The Crow Hill Company Cosmos -win- -
The "story" behind Cosmos by The Crow Hill Company centers on its origin as a "thank you" gift to early supporters.
A "Thank You" Gift: Originally, Cosmos was not for sale; it was created as a free, exclusive token of gratitude for customers who purchased the company’s flagship library, String Murmurations, during its launch period in November 2023.
The Concept: The plugin was framed as a "gateway to infinite spacey soundscapes," designed to be a collectible and rare item made specifically from the "gorgeous" samples recorded for the Scottish Session orchestra sessions.
Evolution to Public Release: While it was initially "soon to be rare," the high demand from the community led the company to make it available for general purchase later in 2024.
Design Philosophy: The Crow Hill Company, founded by Christian Henson (co-founder of Spitfire Audio), focuses on a "storytelling" approach to sampling. Cosmos follows this by taking organic orchestral recordings and "tearing them apart" to reassemble them via granular processing, encouraging users to "get lost" in the resulting textures.
The "WiN" in your query likely refers to the Windows version of the installer, as the plugin is available for both macOS and Windows platforms.
Experience the cinematic textures and granular soundscapes of Cosmos in this demonstration: Cosmos by The Crow Hill Company (No Talking) Elektronick Musick YouTube• Oct 23, 2024 The Crow Hill Company: Home
For Cosmos by The Crow Hill Company, the Windows version is a granular synthesis plugin that turns orchestral recordings into cinematic pads and soundscapes. System Requirements & Compatibility Operating System: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit). Formats: VST, VST3, and AAX. Memory: 4 GB RAM or more.
Storage: Approximately 1.42 GB of free disk space (SSD recommended for external installation). Installation Steps
Get the Utility: Use the dedicated download utility (an .exe file for Windows) provided by The Crow Hill Company.
Select Locations: Once opened, you can choose where to install the audio content (.blob) and select your required plugin formats to save space.
Run Installer: Follow the on-screen instructions, agree to the EULA, and complete the installation process. The Crow Hill Company Cosmos -WiN-
Load in DAW: Open your digital audio workstation, create a new instrument track, and find the plugin under the Crow Hill folder.
Cosmos was originally a limited edition release but has since been made available for individual purchase. What is Cosmos? – THE CROW HILL COMPANY
The Crow Hill Company Cosmos is a boutique granular synth plugin designed for Windows and macOS, specializing in cinematic pads, evolving atmospheres, and otherworldly textures. Originally a limited-edition gift for early supporters, it has since become a staple for producers looking for "organic" soundscapes derived from professional orchestral recordings. Core Sound Engine: From Strings to Stardust
Unlike standard synthesizers that use oscillators, Cosmos uses granular synthesis to deconstruct samples into tiny "grains" that are then layered and phased.
Organic Origins: Every sound in the plugin is born from professional string recordings captured with the Scottish Session Orchestra.
12 Bespoke Synths: The plugin includes 12 tailor-made granular synths created by the Crow Hill team, each offering a unique "spacey" character.
Sonic Identity: Its output is described as "silky" and ideal for layering with traditional strings or adding grit to electronic tracks. Key Controls and Interface
The interface is designed for "granular synthesis without the fuss," focusing on a few powerful macro controls to reshape sounds in real time.
Strands [CC1]: Controlled via your modulation wheel, this dial increases the intensity of the granular re-synthesis.
Motion: Adds a tempo-synced pulsing gate effect for rhythmic movement.
Flux: Introduces pitch-based "tape snag" effects and delays for an unstable, vintage feel. The "story" behind Cosmos by The Crow Hill
Grit: Saturates the audio with low-end harmonic distortion and subtle bus compression.
Tone: A low-pass ladder filter for controlling the overall brightness of the atmosphere. System Requirements for Windows (WiN)
For Windows users, Cosmos is compatible with modern 64-bit systems and integrates directly into most major Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit). Formats: VST, VST3, and AAX. RAM: 4 GB minimum recommended.
Disk Space: Approximately 1.42 GB of free space required for the library and plugin.
Hardware: An SSD is recommended if you are installing the library to an external drive. How to Get It
While it was originally a Black Friday giveaway for String Murmurations owners, the plugin is now available for direct purchase on the The Crow Hill Company website. It often appears in limited-time promotions or as part of their "Vaults" ecosystem, which features various free and budget-friendly boutique instruments. What is Cosmos? - THE CROW HILL COMPANY
The Crow Hill Company, led by Christian Henson, has a reputation for "boutique" sounds with character. Cosmos is no exception. It’s a granular synth that takes raw recordings of the Scottish Session Orchestra and shreds them into thousands of "grains," reassembling them into shimmering pads and otherworldly textures. Windows Performance & Installation Compatibility: It runs smoothly on Windows 10 and 11.
Formats: Available as VST, VST3, and AAX for Windows users, making it compatible with major DAWs like Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Cubase.
Resource Footprint: It is surprisingly light, requiring only about 1.42 GB of disk space and 4 GB of RAM, which is refreshing for a modern cinematic tool. Key Features
12 Tailor-Made Synths: Includes a curated selection of granular instruments, such as the impressive Gamma patch.
Intuitive UI: The interface is minimalist and beautiful, designed to avoid the "param-paralysis" often found in complex granular synths. The Crow Hill Company — Cosmos (WiN) The
Mod Wheel Magic: Deep integration with the Modulation Wheel (CC1) allows for real-time manipulation of filtering, distortion, and tape-based pitch effects.
Tempo-Locked Pulsing: Features rhythmic controls that keep your atmospheres moving in time with your project. Sound Character
The sounds are described as "saucy" and "silky". Because the source material is organic strings, the textures retain a human, breathing quality even when heavily processed into "outer space" territory. The Verdict
Cosmos is a "character sauce" instrument. It isn't meant to be your primary orchestral library; instead, it is a creative gateway for adding cinematic depth and vintage-style granular grit to your tracks. For its modest price (originally a limited gift, now available for purchase), it provides immense value for media composers and electronic producers alike. Pocket Strings - The Crow Hill Company
Note: This review is based on the instrument’s behavior and sound design capabilities as a sample-based engine. “Cosmos” is not a traditional synth; it is an “adaptive granular engine” that uses your own audio.
The Crow Hill Company — Cosmos (WiN)
The Crow Hill Company returns with Cosmos, a crisp Windows release that blends vintage synth textures with modern production polish. From the first bars, Cosmos sets a cinematic mood: warm analog pads float over subtly modulated arpeggios, while clean percussive elements give the track forward motion without ever sounding cluttered.
Style and Influences
Cosmos sits comfortably between ambient, synthwave, and modern cinematic electronic music. Fans of artists who favor mood and texture over aggressive hooks will find plenty to enjoy here. The track evokes late-night drives and wide-open skies — nostalgic but forward-looking.
Verdict: Is Cosmos -WiN- Worth the Price?
At the time of writing, The Crow Hill Company prices Cosmos at $99 USD (introductory) / $149 (full retail). For a generative instrument with nearly 30GB of unique content, this is aggressively fair.
Who should buy it immediately?
- Media composers suffering from "blank page syndrome."
- Sound designers needing unpredictable organic movement for video games.
- Ambient producers who are tired of the same old granular synthesis plugins.
Who should pass?
- EDM producers looking for a bass synth.
- Classical mock-up artists needing precise articulation control.
- Users with less than 8GB of RAM.