Best Brass VST Plugins:
The Definitive List  [2021]

The first entry of this list is a great brass plugin that allows for a lot of tweaking.

The Analog Brass and Winds by Output is a brass VST plugin that lets you change many parameters, in order to create unique brass ensemble sounds.

Although you can always use it for realistic brass sounds, this plugin works best if you want to up your game and create new and distinctive sounds.

Does that make you think that it is only for professionals?

You’re wrong!

The interface is very good-looking and the plugin is easy to grasp, making it highly recommended for beginners in digital production.

Additionally, it also features wind instruments for those of you who wish to expand their VST orchestra.

Still not convinced?

Well, the company gives you 14 days to return it if you are not satisfied with it, so you have nothing to lose!

Are you looking for a realistic and detailed brass VST instrument?

Then you can’t go wrong with EastWest Hollywood Brass!

This virtual instrument has been sampled in high quality from real instruments that include trumpets, french horns, trombones and tubas in many combinations, along with a deep brass section.

Are you still not convinced?

Then don’t forget to take into consideration that it also includes several articulations such as trills, legatos and mutes that are very close to the actual instruments’ sounds.

It has been produced by the famous sound engineer Shawn Murphy in a professional studio and the sound quality is really top-notch.

The Gold edition comes at 20 gigabytes, making it one of the biggest brass libraries.

Finally, there is also the Diamond edition of this plugin that offers you three microphone positions instead of one. You can also download the pop brass edition if you want to use it for pop music.

Here comes a nice choice for those who are looking for many different instruments in their virtual brass ensemble.

MOJO 2 by Vir2 is a top-quality VST instrument that offers up to 13 different brass and reed instruments.

It allows you to choose whether each one will play solo or if you want to add up to ten players for each instrument.

Additionally, it allows you to choose between thirteen different articulations, as well as realistic legato, to completely replicate any brass instrument.

But do you want to know what is the best feature of this VST?

It lets you choose from three different mic positions, allowing you to shape the way the brass ensemble will sound, just like you would do in a recording studio!

Plus, it comes with four different presets that represent various eras, so that you can choose if you want pristine and clear modern brass sounds or more saturated and dirty retro ones.

For those of you who wish to have a brass library with high-quality samples, I would highly recommend the Heavyocity FORZO.

This brass VST instrument comes with samples of trombones, trumpets, tubas and french horns that have been recorded in the famous Skywalker Studio, where the soundtrack of many well-known films has been produced.

In addition to that, this virtual instrument is mostly made by composers that know the needs of all the composers out there.

As the name of the plugin implies, this VST is mainly centered on modern music, but it is not limited in that.

It comes with three engines: a traditional one that offers a variety of articulations, a cinematic engine, as well as a loop designer that allows you to easily create loops.

All in all, the Heavyocity FORZO comes with an impressive library in terms of size, compiling 25 gigabytes of samples that will definitely satisfy all your needs.

If orchestral brass is what you are looking for, you can’t go wrong with the Best Service Chris Hein Orchestral Brass.

This VST instrument allows you to have full control over a brass orchestra, as it ships with 50,000 samples of trumpets, trombones and French horns.

This plugin is for those who want to polish every little detail of a performance, as it allows you to control up to eight velocity levels per note.

Furthermore, true legato along with modes such as glide mode and effects provide you with a variety of choices for every musical phrase.

Do you want to know the best part?

Depending on your needs and your budget, you can choose between the compact and the complete version of the Best Service Chris Hein Orchestral Brass.

This way, you don’t have to spend a lot of money if you want simpler operations, while the compact version still retains a lot of the important functions of the complete version.

The Big Fish Vintage Horns 2 is a specialized virtual brass plugin that is perfect for those who are looking to accurately replicate the brass sounds of the 60s and 70s.

Its instruments include 14 unique instruments, among which you will find various trumpets and saxophones, along with bass flute.

Eight different articulations that include staccato, swell and falloffs make the plugin sound like a real instrument.

Are you still not convinced? Do you wonder what actually makes this plug-in unique?

The sleek, vintage-looking interface makes this plugin really stand out from the others. Plus, it is really simplified which makes it very easy to use.

In short, if you want to write some retro jazz, funk, or even soul music for a “dirty” vintage brass band, you have to look no further than the Big Fish Vintage Horns 2.

Would you like a brass VST that has been made with film and TV scoring in mind?

Then you should check out the ProjectSAM - Symphobia 1 + 2! This is actually a bundle that combines Symphobia 1 + 2 at a better price, for maximum flexibility.

Symphobia 1 + 2 actually offers you not only brass, but a whole orchestra at your feet: it comes with samples from string, brass and percussion instruments that have been recorded at a concert hall.

For every instrument, you have two miking options: close mic and concert stage.

I know what you are thinking… “But what makes this library especially good for film and TV scoring?”

The answer is simple!

Besides samples from orchestral clusters and rips, it comes with additional cinematic content that will inspire you even more.

Summing up, the ProjectSAM - Symphobia 1 + 2 is highly recommended to composers of film, TV and game music.

Looking for a high-quality VST plugin for jazz music can be quite a challenge, especially if you are looking for high-quality saxophones…

If this sounds familiar to you, check out the Garritan Jazz & Big Band 3!

This top-quality plugin allows you to choose between 16 different saxophones of all kinds, and also incorporates many different trumpets and trombones!

Its ARIA instrument engine provides you with realistic and detailed performances, once you have built your jazz ensemble or your big band!

But it doesn’t stop there…

This plugin goes beyond the brass ensemble, as it offers you wind instruments, basses, guitars, keyboards and even drums and percussion!

Adding effects to your big band doesn’t need an additional plugin, as this one incorporates both reverb and stereo effects!

To conclude, the Garritan Jazz & Big Band 3 is more than a simple brass VST plugin, thanks to its great variety of brass instruments and the option to use wind, percussion and other instruments.

What could a VST plugin called “adventure brass” sound like?

Well, the answer is simple! The Musical Sampling Adventure Brass is a virtual instrument that is quite easy to play with, allowing you to experiment and find out new creative ideas!

It is mostly useful for film and TV scoring, as it offers two trumpets, four horns, two trombones, and one tuba.

For each instrument there are at least four articulations to choose from, so that you can easily incorporate all your musical ideas.

The samples of this VST have been recorded at the famous “The Bridge” in Los Angeles, and they offer you the option to choose between three different mic positions: close, mixed and room.

Please note that in order to get Musical Sampling Adventure Brass to work, you will need a full version of Kontakt that is not included in the package.

What if you could create big, loud and epic brass sounds right from your DAW?

The Musical Sampling Trailer Brass offers you exactly that! Made with trailer music in mind, it allows you to compose brass music that will blow listeners out of their seats!

It comes with three different sections that consist of ten horns, ten trombones and three tubas/cimbassi that have been recorded in a large concert hall.

Here comes a brass VST from a well-known brand. Arturia’s Brass 2.0 is simple but effective: it comes with three wind instruments that include a trumpet, a saxophone and a trombone with an acoustic modelling engine.

Acoustic modelling is quite different from sampling, and this plugin overcomes certain limits of most VST instruments on this list

The Arturia Brass 2.0 allows you to fully control certain aspects such as the pitch, attack, pressure, vibrato, breath/reed noise and mute.

This way, the sound comes out realistic along with giving you creative control over it.

Are you worried that the limited amount of instruments won’t allow you to create an ensemble?

Luckily, the Harmonization feature lets you play up to four instruments at once, so this problem is solved!

The Arturia Brass 2.0 has been around for ten years now, so you can check out its sound and whether it suits you on multiple review videos online.

Now that we have covered jazz, film music and trailer brass, let’s move back to one of the biggest challenges for brass VSTs: recreating orchestral brass.

The SONiVOX Orchestral Companion – Brass offers a lot in this direction. It comes with over 5 GB of content that includes multiple brass instruments and ensembles.

Trombones, tubas, horns and trumpets are there for you to use them, both soloing and together.

Articulations are also available and you can easily control them with your MIDI keys, incorporating the velocity control.

What if you are only interested in mute trumpet sounds? Can you actually save money by purchasing a VST that would do just that?

Fortunately, the answer is yes! The Wavesfactory Muted Trumpet Harmon is a specialized brass VST instrument that comes with samples of every note and transition for maximum quality and customization.

The interface is very intuitive and it is highly recommended for beginners, as it is particularly easy to play with.

For those musicians who are looking for a library that can be flexible and cover all musical styles, I would highly recommend the Kirk Hunter Concert Brass 2.

This 10 GB library is actually four different libraries in a single package and it comes with lots of different articulations that bring performances to life.

The most special of them is SmartLegato technology that allows for smooth and realistic legato.

Last but not least, here comes a high-end VST brass instrument that again offers four libraries in one package: the CineBrass CORE, CineBrass PRO, CineBrass Descant Horn, and CineBrass Sonore libraries.

The Cinesamples Cinebrass Complete, as you can probably guess by its name, is made for film music but it can also be used for orchestral brass pieces.

Although you can always compose music for solo instruments or ensembles, this library comes equipped with ready-made cinematic effects that you can use immediately, as well as low brass chords that add suspense and texture to your tracks.