There are plenty of solo violin vst plugins to choose from, and in this article we will attempt to cover many of the options available to you. Even when used prominently and with little backing, these solo violin plugins can produce realistic results and convincing lead lines. Note that while not strictly necessary, a MIDI controller will help you to achieve the best sound and allow you to quickly experiment with the instrument.
Embertone – Joshua Bell Violin ($199 regular price)
https://www.embertone.com/instruments/joshuabellviolin.php
Up with the best and most realistic violin vst plugins on the market is the Joshua Bell violin from Emertone. This violin sample library was created from recordings of a Stradivarius played by the legendary Joshua Bell. Featuring a wide range of articulations, including unusual longs and shorts such as super-flautanto sustains, you’ll also find true legato for not just straight playing but also harmonics. There is a polyphonic option for poly legato lines and an enormous amount of detail and options under the hood. You can also see our review of Embertone’s Intimate Strings here: https://musiclibraryreport.com/software-reviews/embertone-intimate-strings
While not one of the newest violin sample libraries out there, it still holds up very well and is great for realistic lead parts. In our experience, one limitation is that it doesn’t seem to respond as well to very fast legato lines. Also be aware that the RAM footprint is quite large, although you can of course purge unwanted samples in Kontakt. There are also reported to be some minor bugs where your choice of articulation may not be saved when reloading your DAW project. Overall, if you are willing to put the work in to master the controls, the results will be fantastic.
Harmonic Subtones – Emotional Violin ($199 regular price)
https://www.bestservice.com/emotional_violin.html
This is another outstanding violin vst, with almost all 5/5 user reviews. There are a huge number of articulations (more than 70 in total) as well as ornaments, perfect for transitioning from one style of playing to another and adding realistic endings or flourishes. This violin has a great sound out of the box, and with its relatively dry sound can fit into your mix with a reverb plugin of your choosing. In particular, a stand out articulation for us is the ‘Morbid Sustains’ within the ‘Intimate Violin’ master patch. Poly legato is also available. Overall a great sound and a top recommendation.
Audio Modeling – SWAM Violin ($120 regular price)
https://audiomodeling.com/strings/solo-strings/swam-violin
Ready for something completely different? This solo violin vst plugin has no samples at all and is only 16MB on your harddrive! It’s based on proprietary technology which models the physics of bowed strings through waveguide synthesis. You can read more about this here: https://audiomodeling.com/about-us/technology/swam-s and see a demonstration of the sound here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Wu0Jr75VI
The idea is that you can modulate the sound of the violin in real time according to the input you give it, without moving between recorded samples. Some users stand by this instrument as being the absolute best in playability as well as realism, with exceptional vibrato control only possible without recorded samples. There’s no doubt that excellent results are possible. While not required, we would recommend an MPE capable MIDI controller for use with SWAM violin. The plugin makes it very easy to set up your controller and reassign parameters to different MIDI inputs.
Virharmonic – Bohemian Violin ($249 regular price)
https://virharmonic.com/products/bohemian-violin
Having recently received a significant update, this is another solo violin vst with great reviews. With a wide variety of articulations including poly legato and a staggering amount of samples, what really sets this instrument apart is its virtual performer. The performer chooses bow types, legatos and expression on the fly while you play. Based on some reviews, the sound is beautiful but you may find yourself needing to write to the instrument’s capabilities more and it may not fit across so many styles.
Along with the SWAM violin, this instrument doesn’t require Kontakt and instead comes in its own plugin, which may be more convenient for some users.
Chris Hein Solo Violin EXtended ($259 regular price)
https://www.bestservice.com/chris_hein_solo_violin_extended.html
An extra-deep sampled solo violin vst, with a couple of standout features including the ability to play faster lines and also to create an ensemble mode. This recreates the feel of multiple violins together, using panning and very slightly different tuning for realism. There’s polyphonic legato as well as a whole host of articulations with up to 8 dynamic layers. Based on user reviews, this is a top contender, especially for its fluid-sounding legatos on faster lines.
Performance Samples – Solo Violin Legato (free!)
https://www.performancesamples.com/soloviolinlegato
This free violin vst, as the name states, is limited purely to legato. You therefore won’t find any short articulations like pizzicato or staccato with this instrument. However, at the whopping price of zero dollars, it deserves a listen. The legato transitions are smooth and the violin can work well in various styles, especially when layered with other instruments. Performance Samples also has a solo strings package coming out in the near future, so keep an eye on this one too: https://www.performancesamples.com/pacific
Also worthy of mention are the following violin vst plugins:
- Native Instruments’ Stradivari. Great sounding pizzicato articulation but the legato didn’t feel as realistic to us and the vibrato especially doesn’t sound convincing)
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/cinematic/stradivari-violin - Vienna Symphonic Library Solo Violin 2
https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Solo_Strings_Bundle/Solo_Violin_2 - Sample Modeling Solo Strings (violin can be bought individually here): https://www.samplemodeling.com/products/solostrings)
In Conclusion
When it comes to the best violin vst, we would find it difficult to choose between Emertone’s Joshua Bell and Harmonic Subtones’ Emotional Violin. Both are great options, and indeed, any on the list above would serve the majority of users well. If you’re looking for something a bit different and perhaps lighter on your hard drive, SWAM violin from Audio Modeling is well worth checking out.
Article written by Mercer Lincoln.