Preset
a.k.a. a patch / a tone
A preset is one complete saved tone: amps, cabs, effect blocks, scenes and all its settings. It is the single sound you export and share.
Everything you need to export presets from every Fractal Audio device. Learn exactly how Axe-Edit, Fractal-Bot and the .syx 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 Fractal organizes your tones. These few ideas cover every Fractal Audio device, from the FM3 to the flagship Axe-Fx III.
A preset is one complete saved tone: amps, cabs, effect blocks, scenes and all its settings. It is the single sound you export and share.
A bank is a group of presets. On Fractal hardware each bank slot (A, B and C) holds 128 presets, so a bank is the fastest way to move a whole set at once.
Export a preset or bank and Fractal saves it as a .syx file. Presets, banks, cabs and full system backups are all .syx files you can store, share or sell.
The editor and librarian for your device (also FM9-Edit and FM3-Edit). Where you build, organize, export and import presets.
The free MIDI utility that backs up (Receive) and restores or sends (Send) presets, banks and system data.
Fractal's official site for sharing and downloading presets and cabs from the community.
Tip: a .fasBundle (Preset plus Cab Bundle) packs one preset together with the user cab impulse responses it uses, so a shared tone arrives complete.
Exporting presets from a Fractal device takes just a few things. Get these ready first and the how to below becomes a two minute job.
Axe-Edit III, FM9-Edit or FM3-Edit, in the version made for your exact model. Always download it from the official Fractal Audio site.
Standalone, or built into the editor's Tools menu. You use it to back up and to send whole banks to your hardware.
Connect your Fractal device to your computer with a USB cable. The editor detects it and shows a green connection indicator.
On Windows, install the Fractal USB driver first, from the official Fractal Audio support site. macOS needs no driver.
Always get editors, Fractal-Bot, USB drivers and firmware straight from Fractal Audio Systems, never a third party mirror. One more thing: do not run Axe-Edit and standalone Fractal-Bot at the same time, and keep your editor and firmware versions matched.
This is the core workflow in the editor, and it is the same on the Axe-Fx III, FM9 and FM3. Here is what Axe-Edit looks like when you export a preset.
Plug your Fractal device into your computer with USB, open Axe-Edit III (or FM9-Edit / FM3-Edit) and wait for the green connection indicator.
Select the preset you want to export so it opens in the editor. This is the tone that will be saved.
Open the Preset ▸ Export menu (shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Alt+X on Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Cmd+X on macOS).
An exported preset does not include linked Global data. On the Axe-Fx, run Preset ▸ Unlink All Links from Global first so the tone works for anyone you share it with.
Pick a name and location, then save. Your preset is now a .syx file, ready to back up, share or sell. To export many at once, use Manage Presets, or export a .fasBundle to include your user cabs.
Bought a preset pack, or moving tones to a new unit? Importing a .syx preset is quick: load it into the editor, then store it on your device.
In Axe-Edit, open the Preset ▸ Import menu and choose the .syx file you downloaded.
The preset loads into the temporary Edit Buffer. It is not saved on your device yet.
Use Store or Save As to write the preset to a slot on your device, so it stays after power off. To pull single presets out of a bank file, open Manage Presets and drag them into place.
Heads up: sending a full bank overwrites 128 presets. When you send a bank with Fractal-Bot, every one of the 128 presets in that bank slot is replaced and cannot be recovered. Back up the bank first with Fractal-Bot's Receive tab.
Fractal-Bot is the safety net for your whole rig. It moves presets, banks and system data between your device and your computer in two simple modes.
Open Fractal-Bot, choose Receive, select your device and a save folder, then back up your presets, banks, system settings and cabs as .syx files.
Choose Send, browse to a .syx preset, bank or ALL BANKS file, press Begin, and pick the bank slot to write it to your hardware.
By default your backups land in Documents / Fractal Audio / Backup Files. Name each backup with the date and firmware version so it is easy to find later.
The export steps above apply across the Fractal lineup, but each unit has its own editor and quirks. Find your gear below.
Axe-Edit III plus Fractal-Bot. Banks of 128 presets, and full support for Global Blocks.
FM9-Edit plus Fractal-Bot. Presets generally interchange with the Axe-Fx III.
FM3-Edit plus Fractal-Bot. Its grid has 4 rows, so larger presets may need conversion on import.
Axe-Edit plus Fractal-Bot. Export presets and full banks as .syx files.
AX8-Edit plus Fractal-Bot for exporting and backing up presets and banks.
FX8-Edit plus Fractal-Bot. Export and back up your effect presets as .syx files.
VP4-Edit plus Fractal-Bot. VP4 presets share with the AM4, but not with the Axe-Fx or FM units.
AM4-Edit plus Fractal-Bot. AM4 presets share with the VP4, but not with the Axe-Fx or FM units.
Manage layouts through the editor and back them up as part of your system data with Fractal-Bot.
If Fractal makes an editor for it, or Fractal-Bot supports it, the export steps above apply.
Use Fractal-Bot Receive to save your banks first. Sending a bank overwrites all 128 presets in that slot.
On the Axe-Fx, unlink Global Blocks so your exported preset carries all its data, or include your system backup.
Add the date and firmware version to backups so the right file is easy to find months later.
A big Axe-Fx III preset may need trimming to run on the FM3. The editor's Preset Translator logs every change it makes.
Quick answers about Fractal presets, banks and the .syx format
A preset is one tone. A bank is a group of presets, and on Fractal hardware each bank slot holds 128 presets. Both export as .syx files.
As .syx (SysEx) files. Presets, banks, cabs and system backups are all .syx. A preset that also carries its user cabs is a .fasBundle.
Use the editor (Axe-Edit) to export single presets with Preset then Export. Use Fractal-Bot to back up whole banks and your full system data.
Axe-Fx III and FM9 presets usually interchange. The FM3 has a smaller grid and may need conversion, which the editor does automatically and logs in the Preset Translator. VP4 and AM4 share with each other only.
No. Exporting a .syx file to your computer works fully offline. You only need internet for Axe-Change and for downloading editors and firmware.
It probably uses linked Global Blocks, an Axe-Fx feature. Unlink them before exporting, or include your system backup so the tone arrives complete.
You have exported your Fractal tones as .syx files. Turn them into income on Tons of Tones, the world's first marketplace built just for guitarists.
