Pilot saves and recalls your presets, system settings, and complete device state through several different actions and file formats. This guide covers what each one does, when to reach for it, and how to recover when something goes sideways.
Your VL3/x holds 500 preset slots and a stack of system settings you have tuned over hours. A firmware update can wipe slots. A hardware failure can take the device with it. A single save-over can erase a preset you loved. A full backup takes roughly five to seven minutes and protects all of it.
Files, versioning, and sharing are features Pilot adds on top of the VL3/x. The hardware alone has none of these. If you have used your VL3/x without Pilot for years, everything below is new territory. Nothing here replaces the hardware's internal storage; it complements it.
Six file types show up across Pilot's save and load surfaces. Four are produced by current Pilot builds. Two are legacy: still readable, no longer written.
.vl3xbak instead. No need to re-export old files.Five places in Pilot write files to your computer or commit changes to the device. Each has a specific purpose.
The single most important save action. Writes every preset plus every system setting to one .vl3xbak file. Takes about five to seven minutes because Pilot reads the whole device.
Use before firmware updates, before a gig, or any time you are about to change something you cannot easily undo.
Writes a multi-preset .tch bundle. Save All produces all_presets.tch. Save Selected produces presets_<start>-<end>.tch containing just the slots you picked.
Use for preset packs you intend to share or archive as a group.
Writes one .syx file per selected preset. Each filename starts with the source slot number, so sorting by name also sorts by slot.
Use when you want one preset to stand alone, especially for sharing with another VL3/x user.
Writes every global system parameter to a .syx file named VL3X_global_backup_<dtg>.syx. Presets are not included.
Use when you want to clone just your setup (mic, EQ, levels, routing) onto another VL3/x without touching that device's presets.
Commits the live state of the currently loaded preset to the device's flash memory. This is the hardware-native "save this preset" operation, not a file export.
Use after any edit you want to keep on the device across power cycles. Pilot shows an unsaved-change indicator when this is the action you need.
Three places read files from your computer back onto the device. Each accepts a specific set of file types.
Accepts .vl3xbak, .tch device-shape files, and legacy .json (device backup). Pilot detects the format from the file's internal magic bytes, not the extension.
Before writing, Pilot verifies the file is intact. A corrupted file is refused with a clear error; the device is never partially overwritten.
You can choose to restore only presets, only system settings, or both.
Accepts single-preset .syx files and multi-preset .tch bundles (including preset packs from older Pilot versions). You pick which source preset lands in which destination slot.
This is not the right place for a full device backup. Use Restore Backup for that.
Accepts globals-only .syx files and legacy .json (globals). Applies every parameter in the file to the device's system settings.
Does not touch any preset.
Pilot edits in a live state that sits between the device's flash memory and your computer. Understanding this clears up most confusion about save actions.
The preset you loaded is sacred. You should always be able to return to exactly that state, no matter what you changed. Revert is the one-tap path back; a file on disk is the multi-session path back.
Six patterns cover most save and recall needs. Each maps cleanly onto the actions above.
Util > Transfer > Backup. Save the .vl3xbak somewhere you can find it. Verify the file is on your computer before closing Pilot. Five to seven minutes of insurance.
With the preset loaded, go to Util > Transfer > Export Presets > select its slot > Save Individual. You now have a known-good .syx of exactly that preset to fall back to.
Util > Transfer > Restore Backup > select your pre-update .vl3xbak. Choose to restore both presets and settings.
Save Individual for just that preset. Send the resulting .syx to your bandmate. They use Util > Transfer > Import to place it in any slot on their device.
On the old device: run Backup. On the new device: run Restore Backup with that file. Every preset and every setting moves over.
On the source device: Util > System > Save Global Settings. On the destination device: Util > System > Load Settings with that file. No presets are touched on either device.
I changed a preset and want to go back
Click Revert, or load the preset again from the catalog. Both discard your live edits and re-read the slot from flash. Nothing is lost if you have not pressed Save to Device.
I overwrote a preset by mistake
If you have a .vl3xbak or a single-preset .syx from before the overwrite, you can put it back. Restore Backup can target individual slots; Import lets you pick exactly which slot receives the file.
A backup file will not restore
Pilot checks file integrity before writing anything to the device. A corrupted or truncated file produces a clear error, and the device is untouched. Re-download the file, or restore from a different backup.
I have a .tch from someone else
Use Import, not Restore Backup. Import is designed for preset files that may not match your slot layout; it shows you every preset inside the file and lets you place them.
I have an old .json file from a past Pilot version
If the filename starts with VL3X-Backup-, open it in Restore Backup. If it starts with VL3X-Globals-, open it in Load Settings. The two formats are not interchangeable.
Copy, move, initialize, and factory-restore operations write directly to device flash and have no undo. Run a Backup first so you can return to this state if needed.
| Action | Produces | Filename |
|---|---|---|
| Backup | .vl3xbak |
VL3X_device_backup_<dtg>.vl3xbak |
| Export Presets > Save All | .tch |
all_presets.tch |
| Export Presets > Save Selected | .tch |
presets_<start>-<end>.tch |
| Export Presets > Save Individual | .syx (one per preset) |
<slot>_<name>.syx |
| Save Global Settings | .syx (globals) |
VL3X_global_backup_<dtg>.syx |
| Save to Device | No file; writes to device flash | n/a |
| Action | Current | Legacy |
|---|---|---|
| Restore Backup | .vl3xbak, .tch (device shape) |
.json (VL3X-Backup-*) |
| Import | .syx, .tch (preset bundle) |
Same |
| Load Settings | .syx (globals) |
.json (VL3X-Globals-*) |
Do I need both a .vl3xbak and single-preset .syx files?
Not necessarily. .vl3xbak is comprehensive and covers most recovery cases. Single-preset .syx files are for sharing one preset at a time. Use both when it suits you.
Can I Import a .vl3xbak file?
No. Import is for preset files. A .vl3xbak is a full-device snapshot: use Restore Backup.
What is the difference between Revert and Restore Backup?
Revert discards your live edits and re-reads the loaded preset from the device's own flash. Restore Backup overwrites the device's flash from a file on your computer. Revert is a one-tap way back to the last saved state; Restore Backup is a file-to-device recovery.
Why does a full backup take five to seven minutes?
Pilot has to read every preset slot and every global parameter individually over MIDI. The protocol sets the pace; there is no shortcut.
Will my old .json backups always work?
As long as the file is intact and matches one of the two legacy formats Pilot recognizes, yes. There is no expiration. New backups save as .vl3xbak instead, but your old files are not orphaned.
Can I back up or restore over the same cable I use for audio?
No. The VL3/x USB connection carries MIDI; audio runs over its dedicated inputs and outputs. Backups and restores run entirely over MIDI.