User-Default plugin presets a huge time saver.

[NealMiskin]

Many plugins come with factory-default settings that are vastly different from any settings I would ever actually use. It is time consuming to open up a plugin and have to tweak the same controls every single time just to achieve ballpark settings.

The solution to this is to save a preset where your settings are a lot closer to how you like them, set that preset as your user-default, and then set the plugin to load to the user default rather than the factory default. (RTFM if you don't know how to do this).

Here are a few examples of things I like to use this for:

Compressors: Auto-gain OFF; Ratio at 2:1; Threshold as high as it goes; attack and release to taste.

This means that when I load the compressor it does not cause an immediate change in level, and is ready to start attenuating when I bring the threshold down (it's amazing to me how many compressors have their ratio set at 1:1 by default).

Equalizers: I like to have at least one EQ plugin set with a high-pass filter engaged at about 75 or 80hz by default, because other than kick drum and bass I vary rarely need anything below 80hz in a track. It's quicker to manually disengage the HPF on two tracks than it is to manually engage it on 30 tracks.

Reverb and Delay: Wet/Dry to 100% wet. Again it amazes me how many plugins have the wet/dry somewhere in the middle by default.

Basically the idea here is to set up your plugins so that you can have them doing what you want them to do very quickly. It only takes a few seconds to make five adjustments to a plugin, but it adds up. Why change five things every time when you could preset four of them and only change one?

So, what sorts of settings do you like for your user-defaults?

[knothardly]

when i get bad defaults... i tweak and overwrite defaults usually. or i did all the time with presonus studio one

[Stig Eliassen]

I haven't done this yet, but I will. The Softube FET compressor is my go-to, and it always loads with 8:1 and medium attack and release. I will definitely change that to 4:1 and fastest attack and release.

Thanks!

[Benny_Cha_Cha]

I made user default presets for lots of waves plugins do the analog modeled noise is off. Anyone knowhow to keep these defaults set through a prefs trashing??

[NealMiskin]

Originally Posted by Benny_Cha_Cha

I made user default presets for lots of waves plugins do the analog modeled noise is off. Anyone knowhow to keep these defaults set through a prefs trashing??

Yeah, the "analog" noise that some of those plugins produce is pretty annoying, I turn that off in my presets too.

On my last preference trashing I noticed that all of the user presets were still there, on my drive, just not loaded by default.

So once you've built your defaults it's just a matter of loading them and setting them as user-default the first time you open a plugin after a prefs trash.

There is probably a particular file somewhere telling PT what the plugin settings preferences are, if you were to not trash that particular file it would remember, but I don't know what this file is called or where it's stored.

[Benny_Cha_Cha]

Reviving this old thread, is there anyone out there who knows how to save and restore plugin user defaults so they can persist through a prefs trashing? There must be a specific file where this info is stored. On Mac specifically.

[The Weed]

Use Pete Gates' Prefs Helper.