Virtual instruments are software emulations of traditional instruments or hardware electronic musical instruments.
There is a staggering range of virtual instruments available nowadays, covering multi-timbral rompler modules to dedicated emulations of guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, and more.
Some of these VSTi plugins (as they’re also called) are free. So in this article we’ll take a look at some of the best free virtual instruments you can download today. Many of which are pro worthy.
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VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology. VSTs are audio software plugins that you can use with music software to add additional instrument sounds or audio effects. Some examples of instrument sounds would be a Piano, Violin, Trumpet, etc. Some examples of free VST effects would be Choruses, Phasers, and Reverb. Virtual Studio Technology and its acronym VST refer to an interface standard for connecting audio synthesizer and effect plugins to audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware with software counterparts. Virtual Studio Technology and its acronym VST refer to an interface standard for connecting audio synthesizer and effect plugins to audio editors and hard-disk recording systems. VST and similar technologies allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware with software counterparts.
Intro: About Virtual Instruments
The benefits of virtual instruments are fairly obvious. They take up much less space than their hardware equivalents, they don’t overheat, and many of them have virtually unlimited polyphony. They are also much easier to edit and they almost never break down.
Here we run down some of the most intriguing virtual instruments currently available. Although some purists may scoff at the idea of these replacing their well-loved guitars or keyboards, there is no denying that they provide a surprising range of great sounds at a price that even professional musicians will appreciate.
Best Free VSTi Plugins
The List
The Roundup
Native Instruments’ Kontakt Player is arguably the Don of all free virtual instrument plug-ins. Based on the company’s own hugely successful Kontakt sampler, Kontakt Player effectively hosts all sample-based instruments developed for its more fully-featured big brother.
The compatibility goes the other way as well. All free instruments developed specifically for Kontakt Player will load up and play in the full version of Kontakt. Between the two, there is a staggering assortment of free and paid instruments, all boasting of the trademark Native Instrument quality.
To get budget-savvy musicians and producers started, NI offers a free Kontakt Factory Selection consisting of 50 premium instruments. Some of these are slightly cut-down versions of the instruments developed for Kontakt, while some are full versions developed specifically for Kontakt Player.
While Kontakt Player focuses mainly on standard instrument libraries, Native Instruments’ Reaktor Player is geared more towards the synthesis side of things.
Demonstration
Reaktor is of course the full-blown modular synthesis environment that gives users unparalleled and unlimited opportunity to design virtually any type of synthesizer, sequencer, or signal processor they could think of from scratch. With Reaktor Player, users are able to play back a wide variety of instruments and effects developed in and for Reaktor, with a more modest set of editing capabilities.
As with Kontakt Player, there is a huge range of ready-made instruments available for use in Reaktor Player. NI even offers two free devices to get you started: the Blocks Wired pre-patched modular synth and the Mikro Prism synthesizer.
Reaktor Player obviously doesn’t come close to providing the depth of power and customizability offered by the full version of Reaktor. Nevertheless, it is a good introduction to modular synthesis. Furthermore, the availability of hundreds of Reaktor instruments cover a board range of sound-crafting options.
Ample Guitar M Lite is the free version of Ample Sounds’ popular AGM guitar simulator. Emulating the warm, rich tones of the Martin D-41 acoustic guitar, Ample Guitar M Lite is now on its second version.
For the price of a free download, you get an enhanced set of features that now match the capabilities of the full version. The note range now spans E1 – C5, and the plug-in now works as a standalone instrument. Even if you do opt to use the instrument in your DAW, multiple instances will take up much less resources than before, and they will load up faster as well.
Demonstration
As you may have guessed from the name, Ample Bass P Lite is Ample Sound’s free bass guitar sample player plug-in. A cut-down version of the full Ample Bass P II component of the company’s Bass Series product line, this plug-in has fewer samples and fewer round robin variations than the full version. It also has a smaller note range than the paid product, covering D1 to F4. Nevertheless, the Ample Bass P Lite does a good job of cranking out the distinctive tones of the Fender Precision Bass, which it models.
Manda Audio’s MT Power Drum Kit is a free drum sampler that has a fairly wide selection of acoustic drum kit sounds. Great care has been taken to record and process the original samples, giving users a range of high-quality drum sounds perfectly suited for pop, rock, and even metal.
Those who wish to process their drum sounds with their own plug-ins might not appreciate the fact that the MT Power Drum’s sounds are already processed. Nevertheless, EQ and compression were applied quite tastefully, and the sounds should fit in well in most mixes.
Dj Virtual software, free download
Demonstration
Togu Audio Line has garnered quite a bit of acclaim for its excellent line of synthesizers and effects processors, a number of which are free. NoiseMaker is one of these, and it compares favorably to the company’s own paid emulation of the Roland Juno 106 analog synth, the TAL-U-NO-LX.
The NoiseMaker incorporates some of TAL’s more popular effects processors on board. There is the Juno-derived chorus with two modes for starters, along with a reverb, a delay, and a bitcrusher, all of which exist as free standalone plug-ins.
DistroCore’s DC Bazz::Murda is a bass and kick synthesizer that is capable of a surprisingly wide array of sounds. Although aggressive and distorted industrial sounds are its forte, it can be dialed back for more subdued tones as well. Even so, this is one plug-in that was obviously designed to get as loud and nasty as possible. For some users, that could be a good thing!
Top Pick
Native Instruments’ Kontakt Player and Reaktor Player are a couple of the best free virtual instruments that you can get, without a doubt. They provide a superb one-two punch that simply can’t be beat.
Between the two, you pretty much have all your bases covered, whether you need bread-and-butter rompler sounds, exotic World Music libraries, or synthetic sounds ranging from vintage to cutting-edge.
Given the wide range of sounds they cover and the trademark NI quality, these two are neck-and-neck as our top picks for best virtual instrument plug-ins.
SONiVOX is your home for the best digital music creation tools available, with products for professional composers, producers, musicians, and iPad and Android developers. We offer musical inspiration through great sounds, playable instruments, and innovative new technologies.
Stratum Transwave Synth
Put on your shades and get on board the time machine, as Stratum will take you down the wormhole straight into the 1980s futuristic soundscapes. By combining the fat, wide supersaw oscillators with the classic, rich sounding FM engine, we have brought synth technology of different eras together to give you THE SOUND of future-past.
Solina Redux
Have you ever wanted to hot rod an Arp Solina String Ensemble? Now you can. SONiVOX’s Solina Redux virtual instrument adds a sweet sounding virtual analog synthesizer to a classic reproduction of an Arp Solina String Ensemble, then throws in TWO fully programmable 8-step sequencers to boot. It’s a match made in heaven and one that produces sonic textures you simply can’t get any other way.
Essential Keyboard Collection
At Sonivox we have over a decade of experience of meticulously sampling and expertly voicing instruments. Over the last 12 months we have been working hard to provide the reference collection of “must-have” instruments for keyboard players.
Film Score Companion
Music makes the film! Whether you’re the next Hans Zimmer or just looking to add great sound to your next project, you need a complete film score sound production package. Presenting Film Score Companion, an amazingly capable suite comprised of 5 distinct collections:
- Orchestral Companion Brass
- Orchestral Companion Strings
- Orchestral Companion Woodwinds
- Eighty Eight Ensemble
- Big Bang Cinematic Percussion
Virtual Machine software, free download
Vocalizer Pro 1.3
Perform, Process, Play, Create
A completely new concept in modern music production that couples a new technology synthesis engine with an open input based architecture. Vocalizer Pro is one part effect plug-in and one part virtual instrument. Vocalists, non-vocalists, and producers feed Vocalizer any audio source, and it re-pitches, effect, and re-synthesizes the original source into a whole new sound.
A completely new concept in modern music production that couples a new technology synthesis engine with an open input based architecture. Vocalizer Pro is one part effect plug-in and one part virtual instrument. Vocalists, non-vocalists, and producers feed Vocalizer any audio source, and it re-pitches, effect, and re-synthesizes the original source into a whole new sound.
TimewARP 2600
Best Virtual Instruments Software
It's the 70s All Over Again!
Forward Into the Past! Endorsed by the inventor himself. The ARP 2600 synthesizer helped define the music of an era. Edgar Winter's 'Frankenstein,' The Who's 'Who Are You,' The Tubes, Jean Michel Jarre, Deep Purple, and on and on. Only 3,000 ARP 2600's were produced between 1970 and 1981, and they've been trading hands among collectors for thousands of dollars ever since.
Forward Into the Past! Endorsed by the inventor himself. The ARP 2600 synthesizer helped define the music of an era. Edgar Winter's 'Frankenstein,' The Who's 'Who Are You,' The Tubes, Jean Michel Jarre, Deep Purple, and on and on. Only 3,000 ARP 2600's were produced between 1970 and 1981, and they've been trading hands among collectors for thousands of dollars ever since.