Flute VSTs do not get a lot of attention in the Virtual Instrument arena, but there are plenty of quality options to choose from if you’re in the market for one.
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The flipside is that these plugins are not compatible with other hosts. The summary of possible plugin formats is as follows: FL plugin - only works in FL Studio; VST plugin - works in all VST host programs. AU plugin - works on Mac OS X. Stand Alone - the plugin runs inside a self-contained host-wrapper. My Amazon music store: VST plugins can cause your FL Studio projects to crash when you open or save them. Fruity Delay 3 is an analog-style delay plugin that came out with version 12.5 of FL Studio. If you’ve ever tried to use the plugin you might have noticed that it doesn’t seem quite as intuitive as Fruity Delay 2 or some other delay plugins. However, it’s a pretty versatile delay plugin, and it can. New Arpeggiator. Time for an arpeggiator overhaul. Access all sixteen layer arpeggiators, in addition to the main arpeggiator. Extend the pattern length up to 256 steps and play the most complex patterns you can come up with.
Maybe you want some sweet flute sounds to bolster your latest score, or you might be looking to get creative with your mix in any genre.
Whatever your reason for wanting a flute synth, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best flute VSTs you can get your hands on today.
Top 7 Flute Plugins
1. East-West Orchestral Woodwinds
If you are looking for an orchestral VST, your search should begin and end with East-West. If you’re wanting flute sounds in particular, their Orchestral Woodwinds VST is worth checking out. The recordings were completed by Shawn Murphy, who is most well known for his work with Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars. Mix engineers of all skill levels will have no difficulties in using this plugin.
There’s lots of controls to play around with on the main screen, including decay, release, attack, hold, and sustain. All of these work together to give you the most realistic flute sounds. We like the articulation chart that’s included to assist you in finding the right articulation levels. You also have five microphone positions to work with. Overall, this is a really solid VST to turn to for authentic flute sounds.
Pros
- Five microphone positions
- Great selection of articulations to work with
- Includes numerous quality woodwind samples
Cons
- There are a few little issues with the software that can be frustrating
2. Soundiron Little Wooden Flutes
Soundiron has a pretty incredible selection of Kontact instruments, including the Little Wooden Flutes library. This VST gives you access to Indian Venu flute samples, which were recorded in a dry studio environment. If you’re not familiar, the Venu flute is an ancient keyless flute that is end-blown. It plays an integral role in traditional and modern Indian music.
Soundiron has also included some Native American Plains flute samples. These were recorded in a sanctuary hall for lush, open reverb. You also have the option of pairing your flute sounds with a selection of atmospheric synth and pad sounds.
There are several parameters to explore, including an impressive collection of various articulations and a top-notch phrase sequencer to help you work efficiently. You can also choose between two dry microphones and two hall microphones, each with their own panning and volume controls. In addition to all that, there’s some fun flute effects you can add like trills, overtones, chirps, breaths, and more. There’s a lot packed into this specialized flute plugin, and it’s worth checking out.
Pros
- Solid articulations
- Dry and wet samples to play with
- Incredibly full and warm sounds
Cons
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- Kontakt is required
3. Cinematique Instruments Luft
Are you familiar with Cinematique Instruments? Probably not, but they are worth checking out. Their Luft VST is a collection of instrument emulations that are focused on the aeroponic realm. This basically means they have any kind of airflow instrument you can think of. In addition to flute sounds you’ll find blown keyboards, kazoos, water bottles, hand pipes, and more. There’s a total of 34 instruments to work with along with 50 presets that will push the bounds of your creativity.
Luft allows you to mix and match instruments with two layers of sound for some incredibly textured results. You can also utilize the FX section to distort, EQ, modulate, and more. If you want to get more involved with shaping the tone, take advantage of the four different ModWheel options to manipulate the low-pass, volume, and tone. It also gives you the ability to morph between two sounds that you choose.
If you want a VST that offers you authentic, rich, warm flute sounds—and sounds of any other air-based instrument you can think of—definitely give the Luft a chance.
Pros
- Very low disk space requirements
- Impressive library of sound sources
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Some instruments lack musicality
- Doesn’t always give a visual representation of the playable range
4. Heavyocity VENTO Modern Woodwinds
Heavyocity has a reputation for developing top-notch orchestral VSTs. They have the NOVO for string instruments and the FORZO for bass. Following the success of those VSTs, they introduced the VENTO, which is focused on woodwind instruments. The flutes on the VENTO sound incredible. You’ll find 100 hybrid snapshots, 400 tempo-synched loops, 160 organic articulations, and much more. You’ll be able to take a simple flute sound and transform it into something much more cinematic.
VENTO really takes into consideration the lyricality and complex textures involved in modern scoring. You will have the ability to tweak your flute tones so that they sound as authentic as possible. There’s tons of effects to play with as well. You can create dynamic flute sounds that flutter and swell, and you can also explore the other woodwind tones on the plugin.
Pros
- Lots of great sound design patches
- Endless possibilities for tweaking
- Many useful loops
Cons
- Does not have any legato articulations
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5. Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns
Big Fish Audio has come out with a pretty awesome plugin called Vintage Horns. You can tell by the name that it’s not strictly a flute VST. Instead, it includes emulations of a range of brass and wind instruments from funk and soul music of the ‘60s and ‘70s. On the Vintage Horns VST, in addition to the flute, you’ll find sounds of the trumpet, alto saxophone, flugelhorn, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, and more. There’s an impressive library of presets with some iconic section types such as the Philly Sound sound, the Memphis Soul sound, the Oakland Soul sound, and the Detroit Sound sound.
There are nine distinct instrument patches included, each with their own keyswitches. This gives you increased control over the stabs, falls, swells, long and short notes, and more. You’ll even find some Sforzando samples thrown in for reeds and brass. No matter what genre you’re working with, you’ll want to pick up this plugin for incredibly unique samples that you won’t find anywhere else.
Pros
- The flute is actually the best instrument on here
- Doesn’t take up much CPU
- Impressive keyswitch control
Cons
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- Certain samples don’t sound great when dry
6. Wavesfactory Newmello Collection
The Mellotron is a unique instrument that you may not be too familiar with, but it can be found on a number of hit songs by the Rolling Stones, King Crimson, and the Rolling Stones, among others. Newmello captures all of the classic characteristics of the Mellotron and transfers them into the Kontakt by Native Instruments. This emulation of the Mellotron M400 comes along with 25 other various instruments to work with. Not only that, but it’s quite affordable.
There’s two screens to work with, the settings screen and the main view. The settings page gives you the ability to loop eight-second samples with round-robin and dynamics simulation parameters. This means you can achieve more with the sound than you can with the real-life instrument. On the main view screen you will be able to EQ your sounds, use two different modes to control the noise, blend two different types of tape, and adjust the attack and release. Flipping through all the patches is incredibly easy.
This Mellotron VST is a great option if you’re looking for something affordable that’s in the flute arena but not an actual flute VST.
Pros
- Super simple to use
- Inexpensive
- Doesn’t take up much CPU
Cons
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- You might think some of the sounds are cheesy
7. Varazuvi Varazuvi Indian Flute
Varazuvi has given us a gift with their Varazuvi Indian Flute VST, which is available for free. This 24-bit VST is super user-friendly and is compatible with almost all computers. With this at your fingertips, you’ll have access to authentic recordings of the Indian flute with high sample rates. The result is a dynamic playing experience.
You’ll be able to play with several parameters, including decay, attack, sustain, and release. You can also explore a few additional effects such as reverb and equalization. There’s multiple velocity-sensitive layers to work with along with three playing styles: short, mid, and long. All of these articulations give you a surprising level of versatility.
It’s not a mind-blowing VST, but it does give you the chance to work with this specialized instrument and develop exciting sounds without having to pay anything.
Pros
- Multiple velocity layers
- 24-bit samples
- Doesn’t cost anything!
Cons
- No complaints when something is free
Embrace the Flute
The flute is a gorgeous instrument that can elevate compositions and add an element of surprise when you’re not expecting it. The flute sound might be underrated compared to all the other elements mix engineers integrate into a track, but if you’re looking for a quality flute VST, there are plenty of them out there. We recommend starting with the ones on our list.