Waldorf Chutney: a free librarian for the Protein synth
Waldorf releases Chutney, a free preset librarian for Protein on macOS and Windows. What it does, what it does not, and the firmware it needs.
Waldorf released Chutney on 15 October 2026, a free librarian for its Protein wavetable synth. A librarian is a preset manager: it sorts, backs up and transfers sounds without touching their settings. Chutney runs as a standalone app on macOS and Windows, according to Waldorf’s official page.
What Chutney does
The app connects to Protein over USB MIDI and detects it automatically. It lets you:
- browse all 360 preset slots on the synth;
- back up your sounds and build a library on your computer’s disk;
- transfer presets in both directions by drag and drop;
- rename, reorganise, delete and restore presets without menu-diving on the hardware.
The screenshot published by Waldorf shows two columns: the library on disk, with a category filter (bass, pad, lead and so on), and the contents of the connected Protein, with the number of free slots. A manual and an FAQ come with the installers.
The prerequisite
Waldorf requires the latest firmware on Protein for Chutney to work. The update is downloaded from your “My Waldorf” account, under the hardware OS updates. Do it before installing the librarian.
What it does not do
Chutney is not an editor: it does not change any sound parameter on screen. Programming stays on Protein’s front panel. Waldorf has not announced an editor so far.
Protein in brief
Protein is an 8-voice polyphonic desktop synth built around the wavetable oscillators of the Microwave 1, Waldorf’s first synth. Wavetable synthesis steps through a series of waveforms, which gives the sound a moving timbre. The 8 voices can be split across 4 layers, stacked or assigned to separate MIDI channels, and the synth inherits the Iridium’s arpeggiator, step sequencer and chord mode. If the difference between voices, polyphony and paraphony is still hazy, our guide polyphonic, paraphonic, monophonic: what voice count means sets it out.
Who is it for?
For Protein owners who collect sounds and want to archive them, or prepare a different preset set for each project or gig. With four layers per preset, it is also a way to keep track of combinations that work before overwriting them.
How much does it cost?
Chutney is free. The macOS and Windows installers are on the librarian page. Protein itself is on sale: View at Thomann
What does it compete with?
Other manufacturers offer an equivalent tool for their synths, often a more complete one:
- Novation Components: patch management for Novation synths, plus parameter editing for some models.
- Korg Sound Librarian: Korg’s free librarians for the minilogue and prologue series.
Chutney closes a gap rather than opening a lead: a simple, free librarian while we wait to see whether an editor follows. More free tools are gathered in our free and open source section, and synths of this kind under polyphonic.
Protein on video
Waldorf’s official Protein trailer:
