We currently offer free instruments as part of two projects: 'KIViR' (Keyboard Instrument Virtual Restoration) and “Bells and Carillons”.
The KIViR project contains ancestors of the piano (clavichord, cimbalom, harpsichord), historical pianoforte and pianos.
The Bells and Carillons project contains church bells, carillons and tubular bells.
Free Harpsichord Vst
Modeled after a 1697 harpsichord, this VST packs a punch that will have you reminiscing of your days studying classical music. For a free option, I believe this is is a great choice. Note: You need to now have a license with Modartt in order to get this plugin for free. This is really easy to download and extremely easy to use.
Below is a detailed description of these.
KIViR instruments
Clavichord
Clavichord: Neupert
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of clavichord Neupert (1941) which is based on a 'Modell Philipp Emanuel Bach'. It was provided by the Kremsegg Schloss Museum (Kremsmünster, Austria).
The clavichord, invented in the early 14th Century, is a predecessor to the piano and to the more recent clavinet. It is a popular instrument for playing music from the Renaissance and Baroque period, but can in fact also be found in other more modern music styles such as in recordings by Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Tori Amos and TheBeatles.
Cimbalom
Cimbalom: Kovács
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of cimbalom Balázs Kovács (2007).
The cimbalom belongs to the ancestor psaltery, quoted in the bible. The psaltery was later developed into different variants which differed in sound but were similar in their constructive concept. One of these, the cimbalom, was a constant member of gypsy orchestras. Legs and a damper pedal were soon added to the instrument and it reached the status of concert instrument in the 19th Century, thanks to Ferenc Erkel and Franz Liszt.
For VST and VST3 effects they have to be the 64bit versions to work in Audition CC2017. Make sure that in Audition's Plugin Manager that the correct folders are selected where your plugins are installed. However VSTi (VST Instrument) plugins won't work in Audition. Only VST effects plugins are. Rescan for Plugins If the relevant plug-in files are now in the right folders, restart your computer, launch your DAW and check whether the issue persists. If the issue persists, perform a re-scan in your DAW. Have a look at these articles: How to re-scan Plug-ins in my DAW? The first thing you can try is rescanning your VST folders. Look at the Studio One Options menu. Make sure the checkbox is checked to scan your VST folders at startup: The second thing to check is if the VSTs are disabled in the browser. This plugin hosts VST effects plugins (but not instrument plugins) Download Support Forum See Readme Like Readme. Unzip and put mbVST.dll in the plugins folder; The source folder for the VST plugin dll's needs to be configured in the Plugin preferences panel but the default is the normal VST location so should work without. Music plugins vst plugins not functioning.
Contrarily to the piano, pressing down a key does not lift the corresponding damper. Hence, unless the pedal is depressed, all notes are immediately dampened.
Harpsichords
Harpsichord: Grimaldi
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of a harpsichord by Carlo Grimaldi dating from 1697, copied by Andrew Wooderson (Bexley, 2007). Typical of a short-scaled Italian instrument it has a crispness of attack and transparency of tone that makes it ideal for continuo use, and is also well suited to 17th and 18th Century Italian and German solo repertoire. Its two registers can be played separately or combined together.
Harpsichord: Blanchet
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of harpsichord François-Etienne Blanchet, 'Château de Thoiry' (1733), copied by Anthony Gale (Frampton Cotterell, UK, 1993). It has a very delicate sound, inviting for inspiring musical moments from the baroque period representative by great masters such as Scarlatti, Bach and Händel.
Pianoforte
Pianoforte: Walter
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of an Anton Walter pianoforte.
Anton Walter (1752-1826) was an important and famous Viennese instrument builder. He was a friend of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who owned one of his instruments and often used it in concerts. Ludwig van Beethoven also belonged to those who often praised the solid quality. By improving the Viennese pianoforte action, Walter managed to build instruments with a slightly more powerful sound than that of his competitors. The instruments are often used today as models for the construction of authentic copies.
Pianoforte: Schöffstoss
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of pianoforte Donat Schöffstoss, 1812, recorded at Schloss Kremsegg, A-4550 Kremsmünster, Austria. Schöffstoss offered the delicate Viennese action which gives it a slightly gentler sound than the more sturdy English variants.
Pianoforte: Schmidt
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of pianoforte Johann Evangelist Schmidt, Salzburg about 1790, recorded at Handelhaus, D-06108, Halle, Germany. This hammerflügel variant became appreciated by the contemporaries because of its beautiful and even sound, its outside elegance and affordable price.
Pianoforte: Schantz
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of pianoforte Johann Schantz, Vienna, ca 1790, recorded at Schloss Kremsegg, A-4550 Kremsmünster, Austria. Like many other fortepianos of its period, it is very lightly constructed and has much smaller hammers and thinner strings than a modern piano. Beethoven described it as good and durable and he recommended them to his friends.
Pianoforte: Graf
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of pianoforte Conrad Graf, Vienna, 1826, recorded at Schloss Kremsegg, A-4550 Kremsmünster, Austria. The Graf pianofortes were held in high esteem, and soon were considered the greatest and most renowned in Vienna and throughout the empire. Beethoven was particularly fond of these.
Grand pianos
Grand piano: Pleyel
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of grand piano Pleyel, model F (1926). Chopin preferred to compose and perform on Pleyel pianos and it was also used by other major composers, such as Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky. The Pleyel sound can be described as round, warm and sensual.
Grand piano: Erard
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of piano Sébastien Erard, a half grand (2 m), serial number 109 933 (1922). It has an extraordinary warm and coloured sound with lots of charm, and is equipped with a very delicate una corda pedal. We tried to be as close as possible to the original instrument, including some small 'defaults' in the bass strings. The instrument suits naturally well for Liszt who loved playing on Erard.
Electro-acoustic
Electro-acoustic piano: CP-80
This is a physically modelled virtual copy of an electro-acoustic Yamaha CP-80, serial number 1982. The CP-80 was a very popular stage piano at the time (1976-1985) with a unique sound and with an authentic grand piano action. It was marketed by Yamaha as a touring friendly and electronically amplified variant of a grand piano. It was famous for its rock solid quality and considered by many as the 'Rolls Royce' of the electro-acoustic pianos.
Bells and carillons
Tubular bells
Strings Vst Free
This is a virtual copy of a Tubular bells.
The add-on is modelled after a Bergerault 18 Note concert chimes which is made of brass tubes of graded length that are tuned to a chromatic scale. The instrument appeared for the first time in England in the late 19th Century and is ever since part of major symphonic orchestras. The add-on includes 3 variants and has an extended note range: 5 octaves instead of the usual 1½ octave.
Harpsichord Soundfont
Church bells and carillons
This is a virtual copy of bells and a carillons that were recorded at the European Bell Institute.
The use of bells in the Christian church goes back to the early Middle Ages. A bell is an idiophone, that is, a musical instrument which produces a vibration. The bell is in fact one of the loudest of musical instruments. The sound has the power to bring many mixed feelings derived from our experiences connected to it: joy, happiness, grief, fear, relief, revelation, excitement, amazement.
Special acknowledgments to the following instrument owners:
- C. Bechstein Digital, Germany (C. Bechstein DG)
- J. Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH, Germany (Blüthner Model One grand piano)
- Grotrian Piano Company GmbH, Germany (Grotrian Concert Royal grand piano)
- Peter Karsten, Germany (Karsten collection)
- Daniel Parisot, France (Hamburg Steinway D)
- PETROF, spol. s r.o., Czech Republic (Ant. Petrof)
- Steingraeber & Söhne Piano Manufactory, Germany (Steingraeber E-272)
- Steinway & Sons, USA (New York Steinway D)
- Michel Armengot, France (CP-80)
- Paul Badura-Skoda, Austria (Walter)
- ???, UK (Grimaldi, François-Etienne Blanchet)
- Olivier Cussac, France (Rhodes MK1, Wurlitzer 200A, Clavinet D6)
- European Bell Institute, France (Bells)
- Luigi Gaggero, Italy (Cimbalom)
- Haendelhaus, Germany (Schmidt)
- Monique Niebisch, France (Sébastien Erard)
- Christophe Nebout, France (Pleyel model F)
- Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, France (Celesta, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Xylophone, Tubular bells)
- Gilbert O'Sullivan, UK (Carl Bechstein)
- Kremsegg Schloss, Austria (Neupert, Schöffstoss, Schantz, Graf)
- Pascal Gaillard, France (Steel Drum)
- Marc Guilliou, France (Spacedrum, Hand Pand, Tank Drum)
- Klaus P. Rausch, Germany (Electra-piano, Pianet T)
Happy Halloween 2017!
To celebrate the occasion, I have a very special Free Ableton Live Pack. Mitchell's Harpsichord! This instrument was sampled and built by Charlie McCarron and Mitchell Adam Johnson. They sent it to me and I added a few little finishing touches to their meticulous labor. We would like you to have it for free!
Harpsichord For Garageband
This instrument is extremely life-like. Charlie and Mitchell painstakingly sampled every note of the harpsichord, as well as the mechanical noises each key makes. The instrument gives you control over whether the notes are sustained or staccato, a filter, a reverb, the volume of the mechanical noise, and the volume of the strings. They made use of a clever trick with Ableton's Note On MIDI device to make the mechanical noises sound after the MIDI note is released (Note off). When you turn down the strings volume all the way, the mechanical noises are then sounded when the MIDI note is initially pressed (Note on). This allows you the option to use the mechanical sounds percussively.
Mitchell has an interesting story behind this harpsichord, which I'd like to share:
I used to search on Craigslist for harpsichords, celestas, and mellotrons. Rarely would anything pop up. Then one day in November of 2010, a harpischord appeared. I sent an email, and got this prompt response: Thanks for your interest in the harpsichord. Alas, it is already spoken for. You are third in line, and I’ll let you know if the first two fall through. -Bob
Well, turns out the first two people were from out of state, and the arrangements were just getting too complicated for the seller. He sent me another email letting me know that the harpsichord was mine, if I could pick it up sometime in the next couple days. I rushed over there, checked it out, and bought the harpsichord for $150.
Bob, the seller, taught me how to tune and adjust the instrument. He also gave me all the necessary tools as well as extra strings and spare parts.
Bob related to me the story of how he originally acquired the harpsichord. What I remember is probably slightly off here and there, but here's the basic tale:
In the late 70s, Bob had the idea to build his own harpsichord. He planned on making it extremely authentic to the Baroque era - complete with decorative paint and gold trim. Well, a year went by, then another, then another, and Bob was still putting together this extremely intricate project.
The construction was taking much longer than expected, and Bob just wanted to PLAY a damn harpsichord. They aren't like guitars or pianos, where you can just pop into a shop and play around; they're hard to come by.
So Bob began searching for a harpsichord to purchase - one for him to play around on while his own project was plodding along. This is where THE harpsichord enters the story.
I'm not sure how Bob ever found this person in the early 80s (without the internet), but SOMEHOW, Bob stumbled upon this boy genius, whose name I can't recall.
Anyway, the story within the story goes like this: Some high school student was taking a shop class, and was just getting bored with how basic the class projects were. So while his buddies were building bird houses and shelves, this boy decided he was going to build a fucking harpsichord. And he did just that.
So Bob found this student and bought the instrument off him for basically nothing. Zoom to 2010. After 30 years, Bob finally finished building his own, much more complex harpsichord. Multiple registers, intricate decorations - just beautiful. As he had no need for two harpsichords, he decided to sell one. He could've asked for $1,000 and someone certainly would've bought it. Instead, he decided to list it for $150.
So yeah, I entered 'harpischord' into the search bar on Craiglist.
Free Orchestra Vst
Please be sure to check the work of both Charlie McCarron and Mitchell Adam Johnson:
Charlie McCarron:
Website - Learn about Charlie, including his excellent podcast Composer Quest
Twitter - Send some love!
Cakewalk drum vst. Nick Crow 8505 Lead. A formidable VST amp for heavy metal fanboys and shred aficionados, Nick. A solid polyphonic synth, Helm offers lots of tweaks and customizations for pro users.
Music Production Lessons Podcast - Learn a thing or two with these great lessons.
Charlie on the Music Production Podcast - I had a great talk with Charlie on my podcast!
Mitchell Adam Johnson:
Vst Free Piano Mac
Bandcamp - This harpsichord will be heavily featured on his upcoming album Marigold.