An Introduction To VSTi Software Synthesizers

-Guest post by Petri suhonen

A Software synthesizer is basically a computer program coded to produce or generate digital audio. Most of these synths are available as VST plug-ins and they're called VST instruments or VSTi. 

VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology developed by Steinberg and it's an interface for integrating software synthesizers - and  also effects such as reverb and chorus - to digital audio workstations (DAW) like FL Studio, Cubase, Sonar, and Ableton Live. Many  of these softsynths can come in stand-alone versions, meaning you don't actually need a DAW to be able to play them.

Although VST is not the only technology of connecting software synthesizer to sequencers and audio editors (there is also Dxi which is Microsoft DirectX technology and AU (Audio Units) developed by Apple Computers which is used on Mac OS X computers),  VST is most widely spread.

how vsti work

Now to fully understand how software synthesizers work you need to have some knowledge of sound engineering so we won't go into details now. 

Basically, a software synthesizer is a program that uses wave shapes to produce unique sounds. They can be audio wave shapes (samples) or digital (computer generated) wave shapes. 

Digital wave shapes are called OSC, short for oscillators, while the audio wave shapes are called samples. With the program you can combine and modify the wave shapes, and many software synthesizers also possess effects like delay, reverb and other effects that you can use together to create really unique sounds. Same as you would do with a hardware synthesizer.

vsti is a cheaper alternative

If you have ever been to a big professional music studio you've certainly noticed that there are many audio hardware devices used by the professional engineers in the studio. There are also a lot of synthesizers which are used to generate sounds. 

So building a studio like this is extremely expensive and difficult, but thanks to software synths there's an alternative now. These programs can  also emulate electronic components and circuits found in the audio hardware meaning that instead of buying the expensive hardware, you can buy the appropriate software which will produce the same sound for a much lower price.  

A lot of famous synthesizers are now available as software synthesizers. For instance: Korg M1, Yamaha DX-7, Roland Jupiter 8, Prophet V, Minimoog and countless others. And there are tons of softsynths that are able to produce completely unique sounds that you can't find in the hardware world.

Today on the market there are thousands of VSTi's from many different manufacturers like Native Instruments, Cakewalk, Steinberg, Arturia, Rob Papen, Image-Line, ReFX, IK Multimedia and literally  hundreds  of more. The interesting thing is that you can also find many VSTis created by independent individuals which are free although many of them aren't as good as commercial ones.  But I must say there ARE some real gems amongst the freebies as well.

Conclusion

So, if you're planning to start  making music at home, all you need is (obviously) a computer, a VST compatible DAW and a software synthesizer.

For more information on how to start making music - especially electronic - check out  my tutorial on how to make electronic music with a computer. 

No VSTi synthesizers in your arsenal? Check back to the VST page

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