Kits and sessions

A kit contains your pads, their saved samples, MIDI assignments, and playback settings. A .hellakit preset stores that kit for reuse in another session or plugin instance.

Save a kit preset

1. Save any sample or edit you want to keep in its pad settings first.
2. Click the save button beside the kit title.
3. For a new kit, enter a Kit title and optional Description, then click Save and choose where to store it.
4. For an existing preset, Save updates it. Use Save New to save a separate copy.

You can also choose Save as new preset… from the kit title menu. An asterisk beside the kit title indicates changes since the kit was saved.

The default preset folder is:

~/Library/Application Support/Hella Pads/Presets/

Presets include the original sample audio and saved trim boundaries. Copying the .hellakit file carries that audio with it; it does not depend on exported WAV files.

Open or start a kit

Click the folder button to choose a saved .hellakit file. Loading it replaces the current kit, so save any current work you want to retain first. If a file cannot be loaded, the current kit stays in place.

Choose New empty kit from the kit title menu to start again with empty pads. To inspect saved sounds without replacing your current kit, use the Samples browser.

Save the DAW project too

Saving a pad updates the running instrument. Saving a kit preset writes a reusable file. Saving your DAW project stores the current instrument state with that session, including saved sample audio and settings.

Reopening that project restores the state last saved by the DAW. Saved audio plays offline, without generating it again.

Unsaved previews are not session backups

A completed generation preview is not included in presets or DAW state until you save it to a pad. Save the pad first, then save your project. Recovery after a crash is limited to the state your DAW had saved.

Pending generations after reopening

A saved DAW state can retain an accepted generation’s request ID. If Resume is available after reopening, reconnect with the same Stability API key to retrieve that result. This does not submit another generation.

Retrieval returns a preview that still needs saving to a pad. Provider results can expire, so a pending request is not a permanent substitute for a saved sample.