Best Free VSTs: Brass & Horns

Posted November 9, 2021

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

Brass band

Ensemble sustains/marcatos/staccatos/scoops/falls/shakes: Orchestral Tools Rotary includes a trumpet, trombone, and baritone sax enemble 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 aleatoric: ProjectSAM The Free Orchestra actually has a few patches featuring cinematic and chaotic brass sounds, including “Pandora Bursts,” “Pandora Panic,” and “Tutti 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 (BBCSO + 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 cute muted trumpet from G3-G5. From F♯1-F♯3 it’s layered with some other silly instruments. NICNT (account)
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 (BBCSO + 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 + legator/sustains: Alpine Project‘s muted tenor trombone patches NKI (newsletter)

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

Including natural horns and trumpets.

Birch trumpet/neverlur: Eamon Coughlan’s Näverlur NKI (account)
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
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)
Shofar (Jewish horn): Starbirth Kudu Shofar SFZ (Github)
Tenor Horn: Arseniy Kunin’s 1956 Tenor Horn NKIdspreset (account)
Vuvuzela: Atomhub Gnat Shepherd Free NKI

Ensemble sustains/staccatissimos: Spitfire BBCSO Discover includes a French horn section. VSTAUAAX (BBCSO + Spitfire)
Ensemble 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)

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