VST Player

Because of evolution in technology, a computer can now be used in almost every domain of activity. Music makes no exception, with the possibility to plug in instruments and start jamming sessions, or simply load existing samples to edit, or enhance playback. In this regard, VST Player comes as a VST host that lets you play MIDI files while using various plugins.

Once the application is installed, you can go ahead and run it to start playing a few songs. A simple window is brought up, fitted with various slots to load VST plugins, as well as a few corresponding value fields for VST parameters, or effects.

Just as the load button suggests, you need to load a MIDI file in order to be able to use any effects. You need to rely on the browse dialog, because dragging a file over the main window has no effect. In terms of file support, you can only load MID files.

What’s left is to decide what plugins you want to use, with the possibility to insert up to 16 different VST plugins, but you need to use external plugins, because the application doesn’t come with any. However, VST Player lets you use Windows built-in MIDI instruments, with an abundance of items to choose from. You can also combine MIDI instruments with VST plugins.

In case you don’t want to use all slots, you’re free to enable only those of interest simply by clicking the appropriate slot number. Effects and instruments, on the other hand, don’t need to be enabled, since they’re the main output for plugins, but you can choose to fix them in order to prevent any accidental changes.

Unfortunately, you might end up starting from scratch, or even unable to play a file. During our tests, we manage to encounter several stability issues and incompatibility between host and plugins.

Making and playing music on a computer is easier to learn than spending countless hours practicing an instrument, but with applications like VST Player you’re not guaranteed to reach success faster. The overall design is simple, letting anyone accommodate in a jiffy, but it’s rough around the edges, with a shallow set of features and several stability issues that keep it from being a pro.