Quick answer: Unreal Engine has no built-in VST support. You either write a VST3 host in C++ with Steinberg’s SDK, or add a plugin that hosts them. With our VST Audio plugin it takes four steps:
- Open the DA_VstPluginsManager asset, right-click it and choose Scan For Vst Plugins.
- In a MetaSound, add a VST Instrument (Stereo) or VST Audio Effect (Stereo) node and pick your plugin.
- Click Open GUI on the node to tweak sounds in the plugin’s own window.
- Play notes or change parameters from Blueprint.
Option 1: Build your own host
Steinberg’s VST3 SDK is free, and Unreal can load it as a third-party library. Expect real C++ work: loading modules, audio buses, the plugin GUI window, and moving audio between Unreal’s audio thread and the plugin. Our VST3 host tutorial walks through the basics. This route is worth it if you want to learn it or need full control.
Option 2: Use VST Audio
The rest of this tutorial uses VST Audio.
Step 1: Find your plugins
- In the Content Browser, find DA_VstPluginsManager in the plugin’s content (PluginSettings > DataAssets).
- Check Plugin Search Paths. The default is
C:/Program Files/Common Files/VST3, where most installers put plugins. - Right-click the asset and choose Scan For Vst Plugins.
Rescan whenever you install or move a VST.
Step 2: An effect on a sound
- Create a MetaSound Source and add a Wave Player with your sound.
- Add VST Audio Effect (Stereo) from the VST3 category, and pick the effect in the node’s details.
- Wire Wave Player → effect In Audio L/R → Out Audio L/R → the output.
- Click Open GUI and set the effect up by ear. Your settings are saved with the MetaSound.
Chain several effect nodes for a full effects chain.
Step 3: An instrument you can play
The quickest way is the VstInstrumentComponent:
- Add it to an actor and pick the instrument in its Vst Instrument dropdown.
- On BeginPlay, activate the component, then call Create Instance For Selected VST3.
- Call Play Note with a MIDI note (60 is middle C) and Stop Note to release it.
The instrument needs a few frames after the component starts before it accepts notes. If Create Instance or Play Note returns false at BeginPlay, add a short delay and try again.
Step 4: Change parameters from gameplay
- Open Tools > Algosyntax > VST Parameters Inspector, pick your plugin and click Inspect Parameters to copy the Param ID you want, for example the reverb mix.
- Make a Blueprint child of VstInstanceControllerComponent, set its Vst Instance Tag to the tag on your MetaSound node, and call Initialize Controller with the Audio Component that plays the MetaSound.
- After On Ready, call Set Param Normalized with the ID and a value from 0 to 1.
Before you ship
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Windows only | VST Audio supports Win64 builds |
| VSTs on the player’s PC | A VST is loaded from its install path, so players need the same plugin installed there |
| VST licences | Many commercial VSTs don’t allow redistribution or use in a game |
| Stereo only | Mono and surround buses aren’t supported |
For a game you ship to the public, the usual answer is to design the sound with VSTs, then render it to SoundWave assets. Live VST hosting suits tools, installations and apps you install yourself.
FAQ
Can I use VST2 plugins?
No, only VST3.
Does it work with Movie Render Queue?
Yes. VST instruments render at full quality in offline renders.
Can I play it from a MIDI keyboard?
Yes. Read the keyboard with MIDI Device Support and call Play Note and Stop Note from its events.
Related tutorials
Get VST Audio. VST Audio hosts VST3 instruments and effects in MetaSounds, Blueprints and C++, with the plugin’s own GUI in the editor and in packaged Windows builds. It ships demo maps for effects, instruments and parameter control. Unreal Engine 5.7 and 5.8, Windows.