Here is a list of my absolute favorite free VSTi software instruments and sample libraries. These plugins and sample libraries are simply amazing. It does not matter what physical instrument you play. These VSTi software instruments will provide a way for you to add drums, bass, guitar, piano, organ, keyboard, wind instruments, strings, and many other instruments to your songs. If you only play one instrument then you will find this list very useful. The quality of these VSTi software instruments is great and the features are amazing.
Some of these vendors want your email address before giving you the option of downloading the VSTi software instruments. Other vendors want you to create a user account. Some of these free plugins have no strings attached. In all of these cases, once you get the plugin you won’t need the account in order to use it. If you feel uncomfortable giving your email address then I would suggest that you set up a new email account strictly for obtaining these plugins. This way you will avoid giving out your real email address. Sometimes you got to jump through a few hoops to get these plugins, but they are all well worth it. If these plugin manufacturers have your email on file then they will also notify you when the plugin updates to a newer version. So here is the list in no certain order.
VSTi Software Instruments Official List
Orchestraltools: comes with Sine Player. Sine Player will play a variety of Great sounds and instruments. It has a great collection of instruments that are totally free. Subscribe to SINEfactory and get a steady stream of exclusive free instruments delivered straight to your mailbox. This is a must have collection. These free sample Libraries simply sound amazing.
Download SINE Player Here
Spitfire Audio: has a whole orchestra of the highest quality at your fingertips. Designed to make orchestral scoring accessible to music creators of every level – from those just starting out, to professional composers. BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover is an inspiring gateway into orchestral composition, featuring the same professional and detailed recording process as both the Core and Professional editions, in an incredibly lightweight and accessible package (only 200MB).
They have selected 33 instruments and 47 techniques available with one mix signal, enabling you to write instantly great-sounding orchestral music — presented in a beautifully designed, easy-to-use plugin, with simple controls and NKS compatibility. Owners of BBCSO Professional and Core will automatically receive Discover for free.
Get it HERE
Spitfire Audio: has a number of high-quality great-sounding instruments and they are all free. These instruments are simply known as LABS. Check out their drums.
Other instruments include Modular Piano, Peel Guitar, Frozen Strings, Synth Pads, Choir, Charango, Electric Piano, Amplified Cello Quartet, Strings, and Soft Piano. You will need to make an account and download their installer. All the instruments are available through their installer. Everything is free and the quality is simply amazing. Check out their Choir instrument
Get the installer and check out LABS Here
DecentSampler: is a FREE sample player plugin that allows you to play sample libraries in the DecentSampler format (files with extensions: dspreset and dslibrary). It plays a multitude of free samples that can be found on a website started by Spitfire Audio called Piano Book. You can also find some great free samples for DecentSampler on a website called Decent Samples.
Get Decent Sampler Here
Go Check Out Piano Book
Decent SAMPLES
Versilian Studios Chamber Orchestra 2: was designed from the beginning to be a library created and centered around the diversity of musical instruments and the people who play them. You will find textures and timbres that have never been captured before and probably will never be captured quite like this again.
Get It Here
Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra: is a free orchestral sample library. While not as advanced or ambitious in scope as commercial offerings, SSO contains all the basic building blocks for creating real virtual orchestrations. It’s primarily aimed at beginners
Get It Here
ORCHESTOOLS is a series of four virtual instruments built using HISE opensource framework and public domain VSCO 2 CE sample library released by Versilian Studios. All instruments use same engine which features 4 independent layers with gain, pitch and filter envelopes, two LFO’s, editable independent keyranges and MIDI channels, per layer EQ and global compression and convolution reverb. Each includes a library with hundreds of presets and MIDI learn for almost all UI elements of the instrument. Free and Opensource. For public and for music!
Free Sample Libraries include
ORCHESTOOLS | STRINGS All about strings. Four layers packed with controls, modulation and filters that can load any of the 78 samplemaps built on Versilian Studios VSCO 2 CE sample library. Violins, violas, cellos and basses and articulations like legato, pizzicato, spiccato. Two LFO’s – one synced one free with standard, custom and pattern modes with editors. Convolution reverb and compression. A library with over 150 presets to help you get starting with your orchestral works and projects.
ORCHESTOOLS | BRASS Trumpets, Trombones, Horns and Tuba dynamics and articulations. Use instruments 4 layers to combine and model sounds for your project. Each layer has tools, modulators, filters and EQ to shape the sound to your specific needs and situations. Map MIDI CC’s to any of the instruments controls and set their range on Midi control panel. Store your sounds on the library which already contains over 150 presets to help you get starting with your orchestral works and projects.
ORCHESTOOLS | WINDS Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Basoon samples from the excellent VSCO 2 CE sample library mapped and available for you to layer, combine, edit and model using the tools of the ORCHESTOOLS | SECTIONS engine. Map MIDI controlers to any of the UI sliders and buttons. Use compression and convolution reverb to tailor the sound for your project. Load any of the presets from library or use them as template for your original sounds. Set keyrange for any of the 4 layers and assign them to individual MIDI channels.
ORCHESTOOLS | PERC Over 70 samplemaps built from VSCO 2 CE and VSCL libraries released by Versilian Studios that cover orchestral, ethnic and contemporary percussive instruments. Combine, edit and create powerful layers of drum sounds and effects for your project utilising identical ORCHESTOOLS | SECTIONS engine. Start from any of the many presets on factory library and create and save your own sounds and textures.
Download Orchestools Here
Versilian Studios: has A new player for Sound Font format. You will need to download and install the free Sforzando player plugin by Plogue to use these instruments. Sforzando itself loads as a VSTi or Audio Unit plugin inside your DAW. SFZ patches are then loaded into Sforzando (like a CD into a CD player!). This way you can load all kinds of different instruments inside Sforzando, instead of needing to install DOZENS of plugins for each sound you wish to use. Unlike a standalone VSTi plugin, VCSL Keys will not stop working because of an operating system update, and will take up far less space on your hard drive. The patches will work and behave the same regardless of which operating system or DAW you use, even on Linux. There are a variety of freeware products from Versilian that are grea,t but you need this player to use them.
VCSL Keys: is the successor to VS Upright No. 1, this collection contains all of the keyboard instruments from the Versilian Community Sample Library in one convenient package! Explore 3 grands, 2 uprights, and 5 harpsichords, all derived from Versilian Studios commercial libraries.
Virtuosity Drums is an open source (Creative Commons 0) contemporary Jazz drum kit library, performed with sticks, recorded at Virtuosity Musical Instruments in Boston, MA. Get the entire collection of Freeware from Versilian studios.
Versilian Studios click here
Ample Guitar M Lite II is a free acoustic instrument based on the Martin D-41 Acoustic Guitar. It is from Ample Sound.
More Information Get it Here
Ample Bass P Lite is another instrument from Ample Sound. It is based on the Fender Precision Bass. This is one of the best VSTi software instruments available for bass.
More Information Get It Here
SampleTank 4 CS: offers all the features of the full SampleTank 4, so you can use these sounds without limitations. To get you started, SampleTank 4 CS’s comprehensive sample library offers 50 Instruments, made up of over 4 GB of sounds in 16 categories, covering all the essential instrument basics, from piano to drums, synthesizers to guitars, and more.
Get It Here
MSoundFactoryPlayer: is completely for FREE! It gets you just a few sounds, but you may get some 3rd party sounds for it as well! You can get it simply by letting MSoundFactory trial expire. The Monestary Grand is a completely free high-quality sampled concert piano. There’s a treasure hidden in one of the monasteries near Pilsen, Czech beer capital – a beautiful stage piano in a concert hall with outstanding acoustics. It is one of the free sounds that comes with the MSoundFactoryPlayer.
Get the player Here
Get The Piano and other instruments here
The SSD5 is amazing drum software from Steven Slate. The free version is really incredible. There are expansion packs and other ways to spend money and add-on to this kit. However, the free version is pretty awesome. This is worth having.
Get the SSD5 by clicking Here
The MT Power Drum Kit is a drum sampler offering the powerful, high-quality sounds of an acoustic, realistic drum kit. Samples have been specially recorded and processed to make them ideally suited to use in pop, rock, and metal productions. This is a great way to add drums to your music or use the groves in this drum synth with your other drum software. Check out the video for details.
MT Power Drum Kit click here
Monster Drums is so great it is hard to believe it is free. This package contains several different drum kits and it also includes drum kits designed around classic drum machines from the 90’s. it sounds incredible and it is easy to learn and use. this is a great way to add drums to any DAW application you are using. Monster Drums doesn’t have an installer so you have to place the files manually. This is not hard to do and it comes with instructions. As far as I know, It does not have a stand alone version so you must use it with a DAW application. After testing it I found it reliable and fun to use. Each Kit has it’s own skin.
Get Monster Drums Here
BFD Player is another drum software program that is worthy of this list. Like the Steven slate software, there are expansion packs and other ways to spend money and add-on to this kit. However, the free version is pretty awesome. This also sounds incredible.
Get BFD Player Here
ML Drums is a modular drum sampler platform where the initial release comes with a free drum kit. Continue expanding the kit to your liking by purchasing add-ons. Start expanding the kit with ML Drums Essentials, ML Drums Luxe, ML Drums Meld and ML Drums Grit.It is the easiest virtual drum sampler software to use.
DSK Music: offers a lot of really great instruments for free. There are many great-sounding software instruments for free. Check out the total collection that is available. Here is an example of their Sax instrument.
