Feb 01, 2016 Posted in Guitar by free vst Strummer gives you the ability to strum any guitar soundfont, VSTi, or sample player. Simply load a soundfont or connect a second VSTi and you’re ready to strum. The original Guitar Touch technology makes it easy to simulate the basic techniques of guitar playing (tremolo, strumming, plucking, sliding, bending, muting, etc.) using a standard MIDI keyboard and MIDI controllers (Pitch, Wheel Modulation, Sustain Pedal, After Touch). Acoustic Guitar Vst Free Download. This is a shootout to see which acoustic guitar has the best strumming sound only. The contestants are: Ample Sound AGTAmple Sound AGM (pick extension)MusicL.
If you’ve been producing music for a while, you probably know that a lot of the commercial guitar VSTs or libraries out there are pretty expensive and not always easy to use. Although I own a few commercial guitar libraries, I also wanted to see what free guitar VSTs and sample libraries are available these days. I have to admit I was surprised by the number of interesting instruments I found. So, I’ve put together this list to talk about the best ones.
For this article, I looked at both acoustic and electric guitars but left out guitar amps and other effect plugins (I will cover these in an upcoming article).
Free Acoustic Guitar Plugins
Ample Sound: Ample Guitar M II Lite
Format: AU, VST, AAX, RTAS / 32 bit + 62 bit
OS: Mac, Windows
Audio examples:
Ample Sound is a Beijing-based company that has been creating guitar and bass VSTs since 2011. The Ample Guitar M II series aims “to bring the Martin D-41 Acoustic Guitar sound to your studio.” Luckily for us, the company also released a free lite version of the instrument, which comes with a reduced sample rate, fewer articulations and features and a lower sample count than the original (by now, version III has been released already).
This doesn’t prevent Ample Guitar M II Lite from being the best sounding (non-Kontakt) acoustic guitar in this list, though. The samples sound full and lively and can be triggered directly through MIDI (or your DAW) as well as through a built-in sequencer, the “strummer.”
The strummer makes it super easy to build patterns out of single notes, up and down strokes and mutes. Additionally, there are a bunch of effects and features available to change the tone. One of my favorite features is the doubling switch, which adds width to the instrument in an instant.
Another particular useful feature of Ample Guitar M II Lite is that it shows you which string corresponds to the note you’re playing. This quickly helped me create more realistic arpeggios.
If you also use Guitar Pro Tab, you can even import your tabs into Ample Guitar M II Lite. Note that you are limited to the first four frets of each string when you’re using the lite version.
There are so many fully functioning knobs and switches in this free plugin that I didn’t manage to get to all of them in my 45 minutes of playing around with it. What more can you ask for in a free guitar?
You can get Ample Guitar M II Lite on the Ample Sound website.
This is a quick introduction to the instrument:
DSK Music: Dynamic Guitars
Format: AU, VST / 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Mac, Windows
Audio examples:
This guitar VST has gotten a lot of attention lately, especially since the release of LifeStyleDidIt’s video “I FOUND THE BEST FREE GUITAR VST” (see below). DSK Music is a project by a Spaniard named Víctor who has been making hundreds of free virtual instruments since 2002.
DynamicGuitars contains three different instruments: an acoustic guitar, a nylonguitar and a steel guitar. It also offers control over the envelope of thesamples as well as the dynamic range and the voice mode (poly, mono, legato). All the included guitars feel smooth, warm andthick but could use a little EQ action for clarity.
In this video, you can see the plugin in use:
You can download DSK Dynamic Guitars here.
Pettinhouse Free Acoustic Guitars
Pettinhouse is a project by Andrea Pettinao. The company sells a wide variety of guitars and also offers a handful of free guitar sample libraries. Let’s take a look at them!
FreeAcousticGuitar
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Free AcousticGuitar is a simple but well-recorded and programmed acoustic guitar Kontakt library. The samples are loaded as a multi and are separated into attack+ sustain, releases and fret noise sounds and come in different velocities. The samples are well mixed and sound wonderfully natural.
FreeClassicGuitar
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
When you open the free version of Pettinhouse’s Classic Guitar, you’re getting a multi consisting of two instruments: classic guitar and noises. These work well together and offer a realistic and nice warm sound.
Yummy Beats: Modest Guitar
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Guitar Strumming Vst Free
Audio examples:
Yummy Beats is a platform for drums, loops and Kontakt instruments. You can also find a few free instruments on this site, including the free Modest Guitar. This Kontakt library delivers a present sound with round robin and three articulations: acoustic guitar, flageolets and fx guitar. Unfortunately, I found that the fx guitar produced noticeable crackle sounds (might have been my setup!). However, my favorite part is the flageolets with their well-rounded tone, anyway.
I found the steps to get Modest Guitar a little complicated. You have to open a Yummy Beats account, go to this page and enter the unlock code that you find here. If you’re looking for a free, quality flageolet sound, this is a good instrument to try out, though.
Here’s an example of a song that uses Modest Guitar (from the Yummy Beats YouTube channel):
Alternatives
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Here are some more acoustic guitar libraries:
- DSK AkoustiK GuitarZ (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- DSK Guitars Nylon (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- DSK Guitars Acoustic (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- DSK Guitars Steel (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- Spicy Guitar (VST / Standalone / Windows, Mac / 32 bit + 64 bit)
- Big Cat Instruments General Midi Soundset (has a guitar section / Kontakt)
Free Electric Guitar Plugins
Now, let’s talk about electric guitars.
Spitfire Labs: Peel Guitar
Format: VST2, VST3, AAX, AU; 32 bit + 64 bi t
OS: Windows, Mac
Audio examples:
Looking for a smooth moody guitar that fits into an ambient track or your next film score? Peel Guitar might be it! Originally, the guitar was sampled by Christian Henson in 2006 and, according to him, was used all over his scores. The instrument consists of three presets that differ slightly in guitar tone. Each guitar feels soft and comes with a long release, which adds to the atmosphere of the instrument. The minimalist interface offers control over the volume, velocity, reverb and “tightness” of the sound. To get Peel Guitar, you will need to install Spitfire Labs first (also free).
Iridium Iris: Lethality
Format: VST, 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Windows
Audio examples:
The following examples were created with Lethality and Guitar Rig 5:
Lethality was released in 2014 by Iridium Iris. The developer’s website has been down for a while, so it’s not clear if they’re still working on new instruments. However, Lethality is one of their products that you can still come across today.
I wasactually quite surprised to see how many functions are built into Lethality.Besides “regular” single notes, the plugin also has open string and mutedstring articulations. Additionally, you can switch on hammer-ons, pull-offs andportamento articulations, which can be triggered by playing legato notes.
To find theright articulation on your MIDI keyboard, you can take a look in the manualthat comes with the instrument. When you’re as used to Kontakt as I am, it’s alittle inconvenient that the keyboard layout (including articulation zones andkeyswitches) is not displayed visually in the plugin. This means that you’llhave to remember the keyswitches and articulations you’ll need when playing.
If you’renot sure how to program your guitar, you can use the built-in riff patterns.They can be activated directly from the plugin or exported as MIDI clips intoyour DAW of choice. Truthfully, though, it makes more sense to program your ownMIDI clips, if only to create a more dynamic guitar part.
Although Lethality offers a distortion function, to get a good sound you will most likely want to use an external amp simulation or other effects on this instrument.
As the official developer website is down, you can get Lethality here.
Impact Soundworks Shreddage Stratus Free
Format: Kontakt 5.7 or higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
The Shreddage series by Impact Soundworks has been the go-to place for affordable guitar sample libraries for years. Recently, the company made a very generous gift to composers when it released a free version of its Shreddage 3 Stratus guitar. Compared to the commercial version, the free version only offers neck pickup (instead of neck, middle and bridge), 12 frets (instead of 24), a reduced range and fewer articulations. However, this shouldn’t stop you from creating great, realistic electric guitar parts with this library. Up to 24 samples per note, including sustain, palm mute and choke articulations make this an amazingly usable library that will fit into many productions.
Amazingly,the free version of Shreddage 3 Stratus also comes with full mix consolefunctionality. In the mix console you can add effects, whether that’s pedals,amps, cabinets or EQ. The included presets (called “snapshots” by ImpactSoundworks) sound instantly great and are compatible with other Shreddageinstruments (as long as they use the same console). This is definitely the bestand most versatile free electric guitar on the market right now – so if youhave a full version of Kontakt, don’t miss out on this one.
Check outthe following video for an overview on how to use Stratus Free:
Get Impact Soundworks Stratus Free here (you will need to get a free account to download the instrument).
Pettinhouse Free Electric Guitars
Just as Pettinhouseoffers a few great acoustic guitar libraries, it has also released a fewinteresting electric guitars:
FreeDirectGuitar
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
The following examples were created with DirectGuitar and Guitar Rig 5:
Using this direct guitar library by Pettinhouse gives you maximum flexibility for sculpting your own tone. It comes with a range of four octaves and also includes a few effects (open the “strum” and “layers” instruments to find out where they are located on the keyboard). Amp and effects are not part of the instrument, so you will need to add one yourself. I used Guitar Rig 5 for the audio examples.
FreeMute&Slap
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Mute&Slap is a very specialized instrument: The articulations range from mute tones in the lower velocities to slap notes in the higher velocities and are great for adding some funky notes to your beats and songs. While Free Mute&Slap also contains a couple of effects and amp choices, it might be worthwhile trying out a few different amp simulations with this to have more control over the tone.
Here’s avideo review for Mute&Slap:
FreeFunkyGuitar
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Need more funk in your music? Check out Pettinhouse’s Free FunkyGuitar. Besides regular plucked string sounds, this library also contains strum loops and muted strum loops. These are especially convenient (programming funk guitar rhythms manually is hell) and can be tempo-synced to the host or adjusted manually (in a range of 85 bpm – 130 bpm). The library comes with a built-in reverb, delay and phaser and a selection of amps. The guide tab will help you find your way around this instrument quickly.
FreeWarmJazz
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
When I was researching for this article and came across WarmJazz, a realization hit me: There are barely any jazz guitar sample libraries on the market. Apart from the occasional funk library, most current guitar libraries and VSTs are oriented towards rock, metal and blues. If you’re looking for a jazzier sound, though, you should check out WarmJazz by Pettinhouse. In its free version, it comes with seven presets and a range of effects (chorus, reverb, delay, compressor). The quality of the sound is indeed warm and jazzy and hard to re-create with any other library.
KaroryferSamples Cute Emily Guitar
Format: SFZ, Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
The next three examples use Guitar Rig 5:
Cute Emily Guitar is originally a project by Karoryfer Samples and was first published in 2014. To quote the creator:
“There area lot of guitar samples out there intended for lots of styles of musicguitarists like, from Latin jazz to metalcore, but this library is for musicguitarists really hate, from hip-hop to EDM. It’s designed to be easy to usefor producers who don’t necessarily know a lot about guitars and don’t need awhole lot of different articulations, control over left-hand position, note offgroups, etc. Instead of all that you get a fat, percussive sound that’s greatfor crisp rhythms.”
Indeed, the instrument, which is a sampled Epiphone Emily the Strange, has a very pronounced, percussive attack. As the samples were recorded directly, it makes sense to run them through an amp simulator of some sort (I used Guitar Rig 5 for my tests).
You have the choice between two versions of this instrument: The original Karoryfer Samples version in SFZ soundfont format or a Kontakt version by Bigcat Instruments. The Kontakt version includes various effects, such as a phaser, chorus, reverb, delay, compressor, distortion and EQ. You can also add tremolo and adjust the velocity curve, as well as the attack and release.
Alternatives
Looking formore options? Check out the following instruments:
- Greggjazz Suburban Guitarist (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- Krakli Strat-A-Various (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- SuperRiff: SuperRiff Guitar (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
Over to you…
Do you have any other favorites that you didn’t see included on this page? Let us know in the comments!
Here’s something I don’t like to admit: I’m a terrible guitarist. Sure, I know the chords and scales and such, and I strum something out, but it can get messier than a famous drag queen disparaging transgender women. Thus, I was left wondering what a terrible guitarist can do when they want to get their tracks down, but don’t have small fortune to spend on session guitarists.
I scavenged the underworld (aka the Internet) for solutions, focusing on getting a utility for a strumming guitar. Clearly, I wasn’t the only person with this problem as I found an overwhelming amount of options. As is typically the case, the best options were paid VSTs. However there are some free options available.
FREE STRUMMING GUITAR VSTs:
Below I include two different types of VST strummers. Some of you are looking for a control engine, some of you are probably looking for a stand alone sampler. The options are below.
Strummer, by Mildon.
I found this option to be a bit difficult to customize the sounds I wanted, but when you’re on a budget, it will do in a pinch. You’re not going to be able to customize this to pluck a single string, but it works well if you’re just fiddling with sounds, and have a VSTi you like. This is one of the least customizable solutions and doesn’t use its own samples.
A nice thing about it compared to other free and paid options is that you can use whatever sample or VSTi you already have. It was fun to experiment with non-guitar samples using this, but I would avoid it if you have a particular sound/pattern in mind as it’s a bit hard to dial it in just right.
Ample Sound Guitar M Lite (AGML).
This is a beautifully sampled instrument. There was a bit of a learning curve on this, but once I figured it out I was amazed at what I could accomplish. This is the light version of the paid product, which takes away a few options, but is still a very capable instrument. There are several free instruments available through Ample, including a bass guitar, all of which have been a huge help to me in creating guitar sounds.
One thing I really appreciate with this instrument is that you can see the strings and frets as you are playing, creating a bit of a “learn more about the guitar” feeling. I put together a track with this and sent it to a talented guitarist friend with the question, “How does this sound?” Her response was, “Who’s playing the guitar?” It convinced her, but we both could tell the guitar was too perfect. There are settings that can help create a more convincing sound, though.
I can’t recommend this enough for the price – free. A comparison chart of the free and paid version is below under the full version of AGM.
PAID STRUMMING GUITAR VSTs:
Komplete Native Instruments Session Guitarist, Strummed Acoustic 2. ($99.00 USD)
I’m going to be honest here. I bought this instrument from Komplete Native Instruments and never got to use it. The problem was with the installation process. My studio is in a rural environment with limited internet, and this thing is huge. For most large files, I download them off-sight and take them into the studio on a flash drive to install. Unfortunately, this one requires you download their manager software onto the computer you will use the instrument on, then download the install file. You also have to download Komplete Player.
That’s a lot of downloading when you have poor internet access. I’m including it here because I spent a lot of time before buying it watching videos and it sounds great and seems to work like some of the other options. Plus, their support team was amazing to work with. They provided me with an installation work-around (which was overly complex for my sometimes tech-challenged self. When I couldn’t get that to work, they refunded my money. Kudos to a company for providing that support.
If you do have good internet access, no price limitations, and don’t mind all the extra stuff on your system (or already use Kontakt), you may as well give it a go.
Ample Sound Guitar MII (Not Lite, Paid, &169.00 USD).
See the information above for the AGML version, which is the free version of this instrument. Of all of them I tried, I love the Ample guitars most. The sound is great and I love the simplicity of setting up your patterns for the song (midi piano roll style) and using a midi keyboard to trigger the patterns (and chord changes). You can customize those patterns all the way down to single strings and you can trigger multiple chord voicings. The paid version provides additional features over the free version per the chart below:
Guitar Strumming Vst Free Download
I haven’t truly figured out why the chart says you only have a Finger option in the free version. I successfully “strummed” the free version. It’s likely because you can select pick or finger strum, but I stopped trying to decipher the exact meaning of this. Even with only 866 samples, the free version sounded a million times better than the AAS Strum GS-2 (below).
Applied Acoustic AAS Strum GS-2. ($199.00 USD).
If you’re going for a 90’s sampled guitar sound, this is the instrument for you. Really, it sounds like crap. Now, if you spend a lot of time with effects and don’t care that your acoustic guitar sounds more like a synth, you can almost get a real enough sound to fool a few people if your guitar is way back in your mix. Seriously, I hated the sound of this so much I spent exactly 30 seconds on it before concluding it was a big no. I’m hoping someone will correct me and I’ll learn I’m just ignorant and this is a great tool.
MusicLab Real Guitar V. ($199.00 USD)
This instrument would be my second choice in the lineup so far. It’s 2nd to Amples AGM/AGML only because of the price. Sound wise, they are very close in realism. Both involve a learning curve, but once you understand one the other comes pretty quickly as they are played similarly. I do like that the Real Guitar combines a Classic and Steel String Guitar (you choose), essentially giving you a second instrument not provided by Ample. If price isn’t a huge factor for you, then MusicLab’s Real Guitar V is a great option.
Orange Tree Samples, Evolution Songwriter ($179.00 USD).
Orange Tree Samples has some of the most beautifully sampled instruments out there, imho, and this instrument is no different. The samples are… well… amazing. The problem is, it’s runs in Kontakt. I generally try to avoid these (like the Native Instruments Session Guitarist). If you use Kontakt Player or instruments or whatever already, then this is a great option for you. It comes with numerous presets to get just the right sound. For me, anything using Kontakt is a no. I’ve got enough crap without having to install all the Kontakt crap on my computer, too. Don’t judge me.
Conclusion.
Guitar Strumming Vst Free Downloads
If you don’t object to Kontakt based samplers, and aren’t particularly budget conscious, you will likely love Orange Tree Samples Evolution Songwriter for your acoustic needs (other guitar samples available including those for the rockers). However, Ample Sounds stole my ears with their careful samples and customizable sound in the AGML – and the free price is a nice touch!
Haters are gonna hate though and a lot of folks argue there is no substitute for a good session guitarists. I agree. While I think a some of the higher quality ones on this list can be feed into a mix and released for public consumption, I wouldn’t recommend it if the guitar is upfront in your mix. Sure, you could spend hours and hours fiddling to get the sound just right. However, there are sonic nuances of a real guitar that are truly difficult to duplicate with even the best samples. For me, the sound got a bit tiresome because of the lack of these nuances. Even with small effect and automation changes, I felt it sounded too clean, too good, to be feel real.