Trumpets have a way of adding that extra spark of excitement to any any track you use them on. So let’s help you create the most brilliant sounding accents, riffs, hooks, even some awesome solos with with the best trumpet VST plugins for music production.
The top trumpet VST is Native Instruments Session Horns is a great affordable option if you’re looking for high quality, and easy to play trumpet sounds when you’re short of a few live trumpet players for you production.
We also suggest Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section if you’re looking for something more, such as vintage sounds, a vast library, and plenty of articulation. It’s quite a bit more pricy, but worth the money if you ask us!
Top 7 Best Trumpet VST Plugins
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Native Instruments Session Horns
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Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section
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Vienna Symphonic Library Fanfare Trumpets – Full Library
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SWAM Trumpet
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Wavesfactory Harmon Muted Trumpets
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Heavyocity Forzo Modern Brass
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Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns 2
Best Trumpet VST Reviews
Native Instruments Session Horns
Pros
- Realistic brass quartet
- Easy to use
- Works in a free KONTAKT player
Cons
- No solo instruments
See price @ Native Instruments
Best features and specs
Native Instruments doesn’t really need any introduction, and with their reputation and experience, they don’t really use a hit-and-miss policy. So, as you would expect, Native Instruments Session Horns is a good sounding and excellent overall library.
Native Instruments Session Horns gives you a modern brass quartet that consists of two trumpets, trombone and sax. Unfortunately, with this one, you don’t get a solo section, although there is a quite quirky workaround on that. This library is extremely easy to use and customize. In addition to a highly intuitive performance, it has 170 pre-recorded phrases and a chord builder.
User impressions
Users say that Native Instruments Session Horns have a jazzy and soulful sound to them as all instruments recorded clean with some details of every instrument. With the specifications, users agree that this VST is best to use in creating pop, soul, funk, and some of the urban-like melodies.
What we think
We found the customizable phrases to be the most useful and fun to use the feature. It lets you spice up your arrangement with very realistic brass sounds. It feels like it was designed with convenience in mind without any compromise to the performance.
Bottomline
If you prefer to work quickly and on a budget, Native Instruments Session Horns is definitely a one to pick. It sits perfectly well in a jazzy mix, which doesn’t necessarily mean that you couldn’t use it in the orchestral project. Despite that it lacks a dedicated solo section, it is still a very powerful and versatile virtual instrument.
Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section
Pros
- True legato
- Modern and vintage sound
- A lot of articulations
- Runs in a free KONTAKT player
Cons
- Except for being pricey, none
See price @ Plugin Boutique
Best features and specs
With Vir2 instruments, you will always get a believable performance with a beautiful sound, and Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section, for that matter, is not an exception. But the thing is, it seems that guys from Vir2 instruments are always trying to give us something extra. In the case of this virtual instrument, in addition to a modern sound, you have an option to choose from 3 different variations of vintage sound – 70’s funk, 60’s big bands, and old school jazz from the 30’s.
Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section consists of 13 instruments – a classic big band brass section with the addition of clarinet, flugelhorn, and a French horn. Each instrument has its own set with 13 articulations in total.
User impressions
Users agree that Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section would be a perfect fit for creating funk and jazz music, however, some might find it interesting to combine it with other virtual instruments in the modern mix. As the interface is very user-friendly and the VST is quite playable, users tend to like it very much.
What we think
Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section gives you stylistic options of sounds from different eras, which is by far the best feature of this virtual instrument. That being said, the modern and slick, minimalistic GUI design is also a cool attribute.
Bottomline
If you were looking for a versatile and easy to use big band jazz sound, Big Fish Audio Mojo 2 Horn Section is an option definitely worth considering. It sounds very realistic and convincing, the option to choose the sound from different eras of big band recordings gives it a lot of room for various implementations.
Vienna Symphonic Library Fanfare Trumpets – Full Library
Pros
- Powerful orchestral brass
- A lot of playing techniques
- 6 trumpets
Cons
- Requires ViennaKey
See price @ Sweetwater
Best features and specs
When it comes to recreating an extremely realistic and expressive sound of the real orchestra with virtual instruments, Vienna Symphonic Library is surely on the top of the list. It is a respected and beloved virtual instruments manufacturer that prefers the classical orchestra’s traditional sound over the mainstream versatility.
But don’t be alarmed, Vienna Symphonic Library Fanfare Trumpets is a virtual instrument that has plenty of controls and customization options. With this instrument, you will get an ensemble of six orchestral trumpets with a full range of traditional brass articulations used in classical orchestral music.
User impressions
Users admit that Vienna Symphonic Library Fanfare Trumpets is great for creating a majestic and magnificent atmosphere. By its expressive nature, it would be a good addition to the collection of those who decide to try writing cinematic music.
What we think
Vienna Symphonic Library Fanfare Trumpets is certainly an extremely powerful and potent orchestral brass library. Even more so, it will complement other VSL products. The only drawback would be that it does one thing remarkably well, but one thing only. With whatever quirky idea you might come up, it still wouldn’t sound like a big band or Motown record.
Bottomline
If you were searching for an orchestral brass library, don’t look any further – this one is definitely for you. But if you are more into jazz and funk, you might be a bit disappointed.
SWAM Trumpet
Pros
- Physically modeled instrument
- Ultra-realistic
Cons
- Might require additional MIDI controllers
See price @ Sweetwater
Best features and specs
When it comes to sampled virtual instruments, you are always limited by the recorded performance of the said instrument. To overcome that limitation, SWAM Trumpet was made. Rather than sampling each note individually with every possible articulation, guys from Audio Modelling programmed the sound of the trumpet with an astonishing amount of control.
Thanks to that, SWAM Trumpet sounds as realistic and nuanced as possible. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you can make it sound exactly as the real trumpet. Audio Modelling SWAM Solo Brass Bundle gives you not only a trumpet but a full brass ensemble that you could make to sound like you have hired some real musicians for your project.
The only downside to Audio Modelling SWAM Solo Brass Bundle is that it wasn’t made with conventional MIDI controllers in mind. Unfortunately, to achieve the ultra-realism that this instrument offers you, you need some additional MIDI controllers at your disposal. The most convenient option will be a MIDI wind controller, but any MIDI interface will do if you are prepared to overdub your part several times at least. That being said, you can always set your MIDI keyboard aside and program everything by hand.
User impressions
Users like about SWAM Trumpet that is expressive, playable, and adaptable for any type of music you are composing. Also, a plus that this VST has a lot of articulations, which enhances your audio material greatly.
What we think
With Audio Modelling SWAM Solo Brass Bundle, it comes down to the level of patience you have. Unless you already own a MIDI wind controller, it takes quite a lot of time to achieve full potential with this instrument. So, if you prefer quick results with this one, you probably should think twice. We, personally, believe that it is worth the time and investment.
Bottomline
With a great possibility, Audio Modelling SWAM Solo Brass Bundle is one of the most realistic brass ensemble libraries in the world. And quite versatile also – since you are given meticulous control over the parameters, you can make it sound like a big band or orchestral brass. The choice is yours.
Wavesfactory Harmon Muted Trumpets
Pros
- Realistic solo trumpet
- True legato
Cons
- Requires the full version of KONTAKT
See price @ Plugin Boutique
Best features and specs
Wavesfactory Harmon Muted Trumpet is a realistic and very expressive solo trumpet virtual instrument. It is very easy to control with a conventional MIDI keyboard to achieve set realism and expression. Since it is a muted trumpet, it is better suited for jazz and funk projects. That being said, it sounds quite convincing as a lead instrument in the orchestra.
User impressions
Users say that Wavesfactory Harmon Muted Trumpets is a classical and extremely realistically sounding virtual instrument that is a perfect match for composing jazz and soul music.
What we think
It is extremely realistic and easy to use. For some odd reason, despite its obvious jazz background, we found that it sounds perfect in electronic lounge projects. The initial quality even lets you turn this instrument into the cinematic ambient pad, using additional effects, that is.
Bottomline
Wavesfactory Harmon Muted Trumpet is a very reasonably priced and realistic virtual instrument with exceptional sound quality. If you were looking for a realistic solo trumpet on a budget, look no further, this one is definitely for you.
Heavyocity Forzo Modern Brass
Pros
- A lot of useful presets
- Fantastic sound quality
Cons
- Relatively high-priced
- No legato patches
See price @ Plugin Boutique / Sweetwater
Best features and specs
With Heavyocity Forzo Modern Brass, as with most of their products, you will get more than you’ve expected. In addition to a modern orchestral brass with exceptional sound quality, Heavyocity offers you a highly customizable hybrid ensemble and a different loop engine.
With a traditional orchestral brass patch, you will get French Horns, Trumpets, Trombones, Tubes, and a full 26-piece ensemble. A hybrid patch has a lot of included factory presets, which you can tweak further with plenty of control.
User impressions
Users agree that Heavyocity Forzo Modern Brass is the best choice for creating cinematic and chic music. This VST varies from others by an airy atmosphere, a wide variety of textures, waves, and pulses.
What we think
Although it is a very fresh and modern take on a prominent trend of orchestral instruments, you may find it hard to use it as a big band ensemble. Primarily because it wasn’t designed for that. It was intended to be a useful tool for modern cinematic composers, and at that, it definitely succeeds.
Bottomline
If your main objective is to find a perfect big band brass or a highly expressive jazz trumpet, you won’t find much use in a Heavyocity Forzo Modern Brass. If you are a cinematic composer, you may find this to be a quite useful addition to your library of cinematic virtual instruments.
Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns 2
Pros
- Works in a free KONTAKT player
- Distinguishable 60’s sound
Cons
- None that we found
See price @ Plugin Boutique / Sweetwater
Best features and specs
There are times when one doesn’t simply look for versatility and an instrument with many implementations. Sometimes, you just want your virtual instrument to do one thing, but do it perfectly. And this is exactly the reason why Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns 2 exists. It was made specifically to recreate the sound of prominent jazz and funk artists of the 60’s and 70’s. It even has its own designated tape saturation setting.
Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns 2 features a carefully crafted set of patches that most accurately represent trendy sounds of that particular era, which includes a variation of trumpet sounds, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes, bass trombone with the addition of bass flute, piccolo, and flugelhorn. Each instrument features its own set of 8 articulations, including scoops, swells, and falloffs.
User impressions
Users say that Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns 2 sounds unbelievably warm and festive. Presets are recorded as close to real as possible, which helps to maintain the atmosphere. Those who are fond of the 60’s and 70’s music find this the best for recreating the vibes of these times.
What we think
Although it was designed as a recreation of vintage jazz and funk brass section sound, we found that it sits rather well in other more modern mixes. Also, it is always good to spice things up and give it an extra edge. Obviously, it wouldn’t be very wise to use it as the orchestra brass section. But it doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be done.
Bottomline
Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns 2 is an excellent choice if you are looking for a vintage brass section sound specifically, considering that this virtual instrument library is reasonably priced and there are very few other virtual instruments that surpassed it in terms of sounding vintage and realistic.
Trumpet VST Buying Guide
When it comes to brass, it is always a difficult subject to discuss and even more so to give advice on. Nevertheless, there’re a few issues that are worth mentioning, especially while discussing a trumpet. Being an instrument that stands out quite a lot in a band, the trumpet is an instrument that is very hard to emulate. Let alone give it a realistic sound and the playability that matches the real thing.
However, some virtual instruments developers aced this task remarkably and gave us, producers, a wonderful opportunity to have a big band or a brass orchestra at our tips without actually hiring anybody. But since, thanks to the developers, we now have a variety of options to choose from, there’re a number of things that should be considered in choosing the best trumpet VST plugin.
How to Choose the Best Trumpet VST
First of all, you would have to know your goals. Some virtual instruments are good at giving you that classic big band sound, and others were made specifically for orchestral compositions. Of course, you can always adjust your virtual instrument’s sound, but usually, it is better to have something that was made with a certain genre in mind.
Secondly, in terms of virtual brass, playability and control is something that you should always bear in mind. Since a trumpet is a very dynamic instrument with a lot of nuances, it is quite hard to achieve a believable performance with VSTs using a conventional MIDI keyboard. At some point, you might have to consider investing in an additional MIDI controller. Or otherwise, arm yourself with patience and prepare for additional MIDI programming by hand.
Nowadays, we have a vast amount of different brass and, specifically, trumpet virtual instruments. Some of those instruments were made for different purposes, and some actually complement each other in various ways. To make it easier for you to choose, we made a list of the best trumpet VST.
