all the parameters of that plugin to the values stored in the preset.
  This is an easy, fast way to manage your preferred settings for
  particular plugins.
</p>

<h2>The Preset Selector</h2>

<p>
  The <dfn>preset selector</dfn> (1) is a regular selector that can be
  clicked to display a list of all known presets for this plugin. This
  will include presets that have been created by the user, and for some
  plugin formats, presets that come with the plugin itself.
</p>

<h2>Loading a New Preset</h2>

<p>
  Clicking on the preset selector pops up a menu showing the names of
  all available presets. Clicking on the name of a preset loads it, and various
  controls in the plugin editor change to reflect the new value of some or all
  parameters.
</p>

<h2>Creating a Preset</h2>

<p>
  Saving the current plugin settings as a new preset is done by clicking on the
  <kbd class="menu">Add</kbd> button (2) at the top of the window. A dialog
  will appear asking for a name for the preset.
</p>

<h2>Saving a Preset</h2>

<p>
  To modify the settings in an existing preset, the preset selector must be used
  to load the preset, then, when the settings have been adjusted, the
  <kbd class="menu">Save</kbd> button (3) clicked. The new values will be stored,
  overwriting the previous version of this preset.
</p>

<h2>Deleting a preset</h2>

<p>
  Deleting an existing preset is achieved by loading the preset first, then
  clicking the <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd> button (4). The preset will be
  removed, and the preset selector turns blank, showing that no preset is
  currently loaded (although the settings will stay as they were).
</p>