Flute VSTs do not get a lot of attention in the Virtual Instrument arena, but there are plenty of quality options to choose from if you’re in the market for one.
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Maybe you want some sweet flute sounds to bolster your latest score, or you might be looking to get creative with your mix in any genre.
Whatever your reason for wanting a flute synth, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best flute VSTs you can get your hands on today.
Top 7 Flute Plugins
Native Instruments (B4-II VST) Free Download For PC Native Instruments (B4-II VST) is an awesome application that covers a wide range of sounds and produces realistic and rich sounds. The Native American Flute can transport one to a more relaxed and calm state, especially after listening for 10 minutes or more. This feeling is known as the. Versilian Studios Chamber Orchestra 2 Flute, aka VSCO2 Flute, is an incredible free plugin that samples a real Flute.
1. East-West Orchestral Woodwinds
If you are looking for an orchestral VST, your search should begin and end with East-West. If you’re wanting flute sounds in particular, their Orchestral Woodwinds VST is worth checking out. The recordings were completed by Shawn Murphy, who is most well known for his work with Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars. Mix engineers of all skill levels will have no difficulties in using this plugin.
There’s lots of controls to play around with on the main screen, including decay, release, attack, hold, and sustain. All of these work together to give you the most realistic flute sounds. We like the articulation chart that’s included to assist you in finding the right articulation levels. You also have five microphone positions to work with. Overall, this is a really solid VST to turn to for authentic flute sounds.
Pros
- Five microphone positions
- Great selection of articulations to work with
- Includes numerous quality woodwind samples
Cons
- There are a few little issues with the software that can be frustrating
2. Soundiron Little Wooden Flutes
Soundiron has a pretty incredible selection of Kontact instruments, including the Little Wooden Flutes library. This VST gives you access to Indian Venu flute samples, which were recorded in a dry studio environment. If you’re not familiar, the Venu flute is an ancient keyless flute that is end-blown. It plays an integral role in traditional and modern Indian music.
Soundiron has also included some Native American Plains flute samples. These were recorded in a sanctuary hall for lush, open reverb. You also have the option of pairing your flute sounds with a selection of atmospheric synth and pad sounds.
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There are several parameters to explore, including an impressive collection of various articulations and a top-notch phrase sequencer to help you work efficiently. You can also choose between two dry microphones and two hall microphones, each with their own panning and volume controls. In addition to all that, there’s some fun flute effects you can add like trills, overtones, chirps, breaths, and more. There’s a lot packed into this specialized flute plugin, and it’s worth checking out.
Pros
- Solid articulations
- Dry and wet samples to play with
- Incredibly full and warm sounds
Cons
- Kontakt is required
3. Cinematique Instruments Luft
Are you familiar with Cinematique Instruments? Probably not, but they are worth checking out. Their Luft VST is a collection of instrument emulations that are focused on the aeroponic realm. This basically means they have any kind of airflow instrument you can think of. In addition to flute sounds you’ll find blown keyboards, kazoos, water bottles, hand pipes, and more. There’s a total of 34 instruments to work with along with 50 presets that will push the bounds of your creativity.
Luft allows you to mix and match instruments with two layers of sound for some incredibly textured results. You can also utilize the FX section to distort, EQ, modulate, and more. If you want to get more involved with shaping the tone, take advantage of the four different ModWheel options to manipulate the low-pass, volume, and tone. It also gives you the ability to morph between two sounds that you choose.
If you want a VST that offers you authentic, rich, warm flute sounds—and sounds of any other air-based instrument you can think of—definitely give the Luft a chance.
Pros
- Very low disk space requirements
- Impressive library of sound sources
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Some instruments lack musicality
- Doesn’t always give a visual representation of the playable range
4. Heavyocity VENTO Modern Woodwinds
Heavyocity has a reputation for developing top-notch orchestral VSTs. They have the NOVO for string instruments and the FORZO for bass. Following the success of those VSTs, they introduced the VENTO, which is focused on woodwind instruments. The flutes on the VENTO sound incredible. You’ll find 100 hybrid snapshots, 400 tempo-synched loops, 160 organic articulations, and much more. You’ll be able to take a simple flute sound and transform it into something much more cinematic.
VENTO really takes into consideration the lyricality and complex textures involved in modern scoring. You will have the ability to tweak your flute tones so that they sound as authentic as possible. There’s tons of effects to play with as well. You can create dynamic flute sounds that flutter and swell, and you can also explore the other woodwind tones on the plugin.
Pros
- Lots of great sound design patches
- Endless possibilities for tweaking
- Many useful loops
Cons
- Does not have any legato articulations
5. Big Fish Audio Vintage Horns
Big Fish Audio has come out with a pretty awesome plugin called Vintage Horns. You can tell by the name that it’s not strictly a flute VST. Instead, it includes emulations of a range of brass and wind instruments from funk and soul music of the ‘60s and ‘70s. On the Vintage Horns VST, in addition to the flute, you’ll find sounds of the trumpet, alto saxophone, flugelhorn, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, and more. There’s an impressive library of presets with some iconic section types such as the Philly Sound sound, the Memphis Soul sound, the Oakland Soul sound, and the Detroit Sound sound.
There are nine distinct instrument patches included, each with their own keyswitches. This gives you increased control over the stabs, falls, swells, long and short notes, and more. You’ll even find some Sforzando samples thrown in for reeds and brass. No matter what genre you’re working with, you’ll want to pick up this plugin for incredibly unique samples that you won’t find anywhere else.
Pros
- The flute is actually the best instrument on here
- Doesn’t take up much CPU
- Impressive keyswitch control
Cons
- Certain samples don’t sound great when dry
6. Wavesfactory Newmello Collection
The Mellotron is a unique instrument that you may not be too familiar with, but it can be found on a number of hit songs by the Rolling Stones, King Crimson, and the Rolling Stones, among others. Newmello captures all of the classic characteristics of the Mellotron and transfers them into the Kontakt by Native Instruments. This emulation of the Mellotron M400 comes along with 25 other various instruments to work with. Not only that, but it’s quite affordable.
There’s two screens to work with, the settings screen and the main view. The settings page gives you the ability to loop eight-second samples with round-robin and dynamics simulation parameters. This means you can achieve more with the sound than you can with the real-life instrument. On the main view screen you will be able to EQ your sounds, use two different modes to control the noise, blend two different types of tape, and adjust the attack and release. Flipping through all the patches is incredibly easy.
This Mellotron VST is a great option if you’re looking for something affordable that’s in the flute arena but not an actual flute VST.
Pros
- Super simple to use
- Inexpensive
- Doesn’t take up much CPU
Cons
- You might think some of the sounds are cheesy
7. Varazuvi Varazuvi Indian Flute
Varazuvi has given us a gift with their Varazuvi Indian Flute VST, which is available for free. This 24-bit VST is super user-friendly and is compatible with almost all computers. With this at your fingertips, you’ll have access to authentic recordings of the Indian flute with high sample rates. The result is a dynamic playing experience.
You’ll be able to play with several parameters, including decay, attack, sustain, and release. You can also explore a few additional effects such as reverb and equalization. There’s multiple velocity-sensitive layers to work with along with three playing styles: short, mid, and long. All of these articulations give you a surprising level of versatility.
It’s not a mind-blowing VST, but it does give you the chance to work with this specialized instrument and develop exciting sounds without having to pay anything.
Pros
- Multiple velocity layers
- 24-bit samples
- Doesn’t cost anything!
Cons
- No complaints when something is free
Embrace the Flute
The flute is a gorgeous instrument that can elevate compositions and add an element of surprise when you’re not expecting it. The flute sound might be underrated compared to all the other elements mix engineers integrate into a track, but if you’re looking for a quality flute VST, there are plenty of them out there. We recommend starting with the ones on our list.
A Native American flute is:
“A front-held, open-holed whistle, with an external block and an internal wall that separates a mouth chamber from a resonating chamber.”
Whew! While there are variations in the definition, this version is a direct quote on June 21, 2002 from R. Carlos Nakai, a central figure in the renaissance and resurgence of the Native American flute. The definition helps identify what is and what is not classified as a Native American flute, but to understand it we'll use some diagrams and pictures …
Parts of a Native American flute
Parts of the Native American flute, showing the head end, foot end, |
As simple as the instrument is, there are a lot of things to name, and a lot of ways to name them! The names we use here are the ones you will find on this web site, but we'll also give you many alternate names for each:
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Mouthpiece. The opening where you breathe into the flute. Also called the “Mouth Pipe” ([Nakai 1996]).
Head End. The end of the flute into which you breathe. Also called the “top end”, the “North end”, or the “proximal end”.
Block. A separate piece from the body of the flute that is almost always removable. The block plays a critical role in creating the sound of the flute, since it directs air between the two chambers. Also called the “bird”, the “totem”, the “stop piece” ([Fletcher 1911] page 372 ¶1), the “saddle” ([Nakai 1996]), or the “fetish”.
Nest. The area of the body of the flute where the block rests.
Strap. Ties the block onto the nest. Traditionally made of leather. It's a good idea to remove the strap and block on your flute to examine how the flute is constructed. Doing this creates one of the first practical challenges of flute playing, tying the block back onto the flute. Also called the “lashing” or “lacing”. See How to Tie Your Block.
Finger Holes. Where you rest your fingers, or lift them off of, when playing. Also called “note holes”, “tone holes” (Dr. Richard W. Payne in [Bee 2006]), and “playing holes”. Also called “stops”, as in “a flute with two stops” meaning “a flute with two finger holes”. The use of the term “stop” is often in archaeological contexts when talking about simple flutes and whistles.
Foot End. Also called the “bottom”, the “South end”, or the “distal end”.
Design of the Block
The design of the block can be anything from a simple block of wood to a highly ornate, woodcarving masterpiece. They often take the shape of a bird. The shape of the block is individualized by each maker, and is often an indication of who crafted the flute. Here is an example of an ornate block design on a traditional flute — a historic flute from the collection of Dr. Richard W. Payne. The flute is a juniper flute made by McKinley Standing from the Wichita Indian tradition:
McKinley Standing Flute. Photo courtesy of Russ Wolf |
For the outline of the block on the diagrams on this page, I've used a historic flute from the collection of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institute. The flute from the Cheyenne tradition (BAE information: SI# 165925: Cheyenne; Great Plains; Algonquian; 6 hole; L 20 1/8; D 13/8; 01-1893; from The Bureau of Ethnology (collector - H.R. Voth); metal fipple shield):
Cheyenne Flute. Photo courtesy of Russ Wolf |
Design Variations
There are many (many) variations on the design shown above. Your flute may look substantially different, but probably has the same basic parts. Here are two significant variations:
Location of direction holes at the foot end of the flute |
Direction Holes. One or more holes nearest the foot end of the flute that are not intended to be covered during normal play. Makers often used four holes to honor the four directions. Also called “tuning holes” because they alter the pitch of the flute when all the finger holes are closed.
There are many configurations for direction holes. For example, here is a design that uses slots to serve as direction holes:
Location of slots at the foot end of the flute |
The Native American flute is not the only world flute that has direction holes. The khlui from Thailand and Myanmar also had direction holes, in a slightly different configuration.
Looking Inside
Most of the magic of the instrument happens inside, hidden by the body and the block. Thankfully, I have Corel Draw, so I didn't have to cut a real flute open! This is a view cut straight through the body and the block:
Cut-away image of a Native American flute, showing the breath hole, |
Breath Hole. Where you breathe into the flute. There are many configuration for the breath hole, varying widely in size and shape. Also called the “mouth hole”.
Slow Air Chamber (SAC). The first chamber in a Native American flute to receive the player's breath. This chamber provides a place for condensed moisture to collect and also acts as an air bladder to regulate air pressure as it proceeds down the flute. Also called the “mouth chamber”, “compression chamber”, “breath chamber”, “first chamber”, “passive air chamber”, or simply “air chamber”. The slow air chamber acts as a plenum chamber – in this case taking an air source that may be irregular or turbulent and evening out the flow through the exit orifice (the SAC exit hole). It also has the effect of partially silencing sounds coming from the player's respiratory system (for example, humming or throat noises).
Plug. Part of the body of the flute that separates the SAC from the sound chamber. This may be constructed of the same material as the body of the flute, or it may be another material such as a cork that is inserted late in the construction process. Also called the “internal wall”.
Sound Chamber. The tube that controls the pitch of the sound being played. Native American flutes are designed to create a vibrating wave of air, and the length of the sound chamber determines how fast the air vibrates. Opening and closing the finger holes effectively changes the length of the sound chamber, changing the pitch of the note. Note that the direction holes shown also change the effective length of the sound chamber. Also called the “pipe body”, the “resonating chamber”, or the “variable tube” ([Nakai 1996]).
Here is an image of a flute that someone did cut open, showing a Native American flute without the block … This image was provided by Biker Joe
The Sound Hole
Location of the sound hole |
The Sound Hole is the most critical part of the flute in terms of creating sound. It is also called the True Sound Hole (TSH). On a Western concert flute, the sound hole serves the same function as the breath hole that the player breathes into. If the sound hole is damaged, the sound of the flute will be substantially affected. Also called the “distal mouth opening” ([Nakai 1996]).
Flutes produce two different kinds of tones: edge tones and pipe tones. An edge tone (also called a “pre-whistle”) is generated by the interaction airstream with the splitting edge and is not coupled to pressure waves or sonic vibrations in the sound chamber. An edge tone can be produced and demonstrated by creating a focused airstream across the edge of a piece of paper.
Edge tones can be generated on many Native American flutes by breathing extremely softly into the instrument. Edge tones are often produced at the attack of the note, as the airstream first arrives at the splitting edge. These edge tones typically produce frequencies that are much higher than the pipe tone that eventually results. Unline a pipe tone, the frequency of edge tone vibrations are proportional to the velocity of the airstream.
Based on the design of the instrument, the edge tone may quickly transition into a pipe tone, which involves an air pressure wave in the sound chamber of the instrument. The creation of a pipe tone is highly dependent on the design of the instrument, particularly the sound hole and sound chamber ([Fuks 2002], [McIntyre 1983]).
Under the Block
Cut-away image of a Native American flute, |
The cutaway diagram shows the detail of the nest and block area, and how the air flows from the SAC to True Sound Hole.
SAC Exit Hole. The path that the air takes out of the SAC and into the Flue. Also called the “Anterior air chamber port” ([Nakai 1996]).
Flue. The space formed by the top of the plug and the bottom of the block. This is a very shallow (but often wide) channel that routes air to the sound hole. The shape of the flue is very important to the creation of the flute's sound. Also called the “channel” or “windway”.
The flue is a primary place where condensed moisture collects. When this happens the shape of the flue is changed, which has a dramatic effect on the sound of the flute, even to the point of silencing the instrument.
Ramp. The part of the plug that directs airflow out of the SAC and into the flue. The shape of the ramp affects how turbulent the air is in the flue, and has a substantial effect on the flute's sound.
Splitting Edge. Your breath travel through the slow air chamber, down the flue, and across the true sound hole, and then hits the relatively sharp splitting edge. The job of the splitting edge is to set the air vibrating … alternating between going above and below the splitting edge. This is similar to what happens when a flag flutters in a stiff breeze.
The splitting edge is all called the “cutting edge”, the “fipple”, the “fipple edge”, the “languid lip” (Ken Light), and the “sound edge” (Dr. Richard W. Payne in [Bee 2006]).
Here's an image, courtesy of Don from Spokane, WA.
Transition from the Flue to the Sound Hole
Cut-away image of a Native American flute, |
The two edges of the flue at the point where the air stream exits the flue into the sound hole.The upper lip is typically part of the block and the lower lip is part of the body of the flute.
Note that I (Clint Goss) proposed this use of the terms upper lip and lower lip on November 7, 2016. I was working with a flute maker and needed a term to describe these two edges. The terms were proposed to a group of flute makers on Facebook, and a majority of flute makers agreed that these were appropriate terms (although agreement was not unanimous).
A more descriptive phrase for “lower lip” might be “the South end (or distal end) of the flue floor” (suggested by Keith Stanford) or the “shelf at the back wall of the bore” (suggested by Tom Cramer).
Another phrase to describe the “upper lip” is the “totem heel” (suggested by Tom Cramer, using the term “totem” for “block”).
Organ Pipes
Note that the makers of organ pipes use the terms “lower lip” and “upper lip” for completely different components of their instruments. The rationale for these differences lie in part with the orientation of flue pipes in a pipe organ: they are vertical, with the air entering the instrument from the bottom.
Longitudinal section of a typical flue pipe in a pipe organ. |
Vibrations at the Sound Hole
These moving images show an air pressure wave at the sound hole of a flute. They are from Luchtwervels in een blokfluit «Air Vortices in a Recorder» ([Hirschberg 1999]).
The images are reversed from other images on this page — the flue is at the right and the airstream is moving from right to left. They show how the air coming out of the flue crosses the sound hole and hits the splitting edge:
Airstream at the sound hole of a fipple flute |
The left image shows the behavior of the airstream coming out of the flue at the onset of a tone — what would be the attack or edge tone at the start of a note. The air initially flows up and away without any vibration or oscillating pattern.
The right image shows what happens a bit later, after an oscillation has been established. This osciallation happens because of the specific shape of all the aspects of the flute, but in particular the shape of the flue, the sound hole, the splitting edge, and the flute's sound chamber.
The caption in [Hirschberg 1999] for the right image (translated from Dutch, thanks to Google Translate) says:
Oscillations of the air jet in the mouth of a recorder with a fundamental frequency of 513 Hz. The core gap is 1 mm, the distance between the core and the output gap of the labium is 4 mm. The visualization is obtained using the so-called Schlieren technique: the whistle blows CO2 and creates a contrast in the refractive index.
Presumably, the “core” referred to is the height of the flue.
Spacer Plates
Spacer plate between the nest |
Spacer Plate. This is a common variation in the design of the nest area. A plate, often made of brass, sits between the block and the nest. In this design, the splitting edge is often part of the spacer plate, rather than part of the body of the flute, and the flue is formed by a slot in the spacer plate:
Cutaway view of the spacer plate between the nest |
Here's a picture of a flute by Dr. Richard W. Payne which uses a spacer plate:
Plains Style flute with a spacer plate |
Fipple Shields
Some flutes, especially flutes crafted in the tradition of the Kiowa and Cheyenne cultures, use a fipple shield as part of the design of the nest area.The fipple shield is typically a thin plate, often made of metal, fixed to the body of the flute just past the block. It forms the splitting edge of the sound mechanism:
Fipple shield used in the design of the nest area |
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Note that the fipple shield is typically tied onto the body of the flute, similar to the strap that holds the block onto the flute, but that is not shown in the diagram above. Also, no wings are shown on the sides of the block — if they were present, the proximal edge of the fipple shield would typically line up with the distal end of the wings on the block.
Also called a “lip plate” ([Hensley 2002]).
Jon Norris provided information on the prevalence of fipple shields on older flutes (personal communication, August 11, 2016):
I’d say fipple shields are fairly common in old flutes. I would guess it was used on maybe 20 to 30 percent of the old flutes I’ve seen. Belo Cozad (Kiowa) used them on all of his flutes, and I’ve seen them on other Kiowa flutes as well. Grover Wolf Voice and John Turkey Legs (both Northern Cheyenne), Ira Cut Hair (Ute), and many other makers did as well.
Here is a historic flute with a fipple shield from the collection of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institute. The flute from the Cheyenne tradition (BAE information: SI# 165925: Cheyenne; Great Plains; Algonquian; 6 hole; L 20 1/8; D 13/8; 01-1893; from The Bureau of Ethnology (collector - H.R. Voth); metal fipple shield):
Cheyenne Flute. Photo courtesy of Russ Wolf |
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Shape of the Block
Two styles of chimneys on the front of the block |
The shape of the block near the sound hole is very important to the sound of the flute.
Some flutes, such as the one pictured above on the left, have a chimney that borders three sides of the sound hole. The sides, or wings, give some protection if you are trying to play in a breeze.
Other flutes, such as the one pictured on the right, have a flat face.
The two photographs above are actually from the same flute – a D minor Native American flute by Edward Kort. The block of this flute is reversible: one face has a chimney and the other has a flat face.
Composite Anatomy Diagrams in Many Languages
This section provides anatomy diagrams that are a composite of the outside and inside of a Native American flute. Labels are provided in 11 languages. These images are released on Wikipedia under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Each of the 760 × 336 pixel images below is linked to a higher-resolution image at 1900 × 840 pixels. Click on the image to access the larger version:
Cherokee
Components of the Native American flute — Cherokee-language labels |
Dutch
Components of the Native American flute — Dutch-language labels |
English
Components of the Native American flute — English-language labels |
Esperanto
Components of the Native American flute — Esperanto-language labels |
French
Components of the Native American flute — French-language labels |
German
Components of the Native American flute — German-language labels |
Japanese
Components of the Native American flute — Japanese-language labels |
Korean
Components of the Native American flute — Korean-language labels |
Polish
Components of the Native American flute — Polish-language labels |
Russian
Components of the Native American flute — Russian-language labels |
Spanish
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Free Native American Flute Vst
Components of the Native American flute — Spanish-language labels |