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How to Install Custom Presets and MIDI in Addictive Drums 2

Addictive Drums 2 interface with custom presets guide.

How to Install Custom Presets and MIDI in Addictive Drums 2 (The Fast Way)

Addictive Drums 2 is easy to use once everything is set up. Getting custom presets and MIDI into the right folders is the part that trips people up.

If you’ve ever downloaded a preset pack or MIDI grooves, dragged them somewhere random, and then wondered why nothing showed up inside AD2, you’re not alone.

This guide shows you the exact folders Addictive Drums 2 uses for presets and external MIDI, and how to get everything working in a couple of minutes.

Why You Need Custom Presets and MIDI (The Hip Hop Problem)

The stock Addictive Drums 2 kits are designed to be clean, balanced, and ready for modern mixes. That’s great for pop and rock. It’s usually not what hip hop producers are after.

If you’re making boom bap drums or lofi hip hop drums, factory kits tend to feel too clean. The kicks are trimmed. The highs are bright. The MIDI grooves are tight and quantized.

Hip hop needs two things:

  • Custom presets that preserve low end and add texture
  • Custom MIDI that introduces swing, velocity movement, and human timing

Installing custom files isn’t about collecting more sounds. It’s about making Addictive Drums 2 work for your genre instead of fighting it.

How to Install Addictive Drums 2 Presets

Addictive Drums 2 interface with customizable drum kit.

Addictive Drums 2 uses a dedicated User Presets folder for custom kits. The easiest way to find it is from inside the plugin itself.

  1. Open Addictive Drums 2 inside your DAW.
  2. Click the Menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right.
  3. Select “Open User folder…”. Your system file explorer will open.
  4. Drag your preset folder (for example: Basement Tapes Vol 1) directly into this location.
  5. Go back and reload the plugin.

Once refreshed, your custom presets will appear alongside the factory kits inside Addictive Drums 2.

How to Install External MIDI Files in Addictive Drums 2

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This is where most people get stuck. MIDI files do not go in the same folder as presets.

Addictive Drums 2 has a separate folder specifically for external MIDI grooves.

  1. Open the Menu button again.
  2. Select “Open External MIDI folder…”.
  3. Drag your MIDI folder (for example: Basement Tapes MIDI Vol 1) into this directory.
  4. Return to the menu and click “Refresh MIDI Library”.

To confirm everything worked, go to the Beats tab in AD2 and look under User MIDI or External MIDI.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Files not showing up? Make sure you refreshed the library or fully closed and reopened the plugin instance.

Wrong folder? Presets and MIDI live in different locations. Presets will never appear if placed in the MIDI folder, and vice versa.

Messy structure? Keep folders clean and readable. A simple structure like User Folder > Basement Tapes > Preset Name works best.

Turn Addictive Drums 2 Into a Hip Hop Drum Engine

Once custom presets and MIDI are installed, Addictive Drums 2 stops feeling like a generic drum plugin and starts behaving like a genre-specific tool.

If you want kits that already preserve low end, control the highs, and add texture, explore our Basement Tapes presets built specifically for hip hop.

And if you want both the sound and the groove handled for you, the Complete Bundle pairs custom presets with humanized MIDI patterns designed for the boom bap pocket.