Hello Christian, just found this video and had no idea what had happened with Spitfire until now. I would like to say that I have watched many of your videos over the years and you have been and continue to be a true inspiration. I wish you every success with The Crow Hill Company, and look forward to following along as you share this exciting new journey with us !
Christian, you've been a true inspiration, and I'm so glad to see you back on track after the shitstorm. Create, again and again, no matter what, the sign of a true artist... Thank you for that !
Christian, I just want to say that I absolutely love where you're going with Crow Hill. I also think your insights about chaos that doesn't translate well to sampling is very true and I'm excited to see where you go with the exploration of applying that. I'd also like to say that, for me, you were always the best thing about Spitfire. You seem to have a tendency that doesn't allow you to stay inside of any box. And I love that about you and where it leads you in what you share with us. As you're demonstrating here. What you're saying about it being about a conversation, that is something I've always struggled with when using libraries. Even playing just one instrument, like a Rhodes or guitar, the physicality of the instrument feels like it responds to how you touch it. I've found it a really important aspect of creativity in music. And libraries don't really have that conversation aspect. So I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this. I'm more than happy to follow you as you build something new and I think this could easily be the start of something really amazing that just grows and grows. You've got my faith and support. Cheers
Amazing what starting over can do. Ironically, we've benefitted hugely from whoever hit the reset button. Beguiling serpentine hiss or enchanting crow hill? You've been refreshed Christian. Loved your Hysteria, Black Death and recent Bank of Dave soundtracks. SA was remarkable and gave us inspiring tools to get started composing. Now I really love where you're heading with making instruments that have curated performance and emotional dynamics to interact with in the moment. Empowering.
This is by far the most creative and intuitive virutal string instrument I have ever seen. This is miles ahead of anything else that is out there because it's come from the mind of a composer and musician. It's so great to see you fully fledged and soaring Christian!
I concur! This is a great leap forward for musicians wanting natural-sounding strings in a box. Christian, thank you and your team for this creative miracle.
Of *course* "Starlings" is the one you have the most fun with-it's a murmuration plug-in, after all! Thanks for this-the instrument, and the story & demo. -Tom
Love your approach, I know you have struggled with libraries as a composer, I can tell. Every library you purchased thinking “this will be the one” and then it still sounds like a synth string patch from 1992. You have formulated a fresh and correct approach to them. Videos are great too. More power to you. So, Black Friday deal for it?
Woooow this sounds SICK. Based on this video it might have been the best virtual string instrument of all times (right now). WOW! I expected it to cost something around $600. But only $149? Thank you developers for not being greedy!
I didn't know the character from Mortal Kombat made such a bold endearing statement, I always found Jonny Cage to be sort of comic relief. Just Kidding!! Great video BTW. Hysteresis is basically voltage feedback, mostly found in transformers in many pro audio circuits. Its a time based issue that is mainly unwanted in most electronics, like Televisions and Stereo equipment but in the pro audio world it can be a very nice addition to any circuit, and can come in really handy for things like expander/gates as well as for tape coloration. The way many plugin programmers will implement hysteresis like for a tape machine is they will split the audio through a very short modulating delay'ed signal with added varied saturation on the end of the chain right before the output to mimic the effect of Hysteresis. Sometimes it can be used in the side-chain as a way to get smoother feedback compression or expansion. But its mostly just a delayed signal of a few microseconds combined with the original main signal. I find it to be a fascinating tool in the digital domain.
The results of this undertaking are simply breathtaking. An absolute must have! Probably the only other instrument close to this type of expression is NODAL from Wrongtools.
Of course, I could have gone and bought yet another strings library from a "massive franchise" that, as a hobbyist composer, I have nowhere near enough skill to make the most out of the plethora of articulations, mic positions, dynamic layers, etc. or this, which is far more streamlined, easier to use, refreshingly different and allows me to create pieces of music I would find impossible to do with standard sample libraries.
It’s something about the combination of showcasing the most beautiful string library I’ve heard while giving it away for free and having a mannequin hand flipping me off the entire time that’s just what makes this project so amazing
Interested to see what this means outside the context of a noise gate 👀 Sampling feels like it’s reached a bit of an innovation ceiling so looking forward to this!
is it possible to have multi out for the different mics? Would be great for mixing in atmos! To place the ambient above or back, the close mics closer to the listener, and the wide ones further back!
Hysteresis - Its a greatly overlooked thing in speaker drivers in hifi and studio gear but the thing amp and emulator designers know all about in guitar amps. Its why alnico pickups sound gooey and lush, ceramic picks are hard and neodynium - well, lets let the millennials discover that world and make their own sound. Just as Boddy Holly had glass shattering prickly 50's strats and Jimi Hendrix had organic sounding later magnets so neodynium is a big difference. What I'm saying is reactance in circuits and instruments is one of the biggest tonal factors and is massively overlooked - hit a string hard, it goes sharp, after some time as energy builds up. The complexities of tone also add more energy equals more harmonics? Not with strings and a lightly brushed string can have massive harmonic overtones without a dominant fundimental. If you are building a synthesis system, these are things you can control and its worth taking time to stop and think about them - probably from a players control point of view.
Sounds terrific, if you're into contemporary/film scores. What if you're into rhythmically articulated stuff like Beethoven quartets, Baroque counterpoint or Philip Glass ?
Sort of reminds me of designing patches on my Wavestate, very nice.😁 I sure wish someone would convince Ian Anderson to put his secret sauce flute available for peons like myself.😜 🎶🎹🎶Play On
I bought from my phone, however, I can't log into computer Site to download. Does this happen at times, I reset the password, it does not acknowledge on computer Site. Waiting to download Murmurations 😪😪😪
if you like different, try a listen to Autechre, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, Plaid,Mira Calix, even Dj Shadow, Larry Heard,etc...Consider hardware which is innovative..like Iridium, Hydrasynth Deluxe, Some 23, etc...you can make custom efx n samplers like my EnsoniqASR10 rack..
Love the sound of this library [which we own] but I would suggest you missed one all important “button” which would attract composers that are composing music as opposed to “soundscapes”- The constant [and consistent} “crescendo” in the “normal” - if we could switch it off and just control this volume with a “CC” control it would instantly make this library worth the price just for your few “normal patches ” - the library has a wonderful sound and mixes well with other string libraries, but this one “baked in” effect hurts it to the extreme. Traditional composers [as you know] need control over all parameters and this one control, that is on auto pilot is a huge issue. Peace
I am always unfamiliar with what I'm doing. My compositions feel, when I listening, as if the Spirit has composed music through me, and I am listening as an outside observer.
I sure sign you're doing it right! I think existence is like being a magnifying glass, focussing the energy of the sun onto a piece of paper and making fire. We filter the general consciousness into something that has a profound effect. We move air in a way that makes people shiver, cower, dance and cry.
a step in a right direction but I still think acoustic modelling is still the future (ie swam engine from audiomodelling) even thou the technology is still arguebly not there yet.
Sounds amazing but i would question how you approach using it without getting to know how the gestures form in advance. But perhaps that's the point. It's not for me but it does sound remarkable
Fiy Husteros(the case in hysteresis) and Hustera(the case in hysteria) are different words with different meanings and uses in Greek ,dude. Anyway great job with this plugin.
mate…the next pint is on me 💪😍👍…. let me know how to get it to you ✅ if you could see the smile on my face after watching this video at 5:15am, you would understand that if we ever meet up one day, the pubs will tremble with apprehensive joy unlimited 😉
UGH! You're killing me with how good this sounds. So I bought it. Also want to support your company as you deserve to see it grow big and you give so so much back to all of us with these videos and your information you share. Thank you.
Christian, I’ve been absolutely loving this library. I bought it after listening to 5 min of the video. So inspiring, creative and takes me to places I’d never have arrived at on my own. There are so many interesting ways to use it in different keys. I saw an earlier comment you are working on MPE which is terrific news. Crow Hill is such an exciting venture. There are thousands of us who will support you and your team with this new endeavour. You are truly a gift to those of us passionate about music. Wishing you and your family great happiness and may Crow Hill be a huge success for you and for all who join and support you. I hope you continue with the approach of every note being different as it adds so much more life and realism to the library. Glad you’re back, mate. Best wishes from Melbourne, Australia. ❤
I'm so happy I've reconnected to Christian's stories. I didn't follow the transition to Crow Hill at the time and wondered where he'd gone to. Now I know.
This is great, Christian. It is so refreshing to hear someone rethinking the whole concept of sampling and sample libraries. I can't be the only one who has tired of the idea of essentially frozen slices of time assembled into gargantuan libraries of multiple mic positions, which just strike me as daunting and unwieldy, So i am not tempted to load them up. It feels like a chore, especially when you know you are using a fraction of their resources. They have surely hit their upper limit in what you can do with that method. So three cheers for a system which responds to you, is not overloaded with options, and looks inspiring to play. I also think a smaller, more nimble company is likely to be much more responsive and innovative. I do like the idea of incorporating change and movement into samples, it is something most libs lack and why it is difficult to program a simulation of them via other methods. Looking forward to see how this progresses in the future.
I have to say Cello Moods has always been my favourite Labs intrument. Sometimes I just sit there amusing myself by playing semi-randomised keys and loving the resulting melody. So looking forward to the next Free Vault, although this might mean more hours daydreaming at the keyboard!
@@kabedford yup, along with similar projects from other providers. The only similar services I know seem to be Piano book and Project Sam Free Orchestra 2, albeit with a more limited scope.
I just realized... I didn't know about this controversy. Absolute support. I hope you come back even stronger. The world of music and sampling needs you. Spitfire Audio was your baby... Long live "The Crow Hill Company" this library is fantastic. Well done
@@aarontoalet there is a video floating around here on RU-vid called "spitfire has a transgender problem" (or similar) ... I think the subject is utterly ridiculous. Glad Christian is back, even stronger.
Room tone is something that I’ve been wanting for years! I’ve been a location sound recordist for film and Tv for over a decade and we always record room tone for the mix. I couldn’t believe that sample libraries didn’t come with room tone. Especially when recorded in places like Air, it just sounds so dead when the sample stops after being in such an atmospheric space. Kudos for this!
Wow- I guess that makes sense, never really thought about it that way. I usually just add a similar room tone or some filtered tape hiss. Not the same of course, but it fills that silence gap. Thanks for including it on your new endeavor!
Spitfire must be kicking themselves you didn't release this with them, Just purchased, this plugs amazing , especially as im not a trained strings writer but tis helps me create string tracks that sound more natural
I’ve been working since sampling began (being one who helped develop the sample library for the Roland Corporation) and this is the stuff I have always dreamed of. I am besotted by this. Congrats on an absolute brilliant breakthrough! I can’t wait to get my hands on this. My hat is off to you!
@@ChristianHensonComposerI've been out of the loop for a few years. The Algorithm knows I'm getting back into the game and brought me here - it hit the mark 100%. I'm an instant fan and can see myself buying everything you release 🙌🏻
Idk, if this can replace bloated sound libraries it’s worth the under $200 for me. But it sounds like it does use samples so idk. I’m over those giant libraries. Pianotech does a great job with their piano but I’ve yet to play their newer instruments
And it’s always really young producer style kids that can’t really play an instrument that go on about marvellous they are coz it’s so easy but never give a full demo, they just play a few chords, never in the way actual strings would be played
This is why turntable has been such an important live sample manipulator - the tone can be manually pitch modulated and returned to a more stable, familiar state with human precision.
it sounds very, very well and natural indeed. But the tradeoff is too big for me. As a composer I really don't work well with pre-determined note changes that will force me to compose and arrange everything else around them. It's a battle between HOW I want it to play and WHAT I want it to play, which is a constant thing in the sampling-virtual instruments industry. This one leans massively towards the "how" part. I can't see myself working in an environment where I'm constantly getting stuck because the software added a melodic element, a scale degree that I really didn't want there. In that respect while it's not exactly a phrase library, it's still too close to being one. I guess this is an excellent tool for a situation where one has to deliver a very good sounding track very fast, and he doesn't have a precise musical idea in his head, just a general character. In that case one can really rely on this, I'd just mess around with some chord changes, the result will be stunningly beautiful.
No denying it sounds incredible! I could see exhausting the murmurations pretty quickly since you're kinda locked into a set number of them. Seems you're also locked into the murmurations timing/flow (unless they're tempo synced?) which may not line up where you need it to in your production. Also, if a label/artist wanted you to take your final string mock up and reproduce it with live musicians it could be tricky... Can't just run the midi through a notation software to hand out to the players. BUT... From a sonic standpoint this string sound has little to no equal! I think this is an incredible approach that I know a mastermind like you Christian will develop even further!
Not tricky to orchestrate, I'm making a short video about that as we speak (if I say so myself how-to-orchestrate is a cunning hack)... Thanks for your kind words.
11:20 this is an interesting topic. Modern ATscreens don't lose anywhere near as much top end as old ones, plus this can be compensated for. There is also the X-curve (loudspeaker target) being thrown around, which, as somebody put it in a paper, is supposed to 'emulate' the effect that old theatre screens had on audio (killing top-end). Do you have any insights on how well cinemas adhere to a certain standard (some Dolby target maybe?) or do you just wing it? I'm pretty sure the smaller theatres are kinda all over the place when it comes to speaker installation (consistency and fidelity wise) but there are certifications like IMAX and Dolby (Atmos?), which I'm not sure how broad the tolerances are. Typically I'd expect the treble reduction effect of a screen to be accounted and compensated for.
I absolutely LOVE how interactive you are, Christian. I firmly believe this is the future. It's so winsome. It shows that you care about your customers, and I can't imagine a customer who doesn't appreciate that. Thank you for all that you do.
I've always loved your genuine interactions with the owners on your studio tours (esp the one with Richard Gibbs of Woodshed) this is even better. I do think people love you because of who you are, and it seems more people believe in wu (good vibes travelling from the maker to the product) than ever before
With a million strings and orchestra libraries out there what I really want is expressive solo instruments. I have yet to find a good library to throw in a sax solo on a bruce Springsteen type song, or a cello for a folk song. While this is great, at the end of the day, it's just another orchestra. would be awesome if you could use this idea and do single instruments for modern, non film/tv production.
D'OH! 🤦♂If nothing else I learned in the first 10 seconds that I've been pronouncing "hysteresis" wrong all of my life! (or at least since the first time I read the word 😅)
Yeah I've been pronouncing it Hysteriosis. Amazing how we can just accept something, then when you actually look it up it feels like you've been walking around with a booger hanging out your nose for a decade.
Just bought this...Beautiful for SLOW legato but very skimpy on Allegro (ONE patch called "Insurrection"?). Hopefully this will be updated for more rapid passages. It does sound amazing
