Stereo Tool

Hi
I have only recently gotten into the world of VSTs and plugins (better late than never tho) and I would really like to try one of these software synthesizers, especially if they really do sound like Moogs and ARPs and I would really like to put one through Stereo Tool.

I have a midi in and out on my piano and a midi in and out on my soundcard (well, on the daughtercard actually). The midi connector on the card looks to be smaller than the one on the piano so maybe I need a special cable or adapter.

Thing with MIDI is that I've always found it intimidating because I do have something of a learning disorder (yes, really) and I have a hard time with the numbers to do this that and the other in MIDI like aftertouch and all the other junk and stuff. Can't I just plug in the piano and go with whatever it gives me for a while? I have the instruction manual that probably gives all the wonk numbers if someone could take a few minutes to explain it briefly. I use Krystal as my recording software which is probably the same as every free recording software, so would I need anything else please? MIDI piano, soft synth, recording platform, cable (with or without adapter) good to go no? Can I use it with Stereo Tool, or is it oranges and apples?
Thanks
Phil

@ soccerman58
and others that want to start to use their computers to make music
(with free tools) If you are really a good piano player forget about the MIDI thing for your first steps.
MIDI (starting as an absolute beginner) first kills your musical expression
(the groove or whatever you call it) for a long time until you finally know all about it.

On the other hand for people who are lousy piano players MIDI is a help, because you can edit (correct) your timing problems (quantization), delete or insert notes with the mouse.

Make music !
Play your piano and record it audio signals to audio tracks.
Is it a (real) digital piano without any other sounds (instruments) ?
Then you should consider to buy an expander (tone generator module without keys) with multiple sounds (different instruments).
Then you plug the MIDI Out of your piano to the MIDI In of this tone generator module.

Then use your computer as a virtual multi-track recorder and record (play) every instrument (one after the other).
For every instrument you use its own recording track (audio) with Krystal.

Of course you can combine this method with MIDI tracks.
But then you need an external (small) audio mixer to mix the audio signals of your computer, the audio signals of your piano and the audio signals of the tone generator module.

Some modern soundcards support internal mixing of multiple audio sources.
So maybe it is possible to send the audio signals of your piano or/and
the tone generator to your soundcard (audio line input of the card) while it plays the audio tracks, that you have recorded before.
If this would be possible with your soundcard, you do not need to use (buy)
an external audio mixer !

Back to your question:
VST Instruments ?

Well, I think that Krystal does not support VST Intsruments.
Krystal supports VST Plugins (FX) for audio tracks only.
There is a difference:
VST = FX Plugins
VSTi = Virtual Instruments

So if you really want to try VSTi too, you have to use another recording software (sequencer).
A very good one is Reaper (I use it and even some semi-professionals, too):
http://www.reaper.fm/
You can try it as long as you want.
Only a nag-screen will appear, when you have used it for more than 30 days,
to remind you to consider to buy a registration license.
But all (saving) functions will work as before.
So if you are not sure if it is worth the money, you can try it with all functions as long as you want.

The best place for background information, user reviews and download links for hundreds of free and commmercial (demos) VST (FX) and VSTi (Instruments) is the KVR forum:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/
They have a free forum and an information database for almost all kind of VST and VSTi.
You can even download free sounds (patches for virtual instruments) that other users have created.

I don't know how much money you have (want) to spend ?
I have tried hundreds of VSTi for years.
You were talking about Moog and ARP.

My commercial VSTi ranking:

Arturia ARP 2600 V 1.2 (though I don't like the sound of the other Arturia VSTi)
For my ears the way an analog (software emulation) synthesizer should sound.

GMEDIA impOSCar
GMEDIA Oddity (ARP Odyssee emulation)
GFORCE Minimonsta (Minimoog emulation)
Lennardigital Sylenth1 2.2 (people say it sounds like an Access Virus hardware synthesizer)

Some free VSTi:
free Minimoog and ARP 2600 emulations:
http://www.glenstegner.com/softsynths.html
DSK Music:
http://www.dskmusic.com/blog/?page_id=3
Native Instruments Kore Player Free:
http://www.native-instruments.com/index ... koreplayer
Synth1:
http://www.geocities.jp/daichi1969/softsynth/

So when you finally have done all your recordings, the mixing and have a final WAV file, of course you can use Stereo Tool to finalize (mastering) the sound characteristics of your work.

Hans is working on a VST (FX) version of Stereo Tool (you can download already beta versions).
But it seems to me that those beta versions have still (until now) some compatibility problems with different VST hosts.
And the final version of Stereo Tool as a VST-Plugin won't be free.
You will have to purchase it.
Of course you can (try to) use this VST version of Stereo Tool as an FX even for single audio tracks inside an audio sequencer (Krystal, Reaper, whatever) if you want to.