9 Best Brass VSTs (2023)

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Introduction To Brass VSTs

Brass instruments are known for their commanding presence, majestic sound, and ability to evoke emotions of grandeur and power. From epic film scores to bombastic orchestral arrangements, brass instruments play a critical role in many genres of music. However, not everyone has access to a full brass ensemble or the expertise to play these instruments.

This is where brass virtual instruments (VSTs) come in handy, providing composers and music producers with the ability to add realistic and expressive brass sounds to their music productions. In this article, we will explore the world of brass VSTs, their applications in music production, and some of the best brass VSTs available in the market.

Here are 9 of the best Brass VSTs

Session Horns Pro (Native Instruments)

Session Horns Pro by Native Instruments is a versatile and user-friendly brass VST library that offers a modern and contemporary brass sound for music producers and composers. This comprehensive brass library features a four-piece brass section, including trumpets, trombones, and saxophones, that have been meticulously sampled in a professional studio, resulting in a high-quality and authentic brass sound.

One of the standout features of Session Horns Pro is its intuitive and innovative “Smart Voice Split” feature, which automatically allocates the notes to the available instruments in the section, creating realistic and dynamic brass arrangements with minimal effort. This makes it easy to create expressive performances without the need for complex MIDI programming.

Session Horns Pro also offers a wide range of articulations, including staccato, legato, falls, swells, and more, allowing for expressive and lifelike performances. The instrument also includes customizable key switches and velocity controls, giving you precise control over the dynamics and expression of the brass instruments.

Its user interface is designed with usability in mind, featuring a sleek and intuitive layout that makes it easy to access and control all the features of the instrument. The library also includes a variety of presets, ranging from realistic and traditional brass sounds to modern and experimental tones, providing a wide range of creative options for your music productions.

With its modern and contemporary brass sound, intuitive interface, and innovative features like Smart Voice Split, Session Horns Pro is suitable for various music genres, from jazz and funk to pop, rock, and electronic music. Whether you’re composing for film scores, creating horn sections for your tracks, or adding brass accents to your arrangements, Session Horns Pro offers a powerful and flexible solution for adding realistic and expressive brass performances to your music productions.

Berlin Brass (Orchestral Tools)

Berlin Brass is a premium brass VST library that offers a comprehensive collection of brass instruments, meticulously recorded in the famous Teldex Studio in Berlin. This high-quality brass library is designed for professional composers and music producers who demand top-notch sound quality and versatility in their brass performances.

One of the standout features of Berlin Brass is its exceptional sound quality, achieved through detailed sampling and recording techniques in a world-class recording studio. The library includes multiple mic positions, allowing for precise control over the spatial characteristics of the brass sound, and advanced scripting that offers realistic and expressive articulations for creating dynamic and lifelike performances.

One of the unique features of the Berlin Brass VSTs are their “adaptive legato” features, which adjusts the legato transitions based on the speed of the performance, resulting in highly realistic legato passages that respond to the nuances of the performer’s playing. This feature adds a level of expressiveness and authenticity to the brass performances, making it a top choice for professional composers and orchestrators.

Berlin Brass also offers different ensemble sizes, from solo instruments to large brass sections, providing flexibility and versatility for various music productions. The library includes a wide range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, tubas, and more, with multiple articulations such as staccato, legato, marcato, and more, allowing for detailed control over the sound and performance of the brass instruments.

The user interface of Berlin Brass is designed for efficient and intuitive workflow, with easy-to-navigate controls and options for customizing the sound and performance of the brass instruments. The library also includes a variety of presets, offering a quick and convenient way to get started and create authentic brass arrangements in your music productions.

Berlin Brass is widely used by professional composers, orchestrators, and music producers for film scoring, orchestral arrangements, and other music genres that demand realistic and expressive brass performances. With its exceptional sound quality, advanced features, and versatility, Berlin Brass is a top choice for composers and music producers who require a premium brass virtual instrument for their music productions.

Cinebrass Complete (Cinesamples)

Cinebrass Complete by Cinesamples is a brass VST library that provides a complete brass ensemble for professional composers and music producers. This library offers an extensive collection of meticulously sampled brass instruments, ranging from solo instruments to full brass sections, delivering a realistic and dynamic brass sound for a wide range of musical styles and genres.

One of the key features of CineBrass Complete is its high-quality sound, achieved through detailed sampling and recording techniques in top-notch recording studios. The library includes multiple mic positions, allowing for precise control over the spatial characteristics of the brass sound, and advanced scripting that provides realistic and expressive articulations for creating nuanced and lifelike performances.

CineBrass Complete offers a wide range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, tubas, and more, with various playing styles such as staccato, legato, sustains, trills, and more, allowing for detailed and realistic brass arrangements. The library also includes specialized instruments like piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, and contrabass trombone, adding versatility and depth to the brass ensemble.

One of the standout features of CineBrass Complete is its “True Legato” feature, which provides realistic legato transitions between notes, capturing the nuances of a real brass performance. The library also includes additional performance features such as dynamic and round-robin articulations, key-switching, and expression controls, allowing for dynamic and expressive brass performances.

The user interface of CineBrass Complete is designed for ease of use and workflow efficiency, with intuitive controls and options for customizing the sound and performance of the brass instruments. The library also includes a comprehensive collection of pre-built ensemble and section presets, making it easy to create realistic and professional-sounding brass arrangements in your music productions.

CineBrass Complete is widely used by professional composers, orchestrators, and music producers for film scoring, game music, television, and other music productions that require authentic and expressive brass performances. With its extensive range of brass instruments, advanced features, and exceptional sound quality, CineBrass Complete is a top choice for composers and music producers looking for a comprehensive and versatile brass virtual instrument.

Symphony Series Brass (Native Instruments)

Symphony Series Brass by Native Instruments is a flagship brass VST library that offers a world-class brass ensemble for composers, orchestrators, and music producers. As part of the Symphony Series, which is known for its high-quality orchestral sample libraries, Symphony Series Brass delivers a rich and expressive brass sound that is suitable for a wide range of music styles, including film scoring, game music, classical compositions, and more.

Symphony Series Brass features an extensive collection of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas, that have been meticulously sampled and recorded with exceptional attention to detail. The library includes multiple microphone positions, allowing for precise control over the spatial characteristics of the brass sound, and provides a wide range of articulations, including staccato, legato, sustains, trills, and more, offering a comprehensive palette of playing styles for creating realistic brass performances.

The user interface of Symphony Series Brass is designed for maximum workflow efficiency, with intuitive controls and options for customization. The library includes a powerful mixer with individual control over each brass section, allowing for precise balancing and blending of the brass sound. It also includes a built-in effects section with a range of high-quality effects, such as EQ, reverb, and compression, further enhancing the sound shaping possibilities.

Symphony Series Brass VSTs are designed to integrate seamlessly with other Native Instruments products, making it a versatile and cohesive solution for composers and music producers. It is compatible with the Native Instruments Kontakt player, providing a user-friendly and professional environment for creating brass arrangements in your music productions.

In summary, the Native Instruments Symphony Series Brass VST is a top-of-the-line virtual instrument that offers a realistic and expressive brass ensemble for professional music productions. With its exceptional sound quality, advanced features, and seamless integration with other Native Instruments products, Symphony Series Brass is a powerful tool for composers and music producers looking to add authentic brass sounds to their compositions

Cinematic Studio Brass (Cinematic Studio Series)

Cinematic Studio Brass by Cinematic Studio Series is a premium virtual brass VST library that is specifically designed for film scoring and cinematic music productions. It offers a comprehensive collection of brass instruments meticulously sampled and recorded with a focus on capturing the expressiveness and depth of a professional brass ensemble.

Cinematic Studio Brass VSTs features a wide range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas, that have been carefully recorded with multiple microphone positions, providing detailed control over the sound and spatial characteristics. The library includes a vast array of articulations, such as staccato, legato, sustains, mutes, flutter tongues, and more, allowing for realistic and nuanced brass performances.

One of the standout features of Cinematic Studio Brass is its high-quality sound, which is characterized by its rich and powerful tone. The library captures the dynamic range and timbral nuances of brass instruments, from delicate and expressive soft passages to bold and majestic fortissimos, making it ideal for creating epic and emotive cinematic scores.

Cinematic Studio Brass also boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows for quick and easy access to its extensive range of articulations, playing techniques, and performance options. The library includes advanced scripting and performance features, such as true legato transitions, dynamic control, and expression mapping, providing precise control over the brass sound and enabling realistic performances.

Additionally, Cinematic Studio Brass VSTs offer a flexible and customizable mixing environment, allowing for independent control of each brass section’s volume, panning, and other parameters. The library also includes a built-in convolution reverb with a variety of impulse responses, providing realistic spatial effects and adding depth and dimension to the brass sound.

Cinematic Studio Brass is designed to work seamlessly with other virtual instruments and orchestral libraries, making it a versatile tool for composers and music producers. It is compatible with major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and runs on the Native Instruments Kontakt player, offering a reliable and professional platform for creating realistic brass arrangements in your productions.

In summary, Cinematic Studio Brass is a top-tier virtual brass instrument library that offers a rich and expressive brass sound suitable for film scoring, cinematic music, and other genres. With its high-quality sound, extensive articulations, intuitive interface, and advanced performance features, Cinematic Studio Brass VSTs are a powerful tool for composers and music producers looking to create epic and emotive brass arrangements in their productions.

Spitfire Symphonic Brass (Spitfire Audio)

Spitfire Symphonic Brass by Spitfire Audio is a comprehensive brass VST library that offers a rich and expressive collection of brass sounds, meticulously recorded from a professional symphony orchestra. This library is designed for composers and music producers seeking authentic and cinematic brass performances for their music productions.

Spitfire Symphonic Brass VSTs feature a wide range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas, sampled with multiple microphone positions, providing versatility and control over the sound and spatial characteristics. The library includes a vast array of articulations, such as staccato, legato, sustains, mutes, trills, and more, allowing for nuanced and realistic brass performances.

One of the standout features of Spitfire Symphonic Brass is its attention to detail in capturing the subtleties of a live brass ensemble. The library captures the dynamic range, timbral nuances, and expressive phrasing of brass instruments, allowing for authentic and emotive performances. The recordings are captured in a world-class recording studio with top-quality microphones, ensuring a pristine and professional sound quality.

Spitfire Symphonic Brass VSTs also have advanced performance features, such as true legato transitions, dynamic control, and expression mapping, providing precise control over the brass sound and allowing for realistic and expressive performances. The library also includes additional features like adjustable vibrato, dynamics, and round-robin sampling, offering further customization and flexibility in shaping the brass sound to fit your music.

The interface of Spitfire Symphonic Brass is designed for ease of use, with intuitive controls that allow for quick and easy access to articulations, playing techniques, and performance options. The library is compatible with major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and runs on the Spitfire Audio’s proprietary plugin, providing a seamless integration into your music production workflow.

In addition to the core brass ensemble, Spitfire Symphonic Brass also offers additional brass sections, such as solo instruments, small ensembles, and extended techniques, expanding the creative possibilities for brass arrangements in your music.

In summary, Spitfire Symphonic Brass is a top-tier virtual brass instrument library that offers a comprehensive and expressive collection of brass sounds suitable for film scoring, orchestral music, and other genres. With its attention to detail in sound quality, extensive articulations, advanced performance features, and intuitive interface, Spitfire Symphonic Brass is a powerful tool for composers and music producers looking to achieve authentic and emotive brass performances in their productions.

Spitfire Studio Brass (Spitfire Audio)

Spitfire Studio Brass is another brass VST library by Spitfire Audio that delivers a professional and versatile collection of brass sounds for music production. Recorded in a world-class studio with top-quality microphones, this library captures the authentic and expressive performances of a brass ensemble, providing a wide range of brass instruments, articulations, and playing techniques.

The heart of Spitfire Studio Brass is its meticulously sampled brass ensemble, featuring trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas. The library offers multiple microphone positions, allowing for precise control over the sound and spatial characteristics. With close, mid, and far microphone options, users can easily customize the mix and blend of the brass ensemble to suit their music.

Spitfire Studio Brass includes a comprehensive selection of articulations, such as staccato, legato, sustains, mutes, swells, falls, and more, providing a wealth of playing styles and techniques to create expressive brass performances. The library also features true legato transitions, which capture the natural and smooth transitions between notes, adding realism and authenticity to the brass sound.

One of the unique features of Spitfire Studio Brass is its “Air” functionality, which allows users to blend in the room sound of the recording studio. This provides an additional layer of depth and ambience to the brass sound, allowing for a more immersive and natural listening experience.

The interface of Spitfire Studio Brass is designed for simplicity and ease of use, with intuitive controls for articulation selection, microphone mixing, dynamics, and more. The library is compatible with major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and runs on Spitfire Audio’s proprietary plugin, providing seamless integration into your music production workflow.

Spitfire Studio Brass is suitable for a wide range of music genres, including film scoring, orchestral music, pop, rock, jazz, and more. Its high-quality sound, versatile articulations, and performance features make it a powerful tool for composers, arrangers, and music producers looking to add realistic and expressive brass performances to their productions.

In summary, Spitfire Studio Brass is a top-quality virtual brass instrument library that offers a professional and versatile collection of brass sounds with extensive articulations, true legato transitions, and intuitive controls. Whether you’re scoring for film, creating orchestral music, or producing other genres, Spitfire Studio Brass provides a realistic and expressive brass ensemble that can elevate your music productions to new heights.

Sample Modeling Brass (Sample Modeling)

Sample Modeling Brass by Sample Modeling is a unique brass VST library by Sample Modeling that brings a revolutionary approach to brass sound modeling. Utilizing advanced sampling and modeling techniques, this library offers a unique and expressive collection of brass instruments that push the boundaries of realism in virtual instruments.

The hallmark of Sample Modeling Brass VSTs are their innovative approach to sound modeling, which goes beyond traditional sampling to capture the intricacies of brass instrument performances. By combining real-time continuous control of parameters with intelligent algorithms, Sample Modeling Brass allows for unprecedented expressiveness and realism in brass instrument emulations.

The library includes a comprehensive range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas, with multiple playing techniques and articulations. From staccato and legato to vibrato, falls, growls, and more, Sample Modeling Brass provides a wide palette of expressive possibilities for creating lifelike brass performances.

One of the standout features of Sample Modeling Brass is its unique “Smart Vibrato” technology, which allows for dynamic and realistic control over vibrato intensity and speed. This adds a level of authenticity to brass performances, replicating the subtle nuances of vibrato as performed by professional brass players.

Sample Modeling Brass also offers intuitive and powerful real-time control over parameters such as dynamics, legato transitions, tongue position, and more. This allows users to shape the brass sound in real-time, resulting in dynamic and expressive performances that can be tailored to the needs of the music.

The interface of Sample Modeling Brass is designed for ease of use and customization, with intuitive controls and a clear layout. The library is compatible with major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and runs on its proprietary SWAM (Synchronous Wave Acoustic Modeling) engine, providing seamless integration into the music production workflow.

Sample Modeling Brass is suitable for a wide range of music genres, including classical, jazz, pop, film scoring, and more. Its cutting-edge sound modeling technology, expressive articulations, and real-time control make it a powerful tool for composers, musicians, and producers looking to achieve realistic and expressive brass performances in their music.

In summary, Sample Modeling Brass is a groundbreaking virtual brass instrument library that combines advanced sound modeling with innovative real-time control to deliver an expressive and realistic brass instrument experience. Whether you’re looking to create lifelike brass performances for film scoring, jazz improvisations, or other genres, Sample Modeling Brass offers a unique and powerful solution for achieving authentic brass sounds in your music productions.

Hollywood Brass (EastWest)

Hollywood Brass by EastWest is a brass VST library that sets a new standard for realistic brass performances in music production. Developed in collaboration with acclaimed Hollywood composer Doug Rogers and Grammy-winning recording engineer Nick Phoenix, Hollywood Brass offers a stunning collection of brass instruments meticulously recorded in world-class studios with top-tier musicians.

The library features a wide range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas, meticulously sampled in various playing techniques, articulations, and dynamic layers to capture the nuances of brass performances with exceptional detail and realism. With multiple microphone positions and mixer controls, users have full control over the mix and can achieve a truly customizable brass sound that fits seamlessly into their music productions.

One of the standout features of Hollywood Brass VSTs are their intuitive and powerful PLAY engine, which provides advanced articulation and performance controls. The PLAY engine allows for real-time control over various parameters, including dynamics, legato transitions, expression, vibrato, and more, giving users unparalleled control over the brass sound and enabling them to create expressive and dynamic performances.

Hollywood Brass also includes an extensive collection of pre-configured instrument patches, ranging from lush and lyrical legatos to aggressive and powerful staccatos, shorts, and effects. These patches are designed to be easily playable and provide instant access to a wide range of brass sounds, making it a versatile tool for various music genres, including film scoring, orchestral compositions, jazz, pop, and more.

The library is recorded in EastWest’s state-of-the-art recording studios using top-quality microphones, preamps, and outboard gear, ensuring a pristine and professional sound quality. The meticulously crafted samples are then expertly programmed and optimized for efficient performance, allowing for seamless integration into any music production workflow.

In addition to its high-quality sound and performance capabilities, Hollywood Brass also offers a wealth of features, including a comprehensive effects section with EQ, reverb, delay, and more, as well as key-switching and articulation controls for quick and easy access to various playing techniques.

Hollywood Brass VSTs are part of EastWest’s flagship Hollywood Orchestra series, which includes other virtual instrument libraries such as Hollywood Strings, Hollywood Woodwinds, and Hollywood Percussion, offering a complete solution for composers and music producers looking to create epic and cinematic orchestral compositions.

In summary, Hollywood Brass by EastWest is a top-tier virtual brass instrument library that delivers exceptional realism, expressiveness, and versatility for brass performances in music production. With its high-quality samples, intuitive PLAY engine, and extensive feature set, Hollywood Brass is a powerful tool for composers, musicians, and producers looking to add professional brass sounds to their music productions, from film scores to contemporary music genres.

Personal Advice

Buying all of the instruments are once can get pricey. So, we recommend listening to several examples of the virtual instruments online to see which sound you like. Keep in mind that some virtual instruments blend together better than others.

For example, dryer libraries like the VSTs from Cinesamples or some Orchestral Tools tend to mix well with VSTs from other developers because they have less reverb than wet VSTs (such as the typical Spitfire Audio VST).

Honorable Mention

Albion One (Spitfire Audio)

Albion One is a versatile brass VST by Spitfire Audio that’s used by many producers and composers. This VST includes a wide range of brass instruments, from trumpets and trombones to tubas and French horns. It also includes several different microphone positions, so you can adjust the sound to your liking.

ProjectSAM Swing! (ProjectSAM)

ProjectSAM Swing! is a unique brass VST that’s designed to emulate the sound of a big band. This VST includes a wide range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, and saxophones. It also includes several different articulations, such as mutes and falls, giving you a wide range of sound options to choose from.

Metropolis Ark 1 (Orchestral Tools)

Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 1 is a VST that offers a range of brass instruments, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas. It features over 40,000 samples and includes a range of articulations and effects, such as staccato, legato, and vibrato. The VST also features a mixer section, which allows you to adjust the sound of individual instruments and create your own custom ensembles.

Chris Hein Horns Pro Complete (Chris Hein)

Chris Hein Horns Pro Complete is a powerful VST that features over 18,000 samples and 2,500 articulations, allowing you to create a realistic sound with ease. The VST also includes a variety of effects, including reverb, delay, and distortion, which allow you to customize the sound further.

Uses of Brass VSTs

Brass VSTs find wide-ranging applications in various music production settings, from film scoring to orchestral arrangements, jazz ensembles, and contemporary music genres. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key applications of brass VSTs in music production:

Film Scoring

Brass instruments are often used in film scores to create dramatic and powerful soundscapes that enhance the emotions and storytelling of a visual production. Brass VSTs allow composers to accurately replicate the sound of brass instruments, such as trumpets, trombones, and French horns, to create epic and dynamic film scores. From heroic fanfares to menacing motifs, brass VSTs can add depth, intensity, and emotion to film soundtracks, elevating the overall impact of the visual production.

Orchestral Arrangements

Brass instruments are an essential component of orchestral arrangements, providing the foundation for many classical and contemporary compositions. Brass VSTs allow composers and music producers to create realistic and expressive brass sections in their orchestral arrangements, from soaring melodies to powerful chord progressions. Brass VSTs can also be used to create intricate brass ensemble performances, such as harmonies, counterpoints, and interplays, adding complexity and richness to the overall orchestral sound.

Jazz Ensembles

Brass instruments play a pivotal role in jazz music, from classic big band arrangements to modern jazz ensembles. Brass VSTs can replicate the sound of jazz brass instruments, such as trumpets, trombones, and saxophones, allowing composers and music producers to create authentic and expressive jazz performances. Whether it’s a smooth and sultry jazz ballad or an upbeat and energetic swing tune, brass VSTs can bring the characteristic sound of brass instruments to jazz compositions, providing the necessary groove and authenticity.

Contemporary Music Genres

Brass instruments are not limited to classical or jazz music but are also widely used in various contemporary music genres, such as pop, rock, and electronic music. Brass VSTs can be used to create brass hooks, riffs, and stabs in contemporary music productions, adding a touch of power, dynamics, and attitude to the music. Whether it’s a pop ballad, a rock anthem, or an electronic dance track, brass VSTs can inject a sense of grandiosity, impact, and excitement to the music, making it stand out in the mix.

Conclusion

Brass virtual instruments (VSTs) are powerful tools that allow composers and music producers to add realistic and expressive brass sounds to their music productions. With their versatility and wide-ranging applications, brass VSTs are essential for film scoring, orchestral arrangements, jazz ensembles, contemporary music genres, and more. There are many high-quality VSTs available in the market, offering various features, sound quality, and user interfaces to suit different needs and budgets. From meticulously sampled brass libraries to unique and creative hybrid brass instruments, there is a brass VST for every music production style.

When choosing a brass VST, it’s important to consider factors such as the quality of the samples, the range of articulations and mic positions, the versatility and expressiveness of the instrument, and the user-friendliness of the interface. Some popular brass VSTs to consider are Spitfire Audio Studio Brass, CineBrass by Cinesamples, Berlin Brass by Orchestral Tools, Session Horns Pro by Native Instruments, and Brass by Output.

These VSTs offer a wide range of features and sounds, from realistic and expressive brass performances to unique and creative hybrid brass instruments. Ultimately, the best brass VST for you will depend on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. It’s recommended to listen to demos, read reviews, and compare features to make an informed decision. With the right one you can add a powerful and expressive brass section to your music productions and elevate your compositions to new heights

Additional Reading

After reviewing our list of some of the best brass VSTs currently on the market, feel free to check out our other articles.

Do you also use orchestral strings or woodwinds instruments in your mixes? Read our article about the 10 Best Orchestral VSTs and 10 of the top Woodwind VSTs.

Interested in finding a solid midi controller for music production? Read our article about the 6 of the best midi controllers. Also, here are 9 of the best microphones for musicians and 9 great headphones for music production

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