I'm totally new to the world of MIDI/synths/VSTs so this is a really dumb question. I would like to know how one controls a VST. In other words if I want to use a VST in, say, Fruity Loops or Reason, how do I "make it appear" so that I can use it?

Hello Paolo,

VST compatible hosts automatically scan a directory where you unfold them.
The way you actually select them and include them in your project also depends on the host. It is usually quite simple.

I know both Fruity and Orion and I can tell you that for both it's pretty straightforward.

The other aspect in you question is how to control them externally from a hardware midi controller. Not all VSTi are Midi controllable, it depends on the programmers choice. Again using a Midi controllable VST is quite simple. You can even do it through your keyboard. Tobybear has a nice tool for that.

The most obvious advice I can give you is simply to download the demos from the vendors (my advice would by Orion for a start because it is very simple to understand and at the same time very powerful) and in parallel download a few simple but very nice free VSTs. Triangle II, Claw, VB1, etc... and then some more advance pieces like Crystal, Synth1 etc...
You will get to understand the whole thing in no time and there are plenty of people here ready to help you.

Regards

PA

Hi Paolo,

I'm doing this from memory, so it might be a bit wrong:

FruityLoops - VSTis come in the form of dll files. Let's say you've download crystal vsti. You'll have a file called crystal.dll. Move this file into the directory c:/Program Files/FruityLoops/Plugins/VST/ (or similar). Now fire up FruityLoops, choose Insert > Channel (or channel > Insert? can't remember). Click "more" and "refresh" (fast). Crystal should appear in the list - double click to insert it as an instrument (also you can click once in the little box to make crstal appear in the shortlist of favourite instruments in the future). Click the crsytal channel in FruityLoops and you should be all set. [note - on second thoughts, you may prefer to start with something simpler as crystal is somewhat complex]

Reason - Can't run VSTis I'm afraid. However, what you could do is run Reason "inside" another sequencer (e.g. Sonar, Cubase, Orion) and also run VSTis from those hosts at the same time.

FruityLoops is itself a VSTi which can run VSTis inside it, but it's probably best to get your head round the simpler bits first.

Hope that helps,

Steve T

PA: thanks. I'll take it a step at a time!

PA wrote:

Hello Paolo, VST compatible hosts automatically scan a directory where you unfold them. The way you actually select them and include them in your project also depends on the host. It is usually quite simple. I know both Fruity and Orion and I can tell you that for both it's pretty straightforward. The other aspect in you question is how to control them externally from a hardware midi controller. Not all VSTi are Midi controllable, it depends on the programmers choice. Again using a Midi controllable VST is quite simple. You can even do it through your keyboard. Tobybear has a nice tool for that. The most obvious advice I can give you is simply to download the demos from the vendors (my advice would by Orion for a start because it is very simple to understand and at the same time very powerful) and in parallel download a few simple but very nice free VSTs. Triangle II, Claw, VB1, etc... and then some more advance pieces like Crystal, Synth1 etc... You will get to understand the whole thing in no time and there are plenty of people here ready to help you. Regards PA

Steve: thanks. I think I need to play around a bit to avoid being overwhelmed!

Steve T wrote:

Hi Paolo, I'm doing this from memory, so it might be a bit wrong: FruityLoops - VSTis come in the form of dll files. Let's say you've download crystal vsti. You'll have a file called crystal.dll. Move this file into the directory c:/Program Files/FruityLoops/Plugins/VST/ (or similar). Now fire up FruityLoops, choose Insert > Channel (or channel > Insert? can't remember). Click "more" and "refresh" (fast). Crystal should appear in the list - double click to insert it as an instrument (also you can click once in the little box to make crstal appear in the shortlist of favourite instruments in the future). Click the crsytal channel in FruityLoops and you should be all set. [note - on second thoughts, you may prefer to start with something simpler as crystal is somewhat complex] Reason - Can't run VSTis I'm afraid. However, what you could do is run Reason "inside" another sequencer (e.g. Sonar, Cubase, Orion) and also run VSTis from those hosts at the same time. FruityLoops is itself a VSTi which can run VSTis inside it, but it's probably best to get your head round the simpler bits first. Hope that helps, Steve T