What is VST?
VST in music stands for Virtual Studio Technology, a technology developed by Steinberg Media Technologies in 1996. It is a software interface that integrates software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware in software.
History of VST
The history of VST is closely tied to the evolution of digital music production. In the early 1990s, music production was primarily done using hardware synthesizers, samplers, and effects processors. These devices were often large, expensive, and required a significant amount of technical knowledge to operate. Steinberg, a German software company, saw the potential for software to replace these hardware devices and began developing the VST interface.
The first version of VST was released in 1996 as part of Steinberg's Cubase 3.02 software. This version included the ability to host software synthesizers and effects, a revolutionary concept at the time. The introduction of VST marked the beginning of a new era in music production, where software began to replace hardware as the primary tool for creating and manipulating sound.
Evolution of VST
Since its inception, VST has undergone numerous updates and improvements. Steinberg released VST 2.0 in 1999, which introduced the ability to control VST plugins using MIDI, a significant advancement that allowed for greater integration with other music production tools. In 2008, Steinberg released VST 3.0, which included several new features such as improved performance, better automation, and support for surround sound.
Today, VST is supported by virtually all major digital audio workstations (DAWs), including Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and FL Studio. It has become the industry standard for software synthesizers and effects, with thousands of VST plugins available from various developers around the world.
Types of VST plugins
VST plugins can be broadly classified into two categories: VST instruments (VSTi) and VST effects. There are thousands of VST plugins available, each with its own unique sound and functionality. Some emulate classic hardware synthesizers, allowing producers to recreate the sounds of iconic instruments like the Roland TB-303 or the Moog Minimoog. Others offer entirely new sounds and capabilities, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in music production.
VST instruments
VST instruments, or VSTi, are plugins that generate sound. They can be used to play virtual instruments like pianos, drums, or strings, or to create entirely new and unique sounds. VST instruments are played using a MIDI controller or a computer keyboard, and they can be automated and manipulated in a DAW just like any other audio track.
There are countless VST instruments available, ranging from simple samplers to complex modular synthesizers. Some popular VST instruments include Native Instruments' Massive, Spectrasonics' Omnisphere, and Steinberg's own HALion.
VST effects
VST effects are plugins that process audio. They can be used to add effects to audio tracks, such as reverb, delay, distortion, EQ, and compression. VST effects are applied to audio tracks in a DAW, and they can be automated and manipulated just like VST instruments.
There are countless VST effects available, each with its own unique sound and functionality. Some popular VST effects include iZotope's Ozone, FabFilter's Pro-Q, and ValhallaDSP's VintageVerb.
How VST works
VST plugins work by processing digital audio signals in real time. When a VST instrument is played, it generates a digital audio signal that is sent to the DAW. This signal can then be processed by VST effects, which modify the signal in various ways to create the desired sound.
The audio signal generated by a VST plugin is represented as a series of numbers, each of which corresponds to a sample of the audio signal. The rate at which these samples are generated is determined by the sample rate of the DAW, which is typically set to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz for music production. This means that a VST plugin must generate 44,100 or 48,000 samples per second for each audio channel it outputs.
Impact of VST on music production
The introduction of VST has had a profound impact on music production. It has democratized the production process, making it possible for anyone with a computer to create high-quality music. It has also expanded the sonic possibilities of music, allowing producers to create sounds that were previously unimaginable.
Before the advent of VST, music production was a costly endeavor. Producers needed to invest in expensive hardware synthesizers, samplers, and effects processors. With VST, these tools can be emulated in software, making them accessible to anyone with a computer. This has led to a surge in home-based music production and has opened up the world of music production to a much wider audience.
