Virtual Studio Technology

1. VST (Virtual Studio Technology)

4. What is a Digital Audio Workstation?
• A digital audio workstation, or DAW, is a virtual studio system that consists of
host computer hardware, audio interface hardware, MIDI software and audio
multitrack software. A home computer with these components can be considered
as a digital audio workstation, but the term is usually used for computer systems
with professional quality audio processing software and hardware.
The Origin of the Term
• The term digital audio workstation first referred to computer-based systems that
used hard drives for data storage instead of using tapes. Back in the 1980's, digital
audio workstations were used to play, record and edit digital audio tracks. These
computer systems were extremely expensive and had a very high learning curve.
That is the reason why early digital audio workstations were only used by
professional musicians and producers. Modern digital audio workstations are now
more accessible to the public.
Types of Digital Audio Workstations
• there are only two general types of digital audio workstations: computer-based
digital audio workstations and integrated digital audio workstations. Computer-
based DAWs are composed of a computer, a sound card and digital audio
processing software. Integrated DAWs use a mixing console, an audio converter, a
control surface and a data storage. All these components are included in one
device. DAWs were commonly used before home computers developed into a
more advanced technology to serve as DAWs.

6. The VST (Virtual Studio Technology) system was
developed by Steinberg to enable a complete
studio to be created in software. it allows third-
party developers to produce real-time effect
modules that could 'plug in' to the host
application DAW. It is possible to send MIDI data
to and from such effects.

7. You need a suitable VST 2.0-compatible host
application. A soundcard and a fairly powerful
CPU, since the sounds are created in real time using
some of the processing power of your computer --
each extra note you play needs more calculations,
and thus consumes additional CPU cycles. As a
rough guide, you should add together the minimum
specifications quoted by both your MIDI + Audio
sequencer and the VST Instrument, since you will
obviously be running them both simultaneously.

8. To install. All you need to do is to drag the DLL file
into your plug-ins folder, and then the next time you
launch your sequencer the new instrument should
appear in your list of available VST Instruments.
Most VST instruments install via a .exe file

9. • To select and connect a VST Instrument?
• depends on the individual host application. In the
case of Ableton you first need to launch the
appropriate panel by selecting the VST Instruments
option in the Audio or Prefrences menu, Once a VST
is loaded it can be treated with EQ and effects in
exactly the same way as would a normal audio track.

10. Most VST Instruments specialise in one type of
sound, the most popular being analogue synth
simulations, but you can already buy simulations
of Hammond tone wheel organs, Mellotrons,
and Wavetable synths -- no doubt many more
will follow.
Most are multi-timbral – They can play more
than one sound at a time

11. The biggest advantage of VSTs is that they are
considerably cheaper than their hardware
equivalents, At a more general level this
freedom allows developers to create user
interfaces with a separate control for every
parameter. Users can configure VSTs fit in with
their DAW workflow.
Hardware Keyboard and Effect
units may not be as versatile to
configure.