Best Free Scoring Vst

When thinking of the human voice, we tend to overlook the fact that it is an instrument in and of itself. One which cannot be replicated no matter how hard we try. This unique attribute perhaps explains why there is a fairly limited amount of choir VSTs in the market.

Indeed, the profound vocal range of male Baritones, combined with the heavenly voice of female sopranos, can truly form the very essence of an entire production.

Several companies have now designed exceptional choir plugins with access to extensive collections. From Hollywood choirs, to children’s ensembles, these libraries will surely take any sinner back to church.

Without further ado, we have put together a list of the best choir VSTs available right now!

Top 8 Choir Plugins

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1. Soundiron Mercury Boys’ Choir Elements

In this post I will go over some Piano plugins that I believe to be the best. I will include both paid & free ones, starting with the premium plugins and at the end of the post I will answer some other Frequently asked Questions. Let’s get straight into the list! Keyscape by Spectrasonics ($399) Best Piano VST Plugins; Updated for 2020 (Includes Audio) Read More ». 40 Best Orchestral VST Plugins & Sample Libraries for 2020 No matter the type of music you produce, having access to high-quality orchestral sounds is essential. But not everyone has the means to record a professional orchestra in their home studios.

The first thing that comes to mind when describing Soundiron’s Mercury Boys’ Choir Elements is Pink Floyd. Remember the choir of boys singing in the background? Well that is exactly what this package offers. Think clear, crisp, light, yet rich vocals of a 25-boy professional ensemble, known as the Pacific Boychoir. Recorded in a large hall, the setting accentuates the ethereal sound the boys’ pure voices.

This VST includes sustains, marcatos, and staccatos, in addition to four primary vowels: Ah, Eh, Oh, and Oo vowels. You have the option to select these vowels to be played in piano, or forte with a 2x round robin variation. Also recorded chromatically with automatic tempo-syncing is the multi-syllable sustain or staccato latin words variances.

Again, similar to the other Soundiron elements, we see a multitude of audio elements ranging from built-in sound effects to sound-shaping parameters. These elements are meant to add an additional layer of sentimentality attached to the cinematic performance.

Pros

  • Built-in Wordmaster system
  • Proficient round-robin capabilities
  • Dynamic and true legato vowels

Cons

  • Requires significant CPU usage

2. Soundiron Requiem Light Symphonic Choir

Another choir VST option offered by Soundiron is the Requiem Light Symphonic Choir. All the choral sounds that you hear in this software were recorded at the San Francisco Montclair Presbyterian Church, and provide epic soundtrack composition and cinematic scoring. Indeed, the church’s architecture and structure played a huge part in helping the talented performers create a sound that is unique and powerful.

If you’re looking to produce ever-changing melodies that shift from fine and detailed, to rich and loud, then this just might be your golden ticket.

Similar to the Soundiron Olympus Choir Elements, the Requiem Light Symphonic Choir also uses the Kontakt Player engine to host a diverse library of true legato vowels, including but not limited to: single-syllable Marcato words, aggressive Latin staccatos, long poly-syllabic Latin sustains, standard staccatos, and the classic sustain. Additionally, as part of the Requiem Light you gain access to different sound design pads such as choral atmospheres, drones, and polysustains – all of which are considered amazing additions when creating ambiant songwriting pieces.

The way the user interface was built is pretty interesting. As opposed a top-down design method, Soundiron engineered it using a bottom-up method in order to facilitate real-time articulation switching and layering, parameter shaping, and section blending. Cherry on top? The Requiem Light includes a fully integrated phrase step sequencer! Not to mention, they included their modular FX rack – complete with 119 reverb spaces.

Still wondering if Requiem Light is right for you? Let’s simplify it. If your main priority is to create cinematic choral arrangements, then what are you waiting for? However, if your focus lies elsewhere, then it might not be the best match for you, so keep on reading!

Pros

  • Solid interface
  • Rich and dynamic sound
  • Multitude of effects

Cons

  • Another CPU Hog

3. EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choirs

The EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choirs is essentially a reformation of the EastWest Sounds Symphonic Choirs VST, with a specific focus on Blockbuster film scoring. Hollywood Choirs includes both male and female choirs, helping to bring about exceptional sounds that are bound to revolutionize any given piece.

Featuring an innovative software called the WordBuilder 2, Hollywood Choirs allows the musician to input phrases, words, or sentences that are then transformed into choral vocals sung by the choir. Amazing isn’t it? What’s more, is if you are not really sure of what you want the choir to sing, no problem! You actually have the option to choose from 781 pre-built and editable WordBuilder phrases in different languages from English, Spanish, Italian and many more.

Splurge on the Diamond Edition and are you are looking at 13 microphone user-controllable setups, which make a huge difference for virtual reality and/or surround sound performances, but you are also getting exceptional 3D soundscapes. This combination of elements will make your listeners transcend into another cinematic dimension.

When narrowing it down and comparing it to other VSTs, the EastWest Sounds Hollywood Choir is the perfect blend of flexibility and dynamic range.

Pros

  • Wide range of male and female choral vocals
  • Ingenious WordBuilder software
  • A complete range of dynamics with mod control

Cons

  • Lacks portamento Legato transitions
  • Not beginner-friendly

4. Soundiron Olympus Choir Elements

Soundiron’s Olympus Choir Elements offers a powerful symphonic bundle of Mars Men’s and Venus Women’s choir collections. These collections were recorded at the San Francisco Montclair Presbyterian Church with groups of choirs made up of 30 men and 33 women. The result: over 45GB of Latin and Slavonic samples!

The fact that these collections are powered by Kontakt, makes it all that more appealing if you are a Native Instruments aficionado. The plugin also uses a wide and close stage microphone blend and covers all eight core vowel articulations.

By using divisi, you can easily rearrange and control the choir dynamics by separating the male and the female parts! Indeed, the combination of the pp-ff dynamic layering combined with the intelligent round robin gives you full command of all articulations including sustain, staccato, and marcato.

Additionally, the plugin’s choir sample library offers a multitude of innovative vocal effects that offer an improvement and/or alternative to the standard choral sounds. Some of these vocal effects include swells, sweeps, whispers, and shouts, among many others. What is more, the library’s performance presets can be configured by using the onboard EQ controls, and/or selecting from the 50 custom convolution reverbs.

All these powerful features make the Olympus Choir Elements VST more suitable for the music industry professional who wants a piece of software that enables them to have complete choral control.

Pros

  • Extraordinary choral sounds
  • Fully automatable interface
  • Customizable

Cons

  • CPU hog

5. Big Fish Audio Aeris: Hybrid Choir Designer

One of the main features of Big Fish Audio Aeris is that it meshes the voices of solo singers, with male and female backing choirs. All the performers were multi-sampled, using a range of different voices, including Ah, Oh, and Oo vocals, as well as hums.

Want to customise beyond simple vocal patches? There are a range of sound design tools available to help you build beautiful spaces and customise your choral sound. For a more distinct tone, there are four different LFOs that you can add modulation to. To help spread and mix your different layers, you can also use high pass, low pass, bandpass, volume, pan and pitch. There are dual sequencers that make the creation of complex patterns a breeze, as well as eight unique effects to help you shatter the sound design barrier.

Pros

  • Customization features are endless
  • Light on CPU!
  • Envelope Controls for easy breezy mixing

Cons

  • solo and choir vocals cannot be used in one instance of the plugin

6. Cinematique Instruments Interval – Les Femmes

Looking for uniqueness? You’ve come to the right place! Cinematique Instruments is one of the more exceptional choir VSTs out there. The carefully selected female voices of Insa, Mel, and Basiaa have created a detailed and delicately personal piece of software.

The plugin allows you to make use of the layering feature in order to bring about a more intimate choral experience. And while there are only 3 voices in this choir plugin, Cinematique recorded each of the female voices using different articulations – meaning the women use different intonations, inhalations, and intimate notes. However, when combined, the three voices bring into being the true essence of powerful choir vocals.

Vst plugin panman. While you can undoubtedly use this VST within the cinematic, as well as choral circles, we highly recommend it for modern pop backing vocals, experimental mumbling, and/or textured vocal harmonies.

The built-in presets such as EQ, reverb, delay, attack and release, and an LFO make it easy to load up a patch and tweak it to your heart’s content. So if you are looking to compose more intimate, and flexible choral pieces, Les Femmes should definitely be on your list of choral VSTs to explore further!

Pros

  • Unique feminine tones
  • User-friendly
  • High quality vocal recordings

Cons

  • Does not work well with forte sounds

7. Strezov Sampling StormChoir Ultimate

While Strezov undoubtedly offers some of the most diverse and professional choral products available in the market, the StormChoir Ultimate is possibly one of our favorite. This 12-piece chamber choir includes six men and six women who were recorded separately in order to allow for greater flexibility during composition. And despite the fact that it is a chamber choir, the absolute intensity of the sound created is mesmerizing. Maybe this can be attributed to the fact that the choir focuses mainly on the Slavonic molto vibrato tone.

In fact, with 24 Slavic syllables to choose from, by accessing key switches or the onboard Phase Builder, you can put together such a unique choral sound that is clearly distinguishable from the standard Latin syllables found on most choir VSTs.

However, in our opinion, the stand out feature of the StormChoir Ultimate is the ferocity of the staccatos, suitable for composing eipic trailers. Lest we forget the sustain, which comes with an innovative “tighten” dial that proves to be quite useful for shortening samples, or strengthening the attack.

Although the StormChoir Ultimate user interface isn’t anything special, it is easy on the eyes and simple to operate. In other words, the way in which the tabs and buttons have been designed, helps in cutting down the time needed to find the adequate spaces for each of the layers. You can easily add additional samples to notes that are already played by using the “stack” button, which works well to thicken your tone.

We recommend this choir VST plugin to those seeking to compose more distinguished and intense masterpieces, that do not necessarily require the usage of softer sounds.

Pros

Best Free Vsts 2020

  • Massive sound for a chamber choir
  • Intuitive and practical GUI
  • Unique Slavic sounds

Cons

  • Vibrato on pianissimo samples can be distracting

8. Strezov Sampling Wotan Male Choir

Another choir VST we would like to highlight from Strezov is the Wotan Male Choir. This VST is considered to be one of the most revered sounds in the film industry – the Khazad-dum male choir, inspired by the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Made up of ten tenors and ten basses, this VST is bound to add a touch of choral intensity to any movie score.

One of the features of Wotan is that it combines sample recording of phrase building for convenience with the fully customizable functionality of word building. This option simplifies the creation of new sample content allowing you to build choral patterns, as well as connect different syllables, which can then be used to modify your very own choral compositions.

If that wasn’t enough: the Wotan Male Choir enables you to use the Agile Legato technique to play each and every syllable in the provided library using legato articulation – also known as Syllabuilding.

And the icing on the cake you ask? You can create polyphonic arrangements using intelligent voice leading. All you have to do is press a chord down on the left, and simultaneously play a melody on the right. You’ll notice that the legato transitions will immediately start to connect.

Pros

  • Intense cinematic sound
  • True legato for smooth and melodic movement
  • Excellent word building features

Cons

  • Limited syllabic range
  • Manual is a bit too technical

Free Vst Downloads

Do I Hear Angels From Above?

Want to trick your listener into thinking that you spent thousands of dollars recording a hundred person choral ensemble? Then get one of the high quality choir VSTs on our list – that should do the trick!

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I’m still surprised by how often I receive this question from composers – as if one Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) rules them all and is built for all purposes. Unfortunately, this is far from true. Each DAW has a unique purpose, intention, and functionality. There is a great amount of overlap across DAWs (they all basically do the same thing), but the nuances of each are useful when writing for particular media and styles.

Every DAW can record audio, notate Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), organize music data, and export in multiple audio formats. Every DAW includes default plugins for mixing, such as reverb, compressors, and equalizers (EQ). Some DAWs include default sample instruments, notation software integration, and film scoring capabilities. Each DAW does this differently and caters to a specific type of composition. Here are the top DAWs in the industry and why you should consider adding them to your arsenal. For simplicity of comparison, I’ve limited each DAW to 3 pros and cons:

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Logic Pro X by Apple is the one Mac-only DAW on this list. It has the appearance of Garage Band Pro, but don’t let that fool you. Logic is easy to access, but difficult to master. Its menus have sub-menus and those sub-menus have menus. Upon first open, I suggest ticking the Advanced checkbox within the Preferences menu to view the expanded version of the DAW, revealing numerous useful hidden functions. Logic is by far the most budget-friendly DAW for Mac users due to its inclusion of a massive sample instrument and plugin library (most notably the EXS24 sampler, Drummer, synth engines, orchestral instruments, rock instruments, and ethnic instruments).

PROS

  1. Logic has fully-customizable key commands.

  2. Logic has a unique Capture Recording function that can capture any recent performance if you forget to hit the record button. This has saved me countless times when improvising on a keyboard.

  3. MIDI editing and Automation functions are organized.

CONS

  1. Logic is only available for Mac.

  2. Advanced functions are difficult to find.

  3. Editing audio is frustrating and batch track actions are limited.

Digital Performer by MOTU is another industry-leading DAW, packed with extremely deep features for improving your workflow speed. DP has a very steep learning curve but is well worth the time investment. DP has more search functionality than any other DAW and is highly equipped for film scoring, with advanced features for scoring infinite scenes (or tracks) per session through V-Racks and Chunks menus. If you plan on composing multiple tracks for a project (movie, album, episodes, etc.), DP’s unique resource sharing will save you countless hours working on multiple tracks within one session.

PROS

  1. Full customization: From key commands, color options, document setup, editing preferences, layouts, automation, etc. – Digital Performer is fully customizable from head to toe.

  2. Search is where DP shines most. Want to record an Oboe trill? Type “Ob…” in the instrument search bar and all the Oboe patches in your template will appear, ready to be recorded. Want to sort your film scenes by those that are emotional? Type “emot…” in the Chunks search bar and it will filter all your cue track Chunks down to those you labeled with “emotional”. Search is an incredibletool for composing quickly in a DAW. I use DP search bars constantly.

  3. DP is the most advanced DAW for film scoring due to its unique ability to divide videos into infinite scenes, all within one session. Each scene can share as many tracks, sample instruments, plugins, and channels as desired through the use of V-Racks and Chunks menus.

CONS

  1. DP is the most expensive DAW on the market if it’s your first DAW purchase. However, a cross-grade license is available for a significant discount when you provide MOTU with a valid serial number from another DAW when purchasing.

  2. Digital Performer uses its own terminology for every audio, MIDI, plugin, and editing item – this is extremely confusing if DP is not your first DAW. The default key commands and document setup options are impractical for the ideal user (film composer) and will need a complete overhaul upon first open.

  3. All DP’s editing functions are divided by tools and tabs, so there is a great amount of switching between these when editing. A fast workflow can certainly be obtained once these procedures are learned but may be frustrating for a few weeks while learning.


*2020 update: In the latest release of Digital Performer 10, vertical sequencing is now included, which means Ableton Live’s staple feature is now available in another leading DAW.

Pro Toolsby Avid is universally heralded as the industry standard DAW for audio editing and mixing. Pro Tools can be found in almost every recording studio across the globe because of its unparalleled audio editing functions. With one command, you can export all regions as separate audio files; with one stroke of the mouse, you can batch trim or extend all selected tracks; when bouncing offline, Pro Tools can export audio at over 100 times playback speed. Not only this – Pro Tools also has film scoring, deep mixing functions, and real-time Audio Suite plugins. Pro Tools is a must-have DAW for any composer who plans to work with live audio.

PROS

  1. Pro Tools is the best DAW on the market for editing audio quickly, cleanly, and efficiently. Its batch editing functions are unparalleled.

  2. PT’s clean interface and quick-loading functions promote a fast workflow.

  3. PT is used around the world in almost every music studio. This makes file-sharing and collaborating effortless.

CONS

  1. Pro Tools is terrible at MIDI recording and editing. From clunky inputs and confusing routings to hidden, overly complex functions, Pro Tools is arguably the worst DAW for composing with MIDI.

  2. PT is one of the most expensive DAWs. I don’t recommend it for composers who work mostly with MIDI.

  3. Ba tech vst plugins. PT has a poor selection of default sample instruments and plugins. Third-party plugins will be needed.

Cubase Pro by Steinbergis a beloved DAW by composers of all fields, due to its unique blend of Logic Pro’s easy MIDI editing, Digital Performer’s deep organization features, and Pro Tools’ clean audio editing. When comparing all these DAWs, feature placement and workflow will ultimately determine your preference. Cubase is my go-to DAW for fast composing in an empty session due to its ability to load new instruments quickly and in bulk.

PROS

  1. MIDI and audio tracks are easy to edit.

  2. Organization features are expansive and unique.

  3. Cubase has great default sample instruments and plugins.

CONS

  1. Film scoring features are limited.

  2. Mixing options are limited.

  3. Window and track customization is limited.

Live by Ableton is a one-of-a-kind DAW, focusing on vertical sequencing rather than traditional horizontal sequencing. Originally created for DJ’s, Live revolves around triggering regions, often used as samples or loops in a live setting. Once a region has been created in one of the vertical instrument rows, it can be triggered at any time alongside other regions. When the Record button is enabled, an entire performance can be sequenced from the vertical editor into the corresponding horizontal editor. This is a powerful and inspiring way to compose long tracks in one sitting, including dance music, ambient music, and improvised tracks. Both vertical or horizontal region selections can be exported as audio tracks for optimum flexibility. Ableton Live remains my favorite DAW to compose loops or layers in.

The closest competitor to Live is FL Studio, which focuses on a similar composition approach, but with drum beat creation as a focal point. I recommend Live over FL Studio since all its looping and interface functions are more useful for screen music composition.


PROS

  1. Live has unique vertical sequencing for DJ-like region triggering.

  2. Live is the fastest DAW for composing quick MIDI tracks.

  3. The horizontal sequencing window can be used to quickly convert a vertical-sequenced loop into a horizontal track.

CONS

  1. Live has extremely limited audio editing, but has unique audio looping, audio-to-MIDI conversion, tempo stretching, and more.

  2. Live excels at vertical sequencing but suffers at horizontal sequencing as a result. Live is not designed to function like a standard DAW, so many of the standard MIDI and audio input and editing functions are missing.

  3. While Live can load a video to score, it has very limited options due to its division of vertical and horizontal sequencing (film is by nature a horizontal medium). I recommend any other video-capable DAW for film scoring.

Reaperby Cockos Inc. is the most cost-effective DAW on the market. It has all the basic functionality of the previously mentioned DAWs, but without the price tag. Reaper has two price points: a $60 discounted license for personal use (or if you earn less than $20,000 per year with it commercially), and a $225 commercial license. Reaper also offers a 60-day trial period, which is plenty of time to learn the environment and decide if it’s the right DAW for you.

Reaper is best-known for its full customization control and unique scripting language (ReaScript), where you can shave hours off your workflow by programming redundant editing or processing steps that can be automated and executed with a single keystroke. This could be used to rename all tracks, delete unused tracks, and bounce all tracks as audio files; or a keystroke to walk through an entire mixing process of 50 steps, down to the exact use of instrument templates, automations, and plugin settings. Your imagination is the limit in Reaper!

PROS

  1. Reaper is extremely cost-effective: $60 for a personal-use license or $225 for a commercial license.

  2. Reaper has a unique scripting language for automating and executing multiple commands in one keystroke.

  3. Reaper has a fully-customizable interface.

CONS

  1. Reaper’s default graphical user interface (GUI) looks outdated.

  2. MIDI editing in Reaper is unintuitive and has a steep learning curve for beginners.

  3. No sample instruments are included in Reaper. Third-party plugins will be needed.

There are many other DAWs on the market, including Studio One and Reason – I don’t personally recommend these due to their lack of functionality when compared to the leading DAWs, but they certainly have cheaper price points for composers on a tight budget. Dedicated audio editors, including Adobe Audition and the free Audacity, are great for quick audio trims and conversions.

Many composers switch between multiple DAWs regularly. When choosing a DAW to start a project with, I focus on the creative flow needed to best serve the project. If I need to compose with MIDI on a Mac, I will use Logic Pro X. If I need to score a film with a large orchestral template, I will use Digital Performer. If I need to compose immediately in a blank session, I will use Cubase. If I need to record or edit live audio, I will use Pro Tools. If I need to compose a video game loop, ambient music, or a dance track, I will use Ableton Live.

With a world of options, what matters most is to master one DAW to increase your composing speed as quickly as possible. Only then should you consider adding more DAWs to your tool belt for more specific occasions.