SnappySnap User Guide
The ultimate Meta-preset and snapshot manager for VST3 and AU plugins.
🚀 The First Steps
Before you start morphing, you need to set up your library.
1Set Presets
Folder
Click the
Click the
Presets Folderbutton.
Select a folder on your hard
drive where you want to store your SnappySnap presets. This is a global setting. 2Scan Your
Plugins
Click the "Load Plugin" (or +) button. In the file dialog, select your entire VST3or Componentsfolder and click "Open" . SnappySnap will recursively scan the folder and safeguard all compatible plugins into its internal database for quick access.
Click the "Load Plugin" (or +) button. In the file dialog, select your entire VST3or Componentsfolder and click "Open" . SnappySnap will recursively scan the folder and safeguard all compatible plugins into its internal database for quick access.
1. Plugin and Preset Managing
Plugin Controls
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Load Plugin (+) | Opens the Plugin Browseroverlay. Shows categories (Synths/Effects), Favorites, and a Search bar. Effects are marked with a Greenbadge. |
| Show Plugin | Opens the graphical interface (GUI) of the hosted plugin. |
| Bypass | Bypasses the hosted plugin's processing. Useful for A/B checking. |
Preset System
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Load Preset | Opens the Preset Browser. The Left column shows Banks(folders), Right column shows Presets. |
| Save Preset | Saves the Entire Chain: The hosted Plugin itself, its internal state, and all SnappySnap snapshots. |
| Reset All | CAUTION:Completely wipes the current patch. Clears all snapshots, unbinds all macros, and resets learning. Use this to start from scratch. |
💡 The "Meta-Preset" Workflow
Because SnappySnap presets store the application inside them, you can build a Universal Sound Wall.
Instead of browsing 10 different synths for a "Bass", just save your favorite basses from Serum, Diva, and Vital as SnappySnap presets.
Cool Move: You can load a SnappySnap preset (e.g., "MegaReese.snappy") and it will automatically launch Diva and load the patch. You don't even need to remember which plugin made the sound!
Because SnappySnap presets store the application inside them, you can build a Universal Sound Wall.
Instead of browsing 10 different synths for a "Bass", just save your favorite basses from Serum, Diva, and Vital as SnappySnap presets.
Cool Move: You can load a SnappySnap preset (e.g., "MegaReese.snappy") and it will automatically launch Diva and load the patch. You don't even need to remember which plugin made the sound!
2. Fast, Sanity and Drift Modes
These toggles change how SnappySnap interacts with the hosted plugin's state.
| Mode | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Fast Mode |
|
| Sanity Mode |
|
| Drift Mode |
|
Drift Settings
Drift Mode offers extensive control over autonomous movement behavior.
Accessing Drift Settings
Right-click anywhere on the XY Pad to open the Drift Settings overlay. The overlay is draggable - click and drag it anywhere on the interface. Close it with the small × button in the top-right corner.
Right-click anywhere on the XY Pad to open the Drift Settings overlay. The overlay is draggable - click and drag it anywhere on the interface. Close it with the small × button in the top-right corner.
Drift Modes
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Free | The cursor wanders freely across the entire XY pad with no destination. Perfect for ambient textures and unpredictable evolution. |
| Anchored | The cursor wanders but is pulled back toward an anchor point (the position where you enabled Drift). Use Gravity to control the pull strength. Great for subtle variations around a sweet spot. |
| Orbit | The cursor orbits in a circle around the center of the pad. Distance sets the orbit radius. Perfect for rhythmic, cyclical modulation. |
Drift Parameters
| Parameter | Effect |
|---|---|
| Speed | How fast the cursor moves (0 - 10). Uses exponential scaling:
|
| Distance | How far the cursor can travel from its anchor (0 - 100%). In Orbit mode, this sets the orbit radius. |
| Chaos | Complexity of the movement pattern (0 - 100%). Low = smooth, predictable curves. High = erratic, jittery motion. |
| Gravity | (Anchored mode only) Pull strength toward the anchor point. High gravity = stays close to anchor. Low = wanders further away. |
| Smooth | Movement smoothness (0 - 100%). Low = responsive, snappy. High = gradual, flowing transitions. |
Drift Controls
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Drift Toggle | Master on/off for drift. When re-enabled, drift starts from the current cursor position (not the old position). |
| Freeze | Temporarily pauses drift movement. The cursor stops where it is. Unfreeze to resume from the same position. |
| Nudge | Gives the cursor a random push in a random direction. Great for breaking out of repetitive patterns. |
| Reset | Returns the cursor to the current morph position and re-anchors there. Use this to "re-center" after drifting too far. |
Creative Drift Techniques
Ambient Pads: Set Mode to Free, Speed to 1-2, Distance to 50%, and Smooth to 80%. Your pad will slowly evolve through all your snapshots over time.
Controlled Variation: Use Anchored mode with high Gravity (70%+) to stay near your favorite sound while adding subtle movement.
Rhythmic Cycling: Set Mode to Orbit, adjust Speed to match your tempo, and use Distance to control how dramatic the changes are.
Ambient Pads: Set Mode to Free, Speed to 1-2, Distance to 50%, and Smooth to 80%. Your pad will slowly evolve through all your snapshots over time.
Controlled Variation: Use Anchored mode with high Gravity (70%+) to stay near your favorite sound while adding subtle movement.
Rhythmic Cycling: Set Mode to Orbit, adjust Speed to match your tempo, and use Distance to control how dramatic the changes are.
3. Exclusive Randomization & MIDI Triggers
Targeted Randomization
You can choose exactly whichparameters to randomize using "Learn" logic.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Target Mode | Toggles between All(randomizes everything) and Learned(randomizes only touched parameters). |
| Listen Button | When enabled, any parameter you touch on the hosted plugin is added to the "Learned Set" . |
| Clear Learned | Forgets all learned parameters, resetting the list to empty. |
MIDI Snapshot Triggers
Trigger snapshots using your MIDI keyboard.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| MIDI Trig | Enables the MIDI triggering system. |
| Octave | Selects the "Trigger Octave"(e.g., C3).
|
🎹 Live Performance Tip
This feature works brilliantly with Hardware Keyboards. Assign the trigger octave to the lowest octave of your keyboard (e.g., C-2).
You can play chords/melodies with your right hand while using your left hand to "play" the snapshots rhythmically.
🥁 Rhythmic Effects: Try sending a Drum Pattern sequence on the trigger octave. This allows you to "sequence" the plugin state in perfect sync with your drums, creating complex glitches or chord changes that lock to the groove!
This feature works brilliantly with Hardware Keyboards. Assign the trigger octave to the lowest octave of your keyboard (e.g., C-2).
You can play chords/melodies with your right hand while using your left hand to "play" the snapshots rhythmically.
🥁 Rhythmic Effects: Try sending a Drum Pattern sequence on the trigger octave. This allows you to "sequence" the plugin state in perfect sync with your drums, creating complex glitches or chord changes that lock to the groove!
4. Randomization Controls
The heart of generative sound design.
Behavior:SnappySnap uses "Drift"
randomization. Instead of generating purely random static,
it pushes the current values by an amount.
| Control | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Randomize | Applies the randomization algorithm to the target parameters. |
| Amount Slider | (Vertical slider next to button)
|
5. Morphing and Elastic Modes
Morphing blends between your saved snapshots.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Morph Slider | Linear morphing. Travels from Snapshot 1 → 2 → 3... → 12. Ideal for sequenced progression. |
| XY Pad | 2D Vector morphing. Your sound is a blend of all 12 snapshots weighted by your distance to them on the circle. |
| Elastic Mode | Enables physics simulation (mass/spring) for the morph cursor. The cursor "chases" your mouse. |
| Elasticity | Controls the "mass" of the cursor:
|
6. Snapshot System
You have 12 slots arranged in a clock face.
| Action | How to Use |
|---|---|
| Save (+) | Stores the currentstate of the plugin into this slot. |
| Recall (#) | Instantly loads the saved state. |
| Clear (-) | Erases the snapshot data from this slot. |
| Rename | Right-Clickthe snapshot button to rename it. Select "Clear Name" to reset to "Snap X" . |
7. Macro Controls
8 Global knobs (M1 - M8) that can override any parameter. Macros persist while morphing.
Assignments:Macros are
"One-Way" . The Macro drives the plugin knob. Moving the plugin knob
manually does NOT update the Macro.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Learn | Enables Macro Learning. |
| Assigning | 1. Enable Learn. 2. Toucha Macro Knob (M1-M8). 3. Toucha parameter on the hosted plugin. Done ! The name updates automatically. |
| Unbind (x) | Click the small 'x' button below a macro knob to clear its assignment. |
🔒 Automation Safe Mode
When a parameter is assigned to a Macro, SnappySnap excludes it from all Randomization and Morphing.
This ensures you have total control: You can draw automation curves for your Macros in your DAW without the internal engine "fighting" you or overwriting your values!
When a parameter is assigned to a Macro, SnappySnap excludes it from all Randomization and Morphing.
This ensures you have total control: You can draw automation curves for your Macros in your DAW without the internal engine "fighting" you or overwriting your values!
8. Breeding (Genetic Engine)
Create new "Child" presets by combining the DNA of two "Parents" .
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Parent A / B | Select the two source snapshots you want to combine. |
| Crossover | Determines the mix ratio. 0%=Pure Parent A, 100%=Pure Parent B, 50%=Equal mix of parameters. |
| Mutation | Adds randomness to the child. High mutation=extreme variations (errors) in the DNA. |
| BREED ! | Generates the new sound instantly. If you like it, save it to a new Empty Snapshot (+) slot ! |
9. Link-Lead (Multi-Instance Sync)
The Link-Lead feature enables real-time synchronization between multiple SnappySnap instances running in the same DAW project. One instance acts as the Leader, broadcasting its state, while all other linked instances act as Followers, receiving and applying those updates automatically.
Controls
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Link | Toggle in the bottom bar. When enabled, this instance joins the linked group and will receive synchronized updates from the Leader instance. Enabling Link makes the instance ready to follow. |
| Lead | Toggle that appears when Link is ON. Activating Lead makes this instance the controller — all other linked instances will mirror its state. Only one instance can be Leader at a time; setting a new Leader automatically releases the previous one. |
What Gets Synchronized
When Link-Lead is active, the Leader broadcasts the following parameters 60 times per second to all Followers:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| XY Morph Position | The puck position on the XY pad (Morph X and Morph Y) |
| 1D Morph Value | The linear morph slider position (Snappy knob) |
| Drift Settings | All drift parameters: Enabled, Mode (Free/Anchored/Orbit), Speed, Depth, Chaos, Gravity, Smoothness, and Frozen state |
| MIDI Trigger Settings | MIDI snapshot triggering on/off and base octave selection |
| Snapshot Triggers | When the Leader triggers a snapshot (via MIDI or UI), all Followers recall their own snapshot at the same index |
Important: Snapshot data is not shared between instances — only the snapshot index is synchronized.
Each instance maintains its own separate snapshots. This means you can have different sounds on each instance that morph together in perfect sync.
Use Cases
- Multi-Layer Sound Design: Load the same synth in multiple instances with different snapshots. Link them and morph all layers simultaneously from one XY pad.
- Parallel Processing: Create linked effect chains that morph together for cohesive sound design.
- Stereo Effects: Run separate left/right channel processing with perfectly synchronized modulation.
- Live Performance: Control multiple instruments from a single controller by designating one instance as Leader.
- MIDI Sequencing: Program snapshot triggers on the Leader, and all linked instances will change sounds together.
Pro Tip: Drift + Link-Lead
Enable Drift Mode on the Leader instance, and all linked Followers will follow the autonomous movement pattern. This creates evolving, synchronized textures across multiple instruments with zero effort.
Enable Drift Mode on the Leader instance, and all linked Followers will follow the autonomous movement pattern. This creates evolving, synchronized textures across multiple instruments with zero effort.
State Persistence: Link and Lead toggle states are saved with your DAW project.
When you reload the project, each instance remembers whether it was linked and whether it was the Leader.
10. DAW Integration & Exposed Parameters
SnappySnap is designed to be completely controlled by your host. We expose key parameters to the DAW, allowing you to use automation, LFOs, and Sidechain modulators to drive the morphing engine.
Exposed Parameters
| DAW Parameter Name | Function | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
Snappy |
The Main Morph Knob (0.0 - 1.0). Sweeps through all 12 snapshots linearly. |
Automate this for long, evolving builds or rhythmic gating effects. |
Morph X / Morph Y |
Controls the puck position on the XY Pad. | Map to a hardware joystick or chaos LFOs for unpredictable textures. |
Macro 1 - 8 |
Direct control over the 8 global macros. | The primary targets for Envelope Followers and Sidechain routing. |
Save X / Recall X |
Trigger buttons for specific slots. | Programmatic state changes via MIDI clips or step sequencers. |
Drift Enabled |
Master on/off for autonomous drift. | Toggle drift at specific points in your arrangement. |
Drift Speed / Distance / Chaos |
Controls drift movement parameters. | Automate to change drift behavior over time (slow intro → fast climax). |
🔥 Creative Tip: Audio Sidechain Morphing
Want your synth to "duck" or "morph" every time the Kick drum hits? You can use SnappySnap as a destination for your DAW's Envelope Follower.
The "Ghost Kick" Technique
1. In your DAW: Place a Kick Drum on a separate track.
2. Add an Envelope Follower (e.g., Ableton "Envelope", Bitwig "Audio Sidechain") to the Kick track.
3. Map the Envelope Follower to the
4. In SnappySnap: Set Snapshot 1 as your "Dry" sound and Snapshot 6 (approx 50%) as your "Wet/Morphed" sound.
5. Result: Every kick hit pushes the parameter from 0.0 → 0.5, temporarily morphing your sound into a completely different texture on the beat!
1. In your DAW: Place a Kick Drum on a separate track.
2. Add an Envelope Follower (e.g., Ableton "Envelope", Bitwig "Audio Sidechain") to the Kick track.
3. Map the Envelope Follower to the
Snappy parameter of SnappySnap.4. In SnappySnap: Set Snapshot 1 as your "Dry" sound and Snapshot 6 (approx 50%) as your "Wet/Morphed" sound.
5. Result: Every kick hit pushes the parameter from 0.0 → 0.5, temporarily morphing your sound into a completely different texture on the beat!
Use Envelope Followers on Macros
Instead of morphing the whole plugin, map a sidechain signal to Macro 1. Then, assign Macro 1 to just the Filter Cutoff and Drive inside SnappySnap. Now your external audio signal drives a specific, multi-parameter modulation inside the hosted plugin!
Instead of morphing the whole plugin, map a sidechain signal to Macro 1. Then, assign Macro 1 to just the Filter Cutoff and Drive inside SnappySnap. Now your external audio signal drives a specific, multi-parameter modulation inside the hosted plugin!
11. Safety & Performance Guide
SnappySnap pushes the limits of what audio plugins are designed to do. Please keep the following performance tips in mind.
⚠️ CPU Overload Warning
Modern powerhouse synths (like Serum 2, Phase Plant, or Pigments) often have others of thousands of parameters. Morphing ALL of them simultaneously effectively forces the plugin to recalculate its entire DSP engine 60 times a second.
The Fix: Avoid morphing the "entire" plugin if it is CPU-heavy. Instead, use Exclusive Randomization / Lock Mode to select only the parameters you truly want to morph (e.g., Filters, Macros, OSC params) and exclude the rest.
Modern powerhouse synths (like Serum 2, Phase Plant, or Pigments) often have others of thousands of parameters. Morphing ALL of them simultaneously effectively forces the plugin to recalculate its entire DSP engine 60 times a second.
The Fix: Avoid morphing the "entire" plugin if it is CPU-heavy. Instead, use Exclusive Randomization / Lock Mode to select only the parameters you truly want to morph (e.g., Filters, Macros, OSC params) and exclude the rest.
Compatibility Disclaimer
VST3 and AU are complex standards, and not every developer implements them identically. While SnappySnap works with the vast majority of plugins, there is a chance some rare plugins may behave weirdly when morphed aggressively.
If a specific plugin crashes or artifacts during morphing, try enabling Sanity Mode or reducing the Elasticity setting.
VST3 and AU are complex standards, and not every developer implements them identically. While SnappySnap works with the vast majority of plugins, there is a chance some rare plugins may behave weirdly when morphed aggressively.
If a specific plugin crashes or artifacts during morphing, try enabling Sanity Mode or reducing the Elasticity setting.
12. Theme Switcher
SnappySnap features two visual themes to match your preference and studio environment.
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Violet Dreams | The original purple/violet color scheme. Deep space aesthetic with violet accents and purple glow effects. |
| Electric Smudge | A modern teal/cyan color scheme. Cooler tones with electric teal accents and cyan glow effects. |
How to Switch Themes
Use the dropdown menu in the bottom-right corner of the plugin interface. The theme change applies immediately to all UI elements including buttons, overlays, the plugin browser, drift settings, and shader effects. The logo also changes color to match the selected theme.
Use the dropdown menu in the bottom-right corner of the plugin interface. The theme change applies immediately to all UI elements including buttons, overlays, the plugin browser, drift settings, and shader effects. The logo also changes color to match the selected theme.
13. UI Scale Controls
SnappySnap includes built-in UI scaling to adapt to different screen sizes and workflow preferences.
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| S | Small scale - Compact view for smaller screens or when you need more screen real estate. |
| M | Medium scale - Default balanced size suitable for most workflows. |
| L | Large scale - Expanded view for larger displays or when you need better visibility. |
Note: All UI elements scale proportionally, maintaining the same layout and functionality at any size. The scale buttons are located in the bottom bar of the plugin interface.