SAVIHost

SAVIHost makes trying out VST (Virtual Studio Technology) instrument plug-ins as simple as launching an application. Despite the similar abbreviation, VST has nothing to do with Microsoft Visual Studio. After downloading the app, you copy or rename the SAVIHost.exe file to the name of the plug-in's DLL, for example PPG Wave 2V.dll needs PPG Wave 2V.exe. When started, SAVIHost automatically loads the plug-in with the matching name, so it behaves like a standalone program. Click on this file, and the instrument can be played and configured to achieve the desired sound.

Features:

• Very simple to use, new instrument applications can be created and launched merely by renaming the file
• Quickly test plugins requiring external MIDI input by using the built-in keyboard
• The on-screen keyboard bar is played with the mouse, so no MIDI hardware is needed for a quick test
• Variants without the keyboard bar are available for an even smaller program
• Supports VST2, VST3, CLAP and VST Module Architecture plug-ins, with a Multi build that handles all formats
• Accepts input from external MIDI devices in addition to the built-in keyboard
• Includes a separate WAV player and recorder for capturing the plug-in's output
• Available as 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64 builds to match the plug-in architecture
• Allows the user to test one instrument individually, making troubleshooting problems less challenging
• Lightweight application loads and runs quickly
• Efficiently runs only one plugin at a time, so system resources are conserved
• Many instances of the SAVIHost program can exist at once, each for an individual VST plugin
• Compatible with ASIO device drivers for low-latency audio, as well as standard Windows audio
• A tracing variant helps the author analyse reproducible problems with specific plug-ins

SAVIHost is possibly the simplest host to use because it makes VST instrument files easily run as executable files.

SAVIHost is a reliable application that takes the complexity out of testing VST plugins. Quickly and easily try out your instrument before you start to create, and use the built-in features and options to shape the perfect sound. This application is suitable for beginners as it doesn't require much technical knowledge, and it is a small derivative of the author's larger VSTHost program, whose documentation covers the shared features. SAVIHost is free for private, non-commercial use, and donations are welcome. A user manual written by H.G. Fortune can be downloaded from the official page.