Virtual Studio Technology
lastmod 2020-06-27created 2014-02-1814 edits
VST (Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology) is a standard plugin format that connects electronic music editing software and recording systems with synthesizers and effects. As the words Virtual Studio Technology literally mean, it refers to technology for implementing a virtual studio. By implementing bulky, expensive hardware equipment in software, it has contributed greatly to the development of electronic music and home recording. It is currently the most widely used standard among computer music plugins, and its original developer, Steinberg, holds the copyright.
Summary
- VST adopts a GUI that can be operated with a mouse, and can control common MIDI devices such as keyboards.
- VST is provided in the form of plugins, and the device that loads and operates them is called a host. Most VST plugins can be used in real time on multiple operating systems.
VST Plugin
VSTi
VSTi (Virtual Studio Technology Instrument) is a virtual implementation of a real instrument or sampler. It is also used to re-implement old hardware that is no longer available, but most are made to reproduce the timbre of real instruments or to create new sound sources.
VST effects
Used to apply various effects to sound, such as reverb.
VST MIDI effects
Used to receive MIDI signals and apply various effects.
VST Host
Most computer music software used in commercial music today functions as a VST host. Notable examples include Cubase, Sonar, Pro Tools, Logic, and FL Studio.
List of VST host
Numerous VST hosts are available. Not all of them support VST 3 plugins.
- Ableton Live
- ACID Pro
- Acoustica Mixcraft (VST3)
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Premiere Elements
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Ardour (open source)
- Audacity (open source, VST support on Windows, macOS, and Linux[5])
- AudioMulch
- Band-in-a-Box
- Bidule
- Bitwig Studio
- Cakewalk Sonar
- DaVinci Systems
- Deckadance
- Digital Performer (version 8 and later)
- FL Studio
- GoldWave
- Livetronica Studio
- LMMS (open source)
- Logic Pro
- Magix Music Maker
- Maschine
- Max
- Merging Technologies Pyramix
- ModPlug Tracker
- MultitrackStudio
- n-Track Studio
- NOTION
- OpenMPT
- Podium
- PreSonus Studio One
- Reason (version 9.5 and later)
- Psycle (open source)
- REAPER
- Renoise
- Samplitude
- Vegas Pro
- Sound Forge
- Sony Acid Pro
- Cubase
- Steinberg Nuendo
- Steinberg Wavelab
- WavePad Audio Editor Software
- Traktor
- Vinyl Lab
- Vocaloid
- 3D Virtual Studio Mixing Master
- The Grand2
- Hypersonic 2
- Nexus 2
List of Free VSTi
- Synth1 (by Ichiro Toda)
- Synth1, which has been recommended for years by KVR Audio and musicians around the world as an essential virtual instrument, is a VSTi modeled on the Clavia Nord Lead 2 Red.
- Download Synth1
- Synth1 Factory Presets
- Piano One (by Sound Magic)
- A piano-only virtual instrument that reproduces the sound of the Yamaha C7 concert grand piano using hybrid modeling1.
- Download Piano One
- Superwave P8 (by SuperWave)
- P8 is also a powerful Virtual Analogue synthesizer that has stayed in the rankings for who knows how many years. Its features and sound are nothing to scoff at just because it's free, and thanks to updates over a long period, its stability surpasses any paid instrument.
- Download Superwave P8
- Kairatune (by Futucraft)
- A Monophonic Virtual Instrument optimized for dry, tight electric sounds.
- Download Kairatune
- Download Kairatune Presets
- Free Alpha (by LinPlug)
- A free version of Alpha 3, another virtual instrument from LinPlug, which is famous for the software synth Albino. It omits a few features of the paid version and consists only of its signature features.
- Download Free Alpha
- Crystal (by Green Oak)
- Crystal is a semi-modular synth with characteristics of both Subtractive Synthesis and FM.
- Download Crystal
- Demo Sound
- Independence Free (by Yellow Tools)
- A powerful free sampler that includes 2.5GB of basic samples.
- 2012/03/09 - Yellow Tools - Independence Free 2.5 (free VSTi)
- sfz (by Cakewalk)
- A virtual instrument provided free by Cakewalk, known for the DAW Sonar.
- Download sfz (After the page opens, click download sfz free.)
- Rez (by Ugo)
- It looks like a basic synth, but its powerful filter features let you create sounds for various genres. The instrument can be downloaded for free, but presets are sold separately.
- Download Rez
- Demo Sound
- TX16Wx Software Sampler (by CWI Technology)
- A sampler VSTi with powerful features and a convenient interface.
- Download TX16Wx
- Linux MultiMedia Studio (LMMS)
- LMMS is a free cross-platform software which allows you to produce music with your computer.
- LMMS webpage
- LMMS project page
Competing technologies
- Apple's Audio Units
- Avid's Avid Audio eXtension
- Digidesign's Real Time AudioSuite
- Digidesign's TDM
- LADSPA: DSSI (Disposable Soft Synth Interface) for Linux
- LV2: a cross-platform, open-source, free-licensed audio plugin standard
- Microsoft's DirectX plugins
- Mark of the Unicorn's Digital Performer
- JACK Audio Connection Kit: an open-source sound server that allows flexible audio routing between apps
- Propellerhead's Rack Extensions
- Clap: a cross-platform plugin interface released under the MIT license, including a demo host and synthesizer
See also
- Open Source VSTi - JUNO 6
- Digital audio workstation (DAW)
- Software synthesizer
- DirectX Instruments (DXi, a similar standard developed by Microsoft)
- Digital audio workstation
- LADSPA, LV2: similar open-source standards.
- Audio Units: Apple's similar standard.
- Piano roll
- Scorewriter
- Music
Favorite site
References
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Modeling that combines sampling technology, which records and uses an instrument's sound note by note, with physical modeling technology, which mathematically computes and outputs how the sound is produced ↩