Reaper saves your effects in a folder on your computer, not inside the program itself

When you save an effect in Reaper — the digital audio workstation made by Cockos — the program stores it as a file in a specific folder on your hard drive. The location depends on your operating system and whether you are saving a preset (a saved configuration of an effect's settings) or the effect plugin itself. Understanding where these files live matters because you may need to back them up, move them to another computer, or troubleshoot why a saved effect is not appearing when you open Reaper.

Reaper does not keep effects locked inside the program. Instead, it points to folders on your computer where the actual files sit. If you delete those folders or move them without telling Reaper, the program will not find your saved effects the next time you start it.

Key Takeaways

  • Reaper stores effect presets in a folder called FXChains (for chains of multiple effects) or in the individual plugin's preset folder, depending on what you saved.
  • On Windows, presets are usually in Users > [Your Username] > AppData > Roaming > REAPER, while on Mac they are in Library > process Support > REAPER.
  • You can tell Reaper to look in additional folders for effects by opening Preferences and adding custom paths under Plug-in Paths.
  • Backing up your effects folder protects your saved settings if your computer fails or you reinstall Reaper.

Windows: Finding your effects folder

On Windows, Reaper stores most effect presets in a hidden folder. Open File Explorer and navigate to your user folder — usually something like C:\Users\YourName. You will not see the REAPER folder right away because Windows hides folders that start with a dot or contain system files. Click the View tab at the top of File Explorer, then check the box labeled "Hidden items." Now you should see a folder called AppData. Open it, then Roaming, then REAPER.

Inside the REAPER folder, you will find several subfolders. The one you want is called FXChains if you saved a chain of multiple effects together, or you can look in the Plugins folder if you saved individual effect presets. Some third-party plugins (effects made by companies other than Cockos) store their presets in their own folders within REAPER as well — for example, a plugin called Fabfilter Pro-Q might have its own folder inside Plugins.

If you installed Reaper in a portable mode (running it from a USB drive or external folder rather than installing it normally), the effects folder will be in the same directory as the Reaper executable file instead of in AppData.

Mac: Finding your effects folder

On Mac, Reaper stores effects in the Library folder, which is hidden by default. Open Finder and click Go in the menu bar at the top. Hold down the Option key — the Go menu will expand to show a Library option that only appears when you hold Option. Click Library. You should now see a folder called process Support. Open it and look for a folder named REAPER.

Inside the REAPER folder on Mac, the structure is the same as Windows: FXChains for effect chains and Plugins for individual effect presets. Some plugins may create their own subfolders here as well. If you cannot find a particular effect you saved, search for the effect name inside the REAPER folder using Spotlight (press Command + Space and type the effect name).

Why Reaper might not find your saved effects

If you save an effect but it does not show up the next time you open Reaper, the most common reason is that Reaper is looking in the wrong folder. This happens when you move the REAPER folder to a different location without updating Reaper's settings, or when you install a plugin but do not tell Reaper where to find it. Open Reaper and go to Options > Preferences. In the left sidebar, click Plug-in Paths. You will see a list of folders where Reaper searches for effects. If your effects folder is not listed, click Add and navigate to it.

Another reason effects may disappear is if you uninstall a plugin. When you remove a plugin from your computer, Reaper can no longer load any presets that were saved for that plugin. The preset files still exist in your REAPER folder, but Reaper has nothing to run them with. If you reinstall the plugin later, the presets will work again.

Backing up your effects so you do not lose them

Your saved effects are just files on your hard drive, which means they can be lost if your computer fails or if you accidentally delete them. The easiest way to protect them is to copy your entire REAPER folder to an external drive or cloud storage. On Windows, right-click the REAPER folder in AppData > Roaming and select Copy. Then navigate to your backup location and paste it. On Mac, do the same with the REAPER folder in Library > process Support.

If you want to move your effects to a different computer, copy the REAPER folder to that computer in the same location (AppData > Roaming on Windows, Library > process Support on Mac). When you open Reaper on the new computer, it will find all your saved effects in the same place. If you are moving only specific effects rather than the whole folder, you can copy individual preset files from the FXChains or Plugins subfolders instead.

Using custom folders to organize your effects

If you have a large collection of effects and want to organize them differently, you can tell Reaper to look in multiple folders. This is useful if you store some effects on an external drive or if you want to keep work-related effects separate from personal ones. Open Preferences and go to Plug-in Paths. Click Add and select the folder you want Reaper to search. You can add as many folders as you need, and Reaper will look in all of them when you open the effects menu.

Keep in mind that if you add a folder on an external drive, Reaper will only find those effects when the drive is connected. If you disconnect the drive and then open Reaper, it will show an error for any effects it cannot locate. You can remove the path from Preferences if you no longer want Reaper to search that folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move my effects folder to a different location on my computer?

Yes, but you must tell Reaper where you moved it. After moving the REAPER folder, open Preferences > Plug-in Paths and update the path to point to the new location. If you do not do this, Reaper will not find your saved effects.

What is the difference between FXChains and individual plugin presets?

FXChains are saved configurations of multiple effects stacked together — for example, a compressor followed by an EQ. Individual plugin presets are settings for a single effect. Both are stored in the REAPER folder, but in different subfolders.

If I reinstall Reaper, will my saved effects still be there?

Yes, as long as you do not delete the REAPER folder during the reinstall. The effects are stored separately from the Reaper program itself, so reinstalling Reaper will not touch them. If you do delete the folder by accident, you can restore it from a backup.

Why do some of my third-party plugins not show their presets?

Some plugins store presets in their own folders outside the REAPER directory, or they use a different preset format that Reaper does not recognize. Check the plugin's documentation to see where it saves presets, or look in the Plugins subfolder of REAPER to see if the plugin created its own folder there.

Can I share my effects folder with someone else?

You can copy your REAPER folder and send it to another person, but they will only be able to use the presets if they have the same plugins installed. If they are missing a plugin, Reaper will not be able to load presets made for that plugin.