Preset
a.k.a. a tone / a patch
A preset is one complete saved tone: amp, cab, mics, EQ and effects with all their settings. In STL Tones you save a preset into a bank, and it always loads inside the plugin.
Everything you need to export presets from STL Tones, across ToneHub, AmpHub and Tonality. Learn exactly how presets, banks, .bank files and the Banks folder 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 STL Tones organizes your tones. These few ideas cover the whole plugin family, from ToneHub and AmpHub to every Tonality amp sim.
A preset is one complete saved tone: amp, cab, mics, EQ and effects with all their settings. In STL Tones you save a preset into a bank, and it always loads inside the plugin.
A bank is a group of presets you can import or export to a single file, to save settings, recall them, or move them from one DAW to another. You need a User Bank to add or edit presets.
ToneHub Captures and Traces are your sampled amps and pedals, and you can convert NAM profiles into them. A preset can use these plus an IR, so keep them together when you move a tone.
The file a whole bank of presets exports as. One .bank file can carry many presets, ideal for sharing a pack.
User presets live in Documents then STL then your product then Banks. Copy that folder to back everything up.
Presets always load inside the STL plugin. They cannot be used standalone without a copy of the core plugin.
Exporting presets from STL Tones takes just a few things. Get these ready first and the how to below becomes a quick job.
ToneHub, AmpHub, ControlHub or a Tonality amp sim, running as a plugin in your DAW or as the standalone app. The core plugin is always needed to load presets.
Sign in to the plugin with your STL Tones account or activation code, so your packs and licensed models are unlocked on this computer.
Create a User Bank inside the plugin. You can only add, edit and export presets from a User Bank, not the built in factory banks.
A clear folder on your computer to keep your exported .bank files, along with any Captures, Traces or IRs a preset needs.
Always get ToneHub, AmpHub, Tonality, updates and manuals straight from STL Tones, never a third party mirror. Sign in with your STL Tones account to activate your products, and back up your Banks folder before a reinstall or a move to a new computer.
STL Tones uses a simple bank system. You save your presets into a User Bank, then export that whole bank as a single .bank file. Here is the full process.
Launch ToneHub, AmpHub or your Tonality plugin, dial in your sound, then save it as a preset so the exact settings are stored.
In the header, click Add Bank to make a new User Bank, and name it with the Edit button. You can only add and export presets from a User Bank.
Use Add Preset to drop your saved tones into the User Bank. Group the presets you want to move or share into this one bank.
With the bank selected, choose Export and save it to your backup folder. That single .bank file carries all its presets, ready to store, share or sell.
If a preset uses a ToneHub Capture, a Trace or a custom IR, note or save those alongside the .bank file, so the tone stays complete when you move it.
Bought a preset pack, or restoring a backup? Importing is easy: either import the .bank file inside the plugin, or drop it into the Banks folder and restart the plugin.
If your download is a zip file, decompress it first. Inside you will find one or more .bank files.
Open your STL plugin, and use the bank Import option in the header to load the .bank file straight into the preset browser.
Alternatively, copy the .bank file into Documents then STL then your product then Banks, then restart the plugin. The new bank appears in the list.
If a preset needs a ToneHub Capture, a Trace or a custom IR, import or place those too, so every preset points at the right sound.
A preset needs its plugin and its parts. STL presets load only inside the matching STL plugin, so the buyer needs a copy of that core plugin, and the packs or models a preset uses. A Tonality Will Putney preset will not open in AmpHub. When you share or sell, always say which plugin, packs, Captures and IRs the tone needs.
STL Tones gives you two clean ways to keep your tones safe. Pick whichever fits, and always back up before a reinstall or a move to a new machine.
Export each User Bank you care about as a .bank file into a backup folder. This is the tidy way to keep and share specific sets of presets.
Copy the whole Documents then STL then your product then Banks folder, or the individual .bank files inside it, to another drive. That folder holds every user preset.
Install the STL plugin on the new machine, sign in, then place your saved .bank files back in the Banks folder. Your presets appear exactly as before.
The bank and .bank workflow applies across the STL Tones family, but each plugin has its own notes. Find your gear below.
Save presets into User Banks and export as .bank. Make your own Captures, convert NAM profiles, and share Traces on STL Exchange.
The full amp, cab, mic and effects suite. Export presets as .bank files, or drop shared banks into the Banks folder and restart.
The Will Putney, Howard Benson and other Tonality plugins. Save presets to a User Bank and export a .bank file to share your tones.
Load, customize and save complete signal chains, then recall them in any session. Save and export your chains as presets.
Capture your rig or convert a NAM profile, then use it in a preset. Share Traces on STL Exchange and even earn royalties.
Load your own WAV IRs into the cab or IR loader for amp only Traces. Keep the IR file with the preset when you share it.
The free edition bundled with some Focusrite and Novation hardware. It reads and exports the same .bank files as full AmpHub.
If your STL plugin uses banks and presets, the User Bank and .bank export steps above apply.
Factory banks are locked. Create a User Bank, add your presets there, and export that bank as your shareable .bank file.
Before a reinstall or a new computer, copy your whole Banks folder so every user preset comes back in one step.
Presets need the right plugin and packs. Tell the buyer which STL plugin, packs, Captures or IRs the tone was built with.
STL suggests keeping detailed notes on the gear and settings behind a preset. It makes your tones clearer and more valuable.
Quick answers about STL Tones presets, banks and backups
A preset is one complete STL tone. A bank is a group of presets that you can import or export as a single .bank file, to save, recall or move your tones between DAWs.
STL Tones exports a whole bank of presets as a .bank file. User presets are stored in Documents then STL then your product then Banks.
Create a User Bank, add your presets to it, then use Export in the plugin header to save that bank as a .bank file. You can only export from a User Bank, not a factory bank.
Use the Import option in the plugin, or copy the .bank file into the Banks folder in Documents then STL then your product then Banks and restart the plugin.
No. All presets load inside the STL plugin itself, so a copy of the core plugin is required. Presets cannot be used standalone without it.
Yes, in ToneHub. You can convert any NAM profile, including Architecture 2, into a ToneHub Capture, which then loads alongside presets, effects and cabs like any other capture.
You have exported your STL Tones tones. Turn them into income on Tons of Tones, the world's first marketplace built just for guitarists.
