Virtual Studio Technology
For the television term, see Virtual studio.Virtual Studio Technology and its acronym
VST refer to an interface standard for connecting audio synthesizer and effect plugins to audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware with software counterparts.
Thousands of plugins exist, making VST the most widespread audio plugin architecture. The technology can be licensed freely from its creator
Steinberg.
VST plug-ins are software modules that can take the form of real-time instruments or effects. Competing technologies include
LADSPA and
DSSI for
Linux,
Apple Computer's
Audio Units,
Microsoft's
DirectX,
Digidesign's
AudioSuite,
Real Time AudioSuite, and
TDM.
VST instruments
A
VST instrument (or
VSTi) is a type of
VST plug-in that is generally used to synthesize sound or play-back sampled audio. Types of
VST instruments include (among others) virtual
synthesizer devices and
sampler devices.
VST instruments can be played in real-time when used with an appropriate software and hardware configuration.
VST effects
A
VST effect is a type of
VST plug-in that is generally used to process audio. Types of
VST effect include (among others)
reverb processors or
phaser effects.
VST effects can be used in real-time when used with an appropriate software and hardware configuration, such as a
sound card that supports
ASIO, software that bypasses
Windows' sluggish audio engine and so offers much lower
latency times, allowing for effective real time playing. Modern
Macintosh computers typically ship with low-latency audio drivers.
VST plug-in standard
The
VST plug-in standard is the audio plugin standard created by
Steinberg to allow any third party developers to create
VST plug-ins for use within
VST host applications. The
VST plug-in standard is cross platform and allows developers to create
VST plug-ins for
Microsoft Windows or
Macintosh platforms. It is even starting to appear on the Linux platform.
The
VST 2 plug-in standard was released in around 1999 and allowed more functionality to be added to the
VST plug-ins; specifically it allowed them to receive MIDI which paved the way for VST Instruments and MIDI controlled effects.
Kjetil Matheussen's
vstserver first provided a mechanism for loading and using VST plugins via his
k_vst~ object for the
Pure Data synthesis environment and his
ladspavst "plugin to host plugins" for the
LADSPA Linux audio plugin API. Kjetil has added his
vsti to his list of vstserver clients, providing a way to use VSTi plugin instruments under
Linux. See also
Free audio software.
A newer project enables Linux users to use native Windows VST-plugins by using parts of the
WINE emulator, and is named
FreeST (
fst). It is nowadays supported by such programs as
Ardour and
JACK Audio Connection Kit. This requires the Steinberg SDK, which can be found
here.
The competing Linux standard
DSSI can use VSTi instruments by wrapping them into DSSI instruments. This mechanism also uses
WINE.
A
VST host is a software application or hardware device that allows
VST plug-ins to be used in a logical context, interacting with
digital audio and
MIDI elements.
Examples of
VST host applications include commercial ones such as
Steinberg Cubase,
FL Studio,
Orion,
Cakewalk's Sonar,
WaveLab,
Nuendo,
Ableton Live, Acoustica
Mixcraft and
Beatcraft,
TC Spark,
Bias Deck, and
Bias Peak, shareware such as
MiniHost and also open-source ones such as
Rosegarden and
Audacity.
Buzz can host VSTs through plugins, e.g.
Polac VST Loader. Also stand alone hosts which can be used when there is no need for sequencing or wave playbacks, such as VSTHost.
VST plugins can be hosted in incompatible environments through the use of a translation layer, or
shim. For example,
FXpansion offers a VST to RTAS (
Real Time AudioSuite) wrapper to enable VST plugins to be used in the popular
Pro Tools Digital Audio Workstation and a VST to
Audio Units wrapper to enable VST plugins to be used in
Apple Logic Pro Digital Audio Workstation.
Steinberg's VST SDK is a set of C++ classes that can be downloaded from their website. However, there are several ports available. E.g. a Delphi version by
Frederic Vanmol, a JAVA version from the
jVSTwRapper project at sourceforge.net, and a .Net version -
Noise.
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Software synthesizer*
Digital audio workstation*
LADSPA and
DSSI, similar open source standards.
*
Audio Units, a similar standard by
Apple Computer.
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Steinberg - The software company that developed the VST standard
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Native Instruments - pioneer and market leader in the field of software instruments
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VST SDK Downloads*
PlugINdex - Online German language VST central board, updates, upgrades and news
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KVR - Online VST community site with forums, reviews, and announcements of new releases
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jVSTwRapper - The Java VST SDK
*
AudiOracle - Free VST Instruments and Effects
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NOVUZEIT - Innovative VST Synths & FX; links to the best freeware VST around
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Free Audio Plugin Database - Big database of free VST plugins
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PatchArena - Free VST Patches and Banks
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Musicrow - Free VST Plugins
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AudioMastermind - +1500 links to free vst plugins.
