VST, as the name suggests, was the first 'sequencer' to utilize the concept of ' Virtual Studio Technology' plug-ins. It was the first application to offer real time effects, automation, MIDI sequencing and notation without the need for proprietary hardware. Initially, VST only offered VST Effects. Within a year, though, VST Instruments such as Neon were bundled with the program and additional VSTs such as the LM-4 drum machine were being made available commercially.

Cubase VST quickly established itself as the most innovative cross-platform sequencer on the market, offering the exciting flexibility of Virtual Studio Technology with traditional features such as notation and full MIDI capability at a very competitive price.

Name: Cubase SX(1)
Released: 2000
Code base: Sequencer 1
Audio Tracks: 200
MIDI Tracks: Unlimited
Bit Depth: 32-bit floating point
VST Instrument Slots: 16

The New Millennium not only ushered in a new version of Cubase it also saw the creation of a new high end audio production product - with which SX shared a code-base - Nuendo.

Accordingly, Cubase SX offered many of the advanced audio features featured in Nuendo including Surround capability. Alongside technical advancements came several crucial new facilities such as folder tracks, off-line process history, unlimited undo, and, most importantly for the burgeoning VST community, automatic delay compensation.

As Virtual Studio Technology becomes more compelling in terms of the number and range of plug-ins being developed, the host needed to adapt and respond to the challenge of co-coordinating audio and MIDI data. Track freeze was debuted on SX2, as well as total plug-in delay compensation.

Host hardware was developing rapidly, too, and SX2 saw hyper-threading support, as well as an increased level of user customizable features from the transport bar to general preferences, extended mixer views, and macros.

Cubase started life as a MIDI sequencer and as audio became more and more important in the life of a 'Digital Audio Workstation' some of the cool MIDI features seen on earlier versions had become overshadowed and in some cases overlooked. With MIDI device maps, part base to volume envelopes, not to mention the pattern-style Play Order track (a real throw back to the golden age of MIDI sequencing) appeared on this Sequencer 3 engine.

SX3 was by no means just inward looking, though, and a number of groundbreaking links to the outside world were also initiated: external FX integration, multi-processing, and most intriguingly, the Studio Connections initiative that transforms connected hardware instruments' behavior in the software environment.

A new design from the ground up, Cubase 4 is not only the culmination of ten (we could also say 22 years) years worth of audio and MIDI recording facilities, it vastly improves the functionality and user experience of the process.

There are new features, new plug-ins, and new tools galore, but perhaps the most compelling improvements are with the work-flow: visualization of features (fonts, graphics, and resolution), and access to your music thanks to the cutting edge database MediaBay . MediaBay , incorporating the SoundFrame Universal Sound Manager, solves two of today's biggest problems in music production, namely: "What sound/effect/loop... did I use on that track?" and "Where did I put it?" Management of any sound from any device, hardware or software in the studio is managed from a central location and can be accessed by any project.

With a grand total of 66 plug-ins including 33 new VST3 plugs, and unlimited audio and MIDI track recording, being able to manage this arsenal of music data becomes absolutely crucial. The innovative control room section emulates the control room of large format console for monitor switching, monitoring 2 track input devices and up to 4 independent headphone making the tracking process seamless for the artist.