Save, load & write tones

Where presets live

rusty-amp searches these directories, in order:

1. ./presets/ — bundled presets (read-only, shipped with the repo).
2. ~/.config/rusty-amp/presets/ — your personal presets.

Press P while playing to open the preset browser. Press S (from anywhere) to save the current state as a new user preset. The browser updates instantly — no restart required.

Bundled presets are marked as system presets and cannot be deleted from within the app. User presets show a [user] tag and can be deleted with D.

Preset browser (P)

Press P while playing to open the browser overlay. Move the cursor with ↑/↓ and press Enter to apply — the change takes effect immediately, with the audio uninterrupted.

User presets are marked with a [user] tag in the list. The D hint appears in the footer only when the cursor is on a deletable preset.

Save dialog (S)

Press S from anywhere to capture the current rig as a new preset. Tab moves between the two fields; Enter writes the file.

The preset is written to ~/.config/rusty-amp/presets/<name>.toml and appears in the browser immediately — no restart required.

Bundled presets

Writing your own preset

A preset is a TOML file. Every section except [tube_screamer], [amp], and [reverb] is optional — omitting a section leaves that effect's current state unchanged. All knob values are normalised 0.0–1.0.

name        = "My Preset"
description = "Optional one-line description shown in the preset browser."

# All sections except [tube_screamer], [amp], and [reverb] are optional.
# Omitting a section leaves that effect's current state unchanged.

[noise_gate]
enabled   = true    # optional, defaults to true
threshold = 0.20    # 0.0 – 1.0  (0 = barely open, 1 = always open)
release   = 0.30    # 0.0 – 1.0  (0 = instant close, 1 = very slow)

# Omit [compressor] entirely to leave it off,
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[compressor]
enabled = false     # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
sustain = 0.40      # 0.0 – 1.0  (compression amount)
attack  = 0.30      # 0.0 – 1.0  (0.5 ms → 50 ms)
level   = 0.50      # 0.0 – 1.0  (output makeup, 0.5 = unity)

# Omit [pitch] entirely to leave it off (the default for the bundled presets),
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[pitch]
enabled = false     # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
pitch = 0.50        # 0.0 – 1.0  (0 = −12 st, 0.5 = unison, 1 = +12 st)
mix   = 0.50        # 0.0 – 1.0  (dry/wet blend)
tone  = 0.70        # 0.0 – 1.0  (wet low-pass, 0 = dark, 1 = open)

# Omit [wah] entirely to leave it off (the default for the bundled presets),
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[wah]
enabled = false     # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
freq = 0.40         # 0.0 – 1.0  (base peak position, ~300 Hz–1.5 kHz)
sens = 0.55         # 0.0 – 1.0  (auto-sweep amount; 0 = static cocked wah)
q    = 0.50         # 0.0 – 1.0  (resonance / sharpness of the quack)
mix  = 0.90         # 0.0 – 1.0  (dry/wet; a real wah is fully wet)

# Omit [fuzz] entirely to leave it off (the default for the bundled presets),
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[fuzz]
enabled = false     # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
fuzz  = 0.70        # 0.0 – 1.0  (sustain/gain)
tone  = 0.50
level = 0.60

[tube_screamer]
enabled = true      # optional, defaults to true
drive = 0.40        # 0.0 – 1.0
tone  = 0.60
level = 0.70

# Omit [distortion] entirely to leave it off,
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[distortion]
enabled = true
drive = 0.50
tone  = 0.55
level = 0.65

# Boss ML-2 Metal Core — ultra-high-gain distortion with an active two-band EQ.
# Omit [metal_core] entirely to leave it off,
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[metal_core]
enabled = false       # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
dist  = 0.65          # 0.0 – 1.0  (gain into the two cascaded clip stages)
low   = 0.50          # 0.0 – 1.0  (active low shelf @ 120 Hz, ±15 dB; 0.5 = flat)
high  = 0.50          # 0.0 – 1.0  (active high shelf @ 3.2 kHz, ±15 dB; 0.5 = flat)
level = 0.60          # 0.0 – 1.0  (output volume)

# Pre-amp EQ — shapes the signal before the amp's gain stage.
# Omit [preamp_eq] entirely to leave it off, or include it with enabled = false.
[preamp_eq]
enabled = false       # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
low  = 0.50           # 0.0 = −12 dB, 0.5 = flat, 1.0 = +12 dB
mid  = 0.50
high = 0.50

[amp]
model  = "marshall"   # "marshall" (default), "mesa", or "randall"
gain   = 0.65
bass   = 0.50
mid    = 0.45
treble = 0.65
master = 0.55

[cabinet]
model     = "mesa"    # "mesa" (default), "marshall", or "orange"
mic_pos   = 0.5       # 0.0 = edge/dark, 0.5 = neutral, 1.0 = center/bright (default 0.5)
mic_blend = 0.15      # 0.0 = SM57 dynamic, 1.0 = R121 ribbon (default 0.15)
mic_room  = 0.15      # 0.0 = dry close mic, 1.0 = full room mic (default 0.15)

[eq]
enabled = true        # optional, defaults to true
low  = 0.50           # 0.0 = −15 dB, 0.5 = 0 dB, 1.0 = +15 dB
mid  = 0.50
high = 0.50

# Omit [flanger] entirely to leave it off (the default for the bundled presets),
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[flanger]
enabled  = false      # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
rate     = 0.30       # 0.0 – 1.0  (LFO speed, 0.05–5 Hz, exponential)
depth    = 0.55       # 0.0 – 1.0  (sweep width; delay swings ~0.5–5 ms)
feedback = 0.35       # 0.0 – 1.0  (regeneration, capped at 90%)
mix      = 0.50       # 0.0 = dry, 0.5 = deepest flange, 1.0 = fully wet

# Omit [chorus] entirely to leave it off (the default for the bundled presets),
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[chorus]
enabled  = false      # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
rate     = 0.25       # 0.0 – 1.0  (LFO speed, 0.05–5 Hz, exponential)
depth    = 0.50       # 0.0 – 1.0  (sweep width; delay swings ~8–20 ms)
mix      = 0.50       # 0.0 = dry, 0.5 = classic chorus, 1.0 = fully wet

# Omit [phaser] entirely to leave it off (the default for the bundled presets),
# or include it with enabled = false to store values but keep it bypassed.
[phaser]
enabled  = false      # optional, defaults to true when the section is present
rate     = 0.30       # 0.0 – 1.0  (LFO speed, 0.05–5 Hz, exponential)
depth    = 0.70       # 0.0 – 1.0  (sweep width; break freq glides ~200 Hz–1.6 kHz)
feedback = 0.40       # 0.0 – 1.0  (regeneration, capped at 90%; higher = resonant)
mix      = 0.50       # 0.0 = dry, 0.5 = deepest phase, 1.0 = fully wet

[delay]
enabled  = true       # optional, defaults to true
time     = 0.30       # 0.0 = 0 ms, 1.0 = 500 ms
feedback = 0.40       # 0.0 – 1.0 (internally capped at 85%)
mix      = 0.30       # 0.0 = dry, 1.0 = fully wet

[reverb]
enabled = true        # optional, defaults to true
room = 0.55
damp = 0.40
mix  = 0.25