Help. I can't figure out how to save a preset in Garritan CFX.

Ralphiano

I've been playing my Garritan CFX full version recently on my Windows 10 Pro machine. And, I've piddled around with settings and want to save a preset. But, I am not permitted by my computer. It gives me the following message:

_C:\Program Files\Garittan\CFX Concert Grand\Presets\com.Plogue.Aria\011522.ariax
You don't have permission to save in this location.
Contact the administrator to obtain permission.

Would you like to save in the Ralph folder instead?_

What suggestions to do you have for me? I want to save a preset that I have named 011522, the name that appears at the end of the first line of the 'can't save' message above.

I am short on computer understanding and skills, so don't assume that I know much. I haven't found any option in the settings for selecting a default location for those preset files.

As far as I know, I am the administrator, as it is my computer and I have to log in to start it up. And, when I install software and it asks me whether I want to allow the software to make changes to the computer, I am always able to authorize it in the usual manner.

I am unclear where in my computer, or in Garritan, I should be looking for the facility that selects the storage location of user created piano preset files.

Thanks for your help.

CyberGene

I haven't used Windows for years but I remember on Windows you have to run an application as an Administrator in order for the application to be able to write in protected folder as the Program Files. In order to do that, when starting the application, you should right click on it and select "run as Administrator"

BUT!

You better not start applications with Administrator privileges unless you know what you are doing. The actual problem is you are trying to save your preset under the Program Files folder which isn't a good idea. Just select another destination for it, e.g. the desktop, your user folder, etc.

Ralphiano

Thanks, CG.

I just created a preset and saved it in a folder on my desktop. And, when I click on the preset to get the dropdown menu, I can click on "Load", and it opens a search browser from which I can find the preset in the folder on the desktop and load it.

Now, I would like to have the preset appear in the "User" section of that dropdown menu to save the searching, or better, to be able to set the preset I created as the "Default" preset so it gets loaded automatically. But, my Garritan and computer seem to be Satan possessed, now, and just do what they feel like doing instead of what I tell them to do.

Specifically:
If I use that "Load" option in the dropdown menu, Garritan will load the details of my preset, BUT, continues to display the name of the previous preset in the preset window. I cannot get that "Preset" window to display the name of the preset I am using, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION:

if I select one of the "User" presets (ones I have previously saved), Garritan will either:
do nothing; or,
if I select a different preset, it will load its settings and display the name of the preset in the preset window.
It is as if some of the presets I have created in the past have been emptied of data and all that remains is the preset name. But, the preset that do contain data can be accessed and loaded with their names displayed in the preset window.

Does anyone know how to same my preset in such a manner that it will appear in the "User" area of the "Preset" dropdown menu so I can select it more easily?

And, does anyone know how I can cause Garritan to do both:

load my user created preset as the default preset; AND,
display the name of my user created preset in the "Preset" window when I am using it?

For some reason, when I

Ralphiano

I just discovered that when I do manage to get my user preset loaded and operating, and, follow the instructions for making that setting the default, the little "Preset" window still only displays the name of the most recently displayed preset.

I tried to "Empty" the preset in the hopes that if I attempt to set as default a preset that has no name, maybe it would prompt me to name it and display that name in the "Preset" window, But, that did not work, either.

The limited good news is that I have achieved the partial goal of having Garritan load my user created preset as the default preset upon opening Garritan. However, the "Preset" window just remains blank. The file name I gave the preset file does not appear.

I still don't understand why Garritan won't display the name of the preset I am actually using.

vagfilm

Hi. I never had those problems, because I usually had Garritan in a Reaper track with the preset preloaded.
However, I have tried now to replicate your problem, and it does seem that Garritan does not work well with presets saved into a location other than the expected one.
So, try the following:

after all the setting are to your choice, click on the preset box and choose "save".
If you are not in the default location (for example, if you have already saved elsewhere), the interface won't take you back and you need to find your way to:
YOUR_DRIVE/USERS/YOUR_USER_NAME/ appdata(hidden folder)/roaming/plogue/aria/presets/com.plogue.aria
save the preset (eg. Ralph_preset.ariax). Do not use strange characters... The preset name should appear in the preset box.
Now, on the menu click on "save as default"
Go back again to the preset box, click on USER, and select again the preset "Ralph_preset" (it may be voodoo, but it does seem that you need to repeat the process).
Click again on menu/save as default
Switch off Garritan and restart. It should open with the correct preset.

I also found that clicking on the presets (even the official ones) do not launch that particular preset, but only launch Garritan with the default preset.

You are correct... It is not well implemented.

There are also files with extension ".aria" instead of ".ariax". Maybe those are the correct configuration to launch, but I did not understand how to function with those.

I am now sold to VSL 😀

MrGr

Like vagfilm said, when I click the presets field and select load from the context menu that pops up, it shows me the user's CFX settings folder under AppData/Roaming. Not sure what you are doing. Works fine here. The Program Files folder is protected by UAC. Never store user files there. In the end, store it where you want it. Preferably in a folder that gets backed up.

vagfilm

I have all my music related software in a folder outside of program files (c:\music). No administration problems this way and you can easily create exclusions in the antivirus and whatsnot. There may be some security downside to this, but since it is a music-only laptop, I am not worried. But the Garritan standalone is indeed not well programmed.

MrGr

vagfilm

But the Garritan standalone is indeed not well programmed.

Sadly true. I recently tried Garritan CFX in Cubase. Previously I thought the sound disruptions due to visible VST GUI are only present in Reaper. But no, it's also there in Cubase. (win 10 pro - though I can't remember if that applies to the standalone, too)

Though quite some VST plugins have issues. Even those that apparently have been sold like 10-100k times have installation issues or issues where one wonders: has anyone ever even installed this one before? How can this be? Those companies simply don't give a f*ck as long as you can't sue them because it doesn't work at all….