I hoped that the new update of Small String Gestures would not continue the disappointment of not being able to access the Expression and Timbre dials via ‘Auto Select Automation Parameter in Read Mode’ and Latch Mode.
This is also a factor in both Glass Strings and Marshal Brass and seems to be a running theme now of disappointment with recent updates and Logic.
As I do not own an all singing, dancing and sliding midi thingamabob to access the dials, using the auto select automation in latch is a key part of accessing the creativity of these fabulous instruments! It’s no fun having to now pencil in the expression and timbre!
Is this progress?
Further to this post the Nocturnal Gestures update has arrived!
No progress at all, have you tried the ‘VAULTS’ series with the Learn Midi function on Expression and Timbre? It’s like one step forward and a dozen back all the time. Take your money and that’s about it. I’m afraid I will not be purchasing any more Crow Hill libraries in the near future, simply because I have to keep setting the midi up every time I boot the computer up and the DAW. It’s a shame really.
Yeah I’m suffering from the same problems since downloading the new updates. My Glass Strings, Small String Gestures and String Murmurations libraries are not working properly. Im getting no sound from about 95% of the articulations when I press my keys down on my keyboard or if I do get any sound its very slow and jittery. This is becoming frustrating to say the very least. I’ve tried closing down my Studio One DAW and rebooting my Mac many times. I haven’t raised a ticket with the Crow Hill tech team yet because I’’m doing a little bit more investigation into all of my Crow Hill products to see if they are also affected. Yesterday I found a short term work around which worked for me but I’m not sure if it ill work for you and its not the best of solutions. What I did was this;
I first loaded a Crow Hill Library i.e Glass Strings into my DAW as a track.
Then instead of pressing my keys on the keyboard to hear the sounds, I instead used my mouse to click on the virtual keyboard on the screen a few times to hear the sounds that way instead. It seemed like this triggered the plugin to work properly on the track.
Once I did this I then started to play on my normal keyboard and the articulations were working. However, for now I have to do this process on every track that uses a Crow Hill product.
Give it a try and see if it works.
I haven’t had time to do any testing today but this issue is very frustrating. Everything was working fine before I downloaded the updates.
It’s a real shame because things are both looking and sounding lovely! Like anything, I expect some hiccups along the way; but for me the wheel is a little square at the moment!
I’ve always had a minor playback issue, where when I first hit the play button Crow Hill instruments don’t sound! I quickly stop and start and all is well.
I’d advise starting a ticket though Michael it may save you some precious time!
Wow, Steve that is a shame you’re feeling so strongly about it! I guess at least the Vaults stuff is free; if you catch it first time around.
And in my opinion, trying my best not to sound like a complete fan boy here, I received vouchers because of a price drop on a couple of things; so I’d have to politely disagree somewhat in your ‘take the money’ stance!
But I totally agree, there does seem to be a few steps backwards and the wheel has become somewhat square at the moment; at least for myself anyways!
Don’t sleep on the 2+ finger expression controller part of the instruments. There’s a learning curve but theses relatively expensive tools are designed for fader faffing to sound right. I’m sure Henson and the Crow crew have bespoke MIDI controllers with Balenciaga price tags (he posted videos); you don’t “need” that. My daily driver is an Akai MPD226 which is a drum pad but it has faders and they’re crisp (~$100 used). I have friends that use a Korg Nanokontrol2 (~$80). Or if you’re really on a budget, there’s sellers on Etsy with Midi Fader kits. Either way, you’ve got options.
Hello I don’t know if it’s any help at all, but I had a wee glitch with pocket strings when I was making the quick track for the challenge which isn’t entirely the same as your issues but in case it jogs anyone who knows much more into a thought… when I used the function in pocket strings which links to my keyboard mod wheel my year old Mac (running logic) that usually soldiers on well got really glitchy and I found that it had generated an “undo” for every node on the wiggly automation line, even just when it was playing (ie not recording new midi data)… I didn’t have time to figure it out (thought it was probably a rookie error!) so I went for an upbeat track with some drawn in straight line volume automation and bashed on. Roast dinner to cook and all that pesky life stuff…
Probably just me, but in case it helps? hope your troubles get ironed out really soon everyone, so you can enjoy the beautiful sounds again!
Thanks for the input Isaac! I’m aware of assigning certain faders on various gadgetry. My main point is a utility was available across the various Crow Hill instruments and since the update is no longer a feature! Yet it is for every other parameter in the instrument; just as before! Why remove it for the main two expressive parameters and leave it for the rest? It just seems like a backward step in using the two main parameters, timbre and expression??? Thanks for the kit and Etsy recommendations.
Iv’e done a short bit a testing on my MAC today folks. Ive placed eight of my Crow Hill products which I have purchased on different tracks within my DAW all at the same time and tried to play and record gestures articulations on each track. For me what seems personally to be the reason why all of my gestures articulations are slow to respond or don’t work when there is about eight tracks roughly is it seems that I don’t have enough RAM on my MAC to cater for so many Crow Hill Products all working at the same time on different tracks. I currently have 24 GB of RAM and usually with other non Crow Hill libraries I can use more than eight tracks when I am composing. However, what I have noticed is that the less the number of Crow Hill libraries that I use at the same time in a composition seems to increases the performance of the Crow Hill libraries that I do use. As a result when I use one or two Crow Hill tracks I can get the full benefit of all of the working gesture articulations etc. This is why I think my problem maybe due to possible RAM limitations on my MAC. I’m not 100% about this conclusion but I will raise a ticket with Crow Hill today. I know the minimum spec requirements for most if not all of their individual products is minimum 8GB of RAM. So let’s see. I’m sure the Crow Hill tech team will try their utmost to help and advise me.
Kev I think Ros is a multitasker who can both cook and compose at the same time. She’s most probably that clever and talented buddy she will put both you and myself to shame.
Ros you’ve excited my smelling senses by mentioning that you’re doing a roast and I’ve lost my creative concentration. mmmmmm . That’s not fair. I hoped you enjoyed it very much. I will most probably do a composition which is themed on a chicken, maybe chicken run.
I must confess, I did knock up a mean chicken roast yesterday in-between composing a recording of my nylon strung guitar! Maybe there is a theme starting . All vegetable alternatives welcome, of course!
Kev, in the topics list it says Any chefs in the Crowhill family? I think you and Ros need to both apply for Crow Hill Team. Feed them up well and they may get their products out even quicker.
Ros where are you? Us lads need more of your input? We are pulling our hair out with technical difficulties concerning our Crow Hill plugins and you’re busy cooking a roast. Ros I thought we were Crow Hill family? I need a laugh at the moment, help us all please, please, please, aaaaahhhh. Christian Henson if you read this thread please cheer us up with a word of advice buddy. Come on Christian, we know you strive for perfection so I’m gonna sing out loud at home about 100 times we need Christian, we need Christian. Maybe that might resolve our problems. In a matter of fact let’s all sing we need Christian, we need Christian together and maybe all of our plugin issues might just mysteriously disappear . Only joking, I’m not really gonna sing we need Christian a 100 times. I’m just being funny to myself. We have placed our ticket requests and so Christian because need your feed back I’m dedicating on all of our behalf the song which was sung I think originally by Leo Sayer to you Christian which is called ‘When I Need You’. In this particular instance we all need you to resolve our issues. Come on buddy I know you can do it, don’t let us down now in our time of need buddy we know you care about your customers.
That’s funny I think we all wear lots of hats - it always makes me chuckle when Christian uses his hats metaphor when he speaks about his workflow - I just popped on the chefs hat between the engineering and mastering hats, and if I remember rightly also the dog walking hat
Maybe the gesture articulations are meant to just be sprinkles? (To keep with the cooking metaphors!)
It’s not that I feel so strong about it, as much as I feel deflated. Having to set up the Timbre and Expression controls every time I open the project, just interrupts the artistic flow, and Christian should totally know about that. I’m just reluctant to use the plugins. I was all for supporting him, but at the end of the day, it’s a two way street, where is our support??? Hmmm, I wonder.
I don’t know if it’s any help at all, but I had a wee glitch with pocket strings when I was making the quick track for the challenge which isn’t entirely the same as your issues but in case it jogs anyone who knows much more into a thought… when I used the function in pocket strings which links to my keyboard mod wheel my year old Mac (running logic) that usually soldiers on well got really glitchy and I found that it had generated an “undo” for every node on the wiggly automation line, even just when it was playing (ie not recording new midi data)… I didn’t have time to figure it out (thought it was probably a rookie error!) so I went for an upbeat track with some drawn in straight line volume automation and bashed on. Roast dinner to cook and all that pesky life stuff… 
She’s most probably that clever and talented buddy she will put both you and myself to shame. 
. That’s not fair. I hoped you enjoyed it very much. I will most probably do a composition which is themed on a chicken, maybe chicken run.
. All vegetable alternatives welcome, of course!