Today digital technology is used almost in every type of business. The music industry is not left behind as now most of the musicians are using some of the best orchestral plugins to create great music pieces. If you are tired visiting various forums to collect information on virtual orchestra software, then our list on the most sought orchestral VST will help you choose the one that is required to create a great musical piece.
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Best Orchestral VST
1. Intimate Textures: NOVO Pack 01 for Orchestral VST
- Orchestral Composition Software Meaning Of Orchestral Music Dec 14, 2015 Compiling a general survey of orchestral sample libraries available becomes more and more difficult every year. The sheer number of companies producing top-quality software for orchestral sampling has increased substantially of late, and there are.
- You can, of course, combine tunes that you've written within the same software to see how a fuller band or orchestra might sound. You can use most music notation software on both home computers and mobile devices. So, more serious composers can have a laptop set-up in a studio to use it, while others can record ad hoc, when inspiration strikes.
Novo Pack 01: Intimate Textures is a cutting-edge, ground-breaking sound engine developed by Heavvyocity embed with small chamber string ensembles. It is the economical version of Novo Modern Strings by the same brand equipped with a new Texture designer to help you compose remarkable melodies. While the Novo Pack 01: Intimate Textures may not qualify as a complete string library, it is bundled with traditional articulations with movement and depth capable enough to produce countless sonic opportunities.
Intimate Textures: NOVO Pack 01 is available with these features:
- Downloads directly the Intimate Textures: NOVO Pack 01, a 14.2 GB uncompressed file that holds the 5,265 Samples.
- There are 192 Presets and 43 articulations which are mainly divided into three parts: Violins – 14, Violas – 15 and Celli – 14 Articulations
- Also, get the advance version of granular & rhythmic playback.
- Software is integrated with Komplete Kontrol.
- The new NOVO Pack 01 is compatible with the free version as well as the latest Kontakt 5.6.8
- CYCLE page for advanced granular & rhythmic playback
- Use the MACRO knob to control the dynamic multi-parameter of the music piece.
2. Film Score Companion Orchestral VST
Film Score Companion by SONiVOX is the ultimate sound production package equipped with five important collections necessary for modern-day music compositions. These collections include Orchestral Companion Strings, Orchestral Companion Woodwinds, Big Bang Cinematic Percussion, Orchestral Companion Brass, and Eighty-Eight Ensemble. Most notably, all these collections utilize their own respective sample player plugin. While these collections are available separately, the complete Film Score Companion is available as a complete package for both Windows and Apple ecosystem as VST, AU, and AAX formats.
Film Score Companion is available with these features:
- Orchestral Companion Strings is a 9 GB library that has cellos, basses, violas, and 1st and 2nds violin’s and Articulations, which includes staccato, pizzicato, tremolos, sustains and much more.
- The Brass Orchestral Companion is a 5 GB library that Solo and Ensemble Trombones, Frech Horns, Trumpers, and Tuba with articulations of marcato, mutes, sustains, staccato and many more.
- Eighty-Eight is a vast 11 GB collection that features 9-foot CD337 Concert Grand recorded in the orchestral hall for the authentic effect.
- Big Bang Cinematic Percussion contains 15 GB library with a library of 200 different percussions, including ethnic, classic, and raw power hits.
- Orchestral Woodwinds is a 9 GB library that includes the sounds of Flute, Oboe, English Horn, Piccolo, Bassoon, Clarinet, and Bass Clarinet, Solo with ensemble patches.
3. Orchestral Percussion SDX VST
Orchestral Percussion SDX is a complimentary music strings library for Superior Drummer 3 developed by the Toontrack. Hence, the product is identified as an expansion for SD3 instead of a standalone tool. The perfect complement to the ultimate Superior Drummer 3 framework, the Orchestral Percussion SDX is a collection of tunes mixed and engineered from 120 different instruments played, recorded, and reviewed by experts. By using the ultimate combo of OP SDX and SD3, the music composers can produce tunes ranging from an essential stereo mix to a multi-channel surround extravaganza.
Orchestral Percussion SDX is available with these features:
Best Orchestral Music Software
- Enjoy an itemized orchestral percussion library that contains around 120 instruments sounds recorded in a world-class music studio.
- Each sound has been recorded with the highest standard in the music industry.
- Every music in the library has the highest velocity layers, so each sound is crystal clear and expresses the soul of every instrument.
The sounds are recorded with multiple mic positions in different angles to capture music, which can use further mixes.
4. Emotional Orchestral Piano VST Player Edition
Designed especially for the widely used Kontakt Player as well as NI’s Komplete Kontrol S-Series Keyboards, Emotional Piano by Soundiron is the ultimate scoring piano library. The rich library of piano tunes helps composers to embody the warmth and resonant tone of the walnut-bodies Kawai grand piano. As the name signifies, the Emotional Piano by Soundiron is powered with an advanced arpeggiation system designed to help musicians produce emotive sounds and melodious songs. With advanced control features and a full FX rack system, this popular virtual instrument offers the ultimate creative control to create extraordinary tunes.
Emotional Piano Player Edition is available with these features:
- The fully-configurable multi-FX rack has 88 keys that give you control over each sound-shaping function.
- Emotional Piano Player edition comes with ten dynamic velocity layers for each key and Pedal Action Samples
- Every sound recorded by keeping the microphone in an angle that captures the rich and entire sound of every note.
- The FX Panel is powerful and configurable so that you can control every effect.
- The package also includes FX environments, 1,716 samples, and 100+ custom natural sounds.
5. Orchestral Companion – Brass VST
Orchestral Companion Brass by SONiVOX is an ultimate collection of 80 excellent brass programs dedicated to offering accurate and convincing music composition. Since artificial sounds don’t justify the pure intent of the composer, the SONiVOX team has designed this comprehensive collection of full orchestral brass ensembles to offer a more convincing and authentic music output. Orchestral Companion Brass is a collective effort of the design team at SOViNOX and the world’s top musicians playing the best-sounding instruments to create life-life and authentic tones and sounds.
Orchestral Companion – Brass is available with these features:
- Each sound of every brass instrument in the world is captured in the world-class studio.
- The software contains 24-bit, dual velocity patches that aids in giving expressive textures to the music piece.
- Orchestral Companion – Brass has a data of 5 GB with 80+ patches that include solo instruments, brass ensembles, and sectionals.
- Sounds of Trombone, Bass Trombone, Solo Trumpet, Tuba and French Horn is included.
- Use 16 patches with full articulation by using MIDI keys.
- Get creative freedom with the help of Internal FX, LFOs, and envelopes.
How To Select the Best Orchestral VST Software Plugin
Are you a newbie music producer or a specialist in orchestral music? Finding Best Orchestral VST from the list can be a task as many brands are trying to sell their software, claiming it to be the best. However, it’s important to evaluate the sample quality of any software because using the right product will help ease the task of editing a music piece.
Before choosing any product, it essential to select the top five products to test the sample quality. Then pick a music piece that will be tested on these multiple sources to see if the volume can be altered, audio fidelity can be improved, and how one can tone extreme volume and pitches. With each software sample, note down on each product work on timbre, giving smoothness to sound and allow you the freedom to adjust pitch as per requirement.
Remember, the software should be able to work on instruments that have a higher pitch.
The last yet most important factor which requires evaluation is the speed of the Software Plugin. The speed of any software depends on the memory capacity and storage available of the machine. To avoid the glitch, use the VST only when you want to alter any composition. Also, pick the software that uses less memory space, have a user-friendly interface, simple navigation, and smoother functioning. Also, when you are choosing the software, make sure it is compatible to handle up to 50 GB sound library. With our list of best brands of orchestral VSTs, you will be able to pick out product(s), which will create master music pieces.
These days, choosing your music software is just as important as choosing your DAW because you’re committing to learning its features and idiosyncrasies. You might think that there aren’t enough differences in software vendors’ offerings on the surface, but choosing the right orchestral VST for you requires quite a bit of consideration.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the best orchestral VSTs on the market today and evaluate them with the sample-based producer in mind.
How We Selected the Best Orchestral VST
Whether you’re a generalist music producer or an enthusiastic orchestral music specialist, finding the perfect orchestral VST is a difficult task. Many of the software vendors offer music samples for you to evaluate the quality of the samples; however, the ease of use of the software and its workflow are also important to consider.
When it comes to sample quality, we played the recordings on multiple sources and volumes, noting the audio fidelity, especially at extreme pitches and volumes. During your own evaluation, we recommend playing the samples with a focus on timbre, smoothness and realism as you adjust the pitch and volume. The instruments must be impeccably clear even at full blast.
The next thing we evaluated was the speed of the software engine. In many cases the speed of the software is determined by the memory capacity of your machine. So, to avoid a slow-loading instrument, consider the minimum requirements of the VST. Additionally, we preferred the software instruments that were user-friendly. This means that the VSTs with great user-interfaces and simple navigation ranked higher in our evaluation.
Be sure to choose an instrument with enough instruments and samples. In our testing, a 50 GB sound library for the orchestral VST would be fine for a home studio.
With over a dozen brands of orchestral VSTs in the market today, selecting your dream instrument is a real chore. So, to help you quickly make an informed decision, we have created an in-depth guide of some of the best orchestral VSTs in the market.
1. Miroslav Philharmonik Orchestra
First on the list is the Miroslav Philharmonik 2, one of the best orchestral VSTs available in the market. This powerhouse instrument comes packed with a large audio capacity (55 GB) worth of samples, data and loops. The library also features Miroslav Vitous’ breathtaking recordings of sounds and music performances by the Czech Philharmonik Orchestra at the famous Dvorak Symphony Hall. These legendary recordings give you quality samples enabling you to reproduce world-class orchestral sounds in your music.
Its unique multi-timbral workstations (16 in total) incorporates an array of carefully laid out instruments. The collection includes wind instruments, brass, and string. As for the user interface, the Philharmonik Orchestra VST features a top-notch layout, including easy to navigate menus enabling you to locate every sound quickly.
The package includes a 34 classical DSP effect, 4 master effects, 4 insert effects for every instrument and patented ultra-quality reverb effects. With both the VST/DAW and standalone programs installed, you also enjoy the benefit of choosing how to play your instrument.
Pros
- 55 gigabytes loaded with samples
- Easy to download the software- Direct digital download
- A large Variety of master and individual effects
- Compatible with the DAWs, VSTs, and Standalone application
Cons
- Quite Expensive if you are on a tight budget ($529)
2. Garritan Instant Orchestra
If you are looking for the best value for the price you’re paying, be sure to consider this pack from Garritan. The software comes at an incredibly low price that should fit most budgets. Garritan Instant Orchestra is well regarded among music enthusiasts and boasts an authentic sample library.
Garritan is designed with an extensive choice of instruments which include strings, bass-octave tones, strings overlays and big hits. It also comes packed with additional sounds including ethereal textures, wild overlays, mega-hits, chaotic whirls, spooky wind textures, super-lush strings, slivery choirs, light glassy, harps, low-octave rumblings, glissandi, bombastic brass sections and chord clusters. Finally, Garritan also comes with an integrated ARIA player saving you from spending on a separate sample player.
Pros
- Compatible with the VSTs and other systems like windows (Ableton) and Mac (Logic Pro X)
- Easy to use with the USB and MIDI hardware and software
- User-friendly interfaces
- High-quality audio clips and samples
- Comparatively cheap ($179.95)
Cons
- A restricted number of samples
- Not compatible with Adobe Audition
3. Native Instruments Komplete 13
Willing to invest in an all-in-one solution? Well, Native Instruments’ Complete 13 is arguably the best orchestral VST pack in the market. Loaded with plenty of orchestral instruments and more, this instrument is ideal for the jack-of-all trades producer.
Native Instruments’ Komplete 13 comes with a huge storage capacity of about 200GB which houses more than 13000 different sounds. Inside, you will also find a 45 product pack which includes additional software like UNA Corda, Strummed Acoustic, Reactor 6, Replika and many more. If you’re looking for more than just orchestral samples, Komplete 13 offers the most value on this list.
Pros
- A 200GB storage capacity of samples, sounds, and audio products
- Compatible with Mac and Windows systems
- A ton of digital applications and virtual instruments
Cons
- Quite expensive ($599)
- Might be overwhelming for a beginner
4. Ivory II
Looking for the ultimate piano VST for your orchestral production? Well, Ivory II by Steinway and Sons may be just what you need.
Ivory II provides high fidelity piano sounds. It features 18 high-velocity levels (for each piano), sensational string resonance, a pedal noise feature, timbre shifting, a lid position, a half pedalling function, a set of tuning tables and synth layers. With the above features and a 49GB memory full of memorable samples, this instrument will transform your music. Ivory II also features Harmonic Resonance Modelling, a feature that ensures authenticity in your final product.
This VST also features timbre shifting, Parametric EQ settings and other syntax control layers, and is the top choice if you rely heavily on authentic piano samples.
Pros
- Compatible with both Windows and Mac computers (32-64-bit settings)
- 49 GB core memory for sample storage.
- A wide variety of EQ options, synth, pedal noise features, and filters.
Cons
- Limited to only piano-related samples.
5. Vienna Symphonic Library
If you are looking for flexibility in terms of your sample library’s authenticity, the Vienna Symphonic Library is a good choice. Because of its pure samples (without additives) you will be able to customize your instruments to your heart’s content. While most orchestral VSTs adopt a modern sound, the Vienna Symphonic Library has maintained its classic approach to orchestral instrument reproduction, making it a staple in the music industry.
But when it comes to its software, this instrument is completely modernized, coming with a sample library capacity of about 40GB, fully loaded with meticulously selected classical samples. It contains 28 instruments which include brass, percussion, strings, woodwinds and pianos. The software also allows you to play as an ensemble or a solo, so you can experiment with different styles in your production.
The highlight of the Vienna Symphonic Library is its string section because it is uniquely built to excel in creating legato performances. It also features an algorithmic programming feature that enables real note transition that produces unique melodies.
Modern Orchestral Music
Pros
- Utilizes the AX, VST, RTAS and AU formats.
- 40GB storage memory
Cons
- Limited samples
- Lacks special effects
Verdict: Which is the best orchestral VST?
With so many options available, it can be quite difficult to choose which is universally the best orchestral VST. However, to make decision simpler, start with your own requirements. What is your budget? What is most important to you, audio quality or the sheer number of variety in sounds? Also, consider the purpose of the instrument. Are you purchasing an orchestral VST for professional recording or to use at your private studio? And finally, what genre of music do you intend to produce? Some orchestral VSTs are specifically designed for a specific genre of music while others are built multipurpose. After answering the above questions for yourself, the choice becomes much easier.
To summarize, here are our recommendations:
If you specialize in orchestral music production, you should consider the Philharmonik Orchestra, the Vienna Symphonic Library, or the Garritan Instant Orchestra. These choices provide a range for all budgets, and are incredibly versatile.
However, Synthogy’s Ivory II is the best choice if you primarily compose piano pieces within larger orchestra productions.
Finally, if you want a tool that serves multiple purposes for your home studio, you should consider Native Instruments’ Komplete 13. This will give you the most variety without compromising on the music quality.
If you’re still unsure, a beginner, or on a low budget, Garritan Instant Orchestra might be the best orchestral VST available. This tool fits into any budget at $179.95 and is loaded with all the necessary features to produce great orchestral music.
In this article, we offered 5 choices for your next orchestral VST, but it doesn’t end here. Do you know of other orchestral VSTs we might have missed? Let us know!