VSTHost is a demonstrational Windows program written in order to comprehend the inner workings of VST plugins. VSTHost is capable of:

• loading VST effects (aka "plugins")
• parameterizing / editing them
• sound output for VSTis
• MIDI-input and -output
• loading / saving .fxb files

The important part of the program is an implementation of a VST host in form of 2 classes:

CVSTHost

This implements the audio callback needed by an effect plugin as a neatly encapsulated VST host class. This is practically platform-independent code. The few platform-specific things are encapsulated in...

Ceffect

This encapsulates a VST effect, as loaded by the VST host. This class isn't fully complete - since I don't have a Mac, I've only included the Windows code.

New in v1.45

• DirectSound support added (works in all Windows versions except Vista).
• Added /nomme, /nodsound, /noasio command line flags to suppress the use of the corresponding wave I/O method for special environments.
• Added /noft ("No Fault Tolerance") flag for debugging environments; in this mode, VSTHost and SAVIHost don't catch any exception, which eases the detection of badly behaving PlugIns.
• Lots of bug fixes and internal changes as usual.
• There's a double-precision variant available that uses double precision signal paths (might be useful for testing and using double-precision PlugIns).
• French language satellite DLL added - many thanks to Patrice Vigier for this.
• Artvera contributed some skins that can be downloaded from the VSTHost web site.
• Improved ASIO channel selection that allows any possible combination of input/output channels to be selected.
• PlugIn banks can be saved automatically now, which makes performance generation much easier.
• Remote MIDI and MIDI->Parameter conversions now have a "Kill" flag which is normally set; if removed, the messages are not removed from the MIDI data passed to the PlugIns any more.
• Enhanced scrolling support for the main window.
• Improved compatibility with WINE / wineasio environments.
• Added /local= command line flag to allow the use of a specific satellite DLL.
• SysEx window added to allow sending/receiving SysEx messages to/from external MIDI devices.
• User Exit DLL for MediaStation added.
• PlugIn menu can be toggled between Display and Filename text.