A Comprehensive Guide to Virtual Studio Technology — Audiophile ON

Virtual instruments and effects plugins were introduced in the early 1990s. Still, it wasn’t until Steinberg released Cubase VST in 1996 that the term “Virtual Studio Technology” existed.

Cubase VST was a landmark software that allowed users to run virtual synthesizers and effects within their Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). Before VST, using external hardware synthesizers and effects processors was the norm, which made music production cumbersome and costly.

The release of VST 2.0 in 1999 introduced a standardized plug-in architecture that enabled developers to create compatible VST instruments and effects. This opened the floodgates for many third-party VST plugins, expanding the creative potential for musicians and producers. VST 3.0, introduced in 2008, further improved the technology, enhancing performance, flexibility, and stability.

II. How VST Works

At its core, VST is a software interface that allows virtual instruments and effects to communicate with a host application, usually a DAW.

The host application provides a platform for loading and manipulating VST plugins. When a VST plugin is instantiated in the DAW, it becomes part of the signal flow, just like any other audio or MIDI track.

VST plugins consist of VST instruments (VSTi) and VST effects (VSTfx). VST instruments emulate traditional hardware synthesizers and samplers, generating sounds from scratch or using sample libraries. VST effects, on the other hand, process audio signals to apply various modifications, such as EQ, reverb, compression, and more.

The communication between the host and the VST plugin occurs through a set of standardized parameters and events. The host sends MIDI data, audio signals, and control commands to the plugin, and the plugin processes the data accordingly and sends the output back to the host.

III. Types of VST Plugins