Guide To Making Music With Virtual Instruments (2024)

Virtual instruments have become an indispensable tool in modern music production, allowing anyone to access a wide array of professional level sounds from their computer. 

I don't remember a project where I didn't use any virtual instruments! They are an integral part of my workflow. 

Virtual instruments enable you to reproduce the timbre of physical instruments such as pianos, drums, and guitars and create entirely new sounds. You're no longer limited by the physical constraints of traditional instruments, which has truly revolutionized the way music is made.

The virtual instruments available today range from hyper-realistic sampled sounds to unique, synthetically generated tones that can inspire ideas for new music. 

A simple laptop or desktop computer is now enough to power your home studio to contain the sounds of any instruments you can imagine; a grand piano, a full drum kit, or even rare ethnic instruments. 

All this without the need to have the physical instrument present or the technical proficiency to play it. You can create complex arrangements and high-fidelity recordings with just a few clicks and keystrokes.

Accessibility to these tools has also made learning and experimenting with music more approachable. 

Online platforms like Soundtrap offer the ability to play virtual musical instruments using your PC keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen devices. Not only does this make practicing more convenient, but it also provides a playful way to experience music production without the steep learning curve often associated with traditional music-making. 

Whether you’re looking to add depth to your productions or just starting out, you definitely should integrate virtual instruments into your workflow.

Understanding Virtual Instruments

History and Evolution

Virtual instruments have revolutionized music production since the development of digital audio workstations (DAWs) and Virtual Studio Technology (VST). The emergence of Cubase VST in the 1990s marked a turning point by integrating software synthesizers and effects into DAWs, making cumbersome hardware less necessary.

The Timeline of Virtual Instruments

• 1980s: Digital synthesis laid the groundwork for virtual instruments.

• 1996: Steinberg launched VST, allowing for plug-ins within DAWs.

• Early 2000s: Rapid advancements led to highly realistic virtual instrument sounds.

Today, we have access virtual instruments that rival the sound and expressiveness of the real instruments, with continual improvements in technology making them more accessible and powerful.

Types of Virtual Instruments

There are virtual instruments literally for just about any instrument you can imagine. Here are some of the most common instruments you’ll see:

• Virtual piano instruments emulate the rich, resonant tones of acoustic pianos.

• Virtual drums enable you to use synthesized drum sounds or samples of real drums, ranging from vintage drum machines to modern acoustic kits.

• Virtual guitar and bass instruments have also come a long way. Many virtual instruments now reproduce the nuanced strums and plucks of electric, acoustic, and bass guitars incredibly realistically.

• Orchestral instruments are another major area where virtual instruments have made a huge difference. In many of my composing projects, I use a full orchestra of sampled instruments, and with the right programming of expressions, I can make the orchestra sound just about indistinguishable from a real orchestra.

Working with Digital Audio Workstations

When you're looking to produce music using virtual instruments, you have a range of options for a Digital Audio Workstation. All modern DAWs allow you to record, edit, mix, and master digital audio right from your computer.

Common DAWs

Your choice of DAW largely depends on your preferences, the features you need, and the platform you're using. 

Here's a list of some common DAWs that are popular among music producers:

• Soundtrap: Collaborative music production software accessible directly from your web browser.

• Pro Tools: Often considered the industry standard, especially in professional studio environments. It offers robust recording and editing capabilities.

• Logic Pro: A top choice for Mac users, praised for its comprehensive suite of virtual instruments and intuitive interface.

• Ableton Live: A favorite for live performance with its unique Session View for improvisation and composition.

• Cubase Pro: Renowned for its MIDI editing prowess and array of virtual instruments.

Integrating Virtual Instruments

Once you've chosen your DAW, integrating virtual instruments is your next step. Virtual instruments are software that simulate traditional instruments, which you can play and record using a MIDI controller. 

Soundtrap comes with its own suite of free virtual instruments, so you don't need to install anything.

If you're using one of the other DAWs, you to integrate additional 3rd party virtual instruments by following these steps:

1. Install the Software: Ensure your virtual instrument software is properly installed and authorized on your computer.

2. Load the VST/AU Plugin: Open your DAW and load the virtual instrument as a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) or AU (Audio Units) plugin, depending on your operating system.

3. Connect Your MIDI Controller: Set up your MIDI controller, ensuring it's recognized by your DAW, to gain tactile control over your virtual instruments.

4. Adjust Settings: Familiarize yourself with the interface to adjust settings like octaves, dynamics, and articulation for a more realistic performance.

Technical Insights

MIDI Controllers and Connectivity

MIDI Controllers are your primary tool for interacting with virtual instruments. They translate your physical actions into MIDI messages that virtual instruments interpret to produce sound. 

The controllers typically come with keys and pads that allow you to play melodies and rhythms, knobs and faders that enable dynamic control over volume, pan, and effects, and MIDI connectivity that connects your controller to a computer or other MIDI-compatible devices using either traditional 5-pin MIDI ports or USB.

You need to set up MIDI Tracks in your DAW to record the data from your MIDI controller, which can later be edited for precision. You can alter notes, velocities, and even timings after your performance.

Sampling and Libraries

Sound Sampling breathes life into virtual instruments. High-quality samples are meticulously recorded audio snippets from real instruments played with different articulations and, often, recorded at multiple microphone positions to capture the full spectrum of sound. 

Here’s what makes up the core of sound sampling:

Sample Libraries

Sample libraries are collections of recorded sounds used by virtual instruments. Quality libraries offer multiple layers of round robins—variations of the same note—to avoid the 'machine gun effect' and create a more natural sound.

Audio Plugins

Audio plugins are software used to play back sample libraries. They can be standalone or run within your DAW, allowing for extensive modification of the sounds.

Creative Application

Virtual instruments open just about unlimited possibilities for music creation. They combine the familiar timbres of traditional instruments with the boundless potential of digital technology. You can compose music and design sounds that transcend traditional boundaries.

Composing with Virtual Instruments

When you compose with virtual instruments, you control a vast array of sounds, ranging from realistic reproductions of classical instruments to entirely novel tones. Typically, instruments come with preset kits for quick inspiration that allow you to dive into composing layered arrangements that might not be possible with physical instruments.

Integration in Live Performances

Virtual instruments are not just for studio production; they can be included in live performances to add depth and variety to the available sounds.

Enhancing Traditional Compositions

You can use virtual instruments to support or even replace acoustic instruments, providing new dimensions and textures to your music.

Sound Design and Customization

Virtual instruments empower you as a music producer to manipulate and design sounds in precise detail. 

With built-in effects and extensive modulation capabilities, you can tweak and transform sounds to craft your unique sonic signature:

• Modify preset sounds for quick customization.

• Create your new sounds from scratch using synthesis and sampling techniques.

• Real-time Control: Adjust parameters during live performances for dynamic expressiveness.

Advancements and Trends

Emerging Technologies

Virtual instruments have come a long way since the first software synthesizers. Native Instruments' Reaktor and Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology (VST) were pioneers in the 1990s; now, advancements continue to emerge.

Realism

New virtual instruments offer nuanced sound palettes that mirror acoustic instruments with remarkable accuracy.

Interactivity

Features like touch sensitivity and gesture recognition let you control virtual instruments in dynamic ways, making the experience feel more like playing the real thing.

The Future of Instrumentation

Expect powerful music composition tools that blend the best of digital and traditional music-making methods. 

Here's a glimpse at the features of tomorrow:

Expressive Control

Virtual instruments will provide even more detailed control parameters, making the digital experience indistinguishable from playing physical instruments.

Integration

Advanced software synthesizers will integrate with a wide array of hardware, empowering you to seamlessly switch between virtual and physical realms during music creation.

AI

My prediction is that AI will be integrated heavily into virtual instruments as technology evolves. This will enable us to create complex arrangements and orchestrations faster and easier than our current tools.

Conclusion

Virtual instruments have reshaped music production, offering a diverse range of sounds and limitless creative possibilities. 

I couldn't imagine working without them! They speed up your workflow and give you anything from a realistic replication of traditional instruments to the exploration of entirely new sonic landscapes.

Virtual instruments have become indispensable tools in the modern music production studio. 

Whether it's the synthesized drum sounds reminiscent of the classics or the cutting-edge frequency modulation of analog synthesizers, these tools provide a platform for you to express your unique musical style. 

As technology continues to evolve, virtual instruments will remain a great place for musicians to explore new creations.

About the author

Tero Potila is a professional music composer and producer. His career combining knowledge and experience from music, TV, film, ad, and game industries gives him a unique perspective that he shares through posts on teropotila.com.