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Spitfire Appreciation Thread

The Spitfire Audio team has created some really amazing libraries. Currently, I have "Albion V- Tundra" and also "Bernard Herrmann Composer Toolkit" in my collection. I enjoy using them both and am extremely happy with my purchases. I'm hoping to pick up The London Contemporary Orchestra Textures next.
 
Spitfire make some great libraries, no doubt, but they're certainly not alone in that. I own some great libraries from several companies, all of which I enjoy and appreciate. However, Spitfire do, to me at least, seem somehow different from the rest. It's a company that is so open and transparent, I feel like I know them personally, and support what they're doing, though I've never met any of them. To illustrate, ask yourself these questions about your favorite developers - I've answered below in relation to Spitfire, and could answer SOME questions positively for most companies, but I wouldn't be able to answer ALL questions for any other company:

- how many companies could you name the co-founders for? (Christian, Paul)
- how many could you name the sound engineer? (Jake Jackson)
- how many could you name the lead musicians for? (Oliver, Homay)
- how many could you name >1 support desk person for? (Ben, Jack)
- how many do you know that used to take charity donations, and now just pay it themselves?
- how many have free instrument giveaways, and you could genuinely produce decent music using only these instruments? (LABS)
- how many have produced libraries in collaboration with numerous artists you genuinely admire outside of samples (Eric Whitacre, Hans Zimmer, Olafur Arnolds)
- how many have developed a separate community-based sample library, that is made freely available to the public? (PianoBook)
- how many have a whole series of videos, with insights into studies, artists, and techniques? (Creative Cribs, 1-1 Interviews, Quick Tips)
- how many developers are active composers as well as sample developers? (Paul, Christian)
- how many have interesting competitions in which they give away their products (Apex; Christmas tombola)
- how many developers do you know who gave away their Mac to someone on Twitter (Christian)
- how many developers show you ways to develop music that could entirely negate their own company's profits? (Modular Mondays)
- how many have developed a separate vlog, only semi-related to the main company, and is not about selling more products, but mainly about supporting composers, and the issues they face? (Christian)
- how many developers arrange an impromptu meetup, go for a nice walk and a chat, film it so everyone can feel some level of participation, and then he pays for the beers in the pub? (Christian)
- how many could you answer positively for ALL of the above? (Me... just 1 - Spitfire!)
+ How many devs pay ongoing royalties to their musicians...?
 
If I had to ditch all their other stuff and just keep one thing, it would be a toss up between Hans Zimmer’s Percussion or HZ Strings. Both are killer libraries. The Cimbalom and Cor Anglais in SSW both melt me every time, so I’d keep these as my personal indulgence but not tell anyone.
 
I thought I’d revive this thread. With all that’s gone on this year, I’ve really appreciated the huge amount of helpful, informative video content Spitfire, Homay, Oliver @christianhenson and @paulthomson have been putting out. Combined with the competitions, prizes, Piano Book, Labs, BBCSO Discover etc. they’ve put an incredible amount of love, work and money into this community. Given how shitty this year has been for me I’ve really appreciated all that they’ve done. Not to mention the kick ass libraries ;)
 
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