Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Composer and producer Christian Henson’s new enterprise, The Crow Hill Company, has certainly hit the ground running with a spate of compelling efforts, including their evocative String Murmurations and their distinctly warm Imperial Electric Piano, as well as the beginnings of a compelling collection of free instruments, which are worth exploring. Their sixth entry into the virtual instrument realm is the cheekily named Nocturnal Gestures. This library is Henson’s attempt to combine the Yorkshire brass tradition with the sound of his favourite film noir soundtracks. The result is an instrument which allows users to pick tonally centred patterns — though more recognisable melodic fragments do occur — to layer together into compelling new structures.
Users hoping to find the same quality of recording and musicality made famous by Henson’s previous Spitfire Audio efforts will not be disappointed: it’s all here. The tool also boasts a straightforward and no‑fuss interface which will disappoint tweakers while bringing joy to those who just want to dial in and get straight to composing.
The mod wheel defaults to controlling the Timbre setting, which allows composers to seamlessly move between darker and brighter performances of the very same patterns with only the slightest discernible change in volume. The Expression knob handles the volume layers in each performance. A bare‑bones mic treatment — which includes close, wide and ambient faders — actually reveals a surprising amount of character variation between settings. The simple interface is rounded out with a two‑setting reverb control in the top‑left corner, allowing users to change the size of the hall and the percentage of reverb in the mix, along with instrument release, for everything from close dry effects to wide evolving pad‑like textures. That being said, even the driest setting has a fair amount of lovely hall bloom, so those seeking a bone‑dry studio sound will not find it here.
At this price, you are not getting a full‑fledged orchestral program, but rather a very compelling seasoning to put into your mixes.
One concern that users may have — and it has certainly been stated by users about other recent Crow Hill releases — is that you are essentially dealing with linear progressions and repeated recordings, leading to an identifiable similarity between performances. One easy answer to this objection is that at this price, you are not getting a full‑fledged orchestral program, but rather a very compelling seasoning to put into your mixes. Used creatively, I found Nocturnal Gestures to serve as a great starting point or unifying element in several active projects. For instance, in one piece where I was working with repeating sharp‑attack patterns, I found that layering in a Nocturnal Gestures patch with the close mics off and the ambient mics up provided a great deal of timbral character to the track without interfering with the rhythmic clarity already being expressed. In another track, I used Nocturnal Gestures to create an undulating warm bed upon which to build melodic lines. Certainly, one way the instrument can be used is as ‘character sauce’.
Christian Henson and company are in good shape if their young brand is already putting forth such efforts. In the final analysis, Nocturnal Gestures is a useful tool packed with character, and an encouraging portent of things to come from Crow Hill.
£59
£59