Patch
a.k.a. a preset / a tone
A patch is one saved tone, a single complete sound with all its amps, effects and settings. When people say “preset,” this is it.
The complete, up to date guide to exporting presets from every BOSS device. Learn exactly how BOSS Tone Studio, livesets and the .TSL file format work, so you can export your tones, back them up, import them, and get every preset ready to share or sell.
Before you export anything, it helps to know how BOSS organizes your tones. Three simple ideas cover every BOSS device, from a single stompbox to the flagship GT-1000.
A patch is one saved tone, a single complete sound with all its amps, effects and settings. When people say “preset,” this is it.
A liveset bundles many patches together. It’s the container BOSS Tone Studio uses to back up, import, export and transfer your presets in one go.
Export a liveset to your computer and Tone Studio saves it as a .TSL file, the single file you’ll store, share, sell or load onto any BOSS unit.
The free editor / librarian app you install for your specific BOSS model. This is where you export.
BOSS’s own library of extra, free preset content and artist livesets for supported gear.
The official community platform where players share original livesets with each other worldwide.
Exporting presets from a BOSS device takes just a few things. Get these ready first and the whole how-to below becomes a two-minute job.
The free editor/librarian app, in the version made for your exact model. There’s a separate app per device, so install the right one.
A USB cable for computer, or Bluetooth via the BOSS BT-DUAL adapter on models that support the mobile app (Pocket GT connects over Bluetooth on its own).
Update your BOSS unit’s system so it matches the current Tone Studio version. Mismatched versions are the most common cause of connection trouble.
On Windows, some Tone Studio versions (e.g. Katana, ME-90) ask you to install Adobe AIR first. macOS builds don’t need it.
Always get BOSS Tone Studio, USB drivers and firmware straight from BOSS. Never a third party mirror. Find your product, then open its Support → Downloads / Updates & Drivers page.
This is the core workflow on a computer, and it’s the same across almost every BOSS device. Here’s exactly what the Tone Studio Librarian looks like when you export a liveset.
Plug your BOSS device into your computer with a USB cable, open BOSS Tone Studio for that model, and click LIBRARIAN.
Click IMPORT → from your device to load all of the unit’s user patches into the Librarian. Tone Studio saves them together as a liveset.
In the liveset list, click the liveset you want to export, the group of presets you’d like to save, share or sell.
Click the EXPORT button at the top of the screen and choose to save the liveset to your computer.
Enter a name and pick a destination, then click Save. Tone Studio creates a .TSL file, your exported presets, ready to back up, upload or sell.
Bought a preset pack, or moving tones to a new unit? Importing a .TSL liveset works the same way in reverse. You load it into the Librarian, then drop patches onto your device.
In the Librarian, click IMPORT, then FILE to open your computer’s file browser.
Select the .TSL file you downloaded and click Open. The liveset loads straight into your Librarian.
Drag the presets from the imported liveset onto the user patch slots on your BOSS unit. Your new tones are ready to play.
Heads up: dropping a patch overwrites the slot. When you drop a preset onto a user slot, it replaces whatever was there and the original can’t be recovered. Pick slots you don’t mind replacing, and always export a backup liveset first.
Many BOSS devices also have a Tone Studio app for iPhone, iPad and Android. The livesets and .TSL files are the same. The only real difference is how you connect and where files are saved.
Install the Tone Studio app for your exact model, then pair over Bluetooth. Most amps and pedals use the BOSS BT-DUAL adapter; Pocket GT connects on its own.
Export a liveset to the cloud to move it around: iOS uses iCloud Drive and Android uses Google Drive. From there you can back it up or share it.
It’s still a .TSL liveset, so files move freely between the mobile app and the desktop app through the cloud. Export on your phone, finish on your computer.
The export steps above apply across the BOSS lineup, but each family has its own limits and quirks. Find your gear below.
Up to 10 livesets, up to 300 patches per liveset. Both units share the same USB driver and Tone Studio app.
Full BOSS Tone Studio librarian, with .TSL export/import and BOSS Tone Exchange sharing.
Up to 36 patches per liveset, and up to 50 livesets stored in Tone Studio. ME-90B adds a mobile Bluetooth app.
Connect over USB and use the Tone Studio librarian to organize presets and export them as a .TSL liveset.
Pocket sized processors with full liveset export via Tone Studio and Tone Exchange support.
Earlier generation gear still served by Tone Studio and Tone Central for preset management and export.
Export livesets over USB. Note: on the SY-1000, patches numbered 201 and higher aren’t restored on export.
Use BOSS Tone Studio for Katana to back up, export and transfer your Katana user patches as .TSL livesets.
Manage and export tones wirelessly through the mobile Tone Studio app (requires firmware 1.06+ and BT-DUAL).
Connects to the Pocket GT app over Bluetooth to edit, organize and download tones and livesets.
Many BOSS pedals have their own dedicated Tone Studio. Export patches or patterns as .TSL files over USB.
Check whether a Tone Studio app exists for your exact model on the official BOSS site. If it does, the export steps above apply.
Export your current liveset before you overwrite any patch. That .TSL is your safety net if you want the old tone back.
“Blues Pack”, “Gig · Set 1”, “Seller Bundle v2”. Clear names make presets easy to find, share and sell.
Matching firmware and Tone Studio versions prevents the connection and export errors that trip most people up.
On many models you can’t transfer a single patch, so gather the presets you want into a liveset, then export that liveset.
Quick answers about BOSS presets, livesets & the .TSL format
A patch is one preset, a single saved tone. A liveset is a group of patches bundled together, and it’s the container BOSS Tone Studio uses to export, import and share your presets.
BOSS Tone Studio exports livesets as .TSL files (Tone Studio Librarian format). That single .TSL file is what you save to your computer, back up, upload, share or sell.
Often yes. Livesets are frequently compatible across BOSS models built on the same platform and can be shared through BOSS Tone Exchange. Very different device families, however, won’t share the same presets.
No. Exporting a liveset to a .TSL file on your own computer works fully offline. You only need an internet connection for Tone Central downloads and Tone Exchange sharing.
On many BOSS models, Tone Studio works with livesets rather than individual patches. Bundle the presets you want into a liveset, then export that liveset as one .TSL file.
The one made for your exact model, and there’s a separate version for each device. Download it only from the official BOSS website, and update your unit’s firmware to match.
You’ve exported your BOSS tones as a .TSL liveset. Turn them into income on Tons of Tones. The world’s first marketplace built just for guitarists.
