So, you’ve got yourself a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), some premium headphones and a laptop – in short, everything you need to start producing or recording your own beats. But is that all you need?
Well, not quite. The thing is you can’t actually do anything practical with your DAW without utilizing plug-in software. When looking up plug-in software, one of the first terms you’ll come across will be VST. Not sure what VST is? Not to worry!
VST is short for Virtual Studio Technology, and over the course of this blog, we’ll tell you all there’s to know about VST Plug-Ins and why you need them.
When it comes to VST plug-Ins, there are 3 different types. They include:
- VST Instruments: The primary purpose of VST instruments is to generate audio. They are either virtual samplers or synthesizers. These days you can easily find VST instruments that can perfectly emulate the appearance and sound of popular hardware synthesizers.
- VST Effects:While VST instruments generate the audio, it’s the VST Effects that actually process it. They function similarly to physical audio-processing devices such as phasers and reverbs.
- VST Midi Effects: The main function of MIDI plug-Ins is the processing of MIDI messages and relay MIDI data to other VST hardware and instruments.
VST Plug-Ins
VST plug-ins are used in DAW programs and music composition software such as Music Jotter. They’re primarily used as emulators of hardware outboard gear like expanders, maximizers, compressors and equalizers. You’ll find that some VST plug-ins are specifically designed to emulate certain hardware models.
In other words, VST plug-ins are what you need if you want your home studio to sound like a commercial one, at an extremely affordable price.
Quality
There’s thousands of VST plug-ins available on the market. Some are produced by big companies and sound amazing, while others are not of such a good quality. The good quality ones are obviously going to be more expensive.
The primary aim of VST plug-in developers is to imitate the sound of the original instrument as accurately as possible. However, in most cases the original instrument will have an edge over plug-ins in terms of sound quality. But on the positive side, VST plug-in technology is evolving fast and their sound is bound to get better over time.
Music Jotter is online music composition software that’s loved by amateur and professional composers alike. Our software includes a fully functional mixer that has all the features you need to create the perfect mix. Furthermore, it’s also one of the only music composition programs on the market that offers VST support. Download our demo version for absolutely free!
