Creating VST Plugins

One of SynthEdit’s most powerful features is the ability to export your projects as standalone VST3 plugins. These plugins work in any DAW that supports the VST3 format.

A patch like this — MIDI In → Patch Automator → voice modules → Voice Combiner → Sound Out — is the typical shape of a VST instrument before export. The Patch Automator is what exposes your panel controls to the host DAW as automatable parameters.

Designing the GUI

Before exporting, you’ll want to create a user interface for your plugin:

1. Switch to the Panel view
2. Add controls — knobs, sliders, switches, labels
3. Connect controls to module parameters
4. Customize the appearance with colors, images, and layout

Exporting as VST3

1. Go to File > Export VST Plugin
2. Choose a location to save the plugin
3. Set the plugin name, manufacturer, and unique ID
4. Click Export

SynthEdit generates a .vst3 file that you can install in your DAW’s plugin folder.

Testing Your Plugin

1. Copy the .vst3 file to your system’s VST3 folder
2. Rescan plugins in your DAW
3. Load the plugin on a track
4. Test all controls and audio processing

Distribution

You own full rights to the plugins you create with the licensed version of SynthEdit. You can:

• Distribute plugins for free
• Sell them commercially
• Include them in commercial products

No royalties or additional licensing fees apply.

Tips for Professional Plugins

• Test in multiple DAWs (Cubase, Ableton, FL Studio, Reaper)
• Provide sensible default preset values
• Include a user manual or preset library
• Test with different sample rates (44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz)