Steinberg are currently celebrating two significant anniversaries, with this week marking the 30th year of the VST plug-in format and the 25th anniversary of the HALion platform. 

Introduced by Steinberg in 1996, the VST format was designed to create a professional studio environment for PC and Mac computers, allowing the seamless integration of virtual instruments, effects and audio processing tools into any host application. The groundbreaking format gave developers a standardised, open way to create plug-ins that could run inside compatible DAWs, as well as enabling audio creators and producers to radically expand their production capabilities. 

HALion, meanwhile, appeared in 2001, and has since evolved into a state-of-the-art synth and sampling platform. The latest version features six different types of synthesis and a high-performance sample engine, along with a wide range of effects and scripting capabilities that offer almost unlimited potential to musicians and sound designers, as well as allowing developers to build complex instruments and sample libraries with unique user interfaces.

Until 24 August 2026, an anniversary sale is offering discounts of between 50% and 60% on HALion and a wide range of VST instruments. These include the Backbone drum re-synthesizer, Etude grand piano library, and Iconica Ensembles orchestral collection, along with a wide range of inspiring instrument and vocal libraries from HALion partner developers. 

In a nod to the past, Steinberg’s engineers have also created the free Steinberg Classics Collection, which introduces VST3 versions of several early VST offerings. The collection includes the LM7 retro drum sample unit, the CS-40 and Neon synthesizers, the VB-1 bass instrument and Karlette vintage tape delay. There is also a 25% discount on several key iOS and Android mobile apps, available via the Apple App Store and Google Play. 

Video of Celebrating 30 Years of VST with free Steinberg Classics

More information can be found on the Steinberg website.

www.steinberg.net/promotion