Trance music has become increasingly popular in recent years, with its energetic beats and uplifting melodies capturing the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. As a producer, you may be wondering how you can unlock your full potential when it comes to creating trance music.

One of the most important tools in your arsenal is your choice of virtual instruments, or VST plugins (both in terms of VST instruments and VST effects). Having the right set of VST plugins makes a huge difference.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the top 16 must-have VST plugins for trance music.

We’ve sorted them into 5 categories: synths/instruments, delays & reverbs, Equalizers/EQs, Compressors, and Saturation & Distorsion.

You can also check our list of the 14 Best VST Synths for Dance Music Production in general.

Synths / Instruments

Trance music production relies heavily on the use of synthesizers and virtual instruments. These VST instruments allow producers to create the distinctive trance sound that is characterized by its hypnotic melodies, driving beats, and atmospheric textures. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the 5 best VST instruments for trance music production.

1) Spire

Spire is a VST plugin that is known for its versatility, making it a great tool for creating all kinds of electronic music, including trance. Its sound engine is designed to create rich and complex sounds, with a range of built-in effects to help you shape your sound.

2) Serum

Serum is another popular VST plugin that has gained a following among trance music producers. Its advanced wavetable synthesis engine allows you to create a wide range of sounds, from classic trance leads to cutting-edge basslines.

3) ANA2

ANA 2 is a VST plugin that is known for its intuitive interface and powerful sound engine. Its advanced wavetable synthesis engine allows you to create a wide range of sounds, from classic trance leads to modern basslines.

Delays & Reverbs

Delay and reverb are essential effects in the production of trance music. They can add depth, space, and movement to your tracks, helping to create the immersive and otherworldly soundscapes that are a hallmark of the genre.

4) Soundtoys EchoBoy

Soundtoys EchoBoy is a powerful delay plugin that is capable of creating a wide range of delay effects, from classic tape delays to modern digital delays. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its advanced modulation system allows you to create complex and evolving delay effects.

5) ValhallaRoom

Valhalla Room is a versatile reverb plugin that is capable of creating a wide range of reverberant spaces, from small rooms to large halls. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound natural and immersive.

6) FabFilter Pro-R

FabFilter Pro-R is a powerful reverb plugin that offers a range of advanced features, including decay rate EQ, distance modulation, and early reflections. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to tweak and refine your reverb settings, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

7) Waves H-Reverb

Waves H-Reverb is a versatile reverb plugin that offers a range of advanced features, including a hybrid reverb algorithm, EQ and compression controls, and a flexible modulation system. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to create immersive and complex soundscapes, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound natural and spacious.

Equalizers / EQs

Equalization is an essential part of the mixing process in trance music production. It allows you to shape the tonal balance of your tracks, making sure that each element of the mix fits together in a cohesive and balanced way. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the best equalizer plugins for trance music production.

8) FabFilter Pro-Q3

FabFilter Pro-Q3 is a powerful and versatile equalizer plugin that offers a range of advanced features, including dynamic EQ, mid/side processing, and per-band soloing. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

9) Waves SSL E-Channel

Waves SSL E-Channel is a classic equalizer plugin that emulates the sound of the legendary SSL 4000 console. Its warm and punchy sound is perfect for shaping the tonal balance of your tracks, and its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect settings.

10) Sonnox Oxford EQ

Sonnox Oxford EQ is a versatile equalizer plugin that offers a range of advanced features, including mid/side processing, dynamic EQ, and a variety of filter types. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to shape the tonal balance of your tracks, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

Compressors

Compressors are an essential tool for any music production, and they play a particularly important role in trance music production. Compressors help balance out loudness levels between instruments, control dynamics while adding a bit of punch.

11) FabFilter Pro-C2

FabFilter Pro-C2 is a versatile compressor plugin that offers a range of advanced features, including side-chain processing, mid/side processing, and variable knee and ratio settings. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

12) Sonnox Oxford Dynamics

Sonnox Oxford Dynamics is a versatile compressor plugin that offers a range of advanced features, including side-chain processing, mid/side processing, and variable knee and ratio settings. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

13) Waves CLA-76

Waves CLA-76 is a classic compressor plugin that emulates the sound of the legendary Urei 1176 hardware unit. Its fast and punchy sound is perfect for bringing out the details in your mix, and its intuitive interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect settings.

Saturation & Distorsion

Use saturation or distortion effects to add color, warmth and character to sounds, creating textures and movement, and also to bring specific sounds into focus.

14) FabFilter Saturn 2

FabFilter Saturn 2 is a versatile saturation and distortion plugin that offers a range of different distortion types and saturation modes, from subtle warmth to extreme distortion. Its intuitive interface and visual feedback make it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished

15) Soundtoys Decapitator

Soundtoys Decapitator is a powerful distortion plugin that can add everything from subtle warmth to extreme distortion and fuzz. Its intuitive interface and interactive visual feedback make it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

16) iZotope Trash 2

iZotope Trash 2 is a versatile distortion and saturation plugin that offers a range of different distortion types, from classic analog distortion to extreme digital distortion. Its intuitive interface and visual feedback make it easy to dial in the perfect sound, and its high-quality algorithms ensure that your tracks sound professional and polished.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the VST plugins listed above are must-have tools for unlocking your trance music potential. Each of these 16 plugins offers a unique set of features and capabilities, allowing you to create the rich and complex sounds that are a hallmark of trance music.

By experimenting with different plugins and combining them in creative ways, you can unlock your full potential as a trance music producer and create tracks that truly stand out from the crowd.

Which is your favorite plugin from this list? Which is your favorite plugin for trance music production? Let us know in the comments!