Spitfire Audio
{{Short description|English music technology company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Sources exist|date=May 2025}}
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| foundation = {{start date and age|2007}}
| founder = Christian Henson and Paul Thomson
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| location_city = London
| location_country = United Kingdom
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| area_served = Worldwide
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| products = digital audio sample libraries
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Spitfire Audio is an English technology company based in London that creates virtual instrument sample libraries used for music production. The company was founded in 2007 by professional composers Christian Henson and Paul Thomson.
Products
Henson and Thomson initially made their sample libraries available only to colleagues, but upon finding there was a larger market for the sample libraries founded Spitfire Audio in 2007.
Taking the form of digital audio plug-ins recorded by professional artists in recognised recording studios, Spitfire Audio's virtual instruments make available recordings of each note performed in multiple ways using multiple microphone positions. Composers and musicians play the virtual instrument within a digital audio workstation via MIDI to create new music.
Some Spitire Audio products utilize Spitfire's own interface with select performance specifics, while others utilize the Native Instruments Kontakt system. The purchase price of Spitfire Audio products includes the right to use the music produced commercially without further payment, with the original performers receiving both an initial fee and subsequent royalties from Spitfire Audio.
The recording sessions for the company's sample libraries are made in commercial studios such as AIR Lyndhurst in Hampstead and Abbey Road Studios in St John's Wood. Similarly, Spitfire Audio's recordings of the BBC Symphony Orchestra were made at the orchestra's base in the BBC's Maida Vale Studios.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/orchestral-sampling-composing-spitfire-audio-virtual-instruments-hans-zimmer-a8844451.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/orchestral-sampling-composing-spitfire-audio-virtual-instruments-hans-zimmer-a8844451.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=About Spitfire Audio|date=24 April 2019|publisher=Independent}} The company also operates their own recording studio at their premises in Tileyard London.
In addition to direct recordings of individual and groups of instruments, Spitfire has collaborated with noted film composer Hans Zimmer, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Ólafur Arnalds, Roger Taylor of Queen, Eric Whitacre, guitarist Leo Abrahams, and posthumously with the explorer and musician David Fanshawe, in creating mixed audio productions for television and film use.
Alongside the company's retail products, it also releases occasional free products under the 'LABS' brand.[http://labs.spitfireaudio.com/ Main website]
Pianobook
{{for|the album by Lang Lang|Lang Lang discography}}
On Piano day in 2018, Henson launched a website[https://pianobook.co.uk Pianobook website] and YouTube channel called Pianobook.[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAzN-DQgCiNiY9W4XHcEug Pianobook YouTube channel] Run by a small group of volunteers, the channel is dedicated to creating and sharing sampled instruments for free. As of April 2021, over 500 'instruments' had been released via the Pianobook YouTube channel. Pianobook's instruments are made available in Decent Sampler, Kontakt, SFZ, and EXS/Logic Pro Sampler formats.
SA Recordings
The company runs their own record label, SARecordings,{{Cite web | title=SA Recordings | url=https://sarecordings.com/ | access-date=2024-12-21 | website=sarecordings.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817020852/https://sarecordings.com/ |archive-date=17 August 2020 |url-status=usurped}} to offer recordings using Spitfire Audio products by selected composers, such as Alev Lenz's third studio album 3,{{Cite web|url = https://www.musictech.net/features/interviews/alev-lenz/|title = Alev Lenz on releasing her album 3 and its stems simultaneously|date = 3 December 2019|access-date = 9 April 2021|archive-date = 13 May 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210513091704/https://www.musictech.net/features/interviews/alev-lenz/|url-status = dead}} which was the label's first release. Additionally, Spitfire Audio has announced plans for a series of unique sample libraries to be released in conjunction with their artists’ album releases.
Acquisition
In April 2025 Spitfire Audio was acquired by Splice. {{Cite web|url = https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09857384/filing-history | title=SPITFIRE AUDIO HOLDINGS LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.spitfireaudio.com}}
{{coord missing|London}}
Category:Recording studios in London
Category:2007 establishments in the United Kingdom