Best Free Guitar Plugin Fl Studio

Top 10 FREE Plugins 2019. Some come as VST, AU, and even AAX. These are the best free effects plugins for your DAW. Whether you use FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro or any Digital Audio Workstation, you'll want to try out these plug-ins. Sometimes the best sounds don't come from the initial samples themselves but actually the effects added to.

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!)

Guitar

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!)

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:

Guitar
  • 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:

Real Guitar Plugin Fl Studio

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!

FL Studio is one of the most powerful music production tools around, with an array of synths and effects available right out of the box. But like most producers, you could probably use a few more plugins! Here we’ve put together some of the best free plugins for FL Studio, which should cover you for almost every imaginable musical scenario.

Sitala

Download for Free

Sitala is a drum plugin that can also be used as a standalone app. Although it is about as simple a drum plugin as you could want, it will find a place in almost any project due to its musicality and highly intuitive interface. Sitala’s six knobs and sixteen pads encourage you to use it as an instrument, which results in more musical beats and grooves.

Best Features & Specs

Sitala features 16 assignable pads that should be familiar to anyone who’s ever used a drum plugin before. You can drag and drop your own samples right into these pads or use the factory kits that come with the plugin.

Sitala also includes an array of sound-shaping tools that lets you put your own stamp on your drum sounds. With features such as ‘Shape’, ‘Compression’, and ‘Tone’, recreating traditional drum beats or more experimental grooves is a piece of cake.

Bottom-line

Like the best free FL Studio plugins, the beauty of Sitala lies in its simplicity. We found that it lets you lay down grooves quickly, and the results are always musical. We especially like how the interface allows you to play it like an instrument.

Piano One by Sound Magic

Download for Free

Sound Magic’s Piano One is reminiscent of the Yamaha C7 concert grand, which is highly revered by many professional piano players. Based on Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine, Piano One combines the best qualities of physical modeling and sampling. The result is an amazingly rich and responsive sound that often felt like playing a real piano.

Best Features & Specs

Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine does a great job of combining the realism of piano samples and the responsiveness of physical modeling. Unlike other modeled instruments, Piano One responds instantaneously, with no sluggishness or delay. The sound is reasonably rich and full-bodied, particularly when playing sustained low notes. The plugin even comes with an onboard reverb that simulates environment and soundboard resonance for added realism.

Bottom-line

Even with its limitations, Piano One is a pretty impressive piano plugin. If you need a range of basic piano sounds but don’t have the cash for a humongous piano library, Piano One is worth looking into.

TyrellN6 & Zebralette by u-He

TyrellN6 is based on the legendary Roland Juno 60, which is one of the most iconic analog synthesizers ever made. Users of the venerable classic will appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of this plugin, which lets you create deep bass, lush pads, and cutting leads with relatively little effort.

Zebralette isn’t based on any particular instrument. Rather, it is a teaser of sorts for u-He’s well-respected Zebra 2. It has the same great-sounding oscillator that is in Zebra, giving you a taste of what you could achieve with the more fully-featured product.

Best Features & Specs

TyrellN6 and Zebralette give you a pretty diverse range of sounds, from classic to cutting edge. TyrellN6’s classic architecture is the ticket to thick and lush vintage sounds, with noise and a ring modulator joining the two oscillators for extra flavor.

Zebralette is a more esoteric plugin that allows for the creation of more outlandish and experimental sounds. This is a great entry point into the sonic possibilities offered by Zebra 2, and we were thrilled to find that Zebralette patches can be opened in Zebra 2.

Bottom-line

TyrellN6 and Zebralette are compact yet powerful synths that will find a place in any modern production. Even if you already have some powerhouse synths in your collection, these two free VSTs for FL Studio are worthy additions.

Guitar M Lite II

Download for Free

Guitar M Lite II offers studio musicians the crisp and authoritative sounds of the Martin D-41 acoustic guitar in a convenient software plugin. Developed by Ample Guitar, M Lite is a great way to add glistening acoustic textures to your productions, even if you don’t happen to have a guitar player handy.

Best Features & Specs

M Lite is a sample-based instrument that weighs in at just under 850 MB. It includes standard guitar articulations such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, palm mutes, and pops, allowing you to create surprisingly realistic performances. The plugin also offers Customized Parameters Control (CPC), which lets you add more expressive touches via MIDI CC or automation.

We especially like the plugin’s Strummer function, which allows for some pretty convincing strummed performances. Strumming is where most acoustic guitar plugins fall short as far as we’re concerned, so were pleasantly surprised to find it implemented so convincingly in a free plugin.

Bottom-line

Those with discerning ears aren’t likely to be fooled by M Lite. But if you need some rudimentary acoustic guitar parts for a mockup, this plugin will do very well in a pinch.

LABS by Spitfire Audio

Download for Free

Spitfire Audio’s LABS has created quite a stir in the software plugins world, so we were eager to put it through its paces. At present, the collection already covers a pretty broad range of instruments, and more are being added all the time. And because each instrument is a labor of love by dedicated musicians and sampling experts, the results are consistently impressive.

Best Features & Specs

Each LABS instrument comes in the form of a dedicated plugin, rather than a library you load in a software sampler. We found the user interface to be focused and refreshingly straightforward, with easy to use controls for dynamics and expression. We also like the inclusion of a knob that can be customized for whatever function the user wants.

The LABS collection currently includes strings, guitars, pianos, brass, drums, vocals, percussion, synths, and experimental instruments. Although not quite as detailed as more extensive sampled libraries, we had no trouble making them fit into our productions.

Bottom-line

The LABS instruments are about as straightforward as plugin instruments can be. Even if you already have a collection of software instruments, you will probably find a use for some of these plugins.

Vinyl by iZotope

Download for Free

iZotope has long been known for its excellent noise reduction and sound improvement plugins. So it was a bit of a surprise when the company rolled out a plugin that adds grit and dirt to audio. With Vinyl, you can dirty up your tracks with a healthy helping of dust, scratches, and mechanical noise, instantly giving them the character of a vintage recording.

Best Features & Specs

As the name implies, Vinyl makes tracks sound like they are being played from a turntable. Ideally suited for every stage of the production process, we found this to be the most convenient solution to get the authentic vibe heard on ’60s and ’70s recordings.

We like how you can control how much ‘pixie dust’ you can add to your tracks. Whether you need just a few cracks and pops, a touch of mechanical noise, or you really want to thrash your audio, Vinyl provides independent control over each element.

Bottom-line

Vinyl works on pretty much everything from drums and strings to full mixes. If your tracks are sounding just a bit too clean, this plugin will let you dirty them up in a few clicks.

Ozone Imager 2 by iZotope

Download for Free

iZotope’s Ozone Imager 2 offers a quick and easy way to alter the stereo image of your tracks. Whether you need to widen a pad or string section or narrow down your bass and kick drums to fit into a mix, Ozone Imager lets you do so quickly and easily.

Best Features & Specs

The most obvious application of Ozone Imager is to widen an audio track. If you need your synth pad or string section to fill up the soundstage, Ozone Imager will get the job done without imparting any sonic anomalies that could make mixing a nightmare.

Ozone Imager provides two flavors of Stereoize: one lets you widen source audio with a cool phasing effect, while the other widens signals more subtly. The plugin also has three vectorscope meters that give you instant visual feedback on your stereo spread.

Fl Studio Guitar Plugins Free

Bottom-line

Ozone Imager is a fairly simple plugin that is useful for mixing as well as creative experimentation. If you are struggling to make certain elements fit into a mix, this is one you can try out, of check out or list of other mixing plugins.

Best Free Guitar Plugin Fl Studio

MAutoPitch

Download for Free

MAutoPitch is a pitch correction plugin developed specifically for vocals and monophonic instruments. Simple and straightforward, it is nevertheless capable of producing great-sounding results that compare favorably to more expensive pitch correction plugins. It even has formant shift and stereo-expansion features that expand its capabilities as a creative audio production tool.

Best Features & Specs

Compared to many FL Studio plugins for free, MAutoPitch has quite an impressive user interface. It can be resized freely and has standard meters as well as time graphs. It also has sophisticated multi-parameter features such as mid-side and 8-channel surround processing. We particularly like the onboard safety limiter and the automatic gain compensation (AGC) features that keep levels in check.

All MAutoPitch parameters can be mapped for MIDI control and automation. This enhances the plugin’s value as a creative tool, making it more than just a “set-and-forget” processor.

Bottom-line

From subtle pitch correction to creative sound design, MAutoPitch does it all. If you do a lot of vocal work, this plugin is an essential addition to your toolbox.

Supermassive by Valhalla DSP

Download for Free

Supermassive is only one of a handful of time-based plugins that form the bedrock of Valhalla DSP’s stellar reputation. The company’s delays and reverbs compare favorably to much more expensive plugins, and their features and capabilities are well known to producers across the globe. With Supermassive, the company once again proves its expertise in developing lush and exquisite sounding plugins, with a few more tricks up its sleeve.

Best Features & Specs

Fl Studio Guitar Plugin

Supermassive is designed specifically to produce spacious and expansive delays and reverbs. Ideally suited for adding atmosphere to dry and lackluster productions, it sounds just as good when dialed down for more subtle ambiance.

Like all Valhalla DSP plugins, Supermassive is freely resizable, with precise controls for every parameter. It is based on a system of feedback delay networks, with each delay ultimately being processed by a unique WARP control. This allows you to produce everything from twinkling echoes to rich and deep reverbs and everything in between.

Bottom-line

Supermassive is easily a great VST for lush ambiance, even able to compete with our list of top VSTs on the market. Even if you already have a couple of favorite reverbs and delays, you will likely find yourself patching in Supermassive every time you need a unique atmosphere in your productions.

Pancake 2 by Cableguys

Download for Free

Free Plugins For Fl Studio

Cableguys’ Pancake 2 handles a variety of panning and imaging functions in a slick and easy to use interface. Like all Cableguys plugins, Pancake 2 offers full control over the most useful parameters, giving you total control over your sound. You also have plenty of options to modulate the source audio as you wish, so you have free rein over your creative vision.

Best Features & Specs

PanCake allows you to set and forget the modulation depth and rate if you wish, although you could also draw in your own modulation curves. This feature is perfect for panning audio in time with the tempo or ramping up the speed for a buildup.

Of course, the plugin’s LFO can be set to sync to your host DAW’s tempo as well. Speeds from ¹⁄₁₂₈ notes to 32 bars are possible, giving you a wide range of movement options. The plugin also has a left/right display so you always know what is going on with your soundstage.

Electric Guitar Fl Studio Plugin

Bottom-line

Best Free Guitar Plugin For Fl Studio

Like the other top FL Studio plugins out there, Pancake 2 can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Whether you need subtle movement in your tracks or you are looking for more intense panning functions, Pancake 2 is one of the best free plugins for FL Studio.