Spitfire Symphony Orchestra Discover free download

You need orchestral sounds for your compositions, but recording a live symphony isn't an option. Spitfire Symphony Orchestra Discover addresses this by giving you a free download of professionally recorded samples from a world-class hall, letting you start sketching cinematic ideas immediately.

What You're Getting

This is a collection of 44 sampled instruments and ensembles recorded at AIR Studios' Lyndhurst Hall, the same location used for the full Spitfire Symphony Orchestra library. You get the core sections: strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion, plus staples like harp, piano, and celeste. It’s packaged as a user-friendly, NKS-compatible plugin for the free Kontakt Player.

The Instrument Sections

Strings Section This section provides the foundational orchestral string sounds. You have a Solo Violin, plus ensemble patches for Violins (16 players), Violas (12 players), Celli (10 players), and Basses (8 players). Brass Section The brass offers both ensemble and solo instruments. You get ensemble patches for Trumpets (2 players) and Horns (2 players), alongside solo instruments: Horn, Bass Trombone, and Tuba. Tenor Trombones are also provided as a 2-player ensemble. Woodwinds Section This includes a Woodwind Ensemble patch and a set of solo instruments: Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Cor Anglais, Bassoon, and Bass Clarinet. Percussion Section The percussion library is extensive. You get a Tuned Percussion Ensemble, individual instruments like Glockenspiel, Marimba, Vibraphone, Xylophone, and Timpani, plus standard orchestral percussion such as Tubular Bells, Snare, Bass Drum, Tam Tam, Cymbals, and Piatti. It also includes more contemporary percussion like Timbales, Congas, Toms, and Shakers. Additional Instruments Beyond the core sections, you also have access to a Harp, a Grand Piano, and a Celeste. A Full Orchestra ensemble patch is included for broad, layered sounds.

Technical Setup

To run this, you need the free Kontakt Player version 7.5.x or newer. On Mac, it supports macOS 11 through 13 on Intel i5 or higher chips and runs natively on Apple Silicon. Windows users need Windows 10 or 11 (latest update) with an Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU. A minimum of 4 GB RAM is required, with 6 GB recommended for larger instruments. The total library size is 5.68 GB.

Who This Fits

This fits a few clear scenarios. If you're a beat producer looking to weave orchestral textures into your tracks, this gives you the string and brass hits without a massive download. It's useful for film or game composers who need a fast, lightweight tool for sketching arrangement ideas before committing to a full professional library. It also works for anyone writing their very first piece of orchestral music and wants a no-cost entry point with credible sounds from a famous recording space.

What To Keep In Mind

The main limitation is that it's only available to email subscribers; you must sign up with your email to get the download link. While the sound source is high-quality, the curation means you're getting a selective, streamlined set of articulations and controls compared to Spitfire's paid orchestral libraries.

Final Verdict

Grab this if you need a legitimate starting point for orchestral composition and your primary barrier is cost. You get a solid selection of AIR Studios-recorded sections to start creating rich, cinematic music or to add organic layers to productions. Just know it requires the Kontakt Player and an email sign-up. For a free tool to sketch ideas or produce beats with real symphonic character, it’s a straightforward download.