# Calf Rack

## Functionality

The Rack is the heart of Calf. Here you can load synthesizers and effect plugins to wire them trough Jack.
To add a plugin click on "Add plugin" in the menu and choose one from the list.
Every plugin added will be represented as a rack gear which provides some basic information like in and out levels and MIDI traffic.
The "Edit" button will raise the GUI of the plugin. Once open the same button closes the plugin window again. If you close the window of a plugin with the window buttons it isn't removed from the rack.
To remove a plugin from the rack simply click on the "Remove" button.
A click on "Connect" opens a window where you can connect the plugin directly to any available Jack port.

## Layout

In the preferences you can choose to float the rack entries horizontally or vertically and break after a defined amount of devices. The example shows a horizontal float with a size of 2.

If you don't want to waste space with the rack ears you may want to disable them in the preferences of the Calf Rack. This counts for the plug-ins, too.

## Presets

If you use the Calf Rack to launch your plugins you can load and create presets inside every effect or synthesizer. To do so click on the "Presets" entry in the menu on top of the plugin. To load a preset choose one from the list. To create a new one or to overwrite an existing preset select "save" from the menu.

## Other hosts

If you use Calf studiogear as plugins in another host like Ardour you don't have to deal with the rack at all. Presets aren't accessible under other host from within the plugins.