A lot of people ask me what my top VST plugin instruments are. Whether it’s piano, bass, or some in-key samples and loops you’re looking for, this list of my top 7 VST plugin instruments has you covered.
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These are the top 7 VST plugin instruments.
Addictive Keys by XLN Audio
When I get asked what my top piano VST is, I say Addictive Keys. I have other piano VSTs, but what I love about this one is that it’s super lightweight. I go through patches very fast while others can be a little more bloated at times. It has a very realistic feel, very full sounding, with a lot of different tones. There’s also a lot of LoFi sounds in here. You can get many different expansions like upright and electric grand pianos. Addictive Keys is also my go to for Rhodes sounds too. But I mainly love it because it’s really fast.
Omnishpere by Spectrasonics
I do a lot of sound design stuff inside Omnisphere. There’s a variety of patches for you to work with in its library. It’s a powerful VST. If I want to load a quick kalimba, or some vocal patches, it gives me a nice big sound. Omnisphere sounds super crisp and full.
Arcade by Output
Arcade is amazing because of how many different samples and loops there are. Just different and weird sounds. You can also pick the key of your track, so if my beat is in A minor and you lock that in, every single sound you pick is going to be in A minor. I like to go through and find samples and chop them. There’s a lot of discovery in it, and so many amazing sounds to go through. It’s like digging in the crates, 2021 style.
Komplete by Native Instruments
Komplete gives you a huge library of sounds. Vintage drums, cinematic sounds, Middle Eastern sounds. There are also a ton of different synthesizers, strings, etc. Anything you could want is here. When you install it, it’s kind of finicky to get started, so expect to spend some time figuring out how to link your library. If Native Instruments could work that out, I’d recommend Komplete even more. But this is a definite go to. They sound great.
Trilian by Spectasonics
Trilian is a massive bass module. Electric, acoustic, and really any bass sound you could want is all here. If you’re looking for something a little bit more live sounding with your bass, Trilian is the go to. If I don’t want to hook up my bass guitar and play, Trilian is amazing. This bass VST plugin has been around for a minute, and I am glad they’ve updated the interface. The sub sounds great, and so do the acoustic and electric bass sounds. If you ever want anything where you need a live bass, Trilian is the VST plugin for you.
Purity by Sonic Cat
I didn’t put Purity on the list because it sounds great. It actually doesn’t sound great. It sounds really thin. Purity is an older VST plugin, but sometimes that thin sound is what you need in a really good way. There’s just a lot of dope presets in here, like very cheap old Korg Triton-ish sounding patches.
Keyscape by Spectrasonics
I find that Keyscape has more variety than Addicitive Keys, but that comes at the expense of being really heavy on the CPU. The sounds are really nice, crisp and full sounding. There’s also a lot of variety and control with it. If you want a real particular sound, Keyscape’s a go to. But if you want a quick sound that also sounds good, Addictive Keys is my choice.
Now that you read my top 7 VST plugin instruments, check out the top 6 free VSTs as well.
