Appendix E: The VST Hoard

Updated: 2025-03-17.

Note that most of these are not installed at any given moment! But this is…embarrassing…even if I have been stalking sales for over a decade. I’ve bolded some (but not all) of my mainstays. If you’re wondering why some “but obviously you’d use that!” option isn’t bolded, it’s probably a more recent acquisition I haven’t yet had the chance to dive into.

…terrifyingly, this isn’t the complete list, either. /o\ This is more for my reference than yours!

8dio

  • 8dio 1928 Vintage Grand Steinway
  • 8dio Catmosphere
  • 8dio Clocks
  • 8dio Electric Cello
  • 8dio Electric Violin
  • 8dio Emperium Destiny Choir + Legato Add-On
  • 8dio Emperium Titan Choir + Legato Add-On
  • 8dio Equinox
  • 8dio Hybrid Tools – Neo
  • 8dio Hybrid Tools – Synphony
  • 8dio Hybrid Tools – Terminus
  • 8dio Majestica Ultra
  • 8dio Misfit 1-Stringed Diddley Bow
  • 8dio Misfit 3-Stringed Diddley Bow
  • 8dio Misfit Bicycle
  • 8dio Misfit Bucket Bass
  • 8dio Misfit Concertina
  • 8dio Misfit Fiddle
  • 8dio Misfit Harmonica
  • 8dio Misfit Jawharp
  • 8dio Misfit Piano Toy
  • 8dio Misfit Stompbox
  • 8dio Misfix Trombone
  • 8dio Misfit Trumpet
  • 8dio Misfit Washboard
  • 8dio Misfit Whistling
  • 8dio The New Basstard
  • 8dio The New Epic Taiko Ensemble
  • 8dio The New Hybrid Tools Vol. 1 (E:)
  • 8dio Requiem Professional 1.1
  • 8dio Silka

Audio Imperia

  • Audio Imperia Jaeger. Worth it for the Merethe Soldvedt vocals alone.

Audio Ollie

  • LA Modern Percussion
  • Nashville Scoring Strings. I need to take these for a whirl!

Chris Hein

  • Chris Hein Solo Violin (Italian, Solo)
  • Chris Hein Solo Viola
  • Chris Hein Solo Contrabass
  • Chris Hein Solo Cello (Modern, Romantic)

East West

  • EW Hollywood Fantasy Brass
    • Alpenhorns
    • Flugelhorns
    • Wagner Tubas
    • Low Brass Ensemble
  • EW Hollywood Fantasy Percussion
    • Bodhrans
    • Gran Cassas
    • Large Taikos
    • Ib Nagado Ensemble
    • Ceng Ceng
    • Crotales Ensemble
    • Cymbal and Gong Ensemble
    • Goatnail Shaker
    • Goatnails and Ceng Cengs
    • Krakeb
    • Metal Shaker
    • Nagara and Ashiko
    • Nagara Rub FX
    • Orchestral Bell Ensemble
    • Orchestral Metallurgy
    • Snare Ensemble
    • Toms
  • EW Hollywood Fantasy Strings
    • dulcimers
    • Hardanger fiddles
    • lutes
    • viola da gamba
    • celli and basses
    • violins and violas
    • hurdy gurdy 1
    • hurdy gurdy 2
  • EW Stormdrum 3
    • A quickstart folder
    • Big Drums
      • African ceramic ashiko
      • Boule custom
      • Cajon Black custom
      • Cajon Remo
      • Daf Turkey
      • Dead the Beast FX rolls
      • Dead the Beast hits & rolls
      • Djembe 16-in. Remo
      • Double Ceramic Drum
      • Double-Headed Tree Drum
      • Dragon Ensemble hits 1
      • Dragon Ensemble hits 2
      • Dragon Ensemble rolls 1
      • Dragon Ensemble rolls 2
      • Dumbek Egypt 1972
      • Frame Drum 22-in. Renaissance
      • Ghana Solid Rose Djembe
      • Lord of Toms Ensemble
      • Punjabi Dhol
      • Remo 12-in. Tubano NuSkin
      • Remo 22-in. Ocean Drum
      • Remo NSL 14-in.
      • Remo NSL Tubano 12-in.
      • Remo NSL Tubano LaDombe 12-in.
      • Remo Rose Bowl 10-ft Drum 20Hz
      • Remo Table Drums
      • Surdos
      • Tambourine 16-in. Double
    • Gongs Clocks Waterphone
      • 8-in. Mongolian Gong
      • 10-in. Woohan Gong
      • 21-in. Woohan Gong
      • 22-in. Woohan Bowed Cymbal
      • 24-in. Turkish Epic Cymbals
      • 30-in. Burmese Nipple Gong
      • 35-in. Woohan Gong
      • 36-in. Thai Gong Hits
      • 36-in. Thai Gong Rolls and perf FX
      • Clockwork 1
      • Clockwork 2
      • Clockwork 3
      • Waterphone 1
      • Waterphone 2
      • Waterphone 3
      • Waterphone Percussion
    • Metals
      • African Boat Bells
      • Agogo
      • Asian Crotales
      • Berimbau Ab
      • Berimbau B-natural
      • Brass Bowls Tibet
      • Brass Bowls Turkey
      • Brass Kettle Drum Taya Perf
      • Brass Kettle Drum Taya
      • Ceng Ceng Perf
      • Ceng Ceng
      • Chimes Brass
      • Chimes Burma
      • Chimes Cymbal
      • Chimes Large Wind
      • Dark Star Bells Perf
      • Dark Star Bells Tuned
      • Dark Star Bells
      • Deep Meditation Bowls
      • Doorstop 1
      • Doorstop 2
      • Doorstop 3
      • Dragon Chasers
      • Earth Plates
      • Englehart Bells Mt with Mutes
      • Englehart Bells Tuned Stick
      • Englehart Bells Tuned
      • Finger Cymbals 1
      • Finger Cymbals 2
      • Ghanaian Bells
      • Gongs in Water
      • Ice Bells
      • Japanese Bells
      • Metal Slit Gong
      • Mongolian Chimes 1 Perf
      • Mongolian Chimes 1
      • Mongolian Chimes 2
      • Mongolian Chimes Chromatic
      • Mongolian Chimes Various Perf
      • Nepalese Tinshaw
      • Ratchet
      • Small Indonesian Ratchet
      • Spring Drum
      • Supra Bows
      • Supra FX
      • Turkish Copper Pot
      • Water Bowl
      • Zil Bells
    • Mickey Hart Live loops
    • Shakers
      • Bamboo Jingle
      • Deerhoof Rattle
      • Ganza RR
      • MC Escher Rattle
      • Rain Stick 3ft 5ft 6ft
      • Seed Pods
      • Shakers Remo and Custom
      • Sioux Rattle
      • Small Gourd 1
      • Small Gourd 2
      • Snake Rattles
      • Torpedo Guiro RR
    • Small Drums
      • Balinese Murdungham
      • Bongos Bauer
      • Cohongas
      • Cuica Perf FX
      • Cuica
      • Damarue FX
      • Frame Drum 8in Iran
      • Frame Drum 10in Iran
      • Frame Drum 12in Egypt
      • Gourd Drum
      • Madal Mickey
      • Medales
      • Nepalese Madal
      • New Guinea Drum
      • Ngara
      • Olympic Mini Drums
      • Pakhawaj
      • Quijada
      • Remo 9in Dumbek Skindeep
      • Remo 10in Djembe Fiberskin
      • Remo 10in Pandero Skindeep Ultratech
      • Remo 12in Italian Tambourine
      • Remo Repanique
      • South Indian Kohl
      • Tabla Guru
      • Talking Drum
      • Tambourine with Stick
      • Tan Tan
      • Tarang
      • Tri Bongo Cuba
      • Udu India RR
      • Udu India
      • Udu Large Ghana RR
      • Udu Large Ghana
      • Udu Pakistan
    • Taiko family
      • 14-in. and 16-in. Shime Daiko Japan
      • 20-in. Okedo
      • 26-in. Okedo Daiko
      • 36-in. Nagado Head A
      • 36-in. Nagado Head B
      • 38-in. Nagado Daiko
      • 44-in. Hira Daiko
      • 46-in. 800-lb Nagado Daiko
      • 48-in. HIra Daiko
      • 60-in. Hira Daiko
      • Remo 28-in. Odaiko
      • Remo 32-in. Nagado Odaiko
      • Remo Shime Daiko 14-in.
      • Shime Daiko 14-in.
      • Shime Daiko 15-in. Mickey Custom
      • Shime Daiko Ensemble
      • Shime Daiko Metal
    • Woods
      • African Wooden Cowbell
      • Angklungs
      • Balaphone Flams
      • Balaphone Hits
      • Balaphone KS C0-D0
      • Balaphone Roll DXF
      • Gourd Marimba
      • Japanese Blocks and Slapsticks
      • Log Drum
      • Red Wood Tree full mix
      • Red Wood Tree Perf FX full mix
      • Stomping Tubes
      • Stomping Tubes pitched
      • Thailand Frogs
      • Tongue Drum
      • Wooden Slit Gong and Cowbell
      • Yambu

Embertone

  • Embertone Joshua Bell Violin. Terrific.
  • Embertone Sensual Saxophone. I wish I wrote more for sax!

Fallout Music

  • Quake
  • Steampunk

Fever Audio

  • Fever Dreams. VST library by vocalist Ari Mason. At least one of the legato patches goes up to C6! Excited to work with this.

Heavyocity

  • Heavyocity Damage 2
  • Heavyocity Sonara
  • Heavyocity Vocalise 2

Impact Soundworks

  • Allura Volume 1
  • Aurora Choir
  • Colossal Hybrid Drums
  • Interplanetary
  • Kageyama Taikos
  • Super Audio Boy (free/pay what you want). Retro chiptune vibes!
  • Tokyo Scoring Strings 2.0. This is quite dry out of the box but for that JRPG music feel…:D
    • Violins I
    • Violins II
    • Violas
    • Cellos
    • Contrabasses

Keepforest

  • Berserkr Pro – Tribal Punk Folk Drums

Native Instruments

  • Komplete 14 Collector’s Edition. ‘Nuff said.

Orchestral Tools

  • Benjamin Wallfisch Strings
  • Berlin Brass
    • Trumpets
      • Trumpet 1
      • Trumpet 2
      • Trumpet 2 Zampano
      • Trumpet 3
      • Trumpet Ensemble
    • Horns
      • Horn 1
      • Horn 2
      • Horn 3
      • Horn 4
      • Horn Ensemble
      • Horn Ensemble Bells Up
    • Trombones
      • Trombone 1
      • Trombone 2
      • Bass Trombone
      • Trombone Ensemble
    • Tuba
  • Berlin Harpsichords
  • Berlin Strings. This is my favorite bread-and-butter string library, although I need to do more layering with other libraries!
    • Full Strings
    • Violins I
      • Violins I longs and shorts
      • Violins I ornaments
      • Violins I dynamics
      • Violins I repetitions
      • Violins I octave scale runs
    • Violins II
      • Violins II longs and shorts
      • Violins II ornaments
      • Violins II dynamics
      • Violins II repetitions
      • Violins II octave scale runs
    • Violas
      • Violas longs and shorts
      • Violas ornaments
      • Violas dynamics
      • Violas repetitions
    • Celli
      • Celli longs and shorts
      • Celli ornaments
      • Celli dynamics
      • Celli repetitions
      • Celli octave scale runs
    • Basses
      • Basses longs and shorts
      • Basses ornaments
      • Basses dynamics
      • Basses repetitions
  • Berlin Strings First Chairs
    • Violin I
    • Violin II
    • Viola
    • Cello
    • Bass
  • Berlin Strings SFX
    • Violins I FX
    • Violins I Glissando FX
    • Violins II FX
    • Violins II Glissando FX
    • Violas FX
    • Violas Glissando FX
    • Celli FX
    • Celli Glissando FX
    • Basses FX
    • Basses Glissando FX
  • Berlin Strings Special Bows 1
    • Violins I
    • Violins II
    • Violas
  • Berlin Strings Special Bows 2
    • Celli
    • Basses
  • Berlin Symphonic Strings
    • Violins
      • Violins I
      • Violins II
    • Violas
    • Celli
    • Basses
  • Berlin Woodwinds
    • Flutes
      • Piccolo Flute
      • Flute 1
      • Flute 2
      • Flute 3
      • Alto Flute
    • Oboes
      • Oboe 1
      • Oboe 2
      • English Horn
    • Clarinets
      • Clarinet 1
      • Clarinet 2
    • Bassoons
      • Bassoon 1
      • Bassoon 2
  • Igudesman Solo Violin
    • Neo-electric
    • Standard articulations
    • Rhythms
    • Percussive un-pitched
  • Metropolis Ark 1. As you can tell, I lean a lot on the brasses here.
    • Kommandanten Trumpets a4
    • Schwarzdorn Horns a9
    • Viktoria Female Choir
    • Aarauer Male Choir
    • Drake Piano
  • Modus – Jeff Russo
    • Brass
      • Horn Ensemble
      • Trumpet Ensemble
      • Low Brass Ensemble
    • Choirs
      • Female Choir
      • Male Choir
    • Shakuhachi
      • High Shakuhachi in D
      • Low Shakuhachi in A
  • Phoenix Orchestra
    • Plucked Strings
      • Guzheng
      • Guzheng Ensemble a2
    • Winds
      • Gaoyin Suona
      • Zhongyin Suona

Performance Samples

  • Pacific Solo Strings
  • Pacific Woodwinds

Precision Sound

  • Peruvian Ocarina

Red Room

  • Red Room Traveler Series Celtic Fiddle. Has a ton of performance “flourishes” for the genre.

Sonuscore

  • Elysion 2

Soundiron

  • Cathedral of Junk
  • High School Drum Corps
  • Kazoo
  • M1 Garand Rifle
  • The Musique Box
  • Olympus Choir
  • Struck Grand

Spitfire

  • Spitfire Albion Solstice
    • The Elders (Strings)
      • Classic Octet
      • Traditional Sextet
      • Bass
    • The Callers (brass & winds)
      • Main techniques
      • Effects
      • Evos
      • Motors
    • The Mystics (pipes)
      • main techniques
    • The Blaggards (band)
      • Main techniques
      • Drones
      • Drones (hurdy gurdy)
      • Bellows & strings
      • Bellows
      • Plucked
    • The Hosts (choir)
      • Main techniques
      • Motors and effects
    • The Generator Trio (electric)
      • Main techniques
      • Evos
      • Motors
    • The Gut Circle (acoustic). I’m not sure what instruments exactly are involved, but I adore this for (hammered?) zithers.
      • Main techniques
      • Motors
    • The Nursery (bells & mallets)
      • Main techniques
      • Motors
    • The Marauders (percussion)
      • Grooves
      • Kits
      • The Snake Kit
  • Spitfire Aperture Strings
    • Aperture Ensemble
    • Pinhole Ensemble
    • Refractions
  • Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra
    • Brass
      • Bass Trombones a2
      • Horn
      • Horns a4
      • Tenor Trombone
      • Tenor Trombones a3
      • Trumpet
      • Trumpets a3
      • Tuba
    • Percussion
      • Celeste
      • Crotales
      • Glockenspiel
      • Harp
      • Marimba
      • Timpani
      • Vibraphone
      • Xylophone
    • Strings
      • Basses
      • Celli
      • Violas
      • Violins 1
      • Violins 2
    • Woodwinds
      • Bassoons
      • Bassoons a3
      • Clarinet
      • Clarinets a3
      • Flute
      • Flutes a3
      • Oboe
      • Oboes a3
      • Piccolo
  • Spitifre Harp
  • Spitfire Harpsichord
  • Spitfire Originals – Cimbalom
  • Spitfire Originals – Firewood Piano
  • Spitfire Symphonic Brass
    • Horn Solo
    • Horns a2
    • Horns a6
    • Tenor Trombone Solo
    • Tenor Trombones a2
    • Bass Trombone Solo
    • Bass Trombones a2
    • Contrabass Trombone Solo
    • Trombones a6
    • Trumpet Solo
    • Trumpets a2
    • Trumpets a6
    • Tuba Solo
    • Contrabass Tuba Solo
    • Cimbasso Solo
    • Cimbassi a2
  • Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds
    • Piccolo Flute
    • Flute Solo
    • Flutes a2
    • Alto Flute
    • Bass Flute
    • Oboe Solo
    • Oboes a2
    • Cor Anglais
    • Clarinet Solo
    • Clarinets a2
    • Bass Clarinet
    • Contrabass Clarinet
    • Bassoon Solo
    • Bassoons a2
    • Contrabassoon

Vienna Symphonic Library

  • Studio Solo Voices. I note that the Soprano Legato goes up to C6. As a vocal library, looks quite agile for passage work.
  • Studio Whistler. Look, I have a use case.
  • Synchron Duality Strings
  • Synchron Woodwinds

Zero-G

  • Ethera Atlantis III. Cinematic vocals. This and Ethera Gold have incredibly lovely vocals, although not the best for rapid passage work unless I’m missing something with the programming. (Not what they were designed for anyway.)
  • Ethera Gold 2.5. Cinematic vocals.