Editing Virtual Studio Technology (section)

== History ==
Steinberg released the VST interface specification and SDK in 1996. They released it at the same time as [[Steinberg Cubase]] 3.02, which included the first VST format plugins: Espacial (a [[Reverberation|reverb]]), Choirus (a [[chorus effect]]), Stereo Echo, and Auto-Panner.<ref>{{citation | publisher = Sound on sound | date = Jul 1996 | type = article | url = http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/jul96/steinbergcubase3.html | title = Steinberg Cubase 3}}.</ref>

Steinberg updated the VST interface specification to version 2.0 in 1999. One addition was the ability for plugins to receive MIDI data. This supported the introduction of ''Virtual Studio Technology Instrument (VSTi)'' format plugins. VST Instruments can act as standalone software synthesizers, samplers, or drum machines.<ref name = "Sound 3.7">{{citation | publisher = Sound on sound | date = Sep 1999 | type = article | url = http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep99/articles/cubase37.htm | title = Cubase 3.7}}</ref>

Neon<ref>{{citation | title = KVR audio | url = http://www.kvraudio.com/get/74.html}}.</ref> was the first available VST Instrument (included with Cubase VST 3.7). It was a 16-voice, 2-oscillator [[virtual analog synthesizer]].<ref name = "Sound 3.7" />

In 2006, the VST interface specification was updated to version 2.4. Changes included the ability to process audio with 64-bit precision.<ref>{{citation | title = Steinberg | url = http://www.steinberg.net/index.php?id=334&L=1}}.</ref> A free-software replacement was developed for [[LMMS]] that would be used later by other free-software projects.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/raw/master/libs/ardour/ardour/vestige/vestige.h |title=vestige.h|website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/audacity/audacity/raw/master/src/effects/VST/aeffectx.h |title=aeffectx.h|website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref>

VST 3.0 came out in 2008.  Changes included:<ref>{{citation | publisher = KVR audio | title = News | url = http://www.kvraudio.com/news/8522.html}}.</ref>
* Audio Inputs for VST Instruments
* Multiple MIDI inputs/outputs
* Optional SKI (Steinberg Kernel Interface) integration

VST 3.5 came out in February 2011. Changes included ''note expression'', which provides extensive articulation information in individual note events in a polyphonic arrangement. According to Steinberg, this supports performance flexibility and a more natural playing feel.
<ref>{{citation | publisher = Steinberg | date = 2011-02-10 | type = News | url = http://www.steinberg.net/en/newsandevents/news/newsdetail/archive/2011/02/10/article/vst-35-a-milestone-in-vst-development-1451.html | title = VST 3.5 a milestone in VST development|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727205237/http://www.steinberg.net/en/newsandevents/news/newsdetail/archive/2011/02/10/article/vst-35-a-milestone-in-vst-development-1451.html|archivedate=27 July 2011}}.</ref>

In October 2011, [[Celemony Software]] and [[PreSonus]] released [[Audio Random Access]] (ARA), an extension for [[audio plug-in]] interfaces, such as VST, allowing greater integration between [[audio plug-in]]s and [[Digital audio workstation|DAW]] software.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kvraudio.com/news/celemony-introduces-ara-audio-random-access---extension-for-plug-in-interfaces-17543|title=Celemony introduces ARA Audio Random Access - Extension for Plug-in Interfaces|website=KVR Audio|language=en|access-date=2018-06-05}}</ref>

In September, 2013, Steinberg discontinued maintenance of the VST 2 SDK. In December, Steinberg stopped distributing the SDK.<ref>{{citation |publisher=Steinberg |date=2013-12-09 |type=News |url=http://www.steinberg.net/en/company/press/archive/2013/sdk_for_vst_2_discontinued.html |title=SDK for VST 2 software interface discontinued}}</ref> The higher versions are continued.

VST 3.6.7 came out in March, 2017. It includes a preview version of VST3 for Linux platform, the VST3 part of the SDK gets a dual license:  "Proprietary Steinberg VST3" or the "Open-source GPLv3".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Version 3.6.7 (2017/03/03) - VST 3 Developer Portal |url=https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/Versions/Version+3.6.7.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930104041/https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/Versions/Version+3.6.7.html |archive-date=2022-09-30 |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=steinbergmedia.github.io}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What are the licensing options - VST 3 Developer Portal |url=https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/VST+3+Licensing/What+are+the+licensing+options.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615171617/https://steinbergmedia.github.io/vst3_dev_portal/pages/VST+3+Licensing/What+are+the+licensing+options.html |archive-date=2022-06-15 |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=steinbergmedia.github.io}}</ref>