How to Use Track Presets for One-Click Access to Beatmaker 3 Titles

The Challenge: Restoring Your Fast Workflow

With the architectural shift in Beatmaker 3, all individual titles (like RICO, GLOOM, or VICE) are now hosted within a single "BEATMAKER" container plugin. While this new platform enables powerful features like the Smart Browser and advanced mixer, it also changes the way you access your sounds.

Instead of loading a specific plugin like "NEMESIS 2" in one click, you now have to load the "BEATMAKER" plugin and then select your desired title from the internal browser. This may feel like a step backward in speed and immediacy for some users, interrupting their creative flow.

The Solution: Track Presets in Your DAW

The definitive solution is to use a powerful, built-in feature of your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): Track Presets.

A track preset is a saved snapshot of an entire track's configuration. It captures not just the Beatmaker 3 plugin, but also its specific internal state—such as the selected Title—along with any of your favorite audio effects, routing, and track settings.

By creating a preset for each of your favorite Beatmaker 3 titles, you can transform the new multi-step process back into a single, one-click action. This guide will walk you through setting this up in all major DAWs.

Comparative Overview Table

The following table provides an at-a-glance summary of how each major DAW implements its track preset feature. This serves as a quick reference to identify the relevant terminology and key characteristics before proceeding to the detailed guides.

Table 1: DAW Preset Feature Comparison

DAW-Specific Guides

Find your DAW in the list below for step-by-step instructions.

Ableton Live: Using Instrument Racks

1. Create a new MIDI track and load the BEATMAKER plugin.
2. Inside the plugin, select the Title you want to save (e.g., "DOPE 2").
3. Optional: Add any other audio effects (like an EQ or compressor) to the track after the Beatmaker plugin.
4. Select the Beatmaker device in the Device View at the bottom. If you added effects, hold Shift and select them as well.
5. Press Cmd+G (Mac) or Ctrl+G (Windows) to group them into an Instrument Rack.
6. Click the small floppy disk icon on the Instrument Rack's title bar to save it.
7. Name your preset descriptively (e.g., "BM3 - DOPE 2 Kit") and save it to your User Library.
8. To Recall: Simply find your saved preset in the Browser and drag it into your project to create a new, fully configured track.

Resources for Deeper Learning

1. Official Documentation:

• Instrument, Drum and Effect Racks — Ableton Reference Manual Version 12
• Working with Instruments and Effects — Ableton Reference Manual Version 12

2. Recommended Video Tutorials:

• Ableton Live - Working With Racks - YouTube
• Instrument Rack in Ableton Live 12 - Tutorial
• Tutorial: Saving Ableton Live Setups as Presets for quick Recall

Logic Pro X: Using Channel Strip Settings

1. Create a new Software Instrument track and load the BEATMAKER plugin in the "Instrument" slot.
2. Open the plugin and select your desired Title.
3. Optional: Add any audio effects in the "Audio FX" slots below the instrument.
4. At the top of the channel strip (in the Inspector or Mixer), click the button labeled "Setting".
5. From the dropdown menu, choose "Save Channel Strip Setting as...".
6. Give your preset a clear name (e.g., "Beatmaker - VOID Kit") and click Save.
7. To Recall: On a new Software Instrument track, click the "Setting" button and select your saved preset from the list. Alternatively, open the Library (Y key) and find it under "User Channel Strip Settings."

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

• Locate & Manage CHANNEL STRIP SETTINGS (Logic Pro 11)
• Logic Pro Workflow - Channel Strip Settings
• How to Save Channel Strip Settings - Logic Pro X Quick Tip

FL Studio: Using Channel State Files

3. Add the BEATMAKER plugin to the Channel Rack.
4. Open the plugin interface and select your desired Title.
5. In the plugin wrapper window, click the menu arrow in the top-left corner.
6. Select "Save channel state as...".
7. Give the file a descriptive name (e.g., "BM3 - HUSTLE 2 Kit.fst") and save it in the default preset location.
8. To Recall: Open the Browser (Alt+F8), navigate to Plugin presets > Generators, find your saved .fst file, and drag it into the Channel Rack.

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

• Channel Settings
• FL Studio State File (*.fst)

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

• How to Save Mixer Presets in FL Studio to save a BUNCH of time (Note: This demonstrates saving a Mixer track state, but the process and concept are identical for a Channel state)
• How to Make Presets in FL Studio (For Vocals, Effects, Etc.)
• How to create Send channels in FL Studio | Quick Tutorial

Pro Tools: Using Track Presets

2. Create a stereo Instrument Track and load the BEATMAKER plugin as an insert.
3. Open the plugin and select your desired Title.
4. Select the track, then go to the Track menu and choose "Save Track Preset...".
5. In the dialog box, you must create a new category for the preset to be visible. Click the "Create In" dropdown and select "New Category...". Name it something like "UJAM Beatmaker".
6. Give your preset a specific name (e.g., "VICE 80s Kit") and click OK.
7. To Recall: Open the "New Tracks" dialog (Shift+Cmd+N / Shift+Ctrl+N). In the "Track Type" dropdown, select your new category ("UJAM Beatmaker"). Your saved kits will now appear in the "Preset" menu below it.

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

• Track Presets in Pro Tools - Tips & Tricks

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

• Pro Tools Tutorial | How To Create A Pro Tools Template
• Pro Tools Basics: Incorporating Templates Into Your Workflow
• Pro Tools | Track Presets LIKE A BOSS! 🔥

Cubase: Using Track Presets

2. Create an Instrument Track and load the BEATMAKER plugin.
3. Open the plugin and select your desired Title.
4. Right-click the track in the Project Window and select "Save Track Preset".
5. Give the preset a descriptive name. Use the "Attribute Inspector" to add tags for easier searching.
6. To Recall (Most Reliable Method): Go to Project > Add Track > Instrument. In the dialog, use the "Load Track Preset" dropdown to select your saved Beatmaker preset and click "Add Track."

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

• How To Save and Recall Your Favourite Tracks Into a Project | Quick Tip
• Track presets in Cubase #cubasetutorial #musicproduction - YouTube
• Cubase Skills: Track Presets

Studio One: Using Track Presets

1. Create an Instrument Track and load the BEATMAKER plugin.
2. Open the plugin and select your desired Title.
3. Right-click on the track header in the Arrange view and choose "Store Track Preset...".
4. Give your preset a name and click OK.
5. To Recall: Open the Browser (F5), go to the "Presets" tab, find your saved preset, and drag it into your arrangement to create the track.

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

• Studio One Manual 
• Exploring the Save Options of Studio One – Knowledge Base | PreSonus

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

• Studio One | Templates (inc Smart Templates)
• Studio One Minute: How to Create a Template in Studio One

Reaper: Using Track Templates

1. Create a new track and load the BEATMAKER plugin in the FX chain.
2. Open the plugin and select your desired Title.
3. Right-click on the track's control panel (where the name and fader are).
4. From the context menu, select "Save tracks as track template...".
5. Give the template a descriptive name (e.g., "Beatmaker EDEN Kit.RTrackTemplate") and click Save.
6. To Recall: Right-click in an empty area of the Track Control Panel, select "Insert track from template," and choose your saved preset from the list.

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

• REAPER | User Guide (The official guide is a comprehensive PDF; the feature is well-documented within)
• Track Templates - Reaper Accessibility Wiki

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

• Track Templates in REAPER
• Reaper Tutorial: Creating Track Templates
• REAPER | Videos

Bitwig Studio: Using Device Chains or Clips

Bitwig does not have a direct "Track Preset" feature, but these workarounds are fast and effective.

• Method 1: Save a Device Chain

1. Set up your track with Beatmaker and any effects.
2. In the Device Panel, click the "Show Device Chain" icon (a small folder).
3. At the top of the expanded chain view, click the "Save Preset to Library" icon.
4. Name your preset and save it.
5. To Recall: Drag the saved device chain preset from the Browser onto a new Instrument Track.

• Method 2: Save as a Clip

1. Set up your track as above.
2. Create a MIDI clip on the track.
3. Drag the clip from the timeline directly into the "Clips" tab of the Browser.
4. Name the clip and ensure the "Save Devices in Clip" checkbox is enabled.
5. To Recall: Drag the saved clip from the Browser into your project. This will create a new, fully configured track.

Resources for Deeper Learning

• Official Documentation:

14. Working with Projects and Exporting

• Recommended Video Tutorials:

Bitwig Studio Tutorials - YouTube

Creating Presets - Bitwig Tutorial

Bitwig Tutorial | How to Save Clips and Everything Associated with Them!

Best Practices for Organization

• Use a Clear Naming Convention: A name like BM3 - RICO - Reggaeton Kit is far more useful than Drum Preset 1. Include the plugin, the title, and a descriptor.
• Use Folders: Organize your presets within your DAW's browser using folders. A good structure might be UJAM > Beatmaker > [Genre] or Drums > UJAM >.

By investing a few minutes to create presets for your most-used Beatmaker 3 titles, you can restore the immediate, one-click workflow you value and spend less time in menus and more time making music.

Expanding to Multi-Output Routing

For producers who require deeper control during the mixing stage, Beatmaker 3 supports routing its individual drum sounds (kick, snare, hi-hats, etc.) to separate outputs. This allows each drum element to be processed with its own dedicated EQ, compression, and effects on separate mixer channels.

The track preset functionality in most DAWs can be extended to accommodate this advanced setup. DAWs like Reaper, Pro Tools, and Studio One excel at saving multi-track templates. A producer can create a main instrument track for Beatmaker 3 and several accompanying audio tracks, pre-configured to receive the separate outputs. This entire group of tracks can then be saved as a single multi-track preset. Recalling this preset would instantly create the full, routed drum mixing environment, saving an immense amount of setup time on every project