VST is a plugin specification originated by Steinberg. People write code for
compressing vocal tracks, applying EQ, pitch shifting, de-noising, and the
like. These are then loaded at runtime by Cubase VST, a digital audio MIDI
sequencer, which can use them to process audio tracks that it records. Other
manufacturers have adopted the specification because it is a plain vanilla C
interface (yay!) unlike the DirectShow plugins also widely used for the same
purpose.

Steinberg has announced a VST 2 specification that will enable plugins to
access the MIDI events coming into the sequencer. This would make it
possible to create a VST plugin version of Csound that would act as a
software synthesizer and/or effects processor in the context of Cubase. But
the VST specification is not yet available. When it does become available I
will take a close look at it and I probably will give AXCsound a VST plugin
interface at that time.

-----Original Message-----
From: jpff@maths.bath.ac.uk 
To: music-dsp@shoko.calarts.edu ;
csound@maths.ex.ac.uk 
Date: Thursday, June 17, 1999 8:01 AM
Subject: Re: Csound and other synthesis systems


>Message written at 16 Jun 1999 22:54:42 +0100
>
>OK, so someone has to display their ignorance.  What is a VST plugin?
>What does it do for me?
>
>==John ffitch