# Plugins and products

> Choose an instrument, effect or sound collection, find its guide on its own page and solve problems common to every product.

Canonical: https://maruaudio.com/help/plugins-overview
Documentation index: https://maruaudio.com/help/llms.txt

Each product's own page explains its controls and first setup under **How to use**, next to the player. This guide covers what every product has in common: choosing a tool, getting sound in and out, saving your settings and moving to a DAW.

## Find a product's guide

Open the product from the [plugin catalog](https://maruaudio.com/plugins), or from [Library downloads](https://maruaudio.com/library/downloads) for something you acquired, and scroll to **How to use**. Products from the community carry their creator's own description instead. For an installer or host package, use the product page or the [Apps directory](https://maruaudio.com/apps); some native formats are still in early access.

[Maru Sampler](https://maruaudio.com/help/maru-sampler.md) has its own Help article, because it plays every sampler bank made in Studio.

## Choose a tool

Browse the [plugin catalog](https://maruaudio.com/plugins) and read the product's purpose, input requirements and available destinations. Use its presets or examples as a starting point, then change one control at a time.

An instrument usually responds to notes; an audio effect processes sound from another source. A MIDI collection supplies musical events for an instrument to play.

An effect may appear silent without input. An instrument may need notes from the available keyboard or MIDI controls. [Playback troubleshooting](https://maruaudio.com/help/playback-and-midi.md) helps you check the signal path.

## Browser playback and installed plugins

A browser preview is a way to try the tool where it is offered. Using it in a DAW requires a compatible download for that product, your operating system and your host.

Use the release's actual download options to choose a format. [DAW integration](https://maruaudio.com/help/daw-integration.md) explains what to verify before installation.

## Presets and your own work

A preset recalls settings for a particular tool. A sampler bank also needs its recordings and mappings. Keep those dependencies with the work when moving between environments.

If you want to change the tool itself, start with [Studio](https://maruaudio.com/help/studio-quick-start.md). To distribute a result, read [publishing plugins](https://maruaudio.com/help/publishing-plugins.md).

[Presets, remixes and sharing](https://maruaudio.com/help/presets-and-sharing.md) helps you choose between saving a sound and adapting a project. [Racks and patches](https://maruaudio.com/help/racks-and-patches.md) explains combining modules.

## Connected and licensed products

Some products ask you to sign in for account features or to activate a licensed release. [Licenses and product access](https://maruaudio.com/help/licenses-and-product-access.md) explains the difference.

A generative instrument may also ask permission to use hosted services. Review [generation and credits](https://maruaudio.com/help/generation-and-credits.md) before approving spending.

## Create your own

[Build an instrument or effect](https://maruaudio.com/help/building-instruments-and-effects.md) follows the path from a musical idea to a product. The [generative beatbox example](https://maruaudio.com/help/generative-beatbox.md) adds account access and optional generation to that journey.