Re: VST?

[Doug Tapia <dtapia@unoco.edu>]

OK, I'll jump in here.  What Gareth has said about _Cuebase VST_ is true. 
 To anwser your question more completly, VST stands for Virtual Studio 
Technology and is a cross platform plug-in arcetecture like _Direct-X_ on 
windows machines, _Audio Suite_ on Mac and Windows, and _TDM_ on 
Digidesign ProTools compatable hardware running on either Mac or Windows 
NT.

VST plug-ins run in real time and usually function as inserts within the 
virtual mixing console of a compatable host program.  Unlike TDM plugins, 
VST plug-ins do not use a DSP farmcard for their audio processing power, 
but rather use the horsepower of fast Pentium or Power PC processor.  
This makes getting started easier, but will impose processor dependant 
limits on how many effects you can use at once.  

I've found that the use of multiple VST plug-ins can also cause about a 1 
sec. delay between the input of a signal and it being echoed out the 
monitor output in MOTU's 2408--which is why I consider this system to be 
unusable for any serious recording, as most users will have to disable 
all plug-in processing when in record mode, or monitor the source 
pre-2408 and try to line up by ear with the tracks that are playing back 
-- thus necessitating 2 pair of nearfields. (I'll go into further details 
on the evils of MOTU at another time if anyone cares to hear.)

Anyway, the VST compatable programs that I'm aware of are:  Steinberg 
_Cubase VST_ (or course), Opcode _Vision DSP_, MOTU _Performer_, and 
Emagic _Logic Platinum, Gold, and Silver_.  (Logic Platinum, Studio 
Vision Pro, and I believe, Digital Performer all can support TDM hardware 
as well, and hence run the more powerfull TDM plug-ins)

There is excellent info at all of the above companies web sites, and for 
my money, Logic's look and feel the coolest.

Plug-ins are a great way to work and are usually much easier to use than 
their rack mount equivelants, as you can see big frequency graphs, etc. 
There are also some shareware and freeware plug-ins floating on the web.

Check it out:  It'll change your life...

Loop on,

Doug


>Cubase VST is a combined hard disc recorder and MIDI sequencer. Not
>really a looping tool. AudioMulch  can be used as a looper.
>Yes Cubase VST is available for Mac.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Gareth
> 
>> OK, I'm going to bare my ignorance and ask:
>> 
>> What is VST, and is it available for the Mac OS?
>>
>