Working with virtual studio technology (VST) plugins is tremendously convenient, but a lot of the best VST plugins out there are very expensive. If you're looking to expand your library of VST instrument (VSTi) plugins, or tweak your mixes with some great effects or MIDI effects VST plugins, you can do it for free.
Maybe you have heard about Native Instruments Komplete Start?
But maybe you haven’t.
I think that it is a great way to start with some virtual instruments that are outside of the FL Studio ecosystem. I have been using their products for years, and they are an integral part of my workflow.
But in the last year or so they started offering Komplete Start, which is a free sampler of some of their products that you can use in your projects.
DOWNLOAD NATIVE ACCESS
To get them installed on your system you have to go the Native Instruments website, and navigate to the Komplete Start Page.
And it directs you to a page to download Native Access.
Native Access is an installer, updater, and key management system that Native Instruments uses to allow people to install products on their systems.
Once you get an account setup with Native Instruments and download Native Access, then you can log into Native Access with your free account and take a look at the products that are available for you to install.
This will be the Native Instruments Komplete Start package.
You should see instruments like Kontakt, Reaktor, and Guitar Rig.
PROBLEMS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
Now I want to warn you about something.
It seems like the installation process can be a bit tricky. I’m not sure why, but I have had problems getting things installed with the latest version of Native Access. You may have to contact support to walk you through getting everything installed and setup to work on your computer.
Honestly this is the biggest weakness that I see with the Native Instruments ecosystem. They make it very hard to get it up and rolling.
But I promise that once you get through the pain of getting it all installed and working, you will love the products.
You can see Andrew Huang in this video use the package to create a song.
So let’s talk about what we have to do in FL Studio to get the Instruments setup for use.
SETUP A FEW FOLDERS
Before we jump into FL Studio, I’m going to have you do something.
I’m going to have you setup a few folders.
It won’t make sense right now, but it will make life easier down the road.
If you are working in Windows, open File Explorer and navigate to:
C:UsersusernameDocumentsImage-lineFL StudioPresetsPlugin Database
*username is whatever the name you use to log in to the computer.
You will see a few folders: Effects, Generators, and Installed.
Let’s go into the Effects folder first.
Create a new folder and name it Native Instruments.
Now back up to the Generators folder.
And create another folder, and name it Native Instruments as well.
The reason we are doing this, is that once we load in the new instruments and effects in FL Studio, we will be able to save them to these new folders we created, and access them quickly.
So let’s move on to installing the plugins in FL Studio.
INSTALLING NATIVE INSTRUMENTS KOMPLETE START IN FL STUDIO
So when we open up FL Studio, you can go to the plugins tab on the left side in the browser window.
Right click on it until you see the menu appear and go to the “manage plugins” option.
This will open up the plugin manager window.
ADDING FOLDERS AND SCANNING FOR NEW PLUGINS
You will need to add the file folders where you installed the Native Instruments plugins.
This is different than the folders we just set up a minute ago.
If you don’t remember, you can open up Native Access to see which folder the plugin was installed into.
You will add this folder to the list of folders that FL Studio scans to find plugins.
I kept the defaults for plugin installation from Native Access, so the plugin folder was located at:
C:Program FilesNative InstrumentsVSTPlugins 64 bit
Check and make sure what your folder name is.
Scan your computer with these new folders added.
You should see the new instruments show up on the right side list of items available.
They will be highlighted in a yellow color, indicating that these are the new plugins that FL Studio found when it searched your system.
Great! So far, so good.
Now we need to get the instruments loaded into the project, and then make them easy to access for future projects as well.
FINDING PLUGINS IN THE BROWSER
So now that we scanned the folders in FL studio to find the new plugins we installed from Native Access, we can close the Plugin Manager.
Now let’s go back out to the browser window.
If your browser is not open on the left side of FL Studio, you can press ALT + F8 to open it up.
Then click on the plug icon at the top of the window
Click on Installed.
This should show you Generator and Effects.
The difference between generator and effects in fl studio is that generators create the sound, effects modify the sound.
Let’s start with adding the generator plugins.
ADDING GENERATOR PLUGINS
Click on the generator folder.
The click on VST.
When you do that you should see the new plugins from Native Instruments.
I see Komplete Kontrol, Kontakt, and Reaktor.
If I want to load one of these instruments, then I can left click and drag it over to the channel rack.
I will drag over Kontakt.
When you do that, Kontakt will open up.
And after it loads in the new libraries that you installed you should see a window that looks like this:
I navigate under the factory selection, pick the band folder and drag the upright bass into the empty part of the window on the right side.
You can click the keys on the bottom of the window to hear the sampled notes that will play for the upright bass.
And now you can use that instrument in your project.
You can go into the piano roll and create a bassline, or you could use a midi keyboard and record the notes that you want to play.
SAVING THE PLUGINS TO A QUICK SELECT FOLDER
So now that you know how to load up the instrument for the first time, I want to show you a way that you can save Kontakt to a list. Then you can load in Kontakt to the channel rack more quickly and easily.
Under the Generator folder in the browser window click on that line that says Native Instruments so that it is highlighted.
Then I will go back to Kontakt.
Click on the arrow at the top left of the window.
A drop down menu will appear.
Choose the option “add to plugin database (flag as favorite)”
Another popup will come up to ask you if you want to add this to “Native Instruments”
Click okay.
Now when you click on Native Instruments folder in the browser window, you will see Kontakt appear.
You can repeat this process for all of the Native Instruments generators:
- Load them into the channel rack.
- Make sure the Native Instruments folder is selected under generators.
- Use the drop down arrow on the instrument to add the instrument to plugin database and confirm.
So why do you go through all that trouble?
LOADING INSTRUMENTS FROM THE QUICK ACCESS MENU
If you look at the bottom of the channel rack window, there is a plus icon.
Click on the + icon and you will see a list appear.
Now that new list of instruments you just created under the heading Native Instruments is there in that menu.
It means you can quickly load up Kontakt, Reaktor or Komplete Kontrol.
This is super handy. Now you don’t have to navigate through all the different layers and folders to find the instruments in the browser window.
You just have to click the + icon and select the instrument you want.
Now let’s move over to the mixer, and I’ll show you how to do the same thing with the Native Instruments effects.
LOADING EFFECTS INTO FL STUDIO
Start by pressing F9 on your keyboard to bring up the mixer window.
Let’s go over to the right side of the mixer window where you see the 10 open slots labeled Slot 1 – 10. These are the places that you can load in effects.
You click on the arrow that is next to the Slot name and a drop down menu will come up.
Navigate to the more plugins option at the top of the window.
A menu of all the available plugins in FL studio will come up that looks like this:
Scroll to the bottom of the window and you will see the plugins from Native Instruments that you installed.
Double click on one. I chose Guitar Rig.
It will take a while for all the presets to load for the first time. So while that is loading up, go to the browser window on the left side of FL Studio.
Under plugin database, select Effects , and then choose the Native Instruments folder you just created.
After guitar rig has finished loading, you can click on the arrow at the top left of the plugin and choose the “add to plugin database (flag as favorite)”.
Or you can right click on the effect in the slot and choose the same option.
A pop up will come up and you can say okay to adding it to the Native Instruments category.
Then you can repeat the process for the rest of the plugins from Native Instruments.
When you are finished you should have a few plugins available under the Native Instruments heading:
Guitar Rig 5, Reaktor 6, and Supercharger.
Now you can easily load these into any of your mixer tracks.
CONCLUSION
I think that Native Instruments Komplete Start is a great package to use in FL Studio. I think their products are amazing, and after using the free package for a while, I think that you will probably want to upgrade to a paid version.
But for now, whenever you want to use a Native Instruments Plugin in FL Studio, you have quick access to them, and you’ll know where to look.
If you want to learn how to use each of these plugins in FL Studio you can check out the following articles.
FL Studio is one of the most powerful music production tools around, with an array of synths and effects available right out of the box. But like most producers, you could probably use a few more plugins! Here we’ve put together some of the best free plugins for FL Studio, which should cover you for almost every imaginable musical scenario.
Sitala
Download for Free
Sitala is a drum plugin that can also be used as a standalone app. Although it is about as simple a drum plugin as you could want, it will find a place in almost any project due to its musicality and highly intuitive interface. Sitala’s six knobs and sixteen pads encourage you to use it as an instrument, which results in more musical beats and grooves.
Best Features & Specs
Sitala features 16 assignable pads that should be familiar to anyone who’s ever used a drum plugin before. You can drag and drop your own samples right into these pads or use the factory kits that come with the plugin.
Sitala also includes an array of sound-shaping tools that lets you put your own stamp on your drum sounds. With features such as ‘Shape’, ‘Compression’, and ‘Tone’, recreating traditional drum beats or more experimental grooves is a piece of cake.
Bottom-line
Like the best free FL Studio plugins, the beauty of Sitala lies in its simplicity. We found that it lets you lay down grooves quickly, and the results are always musical. We especially like how the interface allows you to play it like an instrument.
Piano One by Sound Magic
Download for Free
Sound Magic’s Piano One is reminiscent of the Yamaha C7 concert grand, which is highly revered by many professional piano players. Based on Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine, Piano One combines the best qualities of physical modeling and sampling. The result is an amazingly rich and responsive sound that often felt like playing a real piano.
Best Features & Specs
Sound Magic’s Hybrid Modeling Engine does a great job of combining the realism of piano samples and the responsiveness of physical modeling. Unlike other modeled instruments, Piano One responds instantaneously, with no sluggishness or delay. The sound is reasonably rich and full-bodied, particularly when playing sustained low notes. The plugin even comes with an onboard reverb that simulates environment and soundboard resonance for added realism.
Bottom-line
Even with its limitations, Piano One is a pretty impressive piano plugin. If you need a range of basic piano sounds but don’t have the cash for a humongous piano library, Piano One is worth looking into.
TyrellN6 & Zebralette by u-He
TyrellN6 is based on the legendary Roland Juno 60, which is one of the most iconic analog synthesizers ever made. Users of the venerable classic will appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of this plugin, which lets you create deep bass, lush pads, and cutting leads with relatively little effort.
Zebralette isn’t based on any particular instrument. Rather, it is a teaser of sorts for u-He’s well-respected Zebra 2. It has the same great-sounding oscillator that is in Zebra, giving you a taste of what you could achieve with the more fully-featured product.
Best Features & Specs
TyrellN6 and Zebralette give you a pretty diverse range of sounds, from classic to cutting edge. TyrellN6’s classic architecture is the ticket to thick and lush vintage sounds, with noise and a ring modulator joining the two oscillators for extra flavor.
Zebralette is a more esoteric plugin that allows for the creation of more outlandish and experimental sounds. This is a great entry point into the sonic possibilities offered by Zebra 2, and we were thrilled to find that Zebralette patches can be opened in Zebra 2.
Bottom-line
TyrellN6 and Zebralette are compact yet powerful synths that will find a place in any modern production. Even if you already have some powerhouse synths in your collection, these two free VSTs for FL Studio are worthy additions.
Guitar M Lite II
Download for Free
Guitar M Lite II offers studio musicians the crisp and authoritative sounds of the Martin D-41 acoustic guitar in a convenient software plugin. Developed by Ample Guitar, M Lite is a great way to add glistening acoustic textures to your productions, even if you don’t happen to have a guitar player handy.
Best Features & Specs
M Lite is a sample-based instrument that weighs in at just under 850 MB. It includes standard guitar articulations such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, palm mutes, and pops, allowing you to create surprisingly realistic performances. The plugin also offers Customized Parameters Control (CPC), which lets you add more expressive touches via MIDI CC or automation.
We especially like the plugin’s Strummer function, which allows for some pretty convincing strummed performances. Strumming is where most acoustic guitar plugins fall short as far as we’re concerned, so were pleasantly surprised to find it implemented so convincingly in a free plugin.
Bottom-line
Those with discerning ears aren’t likely to be fooled by M Lite. But if you need some rudimentary acoustic guitar parts for a mockup, this plugin will do very well in a pinch.
LABS by Spitfire Audio
Download for Free
Spitfire Audio’s LABS has created quite a stir in the software plugins world, so we were eager to put it through its paces. At present, the collection already covers a pretty broad range of instruments, and more are being added all the time. And because each instrument is a labor of love by dedicated musicians and sampling experts, the results are consistently impressive.
Best Features & Specs
Each LABS instrument comes in the form of a dedicated plugin, rather than a library you load in a software sampler. We found the user interface to be focused and refreshingly straightforward, with easy to use controls for dynamics and expression. We also like the inclusion of a knob that can be customized for whatever function the user wants.
The LABS collection currently includes strings, guitars, pianos, brass, drums, vocals, percussion, synths, and experimental instruments. Although not quite as detailed as more extensive sampled libraries, we had no trouble making them fit into our productions.
Bottom-line
The LABS instruments are about as straightforward as plugin instruments can be. Even if you already have a collection of software instruments, you will probably find a use for some of these plugins.
Vinyl by iZotope
Download for Free
iZotope has long been known for its excellent noise reduction and sound improvement plugins. So it was a bit of a surprise when the company rolled out a plugin that adds grit and dirt to audio. With Vinyl, you can dirty up your tracks with a healthy helping of dust, scratches, and mechanical noise, instantly giving them the character of a vintage recording.
Best Features & Specs
As the name implies, Vinyl makes tracks sound like they are being played from a turntable. Ideally suited for every stage of the production process, we found this to be the most convenient solution to get the authentic vibe heard on ’60s and ’70s recordings.
We like how you can control how much ‘pixie dust’ you can add to your tracks. Whether you need just a few cracks and pops, a touch of mechanical noise, or you really want to thrash your audio, Vinyl provides independent control over each element.
Bottom-line
Vinyl works on pretty much everything from drums and strings to full mixes. If your tracks are sounding just a bit too clean, this plugin will let you dirty them up in a few clicks.
Ozone Imager 2 by iZotope
Download for Free
iZotope’s Ozone Imager 2 offers a quick and easy way to alter the stereo image of your tracks. Whether you need to widen a pad or string section or narrow down your bass and kick drums to fit into a mix, Ozone Imager lets you do so quickly and easily.
Best Features & Specs
The most obvious application of Ozone Imager is to widen an audio track. If you need your synth pad or string section to fill up the soundstage, Ozone Imager will get the job done without imparting any sonic anomalies that could make mixing a nightmare.
Ozone Imager provides two flavors of Stereoize: one lets you widen source audio with a cool phasing effect, while the other widens signals more subtly. The plugin also has three vectorscope meters that give you instant visual feedback on your stereo spread.
Bottom-line
Ozone Imager is a fairly simple plugin that is useful for mixing as well as creative experimentation. If you are struggling to make certain elements fit into a mix, this is one you can try out, of check out or list of other mixing plugins.
How To Add Fl Studio Plugins For Free Ins For Free
MAutoPitch
Download for Free
MAutoPitch is a pitch correction plugin developed specifically for vocals and monophonic instruments. Simple and straightforward, it is nevertheless capable of producing great-sounding results that compare favorably to more expensive pitch correction plugins. It even has formant shift and stereo-expansion features that expand its capabilities as a creative audio production tool.
Best Features & Specs
Compared to many FL Studio plugins for free, MAutoPitch has quite an impressive user interface. It can be resized freely and has standard meters as well as time graphs. It also has sophisticated multi-parameter features such as mid-side and 8-channel surround processing. We particularly like the onboard safety limiter and the automatic gain compensation (AGC) features that keep levels in check.
All MAutoPitch parameters can be mapped for MIDI control and automation. This enhances the plugin’s value as a creative tool, making it more than just a “set-and-forget” processor.
Bottom-line
From subtle pitch correction to creative sound design, MAutoPitch does it all. If you do a lot of vocal work, this plugin is an essential addition to your toolbox.
Supermassive by Valhalla DSP
Download for Free
Supermassive is only one of a handful of time-based plugins that form the bedrock of Valhalla DSP’s stellar reputation. The company’s delays and reverbs compare favorably to much more expensive plugins, and their features and capabilities are well known to producers across the globe. With Supermassive, the company once again proves its expertise in developing lush and exquisite sounding plugins, with a few more tricks up its sleeve.
Best Features & Specs
Supermassive is designed specifically to produce spacious and expansive delays and reverbs. Ideally suited for adding atmosphere to dry and lackluster productions, it sounds just as good when dialed down for more subtle ambiance.
Like all Valhalla DSP plugins, Supermassive is freely resizable, with precise controls for every parameter. It is based on a system of feedback delay networks, with each delay ultimately being processed by a unique WARP control. This allows you to produce everything from twinkling echoes to rich and deep reverbs and everything in between.
Bottom-line
Supermassive is easily a great VST for lush ambiance, even able to compete with our list of top VSTs on the market. Even if you already have a couple of favorite reverbs and delays, you will likely find yourself patching in Supermassive every time you need a unique atmosphere in your productions.
Pancake 2 by Cableguys
Download for Free
Cableguys’ Pancake 2 handles a variety of panning and imaging functions in a slick and easy to use interface. Like all Cableguys plugins, Pancake 2 offers full control over the most useful parameters, giving you total control over your sound. You also have plenty of options to modulate the source audio as you wish, so you have free rein over your creative vision.
Best Features & Specs
PanCake allows you to set and forget the modulation depth and rate if you wish, although you could also draw in your own modulation curves. This feature is perfect for panning audio in time with the tempo or ramping up the speed for a buildup.
How To Add Fl Studio Plugins For Freeee
Of course, the plugin’s LFO can be set to sync to your host DAW’s tempo as well. Speeds from ¹⁄₁₂₈ notes to 32 bars are possible, giving you a wide range of movement options. The plugin also has a left/right display so you always know what is going on with your soundstage.
Bottom-line
Like the other top FL Studio plugins out there, Pancake 2 can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Whether you need subtle movement in your tracks or you are looking for more intense panning functions, Pancake 2 is one of the best free plugins for FL Studio.