The Best String VSTs: Majestic String Sounds At Every Budget

Violins, violas, cellos, double basses — put them all together, and you get one of the most majestic and elegant sounds known to man. There aren’t many musicians who haven’t dreamed of having a string section play over their music, or work with a top violinist or cellist. Of course, this can be prohibitively expensive, especially when it comes to recording a full-string section in a large, professional recording studio.

But, whether you’re a composer, arranging strings for pop music, or scoring to picture, the best strings VSTs give you a viable option to bring symphonic sounds to your music. While you can’t replace the real thing, some of these string sample libraries come startlingly close. Note that this list is just for string instrument libraries — if you’d like your strings to come in a full orchestra package, check out our guide for The Best Orchestral VSTs.

And while some of them ain’t cheap, there are some lovely affordable options too. Stick around for the end, as we learn a technique used by top film composers and arrangers to combine real players with digital libraries for a brilliant, authentic result. So — the best strings VSTs — let’s go, or in this case, let’s bow!

BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover

If your budget is zero, we’d recommend checking out BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover from Spitfire Audio, which is completely free. Don’t expect it to sound as majestic and realistic as some of the below, but if you need a freebie and a starting point, this is a great option. You also get a full orchestra, for free, not something people get to say very often.

VIEW PRODUCT

Native Instruments Session Strings 2

Not only are we starting with one of the most affordable string libraries out there, but what many consider to be the best strings VSTs for pop music. Native Instruments are a very reliable source for sampled instruments that also work well in contemporary genres (see Alicia’s Keys as a great piano example), and Session Strings 2 doesn’t break the £/$100 barrier (watch out for deals on the NI website of up to half price). Created by recording the smaller string ensembles you often see join a televised pop music performance, these bright-sounding, attitude-laden virtual strings are perfect for R&B, pop, dance, and more. Employ cheeky pizzicatos, oozy legato, or even a string arpeggiator while playing your intended chord to elevate your tracks.

VIEW PRODUCT

Spitfire Ólafur Arnalds Evolutions

Looking to add some Icelandic frost to your string arrangement? The neoclassical style revolution led by the likes of Nils Frahm, Hania Rani, and the BAFTA-winning Arnalds himself has been hugely influential on a wide range of genres, hence the demand for string sample libraries like this one. Arnalds in particular is known for his starkly minimal textures (think the opposite of the Hans Zimmer string sound) where it sounds like the string players are making the bare amount of contact with the bows on their instruments. This is the best strings VST for indie, ethereal, and haunting sounds. No Pirates Of The Caribbean vibes here. If you’d like an even more subtle, chamber approach, check out Chamber Evolutions, also in collaboration with Arnalds.

VIEW PRODUCT

Performance Samples Pacific Ensemble Strings

The best strings VSTs conversations usually sees the plaudits going to be the big, glamorous names like Vienna and East West, but here is an underrated name that deserves a big shoutout. Pacific Ensemble Strings from Performance Samples offers remarkably realistic string sounds. The library features 16 violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos, 8 basses, a solo harp, and a 3-violin FFF overlay. You can utilise up to 14 dynamics, and techniques such as Legato Sustains, Marcatos, Whisper Sustains, and more.

VIEW PRODUCT

Native Instruments Cremona Quartet

If you’re looking to get baroque sounds from your virtual strings, look no further than the Cremona Quartet from Native Instruments. This strings VST plugin is named after the city of Cremona, often dubbed ‘the birthplace of strings’ due to its rich history of music instrument manufacturing. Vivaldi will have to eat his heart out as you have a joyful time playing with chamber string sounds with four instruments dating back to the 1600s, including the Vesuvius violin, and the Stauffer cello, both created by the famous Antonio Stradivari. It sounds so wonderful, you’ll almost want to book this string quartet for a posh event.

VIEW PRODUCT

Strezov Sampling String Contours

With glowing reviews from the likes of Rupert Gregson-Williams (Wonder Woman, The Crown) and Germaine Franco (Encanto), it goes to show that String Contours, another underrated name in Strezov Sampling, will absolutely see you through if you sign on to a huge budget film or series like those mentioned. The ‘Contour’ technology in a nutshell avoids that classic MIDI instrument problem, when the dynamics jump with each note — these realistic string sounds keep to the expression and dynamics you use within each phrase. This library also reacts to specific rhythms and tempos — which is brilliant, as a common strings VST problem is only sounding good when playing long, held notes and chords.

VIEW PRODUCT

Slate and Ash Primaries

We mentioned one of Ólafur Arnald’s own virtual strings libraries earlier, and here is another that a little birdy told us he uses himself, such is the quality making Primaries one of the best strings VSTs out there. Again, not as sexy a name as Spitfire Audio, the lesser known Slate and Ash have delivered one of the richest and most detailed virtual strings collections money can buy. It’s a very versatile library, working brilliantly for scoring, or a whole host of genres and more experimental sounds. First recorded in Bristol, and then re-amplified in other spaces such as the iconic Funkhaus in Berlin to produce a range of effects. Hearing is believing, so definitely give Primaries a listen before defaulting to one of the bigger name brands.

VIEW PRODUCT

Orchestral Tools Berlin Strings

And here is one of the big name brands that keep getting hinted at. Berlin Strings from Orchestral Tools is one of the go-to virtual strings packages for a reason, and very much among the top string VSTs for film scoring. That bigger name also comes with a bigger price tag — you’ll be writing a cheque to the tune of over £/$800, although watch out for frequent 50% off sales. Its trademark realism is rendered thanks to features such as ‘First True Adaptive Legato. Other articulations are included, including trills, double stops, and sustains. You can get really under the hood with your virtual strings and customise the amount of vibrato, and try out different bowing styles. Best of all, it sounds epic.

VIEW PRODUCT

Spitfire Abbey Road Symphonic Strings

We’ll level with you, all of the strings and orchestral VSTs from Spitfire Audio are worth checking out, at the very least. If you specifically want a huge, bombastic film sound, Hans Zimmer strings may be the way to go. However, if you want one of the best strings VSTs that covers all bases and sounds phenomenal, it’s very hard to argue with the Abbey Road Symphonic Strings. Note that there are two payment tiers here, the Core version of the package, the cheaper version that costs almost £/$900 full price(!).

Going up to the next tier is Professional, at an eye-watering £/$1500 full price. But bear in mind, we’re talking about the choice of many top, professional composers and string arrangers. The Professional tier adds two signal options from Grammy-winner Simon Rhodes, an extended range of legato techniques, 31 additional articulations and more. Recorded at the iconic studio in the title, you can also tweak mic positions, expressions, and dynamics with the intuitive interface.

VIEW PRODUCT

A top tip from professional composers and string arrangers

If you’re reading this, we’re going to take a wild guess that you don’t have a stack of cash to record a full string section for your project. So perhaps you’re wondering how the pros do it. On the surprisingly common occasions when a film or television scene didn’t use a full orchestra — perhaps a last-minute edit needed some new music, or the budget had simply been all used up by that point — there are ways to get brilliant results nonetheless.

First of all, make sure you have the best strings VSTs from above. Then it's time to create a hybrid score. This is where we get the best of both worlds and combine the real thing with the virtual.

What composers will often do is create a bed of sound with their strings VST, and then record one or a handful of solo string players. This deft combination of digital and organic can create some really pleasing results. Bring in a professional violinist and cellist to play parts that blend with the virtual strings, so that you still have the warmth and human touch of a real instrument and performer.

We hope your excited by the wonderful string sounds above and are closer to choosing the best string sample libraries for you and your musical needs. So grab that bow, grab that cello, and tug on some heartstrings.