How does the Preset Browser work?

The Preset Browser is where you find, load and manage your ensembles. Click the preset name in the center of the header (or the list icon on its left) to open it. Click CLOSE or press Esc to return to the main screen.

The header of the browser shows what is loaded, as Collection / Preset / Scene. The INFO button opens a short page that explains the difference between presets and Scenes (this page also opens automatically the first time that you open the browser).

Collections, presets and Scenes

• Collection: a group of presets.
• Preset: a complete ensemble: the instruments, their keyboard ranges and the way the notes are distributed. Loading a preset loads its instruments, so it takes a moment.
• Scene: an alternative setup of the same preset (room, positions, mix, Conductor settings and more). The instruments are already loaded, so switching Scene is instantaneous.

The three columns

1. COLLECTIONS

• ALL shows all the presets; ★ shows only your favorite presets.
• Click a Collection to show only its presets. Click it again to show all the presets.

2. PRESETS

• Search Preset: filters the list as you type. You can type several words: a preset is shown only if its name contains all of them. Press Cmd+F (Ctrl+F on Windows) to jump to the search field.
• Refresh (at the end of the search bar): reads the presets folder again. Use it after you install a new Collection while PolySWAM is open: no restart needed.
• Each preset has a ★ button to add it to your favorites and a load button. The preset that is currently loaded is marked LOADED.

3. Preset information and SCENES

Select a preset to see, in the third column:

• its image, its name and the list of its instruments;
• the list of its SCENES. An icon shows whether each Scene is a Factory Scene (it comes with the preset and cannot be changed) or a User Scene (saved by you). The two filter buttons at the top of the list show only the Factory or only the User Scenes;
• the description: the description of the preset, followed by the description of the selected Scene;
• a small map with the positions of the instruments in the room for the selected Scene.

Load a preset

Select a preset and double-click it, press its load button, or press Return. A Loading Preset… progress bar is shown while the instruments are initialized.

A preset can contain many independent SWAM engines, so loading takes a moment, and you cannot scroll quickly through the presets to audition them one after the other. This is why the browser stays open after loading: you can read the information about the preset and choose a Scene. If you prefer that the browser closes automatically, turn on MENU → Options → Close Browser on Preset Loading.

Choose a Scene

• In the browser: click a Scene to see its description and its map, then double-click it (or press Return) to load it.
• On the main screen: click the arrows ◀ ▶ under the preset name in the header, or press the Left and Right arrow keys. The change is immediate, so you can compare the Scenes while you play.

Save, rename and delete your Scenes

• Save: click the save icon in the header. Choose Save As... to create a new User Scene (enter a name and, optionally, a description; any language and emoji are accepted). If the current Scene is one of your User Scenes, you can also choose Overwrite Current. Factory Scenes cannot be overwritten.
• Rename / Edit: in the browser, select a User Scene and click the options button on its right. Rename / Edit changes the name and the description, and also saves the current setup into the Scene.
• Delete: in the same menu. Delete removes the Scene immediately, without asking for confirmation, and loads the first Scene of the preset.

Keyboard navigation

The title of the list that has the focus is underlined.