VSTs

VSTs, short for Virtual Studio Technology, are a plugin standard for digital audio workstations that enables third‑party software to generate sound or process audio within a host program. They are used to add virtual instruments, effects, and utility processors to music productions.

There are two broad categories: VST instruments (VSTi) that produce audio through synthesis or sampling, and VST effects (VSTfx) that alter audio with processors such as reverb, delay, compressor, equalization, distortion, or modulation. Some plugins offer both capabilities.

History and status: VST was introduced by Steinberg in 1996 as a platform for audio plugins. The VST2 specification, released in the late 1990s, became widely supported by many hosts. A newer version, VST3, arrived in the late 2000s and added features such as improved CPU efficiency, multi-channel I/O, side-chaining, and more robust parameter handling. In practice, most modern hosts support VST3, while many also retain compatibility with VST2 for legacy plugins. Steinberg stopped distributing the official VST2 SDK, encouraging developers to migrate to VST3.

Technical and ecosystem notes: VST plugins are platform-specific, typically packaged as dynamic libraries on Windows (.dll) or macOS bundles (.vst3, .component). They run inside host DAWs on Windows and macOS, with some Linux hosts supporting VST and bridging. Development commonly uses SDKs such as Steinberg's VST, or cross-platform frameworks like JUCE or iPlug2. The VST ecosystem includes countless commercial and open‑source plugins, both instruments and effects, and is one of several plugin formats used by modern DAWs alongside Audio Units and AAX.