VST3 Host in Rust

Experimental VST3 plugin host written in Rust. Uses unsafe code and raw pointers for direct VST3 SDK integration.

What works

• Audio streaming with VST3 plugins
• MIDI input/output
• Plugin GUIs (macOS/Windows)
• Parameter control
• Plugin discovery

Building

git clone https://github.com/HelgeSverre/rust-vst3-host.git
cd rust-vst3-host
git submodule update --init --recursive
cargo build --release
cargo run

Implementation Notes

This host prioritizes working code over safe code:

• Extensive unsafe blocks for VST3 interop
• Raw pointer manipulation for audio buffers
• Direct COM interface implementation
• Manual memory management

The VST3 SDK is inherently unsafe, so safe abstractions add complexity without much benefit for this experimental implementation.

Architecture

[UI Thread] ←→ [Shared State] ←→ [Audio Thread]
     ↓              ↓              ↓
  Parameters     MIDI Queue    VST3 Process

• UI thread handles GUI and plugin loading
• Audio thread processes VST3 in real-time
• Thread-safe communication via Arc<Mutex<AudioProcessingState>>

Warning

This is experimental code for learning purposes. Extensive use of unsafe Rust, minimal error handling, and not optimized for production use.