What CPU/RAM do you have?
Can you check your task manager to see how much CPU it's using?

Try this program: LatencyMon 7.31
The LatencyMon software analyzes and identifies which device, which driver or which service is causing audio dropouts or malfunctions. Real-time audio suitability checker for Windows 10/8.1/8/7/2016/2012/2008 (x86 and x64)
Scroll Down to: System Monitoring Tools www.resplendence.com/downloads

 

Hey, im on the middle of resetting my whole machine and changing to Win 11, so I cant test with LatencyMon right now.
But I can tell you about my specs:

Ryzen 7 5800 x 3d
32GB DDR4-3200

Greetings and have a good one.

 

Hi @colorado1337, just test Serum again on your new system and then post some information, maybe even pictures of the problem, Task Manager, and LatencyMon if the error occurs again.

 

@colorado1337 Hi, did you reinstall Windows and Serum?

 

Yes Im running a new and clean Win11 system now with legit Live Suite 12. On a 5800x3d with 32gb DDR4.

First I have installed the new .21 VR. I dont mind the Preset issues but if you drag&drop a sample into the Sample OSC it will tell you that you're running the demo version and drag&drop is only available in the full version.

Then I went back to .20 VR which is , for now, running with no issues for like 4 days or so.

Greetings

Edit, this is Colorado. I just realized apparently I have two accounts here which I forgot about as I'm not really active. i didnt notice I'm on a different account before I replied

 

My version 20 is dead too. I expected it.. If it goes back to its previous price, i'll buy it! Even though buying a plugin so full of stupid protections disgusts me.

 

The best Xfer Serum alternatives

• Vital Synth (Serum Freeware Alternative)
• Korg modwave native
• KiloHearts PhasePlant
• u-he Hive 2
• Arturia Pigments
• UAD OPAL Morphing Synth

 

For what its worth i ended up buying it and use it on like every track, it and ostirus. It really helps that I've gotten like every preset off the sister site for both... it makes it feel like its offset the initial cost of serum 2

 

Decided by whom? By a list on the first page of Google or by a generic, soulless AI?

 

i just looked, i have like 80 paid preset packs ive downloaded from sister site. i figure if each was 5 bucks, thats like 400 bucks right there. worth the cost of buying serum for lifetime updates/upgrades. although i agree with you about it being lame there is so much protection (although not ilok at least) i think that is counter balanced by the fact the dev offered everyone who got serum 1 a free upgrade to 2 iirc. that was cool of them. i got it on sale, it was still a very expensive purchase for me but i dont regret it... unlike some others ive made haha.

you DO have the Usual Suspect OsTIrus though, right? cause that/those series (the waldorf and nord emulations too) of synths are amazing and all free. and the sister site has a shit load of presets for it and you can dm me if you want for even more/need help setting it up. its a virus TI if you aren't in on the loop. it is awesome, and between it and the virus a/b/c presets i have 1000's of sounds to make music with. totally worth getting!

 

The free version is definitely not a Serum 2 alternative!

 

If it didn't have them, you wouldn't buy it anyway. Otherwise, you would have gotten v2 for free because you'd have already bought Serum v1.
"i'm still testing and deciding" only goes so far. It's a ten year old plugin, what is there left for anyone to test?

 

But when did I ever say these things? I've been using serum for ten years? I'll test it and then decide? But what do you know about a stranger on the internet..
Leaving aside your assumptions and moral judgments about strangers, these "fun" protections probably make serum an even heavier plugin, not even caring who buys it.

 

Last edited: Aug 27, 2025

Your comment is nothing but a circular "reason" to not pay for something. Plain and simple. It's not that I even care who pays for what and who doesn't, but your comment is ridiculous. This isn't KVR where you have to BS anyone with excuses.

Users do not pay for something-> Developer adds more protection-> users claim protection is the reason to not pay for it. How convenient.

What are you worried about something having "too much protection" for? Is your current computer part of the newest generation of machines, or is it of the older generation? If older, Serum 2 is going to be a CPU pain anyway but will run great on your next computer. V1 was exactly the same way. The plugin has been around for 10 years, and Xfer Records as a developer is not just going to fold up shop anytime soon and skate off with everyones money. Even if they did, would you be the one to have to crack it so that you can use it without it being "so full of stupid protections" ? Yeah right.

 

You were whining that you didn't have the money to buy the serum, so I posted alternatives!!!
No, it's not a Google or AI result.

 

Ok.

 

Ok.

 

Hi, is there a way to change Serum 2 Preset folder location without having to use symlinks? When I delete default preset folder and open Serum 2, it does NOT ask me for a new preset folder location (the way Serum 1 does). Instead, the whole GUI turns black and the plugin is dead. I've also tried changing the preset folder location in serum2conf.json file, but it does nothing - it ignores it. I'd like to load presets from my external SSD. I'm on v2.0.21-X from sister site. Have not tried other versions yet, because this one got the best reviews.

EDIT: solved, the problem was v2.0.21-X.
Switched back to v2.0.16 and it prompts me for a new preset folder location as it should.

 

Last edited: Sep 21, 2025

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

Loading Serum Presets from an External SSD
Xfer Serum (and Serum 2) stores its presets in a specific folder structure, and you can easily relocate this to an external SSD to save space on your internal drive. The process varies slightly by operating system (Windows or macOS), but Serum is designed to detect and prompt for the new location if you move the folder. Below, I'll outline the steps for both platforms. This assumes you have Serum installed and your SSD mounted/connected.

Step 1: Locate the Default Presets Folder

• Windows: C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Xfer\Serum Presets
• macOS: /Library/Audio/Presets/Xfer Records/Serum Presets (Note: The Library folder is hidden by default; use Finder's "Go > Go to Folder" or press Command+Shift+G to access it.)

You can also open this directly in Serum: Click the menu button (top-right corner) > "Show Serum Presets Folder."

Step 2: Move the Folder to Your External SSD

1. Close Serum and your DAW (e.g., Ableton, FL Studio) to avoid file locks.
2. Copy (don't cut initially) the entire Serum Presets folder from its default location to a spot on your external SSD (e.g., E:\Music\Serum Presets on Windows or /Volumes/YourSSD/Serum Presets on macOS). This preserves the subfolders like Presets, Wavetables, etc.
3. Once copied successfully, delete the original folder from the default location.
4. Important: If your presets include wavetables (the .wav files in the Wavetables subfolder), move those too—they can be large and are best kept with the presets.

Step 3: Point Serum to the New Location

1. Restart your DAW and load Serum as a plugin.
2. On the first launch after the move, Serum will display a dialog: "Serum Presets folder not found. Please select the folder named 'Serum Presets'."
3. Navigate to your external SSD and select the Serum Presets folder you moved.
4. Serum will remember this path for future sessions. If it doesn't stick (rare, but can happen), repeat the move and selection.

Alternative Method: Create a Symbolic Link (Advanced, Windows-Only)
If you prefer not to move the folder (e.g., to keep the default path intact), create a symbolic link pointing to your SSD. This tricks Serum into loading from the external drive without changing its expected path.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Delete the original Serum Presets folder (restart your PC if it's in use).
3. Run this command (replace paths as needed):
   text
   
   mklink /d "C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Xfer\Serum Presets" "E:\Your SSD Path\Serum Presets"
   
   
   
4. Launch Serum—it should now load from the SSD transparently.

On macOS, you can create an alias (symlink) via Finder: Right-click the SSD folder > "Make Alias," then move the alias to the default location. However, the direct move method is more reliable.

Tips and Troubleshooting

• Adding Third-Party Presets: After relocating, unzip new preset packs (.zip/.rar) and drag the contents (e.g., .fxp files) into the Presets\User subfolder on your SSD. Then, in Serum, go to Menu > "Refresh" or rescan presets.
• Splice Presets: If using Splice, they auto-download to the Presets\Splice subfolder. If you've moved the main folder, Splice may download to its default temp location instead—manually move them to your SSD afterward.
• Performance: Ensure your SSD is connected via USB 3.0+ for fast loading. If Serum crashes or shows a white interface, reconnect the drive and relaunch.
• Backup: Always back up your presets folder before moving—copy it to cloud storage or another drive.
• Serum 2 Specifics: The process is identical, but factory presets (1.4GB+) are larger, making the SSD move even more beneficial.

If you run into issues (e.g., permission errors on macOS), check Xfer's forums or support for OS-specific tweaks. Let me know your OS or DAW for more tailored advice!