Best Choir VST Plugins of 2021 – Ultimate Round-up

| Last Updated: December 27, 2021

If you were dreaming about recording a choir, you would be glad to know that technology got so advanced that it’s possible to record it by using a software-only instead of a real choir.

The best part is that you can even use it not just with actual words but your lyrics as well!

What Makes a VST Plugin Great For Choir?

We’re going to discuss the most crucial benefits in case you think about VST Choirs:

Sampling Synthesis

With the modern technology breakthrough, sampling libraries with dozens of gigabytes aren't part of the future anymore. This allowed manufacturers to create Choir VSTs in a highly detailed fashion and, along with proper programming, make it possible to sound realistic and authentic.

EastWest Hollywood Choirs Gold

Time-Saving

VST instruments allow you to audition the idea in general. You can change presets, edit notes, and see how it actually sounds in your song. With the real-life choir, once recorded it would be almost impossible to change any part. 

Cost-Efficient

While VST choir isn’t that cheap, it’s still much more affordable than hiring a real choir and a proper recording place. Needless to say, such events are mostly organized in advance and recorded in a single session window of several days. If you forgot to record something or have an idea, it would double your costs. VST instruments can be turned on anytime, so even in the case that your score can’t be done in software, you can at least record a demo that can save you a lot of money when the real recording starts.

Comparison of the Best Choir VST Plugins

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • Blockbuster quality choir
  • Wordbuilder engine availble in English, German and Latin
  • 100 of pre-recorded phrases fully editable
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  • Realistic choir recorded with three different mic positions
  • Word editor capable of performing what you typed
  • Extended key range for all vocals
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  • Unique VST that combines pads with vocals
  • 130 presets for instant inspiration
  • Compatible with Kontakt 6
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  • 33-voice female choir professional grade
  • Word builder engine available in Latin and Russian
  • Risers, falls, sweeps and swells included
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  • 4 different solo singers - soprano, alto, tenor and bass
  • 3200 live performance phrases available in French and Latin
  • Humming and whistling categories included
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Review of the Best Choir VST Plugins 

Here are some of the best choir VST instruments available. Let’s check up what they have to offer and what makes them better than the rest of the competition:

Best Overall:
EastWest Hollywood Choirs - Gold

PROS

  • Detailed realism options for letters used in words
  • WordBuilder 2 allows you to turn text into singing
  • Premium choir instrument with both men and women samples
  • 781 editable phrases in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Latin
  • Volume sliders for vowels and both pitched and non-pitched consonants

CONS

  • Demand high-performance CPU
  • In-depth editing can be counter-productive

Features and Specifications

This VST instrument comes with both men and women choir and based on the given note range it may automatically overlap in volume towards one or another gender depending if the note is low or high avoiding unrealistic situations.

It comes with preinstalled hundreds of most frequent phrases recorded in various languages along with new takes of vowels and consonants. The advanced algorithm ensures realism of the choir as it treats the consonants at the end of the word independently and they put extra care on non-pitched consonants which are sampled in both high and low frequencies.

Why it Stands Out to Us

EastWest has been in the choir instruments business for a quite while and this is their latest software. 

They also managed to improve WordBuilder software and make it even more versatile so that you can type in any word and the choir will sing it for you. And while the round-robin method helps to make the choir sound realistic in general, you can also pick samples directly if that works for you.

Sound-wise, it is very convincing. They invested a lot of effort into creating a broader dynamic range compared to the last version. This is an ideal tool for your cinematic projects. 

Runner-up:
EastWest Symphonic Choirs - Platinum

PROS

  • Detailed convolution reverb
  • Award-winning choir library recorded at a 24-bit version
  • Men, women and boy choir selection at extended ranges
  • WordBuilder feature allows you to make choir sing words given
  • Perfect integration with Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra VST

CONS

  • No solo Tenor or Bass available
  • User Interface feels a little bit outdated

Features and Specifications

The sound was captured at 24-bit from three different points so you can mix them together to get the type of ambiance you need for your project.

EastWest recorded this choir library in the same environment and conditions as the Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra VST, so, in case you want to mix them together, it will fit together perfectly as the same natural acoustics would be applied.

It is also equipped with WordBuilder and includes another huge set of pre-recorded phrases that can be synced in tempo and played at different pitch and it supports

Why it Stands Out to Us

While there is a new EastWest choir library available, which is undoubtedly an improved one, this might also be a good call if you’re running short on computer resources or you’re tight on a budget. Also, if you need even more, there is a cheaper “Gold” version that offers the same sample pack but with only one mic position.

After all, this version provides you with the boy choir and an extra choir expansion as well. It’s rare to find all types of the choir under a single software and that makes Symphony Choirs unique on the market.

Best for the Money:
Heavyocity Mosaic Voices

PROS

  • 130 factory presets built-in
  • Hybrid organic & synthetic vocal instrument
  • Available in both standalone and VST format
  • Ideal for soundtracks based on modern music
  • Effects and filter available for every channel separately

CONS

  • No phrases available - only vowels
  • Synth section should come with standard envelope control

Features and Specifications

The core of this VST is made from three layers - synthetic vocal pads, organic human voice, and additional synth layer. All three can be mixed further together while effects and filters can be layered independently. The user interface looks modern and feels very intuitive.

Presets are split in hybrid and organic categories and there is also a special category made with a bunch of very useful sequenced vocal presets.

mes also in the standalone version and won’t take too much of your storage space as installation asks only for 8 gigabytes.

Why it Stands Out to Us

Mosaic Voices isn’t a typical choir library. It won’t create that epic impact that can be made from real choirs, but it could be heavily used for modern music projects that require building an eerie atmosphere. We can imagine using this instrument in many modern TV series soundtracks.

The moment you pick a first preset you will understand that it asks for experimenting. It really excels in creating unique vocal textures combined with other synth elements in a very musical way leaving out the complex editing and focus on what’s the most important - creativity.

Best Female Choir:
Venus Symphonic Women's Choir

PROS

  • 5 solo singers also available
  • 2 mic positions available for mixing
  • Latin and Slavonic (Russian liturgical) language 
  • Sampled with a professional 33-voice female choir 
  • Advanced Phrase Builder with the ability to store up to 16 user sequences

CONS

  • Highly-priced for women-only choir 
  • No English language support present

Features and Specifications

This choir library comes at 24-bit 48kHz sound quality. The sound was captured from two different sources and the interface comes with a huge Phrase Builder system that allows you to combine different syllables. Syllables were taken with different singing techniques so you can choose between staccato, marcato, slow and fast poly-sustains that can be synced with your DAW tempo. 

And in case you’re going to need a soloist 5 different performers are available with an extra set of pre-recorded melodic phrases for instant inspiration.

Why it Stands Out to Us

We really like how realistic dynamic range sounds no matter if you’re performing at piano or forte range. Also, the collection of extra shouts, risers, swells, falls adds that cinematic flavor you’re going to need for your scoring. Even whispers, spoken words, and basic “mmm” humming are included in this choir library. 

Also, if you mix it with Mars Symphonic Men’s Choir you can get a complete choir set - this would leave out the option for adding another reverb to match the environment as they both were recorded at the same conditions.

Best Male Choir:
The Mars Symphonic Men's Choir

PROS

  • 3 solo singers available
  • Pure Vowel mode with true legato included
  • Latin and Slavonic (Russian liturgical) language 
  • Recorded with a professional 30-voice male choir
  • Additional collection of whispers, shouts and war chants available

CONS

  • English not available for phrases
  • Expensive as it comes with mens only choir

Features and Specifications

Sampled syllables were taken several times by 30-voice professional men choir and grouped into marcato and staccato techniques along with Pure Vowel content that comes with true legato in 5 different forms - Ah, Oh, Mm and Oo in both soft and loud variants.

Content is recorded in Latin and Slavonic language and you can mix the output from two microphone sources, the stage and the hall.

In case you’re going to need, you can also pick a soloist and choose between a master bass or two different tenor soloists that come with many staccato syllables and melodic polysustains.

Why it Stands Out to Us

Soundiron did a great job including Slavonic language. It’s ideal for professional scoring, especially for any movie or TV work with the segment that is related to Russia. There is a mainstream trend where Russian army choirs are often used to layer such scenes and from what we’ve heard, we couldn’t tell the difference if we were listening to the software or the real choir, so you can achieve exactly the same vibe. Add some war chants and choral shouts available and you can create a very intense atmosphere.

But, as it comes with the Latin language, you can use it in other regular ways, too.

Best Children Choir:
Mercury Symphonic Boyschoir

PROS

  • Whistle ensemble available as an extra
  • Recorded by award-winning 25-voice Pacific Boychoir
  • Special organic synth pads created from the choir source 
  • Two soloists of different age using their own set of syllables
  • Dozens of staccato and marcato syllables available along with Pure Vowels

CONS

  • Available in Latin language only
  • Expensive for a single choir source

Features and Specifications

It comes with a wordmaster system that allows you to organize your scoring in a sequencing way so that you can switch between 42 different words by using a key switch method on your MIDI keyboard controller

All generated sound can be applied to various convolution reverb settings.

Additional singing techniques are available, so there are a whistling ensemble and set of atonal and spoken poly-sustains and incredibly rare FFF poly-staccatos.

Soundiron provided us with two different soloists of different ages so that you can pick the right one for your project. 

Why it Stands Out to Us

Boy choirs are often needed for cinematic scoring but the good ones are not so easy to find. This one has a very intuitive user interface that helps a lot in achieving a new level of realism. Whistling sounds especially convincing and catchy. 

Soundiron also utilized the samples they recorded and created unique and organic synth pads that can be used for more than just cinematic scoring.

And just in case the price is too high for you, there are cheaper versions that share the same sound source but come short for several options that may not be so important to you.

Best Cinematic Choir:
Requiem Light Symphonic Choir

PROS

  • 4.243 choir samples inside
  • Soprano and Tenor soloist
  • 3 True Legato Pure Vowels
  • Choir library specially made for epic cinematic scoring
  • 4 built-in effects including convolution reverb with dozens of environment impulses

CONS

  • No standalone version
  • Features and Specifications
  • EQ panel comes with only 3 band panel

Features and Specifications

This choir sample library was recorded in church so that the choir could be sampled in the most usual natural environment. All samples can be played as a one-shot or be tempo-synced if necessary and there is a quick switch to use it either double-time or half-time.

The effect rack is quite comprehensive and capable. You can select among 21 different filters, EQ, compressor, and excellent convolution reverb. And if you click on the FX Rack tab you can use the built-in Kontakt effect rack on a complete preset.

In case you need a soloist, soprano and tenor soloist are available.

Why it Stands Out to Us

This is one of the most versatile choir libraries we found so far. So many samples are packed in a relatively small storage footprint so we can say that this VST seems to be a very compact solution compared to the other libraries from the list. Instead of wasting resources on different languages, Soundiron decided to put all the cards in the one most often used in epic cinematic scoring - Latin. So, along with many pre-made samples, you can also use a Phrase Builder to create your own word sequences from the pre-made syllables.

Best Solo Vocal:
Voices of Rapture

PROS

  • Great FX rack panel
  • Clean and simple interface
  • 4 vocal soloist cover complete classical vocal range
  • Whispers, whistles, and breaths vocal effects included
  • 3.200 live performance phrases recorded in French and Latin

CONS

  • English phrases could be included
  • No option for recording your own phrases

Features and Specifications

Voices of Rapture are made from four different soloists, each one representing a different voice range - bass, tenor, alto, and soprano. They have recorded more than a thousand vocal phrases in the studio that can be synced with your project tempo within a click. Phrases are recorded in French and Latin language and there are additional vocal effects available such as humming. And on top of that, the convolution reverb is available in 10 different room categories starting from the cathedral and various room sizes up to outdoors, hallways, and even underground environment.

Why it Stands Out to Us

We love how simple the user interface is, leaving you with the options you would actually need to edit at some point so you can focus on songwriting instead. Every soloist is colored differently on the keyboard so you are always aware of what key range it can sing.

This VST is extremely playable, very expressive, and great sounding.  All patches sound already produced without any need to tweak it additionally and the variety of available phrases can create an instant burst of inspiration no matter what genre you’re working at the moment, so we only highly recommend this product.

What Do I Need to Know Before Buying?

Before you get thrilled and think what you’re going to buy here are some advice based on real-life experience:

Scoring

Creating an epic choir isn’t just about entering and selecting the best VST Choir. It requires proper scoring and intelligent notation. Unless you’re musically trained prepare yourself for a lot of tryouts before you create something that can get close to cinematic scores.

Software Limitations

While VST choirs can sound stunning, it may happen that it’s because of intelligent programming. No matter how many samples are recorded, the human voice is one of the most complex instrument to replicate, so some limitations will always be present. 

Learn how to make them work for you instead of opposing them.

Fine-Tuning

Unless you’re really lucky you will have to pay attention to the details if you want to make your choir singing sound organic. There are VSTs that allow you to tune up every vowel and consonant and to choose if the word end should rise or fall and how it will behave during legato parts. It’s all about tiny details. But, hey, gathering a real choir would be even harder!

Conclusion

VST Choirs are widely used and help a lot of composers to express properly these days. Choirs can make your tracks sound epic and be a serious game changer if composed correctly. You would be surprised to find out how many professionals are relying on this type of software.



I'm a 35-year-old rock-oriented professional musician from Belgrade, Serbia with 20 years of field experience in various areas of the music industry. After graduating from elementary music school I joined my first band Alogia in 2001 which had incredible initial success with the debut album and became one of the greatest Balkan heavy metal acts ever. We have recorded several studio and live albums and played as an opening act for Whitesnake, Apocalyptica, and Paul Di’Anno. Meanwhile, I got a chance to collaborate with Roland Planet shop and get familiar with various music equipment for more than a decade. For the last eight years, I have done live audio mixing for numerous bands and other live and studio events, including some TV audio mixing for national television broadcast as well. Currently, I’m playing keyboards for one of the most authentic Serbian music rock legends - Dr. Nele Karajlić, also known for his work with Zabranjeno Pušenje and No Smoking Orchestra.