Understanding the Difference Between Your DAW’s Preset System and the Slate Digital Native Preset System

If you're having trouble finding presets in your Slate Digital plugins, you’re not alone! One of the most common sources of confusion comes from the difference between your DAW’s preset system and the plugin’s native preset system. Let's break it down clearly:

DAW Preset System vs. Native Plugin Preset System

Every DAW (like Cubase, Logic Pro, etc.) has its own preset system, typically found outside the plugin window at the top of the plugin interface. This area belongs to the DAW, not the plugin.

🔹 Cubase Example

Yellow Box: Cubase’s preset system
Green Box: Slate Digital's native preset system

🔹 Logic Pro Example

Yellow Box: Logic’s preset system
Green Box: Slate Digital's native preset system

🔹 Pro Tools Example

Red Box: Pro Tools preset system
Green Box: Slate Digital's native preset system

Important Differences:

• DAW preset system:
  • Managed by the DAW (not Slate Digital).
  • Factory presets will not appear here unless you manually save your own.
  • Not recommended for saving plugin presets because it can cause compatibility issues across different plugin formats (e.g., VST2, VST3, AU) and different DAWs.

• Slate Digital native preset system (inside the plugin UI):
  • Factory presets are installed and ready to go!
  • Presets saved here are cross-compatible across different DAWs and plugin formats.
  • Easy to export, import, and back up your preset banks.

If you want to move presets between computers, save them using the Slate Digital native system!
👉 How to Import New Presets

Why Can't I See Any Presets?

Some users write in thinking no presets were installed — but the presets are accessed through the native system inside the plugin! (except for Virtual Tape Machines, which doesn’t include factory presets). If you still can’t access presets inside the plugin, it could be due to a permission issue on your computer.

Troubleshooting Preset Access Issues

If you see an error like this when trying to save/load presets:



You'll need to update the folder permissions. Here’s how to fix it:

1. Navigate to:
   Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Slate Digital
2. Right-click on the Slate Digital folder and click "Get Info..."
3. Set permissions to Read and Write for your user account.
4. Be sure to "Apply changes to enclosed items."

If you’re using Repeater, Lustrous Plates, VerbSuite Classics, or an Eiosis plugin, you’ll also want to check:

• /Library/Application Support/D16 Group
• /Library/Application Support/Eiosis
• /Library/Application Support/LiquidSonics

Summary

Special Note About ANA 2

One plugin that behaves slightly differently is ANA 2 by Sonic Academy.

If you're missing sounds or presets in ANA 2, you may need to reinstall the plugin manually:
👉 How to uninstall and reinstall ANA 2 on macOS
👉 How to uninstall and reinstall ANA 2 on Windows

ANA 2 also comes with expansion packs that you'll want to install separately via Slate Digital Connect:

In ANA 2’s browser, the "Filters" are categories — not individual presets!
👉 ANA 2 Presets vs Filters

For a full list of what’s included in your plan:
👉 What Comes with the All Access Pass

If you have any additional questions about presets or need help restoring factory presets, don’t hesitate to contact us!