Audio to synth preset: how to turn a sound into a Serum or Vital patch

There is no button inside Serum or Vital that turns an audio file into a preset. To get from a sound you hear to a patch you can play, you have four options: an AI tool that generates a new preset from the audio, Synplant 2's Genopatch, a tool that finds the closest preset you already own, or rebuilding it by ear. They solve different problems, so the right one depends on what you need next.

The short answer

• You want a brand-new patch that imitates the sample: use an AI preset generator (Serum or Vital) or Synplant 2.
• You want the closest sound already in your preset library: search your presets by sound. Presetti does this offline for Serum 2, Vital and other supported synths.
• You want to learn the sound and own every knob: rebuild it by ear, using a found or generated preset as a head start.

The four approaches compared

Facts below are as of October 2026. Check each tool's site for current pricing and synth support.

Approach	What you get	Synths	Runs	Cost
AI preset generator (e.g. MicroMusic, SoundArc)	A new preset file built to imitate your sample	Mostly Vital and Serum	Desktop or web, depending on the tool	Free to subscription
Synplant 2 Genopatch	A new Synplant patch grown from up to 2 seconds of audio	Synplant only	Locally, on your CPU	€149
Sound search (Presetti)	Existing presets from your library, ranked by how close they sound	Supported synths you own	Offline, on your computer	Free during early access
By ear	A patch you built yourself	Any	You	Your time

1. AI preset generators: make a new preset from audio

These tools listen to your sample and adjust synth parameters until the result sounds close, then hand you a preset file to load.

• MicroMusic started as a free Windows tool that outputs Vital presets from audio, built by students at the University of Waterloo (Synthtopia, Bedroom Producers Blog).
• SoundArc by Sound Architect is a web app that returns eight Serum presets per uploaded sample, on a monthly credit subscription (soundarchitect.io).

Good for: getting an editable starting point for a specific sound, even one nothing in your library resembles. Watch out for: results vary with the source. Clean, single-note synth sounds work best. Dense mixes, chords and heavily processed audio are harder. Some tools upload your audio to a server.

2. Synplant 2 Genopatch: grow a patch from a sample

Sonic Charge's Synplant 2 includes Genopatch, which "crafts synth patches from audio recordings" and runs entirely on your computer (Sonic Charge). You select up to two seconds of a sample and watch it refine candidate patches toward the source.

Good for: experimental, organic results, and happy accidents. Watch out for: it creates Synplant patches. It won't give you a Serum or Vital preset, and on Windows it runs only as a plugin inside a DAW.

3. Sound search: find the closest preset you already own

Most producers already own thousands of presets. Often the sound you want, or one very close to it, is already in a pack you bought and never scrolled through. Preset names like "Neon Drift" don't tell you what a patch sounds like, so it stays buried.

Presetti searches your installed presets by sound instead of by name. Drop in a sample, record a sound into your mic, or pick a preset and ask for more like it. It returns the closest-sounding presets across the synths in your library, so a Serum 2 reference can surface a Vital or Diva patch too.

Good for: finding a usable, professionally made patch in seconds, and rediscovering packs you already paid for. Watch out for: it only finds what's in your library. It doesn't generate or edit presets, it works with supported synths only, and it's Windows-only for now (macOS is in development).

4. Rebuild it by ear

The classic route: identify the oscillator type, filter movement and envelope, then rebuild the patch. It's slow, but nothing teaches sound design better. It's also often the final step after the other three: start from the closest generated or found preset, then tweak.

Which should you use?

• Deadline, and a library full of packs: search what you own first. It's the fastest route to a finished, mix-ready sound.
• Nothing in your library comes close: try an AI generator for Serum or Vital.
• You use Synplant, or want something unexpected: Genopatch.
• You want to understand the sound: rebuild it by ear, starting from the closest preset you found.

FAQ

Can Serum 2 turn a sample into a preset by itself?

No. Serum 2 can import audio as a wavetable or play it in its sample oscillator, but it doesn't analyze a sample and rebuild the full patch. For that you need one of the tools above.

Is there a free way to turn audio into a Vital preset?

Yes. MicroMusic was released as a free Windows tool that generates Vital presets from audio. To find the closest Vital preset you already have, Presetti is free during early access.

Does Presetti create presets?

No. Presetti finds the presets you already own that sound closest to your reference. It doesn't generate new patches or change synth settings.