details

 

VSTi Host is a Macintosh application that allows VST plugins to be used outside of larger host applications (like Cubase, Logic, etc.). It also allows for sequencers that may not have native support for VST plugins and/or instruments (like ProTools, Logic 6, Vision, Digital Performer, and Metro for example) to use them, as long as the sequencer supports the OMS-IAC bus (OS 9) or CoreMIDI (OS X).

VSTi Host allows for simultaneous use of a VST instrument (VSTi) and 4 VST effects. In addition, it also allows for either AIFF file playback or real-time audio input through the VST effects, via a separately controllable input bus. The audio output can be streamed out through the Mac's built in audio outputs, DirectConnect (OS 9), ReWire (OS 9 and X), or through any CoreAudio compliant device (OS X), or ASIO-compliant device (OS 9), or even recorded to an AIFF file.

VSTi Host is perfect if you have an extra Mac that you'd like to put to use as a virtual synth and/or effects unit, or if your sequencer of choice doesn't support the VST plugins you'd like to use.

For more details, read the online user manual. Also read the 3.13x OS X addendum to the manual, and the 3.1 OS 9 addendum.

You may also want to see some screenshots of VSTi Host in action!

Version History:

Version 3.13X (released August 24, 2006) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* now a Univeral Binary application, will work on either Intel or PPC architectures.
* Updated addendum document

Version 3.12X (released February 19, 2005) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* Fixed incompatibility with new version of Cycling 74's Pluggo, version 3.5
* Made application more independent of other Cycling 74-based applications installed on same computer, resulting in version incompatibilities. Should now work regardless of what other C74 apps are installed, regardless of their versions
* Fixed incompatibility with Edirol FA-101 Firewire audio interface (and maybe other Firewire interfaces too?)
* Updated addendum document

Version 3.11X (released August 29, 2004) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* fixed bug that converted all MIDI information going to VST instrument into channel 1, instead of original source channel. Allows for multichannel plugins, which can respond to many MIDI channels at one time, to now work properly
* now compatible with Cycling 74's Pluggo v3.2.1 and Mode v1.1.1 plugins (with the exception of the "ShepardTones" Pluggo plugin - Cycling 74 has acknowledged a problem with this plugin that will be addressed in a future update; for now it must be removed from your VST plugins folder to keep VSTi Host from crashing at startup)
* fixed bug that prevented MIDI port names with no spaces in their names from being recalled properly from Preferences
* increased number of entries possible in both plugin and patch name drop down menus from 128 to 500 entries each
* updated addendum document

Version 3.1X (released July 17, 2004) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* added support for ReWire client mode
* added patch name drop down menus for all vst plugins
* MIDI port names now reflect custom port names entered into Audio MIDI Setup application
* scanning of vst plugins on startup is now more robust - if error is encountered with particular plugin, scanning will continue of remaining plugins.
* display of plugin currently being scanned on startup now reliably displayed in startup window
* added status window menu option, to display application startup and status messages (mostly for troubleshooting problems)
* updated addendum document

Version 3.02X (released May 18, 2004) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* vst Mach-O plugins now compatible (plugins that end in ".vst" are Mach-O plugins)
* standard OS X VST plugins folder (YourHardDrive/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ ) is now used, rather than a separate plugins folder
* new MIDI activity light
* initial screen now redraws properly (though still doesn't consistently display all plugins that are scanned upon startup!)
* demo tones now sound every 20 seconds (instead of every 10 seconds), and are of lower volume
* fixed two "none"s appearing in dropdown plugin list if no plugins found
* updated addendum document

Version 3.01X (introduced Mar 25, 2003) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* fixed problem recognizing some MIDI input devices
* fixed problem with Logic and other host apps in which MIDI communication not transmitted to VSTi Host
* improved MIDI timing performance
* made ad and midi folders visible, rather than invisible, within enclosing folder - unstuffing the download package on OS 9 was potentially causing problems with these folders
* updated addendum document

Version 3.11 (introduced Mar 23, 2003) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* fixed timing problem, causing sluggish MIDI response, dropped notes, etc.

Version 3.1 (introduced Mar 20, 2003) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* added DirectConnect and ReWire support
* fixed problems with some VST plugins
* fixed problem recognizing some OMS input devices

Version 3.0X (introduced Mar 6, 2003) - authors Dan Nigrin and Atsunori Namba
* added OS X support

Version 3.0 (introduced Jul 31, 2001) - authors Atsunori Namba and Dan Nigrin
* added real-time audio input
* added AIFF file input
* added ASIO input and output
* added record to disk capability
* added virtual MIDI keyboard
* added CPU meter
* added built in quick help
* added audio panic switch
* added two more VST effects (total now four)
* new graphic interface
* changed plugin folder hierarchy - fixes problem with some plugins
* more flexible effect routing scheme

Version 2.0 (introduced Nov 25, 2000) - author Dan Nigrin
* added two chainable VST effects
* added metering
* added drop down plugin selectors

Version 1.0 (introduced Sep 18, 2000) - author Dan Nigrin
* initial release
* single VST instrument support

VSTi Host was created using Cycling 74's Max and MSP.

 

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