# Companies and stupid preset names/groupings



## bill5 (Jul 22, 2021)

Does this drive anyone else nuts? I kinda get it's hard to give all presets meaningful names, but pls try. Or at least put them in groups that makes sense (like a brass group, string group, or maybe stuff like pad group, bass group, lead group, etc). At the VERY least put them in alphabetical order if nothing else. Not just random. It amazes me that anyone making a synth would fail to give this attention.


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## EgM (Jul 22, 2021)

Sorry... couldn't resist


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## Rasoul Morteza (Jul 22, 2021)

What software are you talking about? Also it is better to submit a feedback instead.


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## bill5 (Jul 22, 2021)

Not just one. If only it was just one lol. Not into singling any out either...it just amazes me that anyone would do this.


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## AmbientMile (Jul 22, 2021)

My bigger complaint is when a plugin has no rating abilities. I LOVE the way Omnisphere has both ratings and projects. I have tons of projects that separate patches into meaningful groups.


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## SimonCharlesHanna (Jul 23, 2021)

yeah synth presets creators shouldn't be allowed to name their creations.


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## Flintpope (Jul 25, 2021)

SimonCharlesHanna said:


> yeah synth presets creators shouldn't be allowed to name their creations.


haha!


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## RogiervG (Jul 26, 2021)

bill5 said:


> Does this drive anyone else nuts? I kinda get it's hard to give all presets meaningful names, but pls try. Or at least put them in groups that makes sense (like a brass group, string group, or maybe stuff like pad group, bass group, lead group, etc). At the VERY least put them in alphabetical order if nothing else. Not just random. It amazes me that anyone making a synth would fail to give this attention.


No it doesn't drive me nuts, and the reason is these are synth patches, they haven't got a real category or naming thing to them, because they are synthesized sounds. Those sounds most cases do not represent a real instrument at all. Sure, they can be kinda close to some real istrument, but then again they are not: like e.g. a synth brassy patch, it might sound a tiny bit like a brass section, but it's effectively not souding like one -> it sounds fake, and many people notice this. they might not even think of a brass section, when listening.

Also how would you name a sound that evolves into different, ehm.. sounds? 
You need to think of something. Often the naming is based on the sound goal (what it sould be, intension: e.g. Monster stampede) or what emotion it gives when listening (e.g. lonely turbulence)

I fact i find the weird names funny.. often they have nice thoughts in them (if you understand where they are coming from).
And well, once you know your synth a bit better, preset wise. you know the patch numbers or location from the top of your head. (or you have them as a track in your template)


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## bill5 (Jul 26, 2021)

RogiervG said:


> No it doesn't drive me nuts, and the reason is these are synth patches, they haven't got a real category or naming thing to them, because they are synthesized sounds.


It varies for sure, but in general I disagree. Most if not all could easily be put into SOME kind of category and/or given names that give you some clue to its nature (and some companies in fact do this), like how I mentioned initially. 



> Those sounds most cases do not represent a real instrument at all. Sure, they can be kinda close to some real istrument, but then again they are not: like e.g. a synth brassy patch,


Then call it "Brassy Synth" or something similar, not vague/meaningless titles.



> Also how would you name a sound that evolves into different, ehm.. sounds?


Sure, I get that, again I realize it's sometimes more difficult depending on the sound, but some don't even try. This becomes a real pain for someone like me who prefers to use mostly presets vs creating sounds from scratch.



> Often the naming is based on the sound goal (what it sould be, intension: e.g. Monster stampede) or what emotion it gives when listening (e.g. lonely turbulence)


Even that would be an improvement over some I've seen!



> once you know your synth a bit better, preset wise. you know the patch numbers or location from the top of your head. (or you have them as a track in your template)


But if you're using numerous synths, each with their own presets, that is mostly impossible...at least for me


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## bill5 (Jul 26, 2021)

SimonCharlesHanna said:


> yeah synth presets creators shouldn't be allowed to name their creations.


Yes that's what I'm saying. What dazzling reading comprehension you have.


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## quickbrownf0x (Jul 26, 2021)

bill5 said:


> Does this drive anyone else nuts? I kinda get it's hard to give all presets meaningful names, but pls try. Or at least put them in groups that makes sense (like a brass group, string group, or maybe stuff like pad group, bass group, lead group, etc). At the VERY least put them in alphabetical order if nothing else. Not just random. It amazes me that anyone making a synth would fail to give this attention.


This made me laugh, because somehow, I instantly thought of 'Albion Solstice' folder names/patches.


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## Sarah Mancuso (Jul 26, 2021)

Synths usually are not emulating acoustic instruments, and people who don't have an orchestral background don't usually think in terms of "this almost barely resembles a cor anglais", to begin with.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 26, 2021)

bill5 said:


> Then call it "Brassy Synth" or something similar, not vague/meaningless titles.


It gets _really _tiring after 5000th "brassy synth" patch.

What you need is care less about patch names, and care more about synths that have decent tag-based patch browsers


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## bill5 (Jul 26, 2021)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> Synths usually are not emulating acoustic instruments


Not sure why this keeps coming up, but I am not saying all patches should have acoustic instrument-based names. Just SOMETHING at least semi-meaningful...or at least group them/tag them so I know the meaningless name is of a certain type of sound, generally. For ex. "Joe's Lament" is a worthless name. "Ethereal wind" on the other hand gives me an immediate clue as to what kind of sound it is.




EvilDragon said:


> It gets _really _tiring after 5000th "brassy synth" patch.
> 
> What you need is care less about patch names, and care more about synths that have decent tag-based patch browsers


Anything that helps classify or identify a sound is something is I am all for. And I'm pretty sure even Omisphere doesn't have 5000 brassy patches


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## EvilDragon (Jul 26, 2021)

bill5 said:


> And I'm pretty sure even Omisphere doesn't have 5000 brassy patches



Exaggerated for illustrative purposes.


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## chapbot (Jul 26, 2021)

I simply use vsts with common-sense names like "Brassy Synth 1," "Brassy Synth 523," ect. instead of those that use names like "Toodlie-Doo Rainbow Echo."

I don't have time to wade through 1000 presets with oddball names.


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## bill5 (Jul 26, 2021)

EvilDragon said:


> Exaggerated for illustrative purposes.


lol - of course, but I would rather "brassy synth 1" through "brassy synth 5000" because again at that gives some idea of the sound.


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## Wally Garten (Jul 26, 2021)

EvilDragon said:


> It gets _really _tiring after 5000th "brassy synth" patch.


Man, I save my own patches sometimes, usually fewer than a dozen for any given project, and practically before I even start I’m out of names. “Trumpet-ish.” Oh, now I’ve made a variant. “Trumpet-ish 2,” I guess. Then later I play “Trumpet-ish” a couple octaves down and really like it but it doesn’t sound anything like a trumpet at all and I realize I should have named it “Whale Bass” or something.

So I make a new derivative patch called “Kinda Like Whale Bass,” but by the time I’m done tweaking the settings it’s a drum.

And so on and so on....

One time I tried making a series of patches from a single starting point, and I would name the patches with numerical codes as they branched off from one another. So “01” would beget “0101” and “0102,” and the latter might beget “010201” and “010202” and “010203.” Then at some point I introduced letters, so you’d get “0102a14c” or whatever. Then I set the project aside for a while and when I came back I couldn’t decode my own system anymore. 😞

Anyway, patch naming... it’s preposterous.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 27, 2021)

bill5 said:


> lol - of course, but I would rather "brassy synth 1" through "brassy synth 5000" because again at that gives some idea of the sound.


If patches are categorized via tags, then tags give you the idea of the sound, not the patch name.


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## el-bo (Jul 27, 2021)

bill5 said:


> For ex. "Joe's Lament" is a worthless name.


Speaking as one of a small handful of folk who have actually mastered the playing of the lament, I take offense 😡


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## MartinH. (Jul 27, 2021)

EvilDragon said:


> If patches are categorized via tags, then tags give you the idea of the sound, not the patch name.



Absolutely! I'm not a synth hoarder, so a lot of my synths are from NI Komplete and if/when I'm looking for a sound I always use the tag browser and then preview all the patches that have my search tags. The preset names really don't matter much to me. 

The other synth that I've used a fair bit is Albino 3 and that had groups like basses, leads, ambient, layered, ambient layered, etc., which is also very useful. 

And once the discoverabilty aspect is covered, I'd argue it's easier to remember patch names like anxious mole or rusty tiger instead of dissonant ticking #3 or neurobass #5, which is how I name my own things because I hate naming things.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 27, 2021)

MartinH. said:


> I'd argue it's easier to remember patch names like anxious mole or rusty tiger instead of dissonant ticking #3 or neurobass #5



Absolutely!


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## Living Fossil (Jul 27, 2021)

MartinH. said:


> The other synth that I've used a fair bit is Albino 3 and that had groups like basses, leads, ambient, layered, ambient layered, etc., which is also very useful.


I like to rename patches (as channel strip settings) in the (or maybe similar) way as Matt (the unfinished) names his sounds; i.e. a 2-3 (capital-)letter prefix before the actual sound name:

LED= Lead sound
PD = Pad
STR = "String" sound
SC = Soundscape
DR = Drum
DRO = Drone
BRS = Brass
etc.


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## sean8877 (Jul 27, 2021)

I'm bothered more by the inconsistent volumes that a lot of presets designers use with their patches. Some designers will set the volume of their presets insanely loud in comparison to the factory presets or other preset manufacturers levels. So when stepping through the presets I'm having to adjust the volume knob or track fader or else have my ears blasted out. I don't know if it's just an oversight or done on purpose to make their presets stand out. But anyway maybe it just a pet peeve on my part and doesn't bother others...thought I'd mention that though as something that bugs me more than the naming.


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