What an exciting time we live in. To think about how far we've come in the short time since Tascam introduced the PortaStudio, it can boggle the mind. Yes, the computer (as it always seems to do) has changed the way most of us make, record and mix our music. Some of it is for the better, and some might be for the worse.

But for the purposes of this article, I'm going to focus on one of the better aspects of the computer-music revolution; the emergence of the Plug-in technology.

Way back in 1996 when Steinberg introduced Cubase VST (Virtual Studio Technology), the birth of the Plug-in era began. Before that time, plug-ins were few and far between, and primarily written for a single program's proprietary format. But with the release of Steinberg's VST protocol, plug-ins could now be written to work on any software/platform that supported the VST standard.

In the early years of the plug-in era, most of the products that were available were audio effects of some type; flangers, compressors, delays and EQs of all types were available. But as computers became faster and faster, and digital technology progressed, we began to see the rise of the Virtual Instrument plug-in.

These software based synthesizers, sound generators and drum machines were a bit crude at the beginning; some were only monophonic or had limited sound palettes. But in a very short time, they became almost as flexible and sonorous as the hardware they were emulating.

So where does that leave us today? To paraphrase a famous ad slogan, we've come a long way baby!

The recent explosion in Plug-ins doesn't seem to be slowing down in any way. In fact, it seems to be growing at an exponential rate. With advancements in digital modeling technology, it has now become possible to recreate (sometimes with frightening accuracy) the sound, response, and even the feel of audio hardware.

The current trend is what I would call Virtual Vintage. Long lost keyboards such as the Moog Modular, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, or even the Hammond B3 can now be recreated entirely in your sequencer or audio program. Vintage audio EQs and compressors (like the Fairchild 660 used on early Beatles recordings) can now magically appear in any audio program that speaks VST.

But the plug-in world is not just about recreating the old. Many of the newer plug-ins available, such as Native Instruments Reaktor and Absynth, use cutting edge sound synthesis and sample manipulation techniques to create sounds that have never been heard before. In addition, many plug-ins are now embracing the surround sound movement, providing all this sonic creativity in a multi-channel environment.

One of the more exciting aspects of the plug-in revolution has been the emergence of the home-grown or Do It Yourself plug-in. Thanks largely to a program called SynthEdit, tech-savvy users can now build their own VST instruments or effects plug-ins for themselves, or to share with the world. Many of these home made plug-ins look and act just as well as their commercial cousins, but often are given away for free or for minimal cost to the user.

For plug-in users, there has never been a greater time than right now. The sheer number of plug-ins that are available (both commercial and free) is growing nearly every month. If you've been thinking about expanding your audio palette by using plug-ins, take a deep breath and jump on in... the water is just fine.