diff --git a/tracker/instrument.go b/tracker/instrument.go
index 334ef9c..769fd43 100644
--- a/tracker/instrument.go
+++ b/tracker/instrument.go
@@ -470,18 +470,9 @@ success:
 	for len(m.d.Song.Patch) <= m.d.InstrIndex {
 		m.d.Song.Patch = append(m.d.Song.Patch, defaultInstrument.Copy())
 	}
-	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex] = sointu.Instrument{}
-	numVoices := m.d.Song.Patch.NumVoices()
-	if numVoices >= vm.MAX_VOICES {
-		// this really shouldn't happen, as we have already cleared the
-		// instrument and assuming each instrument has at least 1 voice, it
-		// should have freed up some voices
-		(*Model)(m).Alerts().Add(fmt.Sprintf("The patch has already %d voices", vm.MAX_VOICES), Error)
-		return false
-	}
-	instrument.NumVoices = clamp(instrument.NumVoices, 1, 32-numVoices)
 	(*Model)(m).assignUnitIDs(instrument.Units)
-	instrument.MIDI = m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].MIDI // keep the MIDI config of the current instrument
-	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex] = instrument
+	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].Name = instrument.Name // only copy the relevant fields to preserve the user defined values e.g. NumVoices and MIDI configuration
+	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].Comment = instrument.Comment
+	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].Units = instrument.Units
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/tracker/presets.go b/tracker/presets.go
index 845181c..500f8ef 100644
--- a/tracker/presets.go
+++ b/tracker/presets.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/vsariola/sointu"
-	"github.com/vsariola/sointu/vm"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
 
@@ -165,10 +164,10 @@ func (m *presetResultList) SetSelected(i int) {
 		m.d.Song.Patch = append(m.d.Song.Patch, defaultInstrument.Copy())
 	}
 	newInstr := m.presetData.cache.results[i].instr.Copy()
-	newInstr.NumVoices = clamp(m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].NumVoices, 1, vm.MAX_VOICES)
 	(*Model)(m).assignUnitIDs(newInstr.Units)
-	newInstr.MIDI = m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].MIDI // keep the MIDI config of the current instrument
-	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex] = newInstr
+	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].Name = newInstr.Name // only copy the relevant fields to preserve the  user defined values e.g. NumVoices and MIDI configuration
+	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].Comment = newInstr.Comment
+	m.d.Song.Patch[m.d.InstrIndex].Units = newInstr.Units
 }
 
 // SearchResult returns the search result at the given index in the search