If you think about it, whenever you hear a theme played on a flute you can imagine a certain picture that will take you to some part of the world. While this trait is not unique to the flute there is no other instrument that covers such a large part of the globe.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Flute VST Plugins
- OUR TOP PICK: Eastwest Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds Gold
- RUNNER-UP: Best Service Chris Hein Winds Vol. 1 - Flutes
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Orchestral Companion - Woodwinds
Table of Contents
Are All Flute VST Plugins The Same ?
Generally speaking, all Flute VST plugins are capable of making wonderful flute sounds nowadays. Of course, those more expensive will provide you with more details, but the biggest difference lies in the number or type of flute instruments they are offering.
There are many flutes with different sonic attributes in the world. It’s not possible to have them all with just one Flute VST software. That’s why some are specially made to offer you an array of ethnic winds, while others tend to excel in providing you a traditional flute used in western classical music.
What Makes a Great Flute VST?
Here are some aspects you should consider:
Detailed Sampling
If you need to make a flute VST sound like a real counterpart, you should pick libraries that provide you with a huge number of samples. Such plugins probably have taken all the velocities and dynamic ranges you would need for such work and the round-robin sample pick method is always welcomed.
Articulations
Besides proper sampling, articulations are essential for your flute sound. Playing flute requires certain techniques so pay attention to the number of articulations provided. Also, remember that repetitions and scale runs will always sound much more organic when used as a pre-recorded sample instead of writing it as a MIDI.
Sound Variety
The thing about flute playing is that its sound depends a lot on the player. That’s why single sampled flute won’t fit all the projects. On top of that different flutes cover different sound ranges so you might realize that you need a piccolo for a higher pitch or an alto flute for a darker sound.
User Interface
With all complexity and expressiveness of the flute sound, a good intuitive and comprehensive user interface can sometimes make more difference than other traits.
Comparison of the Best Flute VST Plugins
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Review of the Best Flute VST Plugins
Flutes are not so easy to be found as individual software. That’s why we’ll save you some time and provide you with the best offer on the market:
Best Overall:
Eastwest Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds Gold
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
This library contains 20GB of high-detailed woodwind samples from different versions of flutes, clarinets, horn, oboe, and bassoon. Five different flute instruments are available from low-range bass flute up to piccolo flute.
All instruments were captured with up to fifty different articulations and three-stage dynamics. Repetitions were treated specially so they were recorded in several tempos. On top of that, there are three performance scripts available allowing your phrases to acquire maximum realism. Each script can be used in any situation but they especially excel in repetition, legato, or portamento notation.
Why it Stands Out to Us
There are not many VSTs that were created by Hollywood blockbusters music producers. Combining them with the people who are aware of how virtual instruments are actually made is a certain guarantee for the excellent product.
This software excels especially regarding how smooth dynamic transitions sound and how realistic note repetitions and legato scale runs are.
We picked the Gold version as a perfect starter pack for all users. In case you would need more recording options at higher audio rates, upgrading to the Diamond version is easy to set-up and will work flawlessly with older projects that were using downgrade versions (Silver, for example).
Runner-up:
Best Service Chris Hein Winds Vol. 1 - Flutes
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
It contains all the flute instruments you would need for traditional composing. There are two versions of concert flute along with alto and piccolo flute available.
Note transitions can be performed seamlessly, thanks to numerous dynamic layers available. But in case you need a faster loading time, there are reduced versions of all instruments as well. Legato can be performed both natural or artificially depending on the note length you need and vibrato editing can be tuned either automatic or into finest details manually with a couple of presets provided for a head start.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Try any short-long note combination and you will understand why this library is our favor. Even if you play it without any effect it will sound trustworthy no matter what flute you picked. But, once you apply any of the available convolution reverb you will understand how these impulse responses can make your tune sound organic. ite.
We especially like the option to use it in polyphonic mode. While it may not be a traditional use of flute instruments, it can create some interesting and original chord stabs for modern music that can make your track stand out from many others.
Best for the Money:
Orchestral Companion - Woodwinds
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
There are 115 presets available with many articulations captured (double and flutter tonguing, sustained and staccato notes, just to name a few) for every instrument. Key switches are placed at a very visible size while the MIDI modulation wheel can be used for controlling the swell behavior. Thanks to MIDI learn feature other controls can be also assigned to the MIDI controller.
Effect panel provides you with a couple of dedicated units for reverb, chorus, delay, and EQ while Filter and Amp have their own envelope so you can fully adjust your sound.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This plugin doesn’t require too much of your CPU power so you can use it even if your computer upgrade isn’t coming so soon. It may not have all the gimmicks like those premium libraries have but it will have more than enough to sound great. SONiVOX captured enough articulation so unless you’re about to record a blockbuster soundtrack you will do just fine.
We approve of the idea to provide you with both solo and ensemble section versions. This way you can use it not just for composing scoring pieces, but any kind of modern music production as well.
Best Pan Flute VST:
Soundiron Little Wooden Flutes
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
This Flute VST comes with 15 presets of ethnic flutes that belong to the cultural legacy of India and Native Americans. It contains thousands of samples and legato articulations even contain an infinite sustain feature. Staccato articulations use a round-robin method where they pick between 8 different samples. Phrase sequencer is also included and it allows you pitch transposition and time-stretching.
Effects panel is very powerful and includes EQ, resonant filter, delay, compression, flanger, chorus, phaser, deamp simulation, and convolution reverb with dozens of different impulse responses to pick.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is a very rare plugin. It contains some of the instruments that are not so easy to be found sampled at this quality. All instruments were captured in perfect studio conditions with a dual set of two microphones and all four can be individually adjusted.
Indian Venu has a unique timbre that can be used in many soundtracks while Native American Plains flute collections have very useful phrase sequencers that can create instant inspiration for you. Add any of the many convolution reverb bundled and you won’t tell a difference from a real flute.
Editor’s Pick:
VENTO Modern Woodwinds
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
Presets are organized into two folders - Traditional and Evolved. Traditional consists of five instrument selection - clarinet, flute, high, low, and contra bass ensemble all equipped with specific key switches and MACRO knob that changes its functionality based on the preset you’re currently using. You are also provided with Woodwing Loop Designer presets.
The effect panel is very editable. You can choose stack resonant filter, distortion, chorus, delay, and reverb all together and significantly alter overall sound impression and behavior, especially thanks to comb filters combined with random patterns.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This innovative software is supposed to give us an answer to how classical composers would treat wind instruments today. That’s why it should be looked at as more than just a wind instrument VST.
It also won’t fit perfectly into traditional scoring pieces. But it will make a difference to anything that requires a modern approach. Combined with an advanced woodwind creator page you can even create sounds that might remind you of granular synthesis.
It will especially excel in creating unique artificial sound textures and pads combining sound design with traditional wind ensembles. Excellent add-on for any soundtrack that requires an experimental approach.
Best Ethnic Flute VST:
Best Service Desert Winds
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
This plugin contains 2.5 gigabytes of samples with more than 2.000 audio files included. It provides you with four Eastern ethnic wind instruments - Duduk, Zourna, and Persian and Turkish versions of Ney flute. Every instrument has up to six different legato playing styles and can use one of sixteen microtuning tables available for achieving authentic oriental tune.
Additional soundscapes are also provided and use up to six individual layers of these instruments. These layers can be balanced to your personal taste and can be edited further by altering the envelope curve.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Mid-East flutes are some of the most authentic instruments in the world. They are very different from traditional wind instruments so they are always welcomed if you want to expand your arsenal at a very affordable price. Combining the sound of these four instruments you will also cover a wide sonic range as they have a very different timbre and key range.
Note transition of this library sounds very fluid and additional soundscapes provided can make a real difference if you need to create a certain oriental vibe for a movie or a video game.
Best Bamboo Flute VST:
SoundLoad Xiao Chinese Bamboo Flute
PROS
CONS
Features and Specifications
It comes with more than three thousand samples recorded at 24-bit resolution. It contains single legato notes and pre-made phrases and loops recorded in a different tempo and key range. All presets are pre-made for use with the provided Kontakt instrument patches but in case you would like to, you can use all the samples with other sample players as all patches are available in.WAV format and phrases and loops can be dragged directly into any DAW software you’re using.
Why it Stands Out to Us
While this software doesn’t provide you with advanced sampling, it’s a vast collection of bamboo flute samples coming at an incredibly low price. It may easily satisfy all your needs thanks to many phrases and loops provided and might be even easier to use than those huge libraries with many articulations captured independently. We like how simple it is to navigate it and set it up because when you draw the line, all that matters is the result and not the way you get to it.
So if you need a bamboo flute sound - this sample bank has it.
When Would a Flute VST Come in Handy?
Let us give you a couple of hints. While some might be obvious, though:
Themes
Due to the high-pitch sound character, they are ideal to take a lead theme on their own. It’s no wonder that many songs in demo stages used a flute sound to write down the melody of the lead vocal.
Passion
Flutes are very expressive instruments. They can sound both epic or lyric, fast-paced happy, or slow almost pad-like touching, so you can use them whenever you need to achieve a certain passion.
Best Service Chris Hein Winds Vol. 1 - Flutes
Ethnic Sounds
If you need to create that extra pinch of fantasy vibe or picture any part of the world, remember that almost every part of the world has some unique flute that will trigger an instant link for the audience to that area.
In case you somehow don’t link Ireland with flute sound, then think about Japan and Shakuhachi (someone said Sledgehammer?) or those Mid-Eastern notes played on Bansuri.
Special Effects
Flutes sound very organic. But, because of physical modeling available in modern software, you can create some virtual flutes that can be 10 feet long or add extreme special effects. This way you can make a sound that will create a vibe of something “not from this world”. Very useful for any kind of Sci-Fi moment.
Conclusion
You may not use Flute VST every day, but there will come the time when they will be indispensable. The start of the learning curve will require some effort from you if you want to make it sound realistic, so that’s why we would recommend you to prepare and buy one now.
