Today we are going to be taking an in-depth look at the best FL Studio plugins currently being used in music production. These options are going to include free options and paid options for Fl Studio. FL Studio is currently one of the most popular DAWS for music producers to use and it is only gaining steam.
- Free Vst Plugins For Fl Studio
- Orchestral Vst Free Download
- Fl Studio Best Free Orchestral Plugins Tutorial
- Free Guitar Plugin Fl Studio
- The best Free option out there is to download Sforzando and the Virtual Playing Orchesta SFZ Sample Library. It's a upgrade of the old Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra, with additions from the No Budget Orchestra, VSCO2 Community Edition, University of Iowa, and Philharmonia Orchestra sample libraries.
- TAL-Noisemaker is arguably one of the best free VST plugins you can download. The synth includes a small effect section with a reverb, chorus and a simple bit crusher effect. TAL-NoiseMaker includes new filter types as the self resonating 6dB low pass and a notch filter.
- Best Fl Studio Factory Plugins If you`re a long-experienced Fl Studio producer/dj/beatmaker or a musician, then you are probably familiar with most of its default plugins. But we cannot talk about the best VST without highlighting the factory products first.
Orchestral VSTs have never been more accessible to producers.
Soaring strings, fluttering woodwinds, and deep brass will bring an epic and emotional quality to your tracks and enhance their dramatic energy.
Orchestral libraries can contain thousands of samples and several instrument specific articulations. It’s not surprising that many paid orchestral plugins can cost upwards of a thousand dollars.
You get what you pay for when it comes to plugins, but the quality of free has been on the rise.
Get the 200 best free VST plugins ever made. From synth VSTs and drum VSTs to VST effects, this huge list has only the best of the best plugins. 'Recorded by 11-time Grammy nominated classical recording engineer Prof. Johnson, the EastWest: Symphonic Orchestra is the most awarded orchestral collection ever, including winning Sound On Sound's Reader's Choice Award an unprecedented 3-times, and the first orchestral collection to be recorded in a 'state of the art' concert hall where orchestras mainly perform.'
That’s why I’m rounding up the 6 best free orchestral VSTs capable of emulating a real orchestra.
Let’s get started.
1. Spitfire LABS
Spitfire LABS is a top contender when it comes to free plugins.
LABS is an ongoing series of free software instruments made by musicians and sampling experts in London. It’s updated with new sounds constantly, and sports an easy to use user interface.
Their soft piano plugin is still a go-to piano sound for many professional composers. Some musicians have used it to write entire albums of solo piano music.
LABS offers top quality string samples, warm brass samples, and several other unique additions of the orchestra.
LABS offers top quality string samples, warm brass samples, and several other unique additions of the orchestra.
2. Orchestral Tools Layers
Orchestral Tools is a high quality orchestral library creator. It’s no surprise that their free offering packs some of the best free orchestral sounds you can get.
Layers’ packs 17 GB of orchestral samples. It includes four different microphone positions and a variety of articulations.
It allows you to generate full chords with one touch of a button. It’s also capable of MIDI keyswitching, which gives you tons of control to blend instrument sections and shift dynamics.
Layers’ was recorded on the Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin. This recording environment gives it a professional sound with top quality acoustics. It’s one of the most realistic sounding free orchestral libraries available.
3. The Total Composure Orchestra
The Total Composure Orchestra is a full orchestral sample library. It was created by using samples that are in the public domain.
The public domain consists of creative work that has no exclusive intellectual property rights. All the 1500 samples in the total composure orchestra are pre-cleared for use in your music.
The public domain consists of creative work that has no exclusive intellectual property rights.
The Total Composure Orchestra uses Native Instruments Kontakt as a sample loader. That means you’ll get access to the advanced Kontakt scripting features that make samples sound even more realistic.
Kontakt isn’t free, but it’s a worthwhile tool to invest in if you plan on using more orchestral libraries in the future.
4. Project Sam’s The Free Orchestra
The Free Orchestra by Project Sam is a collection of samples from many of their paid products. It’s the high quality sample platter of orchestral libraries.
The Free Orchestra’s samples range from epic string staccatos to dystopian sound design.
The Free Orchestra’s samples range from epic string staccatos to dystopian sound design.
The best thing about this orchestral VST is that it runs in the free version of Kontakt—the Kontakt Player. This is perfect if you want to get started with Kontakt libraries without the commitment of buying the full version.
The Free Orchestra features incredible options for sound design. Parameters such as envelope controls, effects, octaver, and reverse make it one of the most versatile plugins on this list.
The Free Orchestra is the perfect entry level orchestra for any genre.
5. BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover by Spitfire Audio
BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover is another incredible offering from Spitfire Audio. Discover was designed to make orchestral scoring accessible to all music creators.
In the past, you would have to make an investment of hundreds of dollars or more to begin composing with an orchestra.
Discover includes 35 instruments and 47 techniques. All the instruments are premixed into one mix signal. This gives you a bit less control than a paid library, while still boasting a professional sound.
Discover includes “mode switching” which allows you to share your compositions with others. Composers that have different editions of the Spitfire Symphonic Orchestra can play and edit your music. This is also convenient if you plan on upgrading from Discover to one of Spitfire Audio’s paid offerings.
6. Versilian Chamber Orchestra Community
Versilian Chamber Orchestra Community is an open source version of Versilian Chamber Orchestra 2. It was created for musicians that want to create better sounding music using sample libraries without the cost.
The VSCO Community edition comes with 19 unique instruments, and 3000 individual samples. The library includes the basic articulations of the orchestra. It allows you to create realistic mockups right out of the box.
You’ll need a sample loader to run this library. Luckily, this library is compatible with the free sample loader Sforzando, which runs .sfz files.
This is a helpful non-proprietary format that stores instrument data for software synthesizers.
VSCO Community is also compatible with the full version of Kontakt.
Fork over the Orch
Free orchestral libraries used to ‘sound’ like they were free. Now, you can get a pro orchestral sound in your DAW with no financial commitment.
These libraries are a dime a dozen. Try them out in your DAW and make an epic banger.
They’ll be a good indicator of what will come next on your shopping list.
FL Studio is one of the most powerful music production tools around, with an array of synths and effects available right out of the box. But like most producers, you could probably use a few more plugins! Here we’ve put together some of the best free plugins for FL Studio, which should cover you for almost every imaginable musical scenario.
Sitala
Download for Free
Sitala is a drum plugin that can also be used as a standalone app. Although it is about as simple a drum plugin as you could want, it will find a place in almost any project due to its musicality and highly intuitive interface. Sitala’s six knobs and sixteen pads encourage you to use it as an instrument, which results in more musical beats and grooves.
Best Features & Specs
Sitala features 16 assignable pads that should be familiar to anyone who’s ever used a drum plugin before. You can drag and drop your own samples right into these pads or use the factory kits that come with the plugin.
Sitala also includes an array of sound-shaping tools that lets you put your own stamp on your drum sounds. With features such as ‘Shape’, ‘Compression’, and ‘Tone’, recreating traditional drum beats or more experimental grooves is a piece of cake.
Bottom-line
Like the best free FL Studio plugins, the beauty of Sitala lies in its simplicity. We found that it lets you lay down grooves quickly, and the results are always musical. We especially like how the interface allows you to play it like an instrument.
Piano One by Sound Magic
Download for Free
Free Vst Plugins For Fl Studio
Sound Magic’s Piano One is reminiscent of the Yamaha C7 concert grand, which is highly revered by many professional piano players. Based on Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine, Piano One combines the best qualities of physical modeling and sampling. The result is an amazingly rich and responsive sound that often felt like playing a real piano.
Best Features & Specs
Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine does a great job of combining the realism of piano samples and the responsiveness of physical modeling. Unlike other modeled instruments, Piano One responds instantaneously, with no sluggishness or delay. The sound is reasonably rich and full-bodied, particularly when playing sustained low notes. The plugin even comes with an onboard reverb that simulates environment and soundboard resonance for added realism.
Bottom-line
Even with its limitations, Piano One is a pretty impressive piano plugin. If you need a range of basic piano sounds but don’t have the cash for a humongous piano library, Piano One is worth looking into.
TyrellN6 & Zebralette by u-He
TyrellN6 is based on the legendary Roland Juno 60, which is one of the most iconic analog synthesizers ever made. Users of the venerable classic will appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of this plugin, which lets you create deep bass, lush pads, and cutting leads with relatively little effort.
Orchestral Vst Free Download
Zebralette isn’t based on any particular instrument. Rather, it is a teaser of sorts for u-He’s well-respected Zebra 2. It has the same great-sounding oscillator that is in Zebra, giving you a taste of what you could achieve with the more fully-featured product.
Best Features & Specs
TyrellN6 and Zebralette give you a pretty diverse range of sounds, from classic to cutting edge. TyrellN6’s classic architecture is the ticket to thick and lush vintage sounds, with noise and a ring modulator joining the two oscillators for extra flavor.
Zebralette is a more esoteric plugin that allows for the creation of more outlandish and experimental sounds. This is a great entry point into the sonic possibilities offered by Zebra 2, and we were thrilled to find that Zebralette patches can be opened in Zebra 2.
Fl Studio Best Free Orchestral Plugins Tutorial
Bottom-line
TyrellN6 and Zebralette are compact yet powerful synths that will find a place in any modern production. Even if you already have some powerhouse synths in your collection, these two free VSTs for FL Studio are worthy additions.
Guitar M Lite II
Download for Free
Guitar M Lite II offers studio musicians the crisp and authoritative sounds of the Martin D-41 acoustic guitar in a convenient software plugin. Developed by Ample Guitar, M Lite is a great way to add glistening acoustic textures to your productions, even if you don’t happen to have a guitar player handy.
Best Features & Specs
M Lite is a sample-based instrument that weighs in at just under 850 MB. It includes standard guitar articulations such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, palm mutes, and pops, allowing you to create surprisingly realistic performances. The plugin also offers Customized Parameters Control (CPC), which lets you add more expressive touches via MIDI CC or automation.
We especially like the plugin’s Strummer function, which allows for some pretty convincing strummed performances. Strumming is where most acoustic guitar plugins fall short as far as we’re concerned, so were pleasantly surprised to find it implemented so convincingly in a free plugin.
Bottom-line
Those with discerning ears aren’t likely to be fooled by M Lite. But if you need some rudimentary acoustic guitar parts for a mockup, this plugin will do very well in a pinch.
LABS by Spitfire Audio
Free Guitar Plugin Fl Studio
Download for Free
Spitfire Audio’s LABS has created quite a stir in the software plugins world, so we were eager to put it through its paces. At present, the collection already covers a pretty broad range of instruments, and more are being added all the time. And because each instrument is a labor of love by dedicated musicians and sampling experts, the results are consistently impressive.
Best Features & Specs
Each LABS instrument comes in the form of a dedicated plugin, rather than a library you load in a software sampler. We found the user interface to be focused and refreshingly straightforward, with easy to use controls for dynamics and expression. We also like the inclusion of a knob that can be customized for whatever function the user wants.
The LABS collection currently includes strings, guitars, pianos, brass, drums, vocals, percussion, synths, and experimental instruments. Although not quite as detailed as more extensive sampled libraries, we had no trouble making them fit into our productions.
Bottom-line
The LABS instruments are about as straightforward as plugin instruments can be. Even if you already have a collection of software instruments, you will probably find a use for some of these plugins.
Vinyl by iZotope
Download for Free
iZotope has long been known for its excellent noise reduction and sound improvement plugins. So it was a bit of a surprise when the company rolled out a plugin that adds grit and dirt to audio. With Vinyl, you can dirty up your tracks with a healthy helping of dust, scratches, and mechanical noise, instantly giving them the character of a vintage recording.
Best Features & Specs
As the name implies, Vinyl makes tracks sound like they are being played from a turntable. Ideally suited for every stage of the production process, we found this to be the most convenient solution to get the authentic vibe heard on ’60s and ’70s recordings.
We like how you can control how much ‘pixie dust’ you can add to your tracks. Whether you need just a few cracks and pops, a touch of mechanical noise, or you really want to thrash your audio, Vinyl provides independent control over each element.
Bottom-line
Vinyl works on pretty much everything from drums and strings to full mixes. If your tracks are sounding just a bit too clean, this plugin will let you dirty them up in a few clicks.
Ozone Imager 2 by iZotope
Download for Free
iZotope’s Ozone Imager 2 offers a quick and easy way to alter the stereo image of your tracks. Whether you need to widen a pad or string section or narrow down your bass and kick drums to fit into a mix, Ozone Imager lets you do so quickly and easily.
Best Features & Specs
The most obvious application of Ozone Imager is to widen an audio track. If you need your synth pad or string section to fill up the soundstage, Ozone Imager will get the job done without imparting any sonic anomalies that could make mixing a nightmare.
Ozone Imager provides two flavors of Stereoize: one lets you widen source audio with a cool phasing effect, while the other widens signals more subtly. The plugin also has three vectorscope meters that give you instant visual feedback on your stereo spread.
Bottom-line
Ozone Imager is a fairly simple plugin that is useful for mixing as well as creative experimentation. If you are struggling to make certain elements fit into a mix, this is one you can try out, of check out or list of other mixing plugins.
MAutoPitch
Download for Free
MAutoPitch is a pitch correction plugin developed specifically for vocals and monophonic instruments. Simple and straightforward, it is nevertheless capable of producing great-sounding results that compare favorably to more expensive pitch correction plugins. It even has formant shift and stereo-expansion features that expand its capabilities as a creative audio production tool.
Best Features & Specs
Compared to many FL Studio plugins for free, MAutoPitch has quite an impressive user interface. It can be resized freely and has standard meters as well as time graphs. It also has sophisticated multi-parameter features such as mid-side and 8-channel surround processing. We particularly like the onboard safety limiter and the automatic gain compensation (AGC) features that keep levels in check.
All MAutoPitch parameters can be mapped for MIDI control and automation. This enhances the plugin’s value as a creative tool, making it more than just a “set-and-forget” processor.
Bottom-line
From subtle pitch correction to creative sound design, MAutoPitch does it all. If you do a lot of vocal work, this plugin is an essential addition to your toolbox.
Supermassive by Valhalla DSP
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Supermassive is only one of a handful of time-based plugins that form the bedrock of Valhalla DSP’s stellar reputation. The company’s delays and reverbs compare favorably to much more expensive plugins, and their features and capabilities are well known to producers across the globe. With Supermassive, the company once again proves its expertise in developing lush and exquisite sounding plugins, with a few more tricks up its sleeve.
Best Features & Specs
Supermassive is designed specifically to produce spacious and expansive delays and reverbs. Ideally suited for adding atmosphere to dry and lackluster productions, it sounds just as good when dialed down for more subtle ambiance.
Like all Valhalla DSP plugins, Supermassive is freely resizable, with precise controls for every parameter. It is based on a system of feedback delay networks, with each delay ultimately being processed by a unique WARP control. This allows you to produce everything from twinkling echoes to rich and deep reverbs and everything in between.
Bottom-line
Supermassive is easily a great VST for lush ambiance, even able to compete with our list of top VSTs on the market. Even if you already have a couple of favorite reverbs and delays, you will likely find yourself patching in Supermassive every time you need a unique atmosphere in your productions.
Pancake 2 by Cableguys
Download for Free
Cableguys’ Pancake 2 handles a variety of panning and imaging functions in a slick and easy to use interface. Like all Cableguys plugins, Pancake 2 offers full control over the most useful parameters, giving you total control over your sound. You also have plenty of options to modulate the source audio as you wish, so you have free rein over your creative vision.
Best Features & Specs
PanCake allows you to set and forget the modulation depth and rate if you wish, although you could also draw in your own modulation curves. This feature is perfect for panning audio in time with the tempo or ramping up the speed for a buildup.
Of course, the plugin’s LFO can be set to sync to your host DAW’s tempo as well. Speeds from ¹⁄₁₂₈ notes to 32 bars are possible, giving you a wide range of movement options. The plugin also has a left/right display so you always know what is going on with your soundstage.
Bottom-line
Like the other top FL Studio plugins out there, Pancake 2 can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Whether you need subtle movement in your tracks or you are looking for more intense panning functions, Pancake 2 is one of the best free plugins for FL Studio.