After all, you are not making the sounds yourself you’re using someone else’s work. One of the common questions that can spark a bit of controversy from time to time is whether using presets is equivalent to cheating. The most popular synths not only have a stock library of presets but also enjoy a constant supply of new presets that are being made by talented producers and sound designers. Pretty much any VST synthesizer worth its salt comes with a library of presets.

The initial preset will be either a generic waveform (e.g., saw wave), or a more sophisticated preset sound that is supposed to demonstrate the power and versatility of the synth.

When you open any VST synth inside your DAW for the first time and play a random note, you will encounter two kinds of default settings.

Presets is just an abbreviation for preset settings. When producers talk about their favorite synthesizer, you will often hear the term presets thrown around a lot.