Vienna Symphonic Library offers the FREE Fujara Flute instrument for macOS and Windows.
Fujara Flute is a free instrument that works with the Synchron Player (also free).
Some of you may be more familiar with this instrument than I am, but I didn’t know too much about this particular flute. So, it’s a traditional Slovakian flute that became a symbol of resistance and perseverance in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Fujara Flute recorded for this freebie belongs to multi-instrumentalist Veronika Vitazkova, and it’s a pretty grand-looking instrument. Veronika’s résumé includes working with the remarkable Ennio Morricone. So, I just got a free instrument and an excuse to listen to the score from A Fistful of Dollars (which is what we hate paying for plugins!).
Downloading the freebie means you have to install the Vienna Assistant. It’s common for developers to use download assistants/managers, but in my experience, they come with varying levels of irritation. I didn’t have any major issues; the download reset a couple of times, but the Vienna Assistant was no hassle overall.
You do need an iLok account, and for anyone with prior VSL installs through eLicenser, please see the important notice regarding converting licenses (top of the download page).
OK, download done, and although I’ve had very little time with it, I think Fujara Flute might be one of the best-sounding orchestral freebies I’ve heard.
There are seven presets offering different feels for different styles. You can shape and control each preset with various articulations and humanizing parameters. Using key switches and MIDI faders could make for some very expressive performances.
You also get a six-stage envelope with Delay and Hold and a fairly comprehensive Mix section with insert effects.
As you hover over presets, the GUI will show some helpful notes to describe the character of the sound (bright/dark, and so on).
The range of articulations and how well they have been captured impress me most so far. The Crescendos are gorgeous, and Fast Repetitions are so useful.
As easy as it is to imagine lovely bright melodies as the standard flute gig, it can be dark, melodic, percussive, and choppy.
Fujara Flute keeps our hot streak of orchestral freebies going; see Strings One and Contemporary Soloist Cello Freebie.
Synchron Player functions as a plugin or in standalone mode.
Despite not having any real issues on my end, it seems that some people inevitably will when a download assistant is involved, so let us know in the comments.
Minimum system requirements are Windows 8.1/10 (latest update, 64-bit) or macOS 10.13 (latest update). Compatible with VST, AU, and AAX plugin hosts.
Download: Fujara Flute
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13 Comments
Tomislav Zlatic
onThanks to BPB readers Solan and Arthur for the info about Fujara Flute.
Alfredo Norese
onI downloaed the manager but can’t make it to download the files. Asked to Support but I can’t get a simple instructive to make it work.
Arshan
onHey Alfredo, I had a similar issue cause the manager kept opening in offline mode and told me I’m not connected to the internet when I clearly am.
Darryl Lim
onFound out about their recent free Big Bang Orchestra from their site, did you check that one out BPB?
samuel
onwow thank you, seems way more interesting tbh, did not know about it
Tomislav Zlatic
onDefinitely! :) https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2019/09/24/big-bang-orchestra/
samuel
onnice! and it appears to not need the dongle for activation anymore
Darryl Lim
onOoooh, i missed it back then haha, thanks. I thought it was a recent release due to instruction videos bout it being from this year. Seems like these vids were re-released due to the change in dongle requirement. :)
Guido
onMy honest opinion: It’s not worth the fuzz (Installer, ILOK, and a dedicated player-VST that acts strange at least in Live) for a modest sounding instrument.
Leszek
onThe name FUJARA is very funny for all people from Poland 😂
samuel
onso after listening to other demos from this, i installed it, and do like the sound of the flute a lot. but there seems to be some sort of white noise, which fades out, long after the note was released. anybody noticed this and know how to turn it off? could not figure it out
running a denoiser on a VSTi feels weird lol
Numanoid
onAnother free offering from VSL: Bösendorfer Imperial piano done soft
vsl.co.at/en/Soft_Imperial
Prophetv
onNo thanks, you have to install not a only a download manager but also a player before the actual instrument can be used. Too much hassle. If VSL would make their instruments as plugins on their own, I’m in!