5 free orchestral options

Spitfire Audio Labs

Mac/PC, 64-bit

Labs is an out and out advert for bigger orchestral instruments from Spitfire, but when you add them up, they make for a pretty compelling instrument in their own right. You also get limited effects, but it’s the sheer quality of the audio that shines through.

spitfireaudio.com

Versilian Studios/BigCat Chamber Orchestra 2 Community Edition

Mac/PC, 64-bit

In truth there aren’t many free plugins that do an entire orchestra – just elements – but this attempts to do the lot. It’s open source and several developers are involved but you can get a feel for its enormous scope here.

vis.versilstudios.com

Virtual Playing Orchestra

Mac/PC, 64-bit

Paul Battersby’s Virtual Playing Orchestra is another title that attempts the entire experience – albeit with samples rather than a player, as it cleverly uses a collection of open source samples as content but repackaged into sfz files played via additional free players.

virtualplaying.com

DSK Overture

PC, 32/64-bit

DSK have been making freeware almost as long as software itself, and have a huge variety of titles. This is their four-layer orchestral plugin that allows you to choose from up to 40 instruments to layer or trigger individually for decent results (given its processor strain).

dskmusic.com

Big Cat VSTis Sonatina Orchestra

PC/Mac, 32/64-bit

A suite of (up to) 75 instruments to make up an entire orchestra, or thereabouts. These were designed as a ‘No Budget Orchestra’ which doesn’t need Kontakt or anything else. Gotta admire the girth and effort…

bigcatinstruments.blogspot.com