These days, most virtual instruments and effects are released in VST, AU and AAX formats, with a few still arriving in the ageing RTAS, but the differences between the standards are minor and partly DAW-dependent, so a given instrument or effect will always sound exactly the same - and, largely, operate identically too - no matter which version you use. Whether you’re after a thoroughly convincing Minimoog or Roland TR-808, a Urei 1176 compressor or a granular sample mangling effect, there’ll be at least a handful of viable options out there to suit your creative needs and budget.
There are literally thousands of amazing free and paid-for examples available in both categories, from emulations of pretty much every classic hardware synth and effect unit ever made, to mind-blowing new designs that could never exist in physical form.
