Presets — .preset.jsong
Status: draft. Concrete reference content + structural placeholders; flesh out the prose + screenshots when ready.
Purpose
A .preset.jsong file is one preset's complete parameter set, saved as plain JSON. Use it to share a preset with a bandmate, archive a preset you don't want sitting in your library, move presets between machines, or hand a preset off as a starting point for someone else to edit.
What's in the file
| Top-level field | Contains |
|---|---|
format | "jsong-preset" — the format identifier. |
version | 2 — current version. |
name | The preset's name (32-character limit on the device). |
slot | Which device slot this preset was assigned to on export. Null if unassigned. |
source | The preset's original source attribution from the author's library (factory, pulled, generated, import, etc.). |
step_count | 1–4 — how many step variations the preset has. |
preset_version | The device-side preset version this was created against. |
params | The full parameter object — every effect block's knob values, style selections, mixer levels, EQ nodes, custom-scale bits, and so on. |
genre_tags | Optional comma-separated tags (e.g., "rock, ballad, lead"). |
description | Optional free-text description. |
author | Optional creator attribution. |
meta | Provenance block — source (app + version that wrote the file). |
extensions | Reserved object for third-party data (empty on VL Studio export). |
How to export
Library page → preset row → Export action → choose a save location. VL Studio writes the file with a slugified version of the preset's name (e.g., Warm Pop Lead.preset.jsong).
You can also export every preset in your library at once via the Library page's bulk Export All action.
How to import
Library page → Import button → file picker. The picker accepts .preset.jsong, .jsong, and .json files. The imported preset lands in your library as a new row, with no slot assigned (you decide where to push it).
What happens to the source attribution
The Source column shown in the Library is always set to import on a re-imported preset, regardless of what the file's source field says. The original attribution lives inside the file, but the library row is tagged as imported so you can tell at a glance that it came from a .preset.jsong file rather than your device or the AI.
If you want to see where the preset originally came from after import, open the file in a text editor and read the top-level source and meta.source fields.
What round-trips cleanly
- Every parameter value — the full
paramsobject is preserved verbatim, so the audible result is identical after a round-trip on the same VL3X. - Name, description, genre tags, author — all carried through.
- Step count — multi-step presets retain all their steps.
What does not round-trip
- Slot assignment — imported presets are unassigned. You choose where to push them.
- Source attribution — replaced with
import(see above). extensionsobject — read but not stored, so third-party extension data is lost on the next export.
Cross-device behaviour
A .preset.jsong file made on one VL3X imports cleanly on another VL3X — the parameters are device-agnostic. Push the imported preset to whichever slot you want; the new device behaves identically to the source.
There's no factory-vs-aftermarket distinction inside the format: a preset made by the AI, pulled from the device, or hand-edited in VocalShaper/GuitarShaper all export the same way and re-import the same way.
Sharing publicly
Two things to know if you ever post .preset.jsong files to a community site:
- Parameter data isn't copyrighted. A list of effect-block settings is just a configuration — there's no legal concern in sharing your tuned presets.
- Author attribution is optional but encouraged. Set the
authoranddescriptionfields before exporting if you want credit. They're plain JSON; you can edit a file directly to add them post-export.
See also
- Library — the per-preset library and the Import / Export entry points.
- Sharing & Files — overview of all interchange formats.
- Full backups — bulk preset export as part of a whole-library snapshot.
- Preset Editor — visual block-by-block editing on a single preset.