Patch
a.k.a. a preset / a tone
On the ZOIA a patch is one complete creation: the modules you connected and every setting. You can save up to 64 patches, and each one is a file you can back up and share.
Everything you need to export presets from Empress Effects. Learn exactly how ZOIA patches, the microSD card, backups and the patchstorage community work, so you can export your tones, back them up, import them, and get every patch ready to share or sell.
Before you export anything, it helps to know how Empress organizes your tones. The exportable presets live on the ZOIA and Euroburo, which save patches to a microSD card you can share online.
On the ZOIA a patch is one complete creation: the modules you connected and every setting. You can save up to 64 patches, and each one is a file you can back up and share.
The included microSD card is how you load and save patches to and from the ZOIA. It needs no computer software, and it is also how you move a patch onto your computer to share.
Patchstorage.com is the thriving ZOIA community where you download other players' patches or upload your own. It is the main place Empress patches are shared online.
Press shift and the gears icon to reach the config menu, where the patches to SD card backup option lives.
Empress firmware ships as a .bin file. Keep it off the card when you use the card for patches, to avoid confusion.
A few patches need samples to run. If a patch uses samples, make sure those travel with it too.
Exporting patches from an Empress ZOIA takes just a few things. Get these ready first and the how to below becomes a quick job.
A ZOIA or a ZOIA Euroburo, the Empress pedals that save patches to a microSD card. This is where shareable patch files come from.
The included microSD card, plus a card reader or slot on your computer, so you can move patch files between the pedal and your machine.
A patch you have built and saved on the ZOIA, sounding exactly how you want it, ready to write out to the card.
Keep your ZOIA up to date, and always back up your patches before you install a firmware update, since it is easy to lose work otherwise.
Always get firmware and manuals straight from Empress Effects, never a third party mirror. Empress firmware comes as a .bin file, so if you plan to use the card for patches, remove the firmware file from it first, and always back up before you update.
The ZOIA saves your patches to its microSD card, with no computer software needed. Back a patch up to the card, then copy it to your computer to share. Here is the full process.
Create your patch on the ZOIA and save it to one of the 64 patch slots, so the modules and every setting are stored.
Press shift and the gears icon to enter the config menu, where the backup options live.
Select patches to SD card, then pick an existing folder or make a new folder to save your patches into on the card.
Take the microSD card out and put it in your computer. Copy your patch file out of its folder into a backup folder. That file is your exported patch, ready to store, share or sell.
If your patch relies on samples, keep those files together with the patch, so it plays correctly for whoever loads it next.
Got a patch from patchstorage, or restoring a backup? Importing is the reverse: put the patch file on the card, then load it onto the ZOIA from the card.
If your patch comes as a zip file, decompress it first, so you have the actual ZOIA patch file ready to copy.
Put the microSD card in your computer and copy the patch file into a patch folder on the card, following the naming protocol in the ZOIA manual.
Put the card back in the ZOIA, open the config menu, and use the option to import a patch from the SD card into one of your patch slots.
If the patch needs samples, place those on the card too, so the patch has everything it needs to run as intended.
Follow the card protocol, and back up first. The ZOIA expects patches in the right folders and naming on the card, so follow the manual's protocol. Always back up your patches before a firmware update, and remember a couple of factory patches need their samples present to run.
Empress makes backup simple through the microSD card. Pick whichever fits your setup, and always back up before a firmware update.
In the config menu, choose patches to SD card and save into a folder. This writes your patches to the card in one step, ready to keep safe.
Put the card in your computer and copy the patch folders to a backup drive. Now your creations are safe even if the card is lost or reformatted.
Share your patches on patchstorage.com for a cloud copy and to let the community play them. A great backup and a great way to be discovered.
The microSD workflow is the ZOIA story, but here is how presets work across the Empress lineup. Find your gear below.
Up to 64 patches, saved to the microSD card and shared on patchstorage. The Empress pedal built for creating and swapping patches.
The eurorack sibling of the ZOIA. It uses the same patch and microSD workflow, and shares the patchstorage community.
Stores presets onboard for instant recall, and responds to MIDI program change. Its presets live in the pedal rather than as shareable files.
Saves presets onboard and recalls them by footswitch or MIDI. Like the Echosystem, its presets are recalled on the pedal, not exported.
The home of ZOIA patches online. Browse thousands of creations, download to your card, and upload your own to share or promote.
A few patches use samples to run. When you move or share one, include its sample files on the card so it sounds complete.
Back up all patches first, load the .bin firmware from the card, then remove the firmware file before using the card for patches again.
If your Empress pedal saves patches to a card, the export steps above apply. If it stores presets onboard, recall them by footswitch or MIDI.
Save all your patches to the SD card and copy them to your computer before you update, so nothing is ever lost.
Save patches into named folders on the card, so your sets stay organized and easy to find when you back up or share.
If a patch uses samples, they must travel with it. Bundle the samples alongside the patch when you share or move it.
Uploading to patchstorage backs up your patch and puts it in front of the whole ZOIA community, a great way to build a name.
Quick answers about Empress ZOIA patches, the microSD card and backups
A patch is one complete ZOIA creation, the modules you connected and all their settings. You can save up to 64 patches, and each one can be backed up to the microSD card as a file.
Press shift and the gears icon for the config menu, choose patches to SD card and save to a folder, then put the card in your computer and copy the patch file out.
No. The microSD card workflow needs no software. You simply move patch files between the card and your computer, and the card is also how you get patches ready to share online.
On patchstorage.com, the ZOIA community library. Download patches to your card, or upload your own to share them with players everywhere.
Those pedals store presets onboard for footswitch or MIDI recall, rather than as shareable files. The ZOIA and Euroburo are the Empress pedals built to save patches to a card.
It can, so back up first. Save your patches to the SD card and copy them to your computer before you load the .bin firmware, then reload them afterward.
You have exported your Empress ZOIA patches. Turn them into income on Tons of Tones, the world's first marketplace built just for guitarists.
