From Sketch to Score: Composing Orchestral Music Using Only Free Plugins
Creating orchestral music no longer requires investing in expensive sample libraries. Today, high-quality free tools allow composers to craft complete cinematic scores without spending a dime. Below is a curated selection of the best free resources available, all compatible with professional workflows and seamlessly integrable into ONE Instrument®.
Essential Free Orchestral Libraries
The Free Orchestra by ProjectSAM – A collection of cinematic ensembles, transitions, and textures drawn from ProjectSAM’s renowned catalog. Fully compatible with the free Kontakt Player.
https://projectsam.com/libraries/the-free-orchestraThe Orchestra Elements by Sonuscore – A streamlined version of their flagship library, featuring strings, brass, woodwinds, harp, and choir. Powered by the Ensemble Engine and requires Kontakt Player 6.7.1 or later.
https://www.sonuscore.com/shop/the-orchestra-elementsLayers by Orchestral Tools – A chord-based orchestral instrument that lets you generate full chords with one-touch simplicity. Runs in the free SINE Player.
https://www.orchestraltools.com/layersBBC Symphony Orchestra Discover by Spitfire Audio – Offers 34 instruments, including a concert grand piano, in a user-friendly plugin compatible with major DAWs. Requires registration and a brief waiting period.
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discoverVSCO 2 Community Edition by Versilian Studios – An open-source subset of the main VSCO 2 library, ideal for students and hobbyists. Includes a variety of orchestral instruments.
https://versilian-studios.com/vsco-community
Free Choir and Vocal Ensemble Plugins
The Free Orchestra – “Pandora Bursts & Choirs” by ProjectSAM – Part of their free series, this patch delivers dramatic choir swells and clusters.
https://projectsam.com/libraries/the-free-orchestraDSK ChoirZ – A lightweight plugin offering male, female, and mixed choir sounds. Features 3 layers with 32 choir and pad sounds, ADSR, and built-in effects.
https://www.dskmusic.com/dsk-choirzPianobook Community Choirs – A collection of user-submitted choir libraries ranging from whisper textures to lush church recordings. Requires Decent Sampler or Kontakt.
Solo Instruments to Enrich Your Score
Monastery Grand by MeldaProduction – A rich, cinematic piano sampled in a concert hall setting. Available for free within the MSoundFactory Player.
Soft Piano by Spitfire Audio LABS – An intimate felt piano sound, perfect for emotional themes and minimal compositions.
Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra – A complete orchestral instrument library, including ensemble and solo instruments for all sections of the orchestra.
Mixing and Spatial Tools
TAL-Reverb-4 – A modulated vintage reverb plugin with a very diffuse sound, suitable for various audio materials.
OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov – An algorithmic stereo reverb capable of simulating the reverberation of small rooms to large halls.
Panagement Free by Auburn Sounds – Offers stereo positioning, distance simulation, and binaural effects for enhanced spatial mixing.
Orchestrating with ONE Instrument®
Once your plugins are installed, ONE Instrument® becomes your creative control room. It offers a single, unified interface to manage all your virtual instruments—whether they come from free libraries or commercial plugins already on your computer.
With ONE Instrument® you can:
Instantly preview sounds before loading them
Tag and organize instruments with an advanced search and filter system
Load and play instruments directly, without switching plugin windows
Layer sounds (e.g., strings and choir) in real time
Record sketches or full ideas using the built-in recorder
Load third-party plugins and route them flexibly using ONE Control
This streamlined workflow allows you to go from inspiration to execution faster, staying focused on creativity—not file management. Whether you’re sketching themes or arranging full cinematic passages, ONE Instrument® brings everything together in one clear, responsive environment.
Creativity First, Budget Second
Orchestral music has never been more accessible. With the right selection of free plugins and an organized creative environment like ONE Instrument®, composing for film, games, or personal expression is now within everyone’s reach. Free no longer means limited—it means ready.