You bought a preset pack, unzipped it, and now you’re staring at a folder full of files with no clue where they go. I’ve answered that exact support email hundreds of times since we started shipping Serum packs in 2022. So here it is once and for all: how to install Serum 2 presets on Mac and Windows, both the one-click way and the manual way.
The good news is that Serum 2 made this much easier than Serum 1. The new .SerumPack format installs an entire pack in a couple of clicks. But plenty of packs still ship as loose .fxp files in folders, so you need both methods.
Five minutes and you’re done. Let’s go.
How to Install Serum 2 Presets: The Two Methods
Serum 2 (the free upgrade Xfer shipped in March 2025) accepts presets two ways.
- .SerumPack import. One file, imported from inside the plugin. No digging through folders. This is what modern packs use.
- Manual folder copy. You drop .fxp files into the Serum 2 presets folder yourself. Works for every pack ever made, including old Serum 1 packs, which are fully compatible.
If your download contains a file ending in .SerumPack, use method one. If it’s folders full of .fxp files, use method two. Some packs give you both, and then the .SerumPack route is the one I’d pick every time.
Method 1: Import a .SerumPack (One Click, Any OS)
This works identically on Mac and Windows, which is why I love it.
- Download the pack and find the
.SerumPackfile. Don’t unzip or rename it. - Open Serum 2 on any track in your DAW.
- Click the Menu tab at the top of the plugin.
- Choose Import Preset Pack.
- Point the file dialog at your .SerumPack file and confirm.
That’s it. The pack shows up in the preset browser under its own name, with all its subfolders intact. No rescanning, no hunting for hidden directories.
Our free pack with 250+ Serum 2 presets is a good first test run: install it this way, and if the basses and leads show up in your browser, you know your setup works. The same process handles bigger libraries too, like our Serum 2 preset bundles, which install in the same two clicks despite being many times the size.
Method 2: Manual Install (Loose .fxp Files)
Older packs, freebies from forums, and single presets a friend sent you usually arrive as .fxp files. For these you copy files into the Serum 2 presets folder by hand.
First, find the folder. Don’t guess. Open Serum 2, click the Menu tab, and hit Show Serum Presets Folder. Serum opens the exact folder it reads from, no matter how your system is set up. I wrote a separate breakdown of the Serum 2 preset folder location if you want the full map of every subfolder.
Manual Install on Windows
- Unzip the pack somewhere easy, like your Desktop. Serum ignores .zip files completely.
- Open File Explorer and go to
C:UsersYourNameDocumentsXferSerum 2 PresetsPresets. If it’s not there, use Show Serum Presets Folder from the Menu tab instead. - Copy the whole pack folder into
Presets. Keep it as one folder. Serum 2 supports subfolders, so a tidy “PackName” folder keeps your browser clean. - Back in Serum 2, open the Menu tab and click Rescan Folders on Disk.
- Open the preset browser. Your pack is now a folder in the list.
Manual Install on Mac
- Unzip the pack. Double-clicking the .zip in Finder does it.
- In Finder, go to
/Users/yourname/Documents/Xfer/Serum 2 Presets/Presets. Can’t see it? Use Menu > Show Serum Presets Folder inside Serum 2 and it opens the right spot for you. - Drag the pack folder into
Presets. - In Serum 2, Menu tab, Rescan Folders on Disk.
- Check the browser. Done.
One thing I see constantly: people copy presets into an old Serum 1 folder that’s still on their drive. Serum 1 and Serum 2 read from different locations. If you upgraded, always confirm the path with Show Serum Presets Folder before copying anything.
Single Presets, Wavetables and Noises
Full packs are only half the story. Here’s how the individual file types behave.
Single .fxp presets. Drag the file straight onto Serum 2’s window and it loads instantly. That’s great for auditioning, but it doesn’t save anything. To keep it, copy the .fxp into any subfolder inside Presets and rescan.
Wavetables. The fastest route: drag any .wav onto one of the three oscillators and Serum 2 converts it to a wavetable on the spot. To make a table permanent, copy the .wav into the wavetable folder that sits next to Presets inside the Serum 2 presets directory. And if you build something you like with FX baked in, use Resample to Oscillator to print the processed sound into a fresh table. Half the growls in our Serum 2 bass presets roundup were made exactly that way.
Noises. Any .wav dropped into the Noises folder becomes available in the noise oscillator after a rescan. Short transient clicks, 200 to 500 ms, work best for adding attack to plucks and keys.
| File type | Where it goes | How you load it |
|---|---|---|
| .SerumPack | Anywhere on disk | Menu tab, Import Preset Pack |
| .fxp preset | Serum 2 Presets/Presets/YourFolder | Preset browser after rescan |
| .wav wavetable | Wavetable folder, or drag onto an osc | Oscillator loads it directly |
| .wav noise | Serum 2 Presets/Noises | Noise oscillator menu after rescan |
| Serum 1 pack | Same Presets folder | Loads as-is, fully compatible |
Presets Not Showing Up? Fix It in Two Minutes
Nine times out of ten this is a rescan problem. Serum 2 indexes its folders and doesn’t watch them live, so files you copied while the plugin was open are invisible until you tell it to look again. Menu tab, Rescan Folders on Disk, and they appear.
If the rescan doesn’t do it, run through these in order:
- Still zipped. A .zip sitting in the Presets folder does nothing. Unzip first, then copy.
- Double-nested folders. Unzipping sometimes creates
PackName/PackName/presets. Serum handles subfolders fine, but check that .fxp files actually exist inside what you copied. - Wrong folder. The Serum 1 directory is a different place. Verify with Show Serum Presets Folder.
- Wrong file type. A .SerumPack file copied into the Presets folder won’t show up. It has to go through Import Preset Pack.
- Stale instance. If you rescanned and still see nothing, delete the Serum 2 instance and load a fresh one. The new instance reads the updated index.
If none of that helps, something’s genuinely broken and Xfer’s official support page is the right next stop. In four years of shipping packs I’ve needed to send maybe five customers there. It’s almost always the rescan.
FAQ: Installing Serum 2 Presets
Do Serum 1 presets work in Serum 2?
Yes. Serum 2 loads Serum 1 .fxp files directly, and the upgrade itself was free for Serum 1 owners. Copy old packs into the Serum 2 Presets folder just like any other manual install, rescan, and they show up. Every Serum 1 pack we sold since 2022 still loads fine.
Where is the Serum 2 presets folder?
By default it’s Documents/Xfer/Serum 2 Presets on both Mac and Windows. But the reliable answer is always Menu tab, Show Serum Presets Folder, because installers and custom setups can move it.
Can I organize presets into my own subfolders?
Yes, and you should. Serum 2’s browser mirrors your folder structure, so I keep mine sorted by pack, then by type: Bass, Leads, Keys, Plucks. Rearrange the folders in your file manager, rescan, and the browser updates. If you’re still learning the synth itself, my Serum 2 for beginners guide covers the browser and the rest of the layout.
Why is my CPU spiking after installing a big pack?
The pack isn’t the problem; individual patches are. Heavy presets often run 16 unison voices or dense granular engines. Drop unison to 3 to 7 voices, set oversampling to 2x, and limit polyphony on pads. The sound barely changes and the CPU meter drops by half on most patches.
Are free preset packs worth installing?
Some are filler, but the good ones are real production tools and a free way to learn sound design by reverse-engineering patches. I put together a guide to the best free Serum 2 presets that separates the usable stuff from the junk.
You’re Set
That’s the whole job: .SerumPack through the Menu tab when you have one, folder copy plus rescan when you don’t. Once you’ve done it twice it takes thirty seconds.
If you want something to practice on, grab our free 250+ Serum 2 presets. No strings attached, royalty-free, covering basses, leads, keys, 808s and more. Install the pack, then tear the patches apart and see how they’re built.
I run Monosounds.studio and make the packs myself. Ten-plus years of producing, 97+ releases, 16,000+ downloads. Every Serum 2 preset we ship passes a CPU check on a mid-range laptop and gets used in a real track before release. If it does not survive a mix, it does not go in the pack.
More about Maxim & the studio →
