Last updated on December 31st, 2023 at 08:42 pm
I love the harmonica and I even play a bit, but definitely not as well to record it on any song since it would take me hours to record something that sounds somewhat decent.
This is where some harmonica plugins can help quite a bit, especially if you don’t even know how to play the harmonica.
I found two free- and four premium ones that sound pretty damn good.
Chromatic Harmonica
Chromatic Harmonica plugin with the best sound out of all the plugins on this list. Requires full version of KONTAKT to run properly.
Sonivox Harmonica
Affordable and easy-to-use plugin of sampled harmonicas with two different mic positions. Includes bends, vibrato, and more.
Harmonica V.2
Three different types of Harmonicas: Chromatic, Diatonic, and Tremolo, as well as three instrument channels with separate controls.
So, here’s my list of the best free and paid Harmonica VST plugins that are currently available.
Best Harmonica VST Plugins
Let’s kick things off with the Harmonica Plugin I consider to be the best-sounding and most versatile one, the Chris Hein Chromatic Harmonica!
Chris Hein Chromatic Harmonica ($139)
Important: You will need the full version of Kontakt for it to work!
Now, this one is by far the best Harmonica plugin you could ever get since it sounds amazing.
The user interface provides a multitude of functions to edit the sounds to your liking, but if you don’t want to go through all the trouble of editing, then you can simply select from 26 different presets and move on from there.
Like I mentioned, this would be your best choice, even though you would need to spend a lot more than on any other harmonica VST.
Additionally, if you don’t have the full version of Kontakt, you would have to purchase that as well.
Features
- 4 octaves
- 3.5 GB uncompressed sample content
- almost 7,000 samples / 14 articulations / up to 8 dynamic layers
- unique phase-alignment technique / 4 dynamic modes
- Hot keys / intelligent legato / glide mode for realistic “live” runs
Find out more about the Chromatic Harmonica here: Best Service.
Get KONTAKT here in order to use this plugin.
Harmonica by Sonivox Singles ($15)
This is a replication of a real harmonica that features a wide key range with several octaves of every note in the 12-tone scale.
The chromatic harmonica can be played in any key, allowing for versatile use throughout several different genres of music.
This instrument is widely used for playing blues, folk, and county as well as classical, jazz, and pop.
With its precise articulation and definitive tone, it stands out as a pristine virtual instrument.
The sound quality is pretty good, especially in the lower notes; as soon as you start going higher it ends up sounding a bit fake, but with some tweaking, you should be able to make it work.
Find out about Harmonica by Sonivox Singles here: Pluginboutique, Best Service.
Misfit Harmonica ($38)
Misfit Harmonica sounds pretty good and realistic, especially when playing single notes.
It features a deep-sampled collection of different harmonicas that sound raw and gritty.
You can bend up or down, add vibrato, etc. and it will sound phenomenal.
However, if you play more than one note you will be able to tell that it’s not the real thing… but still, it’s a pretty good plugin.
It definitely sounds better than the free one by DSK, but you will have to pay for it.
Find out more about Misfit Harmonica here.
Harmonica V.2 by Auditory Lab ($26)
Auditory Lab’s Harmonica v.2 features three different types of Harmonicas: Chromatic, Diatonic and Tremolo. it has three instrument channels and each instrument is given its own controls with pan and volume.
The main panel features 4 master knobs that control release, attack, pan, and volume. The Effects panel features controllable reverb and delay.
As far as realism goes, it’s not the best one on this list, but it’s definitely pretty damn good! You can actually get some pretty convincing sounds out of it, especially after tweaking them a bit.
Just watch the video I linked; you’ll see that it can sound pretty amazing.
Here are some other tracks for you to check out:
Find out more about Harmonica v.2 here.
Free Harmonica VST Plugins
DSK Harmonica
Now, this harmonica plugin does by no means sound realistic…
It doesn’t sound too bad, to be honest, but you can definitely tell that it’s not a real harmonica, plus it doesn’t feature too much customizability.
Still, since there aren’t too many free harmonica plugins out there, it’s really nice to have!
If you don’t want to spend anything on a premium harmonica plugin, then absolutely try this one.
Plus, even though it doesn’t sound exactly like the real thing, the type of sounds it produces can still be used for a variety of applications.
Find out more about the DSK Harmonica here.
Harmoniac by Mokafix
Harmoniac isn’t as simple to use as other plugins since you need to load into any sequencer and feed it MIDI notes in order to use it.
You can get some convincing harmonica sounds out of it but it’s going to take some work!
But hey, it’s free!
Find out more about Harmoniac here.
My top Choice
I honestly would recommend either Harmonica V.2 or Misfit Harmonica, unless you’re willing to pay about $140 for the Chromatic Harmonica plugin.
That being said, Chromatic Harmonica sounds better and is overall the better plugin out of all the ones on this list.
Conclusion
Try out both of the free plugins before purchasing any of the premium ones, especially if you’re not looking for a super realistic sound, and even then, if you take your time tweaking the sound, you should be able to get some pretty cool sounds out of them.
I hope this information was useful!
Have a nice day!
I’ve had really good results with the Sonivox Harmonica. It’s helpful if you look at a diagram, though, so you know what notes it makes sense to play at the same time (ie, if two notes are adjacent, and you blow for both of them or inhale for both of them, then it can sound real). Also, you can bend down (not up) with the pitch bend wheel to get that bluesy sound. I just bought the 8DIO Misfit Harmonica because it has more options to it.