Best Free VSTs: Brass & Horns

Posted November 9, 2021

Channel your inner Louis Armstrong in a safe, virtual environment.

Brass band

Ensemble sustains/staccatos/marcatos/scoops/falls/shakes: Orchestral Tools Rotary includes a trumpet, trombone, and baritone sax ensemble designed for big band sounds. VSTAUAAX (SINEfactory)
Ensemble sustains/staccatos/flutter-tongue: Red Room Audio Palette – Primary Colors features these articulations with various dynamics. NKI (Woocommerce + Pulse)
Ensemble staccatos/marcatos/aleatoric: ProjectSAM The Free Orchestra features brass in several patches. “Bombastic Basses” has low staccato brass layered with piano and timpani. “Pandora Bursts” has two octaves of low marcatos suitable for dramatic scoring or trap music. The “Attitude Mix” knob mixes in a bass drum for more impact.”Ghostly Clusters” and “Pandora Panic” patches feature dissonant crescendos. “Tutti Hits” includes some dramatic rips and hits. NICNT (account)

Solo B♭(?) legato/sustains/staccatos/marcatos: Norrland Samples Solo Trumpet NKI
Solo B♭(?) legato/sustains: Alpine Project has two trumpets to choose from. NKI (newsletter)
Solo B♭ sustains/flutter tongue: Dannenberg Brass has a decent modeled one. ENS (account)
Solo piccolo sustains/flutter tongue: Dannenberg Brass has a decent modeled one. ENS (account)

Ensemble sustains: Jasper Blunk’s Vibrato Trumpets NKI
Ensemble sustains/staccatissimos: Spitfire BBCSO Discover has a trumpets section. VSTAUAAX (Spitfire)
Ensemble swells: Jasper Blunk’s Fortissimo Trumpet ensemble Matrix Swells patch NKI

Solo straight/harmon/cup/plunger/bucket/velvet + legato/sustains/staccatos/marcatos: Norrland Samples Solo Trumpet has more mute options than my $700 brass library…🥴 NKI
Solo harmon + sustains: Mihai Sorohan’s Muted Trumpet SF2MUXYTIL
Solo harmon + staccato: ProjectSAM The Free Orchestra‘s “Tongue in Cheek” patch has a muted trumpet from G3-G5. From F♯1-F♯3 it’s layered with some other silly instruments. NICNT (account); Michael Picher’s Muted Cartoon “Wahs” has three different lengths of muted “wah” staccatos, including the “‘Wah Quarter'” keyswitch that’s closer to a tenuto. The sounds are mono. SFZ
Solo harmon + swells: Samples Spotlight The Harmon Swells features Harmon mute wah crescendos of varying lengths. It also inexplicably has Totoro on the interface. Cool! NKI

Ensemble bucket(?) + swells: Spitfire LABS Trumpet Fields has a variety of very fun soft and fluttery trumpet textures. VSTAUAAX (Spitfire)

Solo alto sustains/flutter tongue: Dannenberg Brass has a decent modeled one. ENS (account)
Solo bass legator/sustains: Alpine Project‘s Bass Trombone patch NKI (newsletter)
Solo bass sustains/flutter tongue: Dannenberg Brass has a decent modeled one. ENS (account)
Solo tenor legato/sustains/staccatos: Ivy Audio Carpenter Trombone NKI (account OR torrent)
Solo aleatoric: Westwood Solo Brass Untamed – Demo has some trombone improvisations and sustains with random tonguing. NKI (account)

Ensemble sustains/staccatissimos: Spitfire BBCSO Discover includes tenor and bass trombone sections. VSTAUAAX (Spitfire)
Ensemble marcatos: Jasper Blunk’s Fortissimo Trombone ensemble NKI

Solo bass straight/harmon + legatos/sustains: Alpine Project‘s muted bass trombone patches NKI (newsletter)
Solo tenor straight/harmon + legatos/sustains: Alpine Project‘s muted tenor trombone patches NKI (newsletter)
Solo tenor harmon + staccatos/tenutos: Michael Picher’s Muted Cartoon “Wahs” has three different lengths of muted “wah” staccatos, including the “‘Wah Quarter'” keyswitch that’s closer to a tenuto. The sounds are mono. SFZ

Solo legato/sustains: Alpine Project‘s Tuba patch NKI (newsletter)
Solo sustains/staccatos/staccatissimos/noises: Karoryfer’s War Tuba SFZ
Solo sustains: Westwood Solo Brass Untamed – Demo has some soft sustains. NKI (account)
Solo trills: Philharmonia‘s brass MP3

Solo straight + legato/sustains: Alpine Project‘s “Tuba – Straight Mute” patch NKI (newsletter)
Solo straight + sustains: Philharmonia‘s brass set has some, but you’ll have to rig your own sample instrument. MP3

Euphonium: Joe Miserendino’s Euphonium has some sustains. SF2; Westwood Solo Brass Untamed – Demo has soft sustains and strong staccatos. NKI (account)
Flugelhorn: Chris Cook’s Dusty Flugelhorn NKIdspreset (account); Westwood Solo Brass Untamed – Demo includes some aleatoric flugelhorn improvisations. NKI (account)
Tenor Horn: Arseniy Kunin’s 1956 Tenor Horn NKIdspreset (account)

Ensemble sustains/staccatissimos: Spitfire BBCSO Discover includes a French horn section. VSTAUAAX (Spitfire)
Ensemble staccatos/marcatos: ProjectSAM The Free Orchestra‘s “Heroic Horns” patch features eight players with marcatos ranging A3-C5. NICNT (account)
Ensemble sforzandos: Jasper Blunk’s Fortissimo Horn Ensemble has a patch with a sforzando, but no crescendo afterwards. NKI

Solo handstopped + legato/sustains: Alpine Project‘s “Horn – Hand Stopped” patch NKI (newsletter)

Birch trumpet: Boom Library Nordic War Horns includes sounds from a neverlur. WAV (Woocommerce); Eamon Coughlan’s Näverlur NKI (account)
Bukkehorn (goat/ram horn): Boom Library Nordic War Horns includes sounds from a bukkehorn. WAV (Woocommerce)
Carnyx (Celtic war horn): Quilcom Sim-Carnyx is a decent modeled version. Win VST
Conch: Tangent Edge Sea Trumpets Free is the free version of a seashell trumpet instrument sampled from the collection of the coolest guy ever. NKISFZEXS (newsletter)
Didgeridoo: VCSL‘s Didgeridoo patch (SFZ mapping and samples) SFZWAV (Github); Quilcom Sim-Didge is a good modeled version. Win VST
Lur: Boom Library Nordic War Horns includes sounds from a bronze lur replica. WAV (Woocommerce)
Shofar (Jewish horn): Starbirth Kudu Shofar SFZ (Github)
Vuvuzela: Atomhub Gnat Shepherd Free NKI

Comic ad clipping that reads, "Without knowing a single note of music, you play instantly on sight!"