“Serpo is an extremely simple to use virtual instrument packed with original sounds recorded by artist from all over the world. Explore Vocals from Sri Lanka, Violin from Morocco, Vichitra Veena from Italy, Stressed Chip Sounds from Germany, Trumpet from United States, Real Acoustic Drums and much more. Virgin Choir is a VST plugin that generates the sound of a female choir with a very convincing sound quality. The plugin is entirely free, and includes several features that professional plugins usually integrate: multiple articulations with easy key switching, velocity sensitivity for the choir singing, a sequencer mode, and some more.

These are the best free realistic instrument plugins for Windows and Mac!

So, if you're looking for free virtual instruments that can be used for composing orchestral or realistic music, these 5 plugins will help you do just that.

And all but one will work on both Windows and Mac, but I do mention an alternative for the one that doesn't plus a bonus free sound library at the end.

Chart of the best free realistic instrument plugins

This table includes all of the free realistic instrument VST plugins that are mentioned in the article below.

Plugin Name	Available Plugin Formats	Supported OS
LABS	64 & 32-bit VST, AAX, and AU	Windows & Mac
Cloudrum	64 & 32-bit VST, AAX (Mac only), and AU	Windows & Mac
Sonatina Orchestra	64 & 32-bit VST	Windows
SSD5 Free	64-bit VST, AAX, and AU	Windows & Mac
Virtual Playing Orchestra	WAVE & SFZ	Windows & Mac
(Bonus) Taiko Drum Samples	WAVE & SFZ	Windows & Mac

1. Spitfire LABS

The first one I want to mention is Spitfire LABS, a great resource to get free orchestral instruments and they add a new one every month, at least that's what they say.

So hey, save the article and check back in a couple of months, they might have a new one available.

From this, you can use an array of different instruments like strings, guitar, piano, and choir that all sound great.

Each instrument allows you to control expression, dynamics, and reverb. Some even come with more control.

2. Ample Sound Cloudrum

The next instrument I'd like to highlight is Cloudrum by Ample Sound.

This one sounds pretty cool and is quite different from their regular approach to making plugins as they almost entirely stick to stringed instruments.

With this one being the only exception. Even though it's slightly out of their expertise, this one really hit the mark.

3. Sonatina Orchestra

Now if you're looking for a robust library of orchestral instruments including percussion, strings, and brass, you might really like Sonatina Orchestra.

Unfortunately, this is the one that doesn't work for Mac. But, is very similar to one that does, called VSCO2.

These two plugins seem to have a lot of the same instrument samples and you can find the free download link for VSCO2 in this article.

Check it out, I also demo how it sounds in a video available on the article.

4. SSD5 FREE

If you're looking for a fully functional deluxe drum kit, SSD5 FREE has many different drums for you to use.

With this plugin, you get more control compared to just using samples such as mixing directly in the plugin.

5. Virtual Playing Orchestra

The last one is a bit of a process to get set up but it does sound good and I suggest that you at least listen to the demo I made before you decide not to give it a go.

Virtual Playing Orchestra does require you to download the wave files, sfz scripts and a separate sfz player such as sforzando made by Plogue.

And there are other orchestral libraries that have sfz format so it won’t be a waste of your time.

6. (Bonus): Taiko Drum Samples

Finally, the bonus sound library. If you're looking for some free Taiko drum samples, you can get them from this pay-what-you-want resource.

If you feel that it's worth some money, the option is there for you but you can get them for free.

Whistle Plugin Vst Free

In this library, you'll find some nice drum one-shots to use in your music or even sound effects.

I hope these free plugins will help you make better orchestral music or just music in general.

Share it with someone so they don't miss out on these sweet freebies. As always, thanks for reading.

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HOW TO USE VST PLUGINS

VST plugins are virtual instruments and effects that you can use in productions. They can recreate classic synth designs, or represent completely new ways of making sound. VST plugins are easy to use; download them, install, and your DAW will pick them up and let you use them in the workstation. From classic instruments to experimental indie gems, there’s a huge world of both paid and free VST plugins to choose from. Native has spent decades creating and developing some of the world’s leading VST plugins with REAKTOR, KONTAKT, KOMPLETE KONTROL, and loads more.

HOW TO USE VST PLUGINS FOR SYNTH SOUNDS

VST plugins can be used in a wide variety of ways to create synth sounds for songwriting and production. Almost any instrument can be turned into a VST plugin, and more often than not, when you need a certain kind of sound there’s a VST plugin for it. There are several varieties of VST plugins for synth sounds that are worth noting. Polyphonic VST plugins create more than one note at a time, so are great for building complex melodies, chords, and harmonies, while monophonic VST plugins play one note at a time and are commonly used for basslines. Some VST plugins strictly model themselves on reproducing sounds you would expect from analogue instruments, but others go way beyond that. Wavetable VST plugins like MASSIVE and MASSIVE X tend to focus on helping producers create something unusual and completely different to traditional instruments, and can be more useful for experimental productions than other VST plugins.

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HOW TO USE MULTIPLE VST PLUGINS

Trying things out and exploring new territory is hugely important when trying to craft something unique, and using multiple VST plugins will give you a wide range of instruments and sounds to work with. Chaining multiple VST plugins together sis a typical way to start crafting a sound you can call your own. Feeding one VST plugin instrument into a VST plugin effect will alter them even further. This is