The Best VST Plugins You Should Have for Your Melodies

When most producers start making beats, they tend to use stock presets sounds that came with the DAW they’re using. These same beat makers quickly get tired of them and realize they need something more. If you’re in this boat, It’s time to upgrade! This list will show the best VST plugins that majority of successful producers have, and that you should be using.

VST Plugins are basically programs installed on the DAW you’re using that will allow you to access an abundance of sounds, features, and editors. You can add plugins to your DAW to access new content that isn’t originally on there. Don’t get me wrong, FL Studio plugins are nice, but why not add more for variety.

With that being said, which ones do you choose? There are over hundreds of plugins available on the market with not all of them being reviewed. It is also very risky to buy a plugin that may not have the sounds you are looking for. Well don’t fear, because as always, I will guide you in the right direction!

The Best VST Plugins for Your Melodies

There are two types of plugins: One being for melodies, and the other being for mixing effects. For now, let’s focus on plugins designed for making melodies. There are lots to choose from, but I narrowed it down to reliable plugins that producers have used for years to make beats. Let’s take a look now!

Nexus is Still One of The Best VST Plugins!

Nexus has become a household name in the producer world. Despite the popular use of many sounds on the program, it is one of the best VST plugins on the market. This is one of the first plugins many producers buy when they first start making beats. It offers a well diverse and vast selection of sounds that can fit into any category of music. Not only this, it is very easy to browse and is visually appealing as well. Inside of nexus, you can customize all preset sounds to your liking. This allows you to get familiar with sound design, another skill producers build upon. Almost every single producer has used Nexus at some point in their journey and always knows that the plugin has something to offer to the world of beats.

It currently costs $249, and the developers constantly update it for the best user experience. Furthermore, there are many expansions available for the product that will add more sounds to the program, keeping you with the newest sounds on the market.

Electra: The Best of The Best VST Plugins for Electronic Sounds

Producers know Electra for its unique and electronic sounds. EDM and electronic music’s niche sounds have made their way into the rap scene, creating melodies unlike any other. Famous rap producers have done so through this plugin. There are many rap songs today that uses Electra sounds, making it a staple in the producing community. It offers over hundreds of sounds and sound design features similar to that of Nexus. This program never fails to deliver in terms of customer satisfaction making it one of the best VST plugins to date.

Electra currently sits at $169 USD and receives lifetime updates that keep the interface looking fresh and adding new features and sounds. Just like NEXUS, this too has downloadable expansions which allow you to have more sounds at your disposal.

Purity: Real Instrumentation For Real Results

If you’re looking for realistic acoustic style instrumentation, Purity is a must. While not offering as many sounds compared to other plugins, the sounds on this plugin are absolutely timeless to say the least. Amazing grand pianos, tranquil flutes, heavenly strings, and much more. Nowadays, producers turn to purity out of love for its amazing flutes. This plugin always finds its way into a producers plugin list and its no wonder why.

Reasonably priced at $50, it receives lifetime updates including the addition of sounds and interface updates to keep the program feeling brand new. Purity has expansions, but at the time of writing this article, only three are available. Nevertheless, it is one of the best VST plugins for its price.

Analog Labs: A Library with Variety

Now you’re getting to the new age big hitters in the game. Analog Labs offers over a thousand sounds and allows users to do some sound design within the program. It has sounds that can easily fit into any beat with no problem. With so many sounds at your disposal, its easy to turn a session of producing into 1 hour of browsing through presets just hear what the program has.

Coming in at $200, I think its worth it for what feels like a lifetime worth of sounds. Analog labs does offer expansions and receives lifetime updates as well.

Omnisphere: The Final Boss of “Best VST Plugins”

Chances are if you are a new producer and you search up what plugins you should get on Youtube, this is on every list. Spectrasonics, the company behind Omnisphere, is widely recognized for making the best VST plugins on the market. With a sound library bigger than all other 4 plugins on this list combined, it no wonder why this is the top in the plugin market. It features very up-to-date sounds that flood the music market while remaining relatively new. The only issues with Omnisphere is that it requires a lot of space, and you will need a good computer to run it properly.

Omnisphere is the most expensive VST plugin on this list sitting at Nearly $500. Even though it requires a lot just to be able to use, this could easily be the only plugin you need for your entire producing journey. It receives lifetime updates and also has the most quality and known expansions of any VST’s. Keyscape, one of Omnispheres expansions, could easily deserve a spot on this list as it feels like its own plugin.

The Best VST Plugins for Mixer Effects

Mixer effect plugins focus on altering the sounds you use in your beat. Think of it as a special type of sauce to add onto delicious wings. They take preset sounds from other plugins and add more layers to them, increasing their depth and changing the flavor profile. Many beginner producers overlook these because they are more concerned with preset sounds and not the effects they can add on top. In reality, these are an effective game changer the deserves to be in your tool box. Here are a few plugins that add sauce to your melodies.

Fruity Reverb 2

Fruity reverb does exactly what it is supposed to do. It adds reverb to your sound, making it resemble the effect of playing in a large, unfurnished building. You can control how much reverb is on the sound allowing you to find the sweet spot for your sound to shine. Reverb in general is considered a timeless effect and has been used in beats since forever. This version of reverb is a stock plugin, so those who have FL Studio are in luck. Most DAW’s have reverb as a stock plugin, so do not stress if you don’t have FL Studio.

Gross Beat

Gross Beats is a plugin that can twist a sound and make it very whacky, smooth, or calm. In terms of direct effects, it is one of the most noticeable. It doesn’t only manipulate the sound, but it also can chop it up similar to what a DJ would do. There is a wide arrange of different effects you can use and it features the infamous half time feature used to slow down pieces of the beat. This too is an FL exclusive plugin that cannot be downloaded elsewhere. While there aren’t any plugins that directly replace Gross Beat, several half-time plugins are available on the market.

Valhalla Vintageverb

Valhalla Vintageverb is a great plugin if you wan to add a vintage reverb style to your melodies. This VST plugin uniquely mimics the old school digital hardware style of reverb to make your beat sound like it was made in an older studio. Directly altering the frequencies and changing the flavor of the sound, you can make almost any preset sound good. A lot of producers use this plugin, almost making it an industry staple. It offers presets as well as the option for you to create your own vintage reverb presets.

Sitting at $50, this one is low hanging fruit if you ask me.

RC-20 Retro Color

Very unsure about a sound you’re using? Feels like its missing something but you can’t quite figure out what it is? This Plugin is perfect for just that! RC-20 Retro Color can add a unique arrange of flavors to make any melody come to life. The six unique sound modules are used to replicate vinyl records, VHS machines, and adds noise, wobble, and dropouts. These special effect can completely change the sound of a melody to add in more layers to the beat. This plugin also has lots of presets so you can experiment in different ways with your beats and melodies.

RC-20 is on sale for $70 when it is originally $100. For a plugin as unique as this one, its really a no brainer to have in your arsenal.

Need some drums to go with your new melodies? Consider checking out free drum kits that rap producers should have so you keep up with the sounds you need!