This article features free sampler VST plugins. For more categories, return to Free VST Plugins.
Most digital audio workstations come with a built-in sampler instrument. Some are very good, such as the EXS24 in Logic Pro or the Sampler in Ableton Live. Others leave a lot to be desired. We listed the best sampler VST plugins you can download for free to give your DAW a little boost.
Grace by One Small Clue
Grace is the most user-friendly free sampler VST plugin. It offers all of the essential features that are required in a sampler instrument. Despite the fairly complex feature set, the sampler’s interface is intuitive and easy to use, resulting in a fast workflow. Even more importantly, Grace is compatible with WAV, AIFF, and SND audio formats while also supporting SFZ patch import. This feature makes it capable of loading numerous freely downloadable SFZ sound libraries.
The plugin’s main panel provides direct access to all of the available control parameters. There’s no need to dig through the menus in search of a control knob or a specific setting. Building a new sample kit from scratch is a simple task with Grace. It can handle velocity layering, round-robin, random sample playback, and more. Even the advanced modulation routings can be adjusted from the front panel itself. The plugin also features a set of multi-mode filters, a pair of step sequencers, and several XY pads which are helpful in live performance situations.
Grace hits the perfect balance of being a feature-packed sampler VST plugin that is also easy to use. The only drawback is the lack of support for digital audio workstations running on macOS. If you’re a Mac user, the next free sampler plugin on the list will be a better fit.
More info: Grace
Compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit VST plugin hosts on Windows.
TX16Wx Software Sampler by CWITEC
TX16Wx Software Sampler is the most advanced free sampler VST plugin. It is a creative sampler instrument plugin inspired by the classic hardware samplers of yesteryear. The plugin is loosely based on the Yamaha TX16W hardware sampler. However, TX16Wx introduces numerous improvements and software-specific features that aren’t available in its hardware counterpart.
Compared to Grace, the excellent TX16Wx Software Sampler provides a more extensive feature set but at the cost of having a more complicated user interface. That said, users who are looking for an advanced free sampler VST plugin will probably choose TX16Wx over Grace. Some of the features that make TX16Wx Software Sampler stand out are the ability to record audio, automatic loop detection and keyboard mapping, interactive loop slicing, and more.
TX16Wx Software Sampler can load samples in WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and FLAC formats. The plugin can also load SoundFonts, SFZ, Akai, and EXS format presets. It’s also worth noting that TX16Wx is compatible with macOS, unlike Grace.
More info: TX16Wx Software Sampler
Compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin hosts on Windows and macOS.
Sitala by Decomposer
Sitala is a free drum sampler plugin that is focused on simplicity. You won’t find any of the complex mapping or advanced modulation features seen in Grace and TX16Wx. Sitala offers sixteen sample slots, each with a set of six control parameters. The user can adjust the tone, shape, compression amount, tuning, volume, and stereo pan, parameters of each sample slot individually. These controls are accessed right from the front panel, without having to navigate through menus.
To import the samples into Sitala, use the built-in file browser or drag and drop the samples onto the user interface. The loaded samples can be easily rearranged and mapped to a different MIDI note.
Users who need a drum sampler with a blazing fast workflow should definitely check out Sitala. It’s the type of drum sampler you want to have at your disposal when the inspiration kicks in and the drum kit should be ready to go ASAP. Sitala also includes a great-sounding 808 drum machine sound kit.
More info: Sitala
Compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit VST and AU plugin hosts on Windows and macOS.
Grooove BPB by brunsandspork
Grooove BPB by brunsandspork is worth checking out if you require a bit more functionality from a drum sampler VST. This freeware virtual instrument is based on the commercial version of Grooove. The free version does come with some limitations, but it is fully functional and more than capable of handling most drum sampling tasks. It is available for free download exclusively here at Bedroom Producers Blog.
More info: Grooove BPB
Compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit VST, VST3, and AU plugin hosts on Windows and macOS.
Shortcircuit 1 by Vember Audio (Discontinued)
Shortcircuit 1 was once a very pricey piece of commercial software. It later became freeware, but the software was discontinued a couple of years ago. Shortcircuit 1 was built by a talented developer who later worked for Ableton and now develops Bitwig Studio. Simply put, Shortcircuit is a powerhouse sampler with pretty much all the features you’d need in a sampler plugin. It’s multitimbral, supports multiple outputs, and works with WAV, SFZ, SF2, Akai, REX, and a bunch of other formats. It is almost closer to being a synthesizer (with audio samples used instead of oscillators) than just a sampler instrument.
Being that the software is now discontinued, there are no updates planned. Still, there’s a glimmer of hope that Shortcircuit 1 could be re-released as open-source software one day. This is because Vember Audio recently made its Surge virtual synthesizer open-source, leading to numerous improvements that were implemented by a team of volunteer developers. As a matter of fact, Surge is the top pick in our list of free synthesizer VST plugins.
Download: Shortcircuit 1 (discontinued, Web Archive link)
Compatible with 32-bit VST plugin hosts on Windows.
More Free Sampler VST Plugins
- Linux Sampler is a powerful cross-platform sampler plugin. It was originally developed for Linux but you can also use it as a VST plugin on Windows and macOS.
- Cyclone is another emulation of the Yamaha TX16W sampler. Unlike TX16Wx Software Sampler, Cyclone emulates the hardware on a component level and doesn’t introduce any new features.
For more freeware plugins and instruments, return to our Free VST Plugins page.
Last Updated on December 16, 2019 by Tomislav Zlatic.
