Unfortunately, the projected price for the new Fairlight CMI 30A is expected to be approximately US $17,000 and the additional music keyboard option US $2,000.

Here’s what that $17,000 will buy you:

Description:

The CMI-30A will utilise the immense power of the latest Fairlight Crystal Core media processor (CC-1). It will not only faithfully reproduce the original sound but go well beyond the original capabilities in a dramatically smaller and more reliable physical form.

The 30A will look like and perform like the original CMI, although the mainframe will be much lighter, for portability. The look and feel of the user interface will also be similar to the original, with classic retro green on black graphics. A replica of the original music keyboard will also be available as an option, or you can use your own MIDI keyboard.

The software will combine the very best of the early Series II and III, with a number of significant new features. Sound quality of 8-bit, 16-bit, or “best quality” 36-bit floating point can be selected and existing Fairlight users can import their entire sample libraries. Even better, non-Fairlight sounds from any source, such as WAV files, can be imported and played with the classic Fairlight sound.

The Fairlight 30A will have sixteen analogue and one digital (MADI) output. However, unlike the earlier CMIs, any one physical output could offer dozens of voices.

All the original Fairlight sound libraries from both the CMI-IIX and the III will be included, plus a huge selection of samples collected from the past 30 years.

CMI-30A Provisional Hardware Specifications
(as at 13 August 2009)

System Components:

• Mainframe — free-standing and adaptable to rack mount, includes 750GB SATA hard drive, DVD R/W drive, USB ports.
• Monitor — 15″ with lightpen (passive stylus)
• Alpha-numeric keyboard
• Music keyboard — weighted, velocity sensitive, MIDI, 6 octaves, 73 keys with pitchbend.

Outputs:

• 24 channels analogue, balanced XLR
• 2 channels analogue monitor mix, balanced XLR
• Dynamic range > 100 dB (unweighted)
• THD < 0.002% @ 1kHz, -1dBFS
• Frequency response +0.05 / -0.15 dB, 20 Hz – 20kHz
• Digital output: 64 channel BNC MADI

Inputs:

• 2 balanced mic inputs XLR
• Sample rate: 44.1, 48, 96, 192 kHz
• THD < 0.002% @ 1kHz, -1dBFS
• Frequency response +0.05 / -0.15 dB, 20 Hz – 20kHz
• SPDIF

Other I/O

• MIDI, MIDI Timecode input and output 5 pin DIN
• LTC (Linear time code) input and output
• Word clock (for synchronisation to external sources)

Provisional Software Specification

The original Fairlight CMIs were renowned for not only their superb sound quality, but also their elegant and intuitive software.

The CMI-30A will combine the very best features of the Fairlight series IIX and the III, with considerable new developments. The “page”, and “sub-page” system will be retained, allowing users to easily navigate around a particular set of functions, while “help pages”, effectively the relevant sections of the user manual, will be only a key-click away.

Sound acquisition, whether through sampling or importing, will be as easy as ever, with playback quality switchable between series I, II, or III quality, or “best possible” 36-bit floating point.

Page DWaveform drawing and FFT sound generation will be available, with the ease of use of the earlier systems. There will also be the ever popular “Page D” display page, expanded to vary the viewpoint (such as rotation) of a 3D sample.Many existing CMI users have requested modulation and live performance controls be given particular consideration. Accordingly, there will be provisions to patch many sources to a variety of functions. Sources will include hand-drawable ADSR generators, sample and holds, LFOs, noise and keyboard following will be patchable to any parameter, such as pitch, filter frequency, filter resonance and many more. It will also be possible to cross modulate samples (ring modulation). Of course, external MIDI control of these parameters will also be available.

The classic “Page R” sequencer will be retained, plus some valuable upgrades such as increasing the number of tracks to 80 (to be confirmed).

Bob Moog demos the Fairlight CMI in 1983.

More below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

via Tara Busch

The CC-1 can perform very complex algorithms and lots of them, with almost no latency. So yes, we are modelling the quirky hardware of the CMI. The sound of each CMI was subtly different, due to their analogue bits, so it won’t sound exactly like any one CMI, but lined up with a few CMIs you won’t be able to tell the difference.

The sound will be user selectable, to be like a series I,II,IIX, III etc. Or you can dig deeper and make it sound like nothing else.

One of the many nice things about the CC-1 is that it has no inherent bit width. “Normal” processors generally offer say 32 or 64 bit operations, where as the CC-1 can be configured to any number of bits. So if something works most effectively as 33 bits, so be it. And the bit widths can be mixed within the one signal path.

The “n” polyphony is achieved by “n” individual circuits set up in the FPGA working in parallel, as opposed to the software emulation model which is necessarily sequential. The channels can have different configurations is required; in any case there will be subtle coefficient differences between channels to reproduce the individuality of outputs that has often been cited.

How much polyphony? All we know at this time are the extremes – it will certainly be at least 16 like the original Series III but given that the Crystal Core when used in a DAW delivers up to 230 channels of mixing ALL of which have full processing (8 bands EQ, 3 stages Dynamics), you can safely assume a lot more than 16 will be possible.

Re pricing: yet to be finalised, but the choice to go with the CC-1 does come at a price. Although the CC-1 is not sold currently as a separate card (it would be no use without the software etc that goes with it), the retail price would be around the $5,000 mark. So you can do the sums, the CMI 30-A is not going to be price competitive with the mass-market synths which abound.

In case you’re wondering why anyone would get excited about a $5,000 recreation of a 25 year old synth, check out this video of Herbie Hancock jamming on the Fairlight CMI.

via Peter Vogel in the Fairlight User Group, via Failed Muso.

Fairlight’s Peter Vogel shared more information on his 30th Anniversary Fairlight CMI 30A with Sonic State. From the sound of it, the new Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument is going to be expensive, hard to get and awesome.

According to Vogel:

The 30A will look like and perform like the original CMI, although the mainframe will be much lighter for portability. The look and feel of the user interface will also be similar to the original, with retro green on black graphics like the original. A replica of the original music keyboard will also be available as an option, or you can use your own MIDI keyboard.

The software will combine the very best of the early series II and III features, with a multitude of additional features. Sound quality of 8-bit, 16-bit, or “best quality” 36-bit floating point can be selected, and existing Fairlight users can import their entire sample libraries. Even better, non-Fairlight sounds, such as WAV files can be imported and specified to play back with the classic Fairlight sound.

Internally it will be all digital, but will use FPGA technology to provide “virtual hardware” emulation which will exactly model the original analog circuitry. There will be 16 analog outputs and a stereo sampling input.

Vogel plans a run of 100 units, which he expects to be available next year. Pricing is to be determined, but Vogel does not expect the cost to be competitive with other samplers.

Fairlight co-founder Peter Vogel has put up a teaser about a 30th anniversary limited edition version of the Fairlight CMI, a pioneering polyphonic sampling instrument.

Vogel calls this image a pre-production mockup for the Fairlight CMI Series 30A.

If you’ve got more info or other thoughts on the Fairlight CMI Series 30a, leave a comment below!

More info, via Peter Vogel on the Fairlight Yahoo Group (registration required):

There have been discussions from time to time about replicating the CMI using a software emulation. These efforts will have limited success because the “Fairlight sound” relies on the peculiarities of the hardware used in the original design.

In the days when I was the designing CMI hardware, my greatest challenge was to minimise the distortions and artifacts that were inherent aspects of the hardware available at that time. In effect, we struggled to make the Fairlight sound less “Fairlight”. So the intimate details of what makes a Fairlight sound like a Fairlight are indelibly etched in my brain.

When Fairlight brought out the Crystal Core Engine last year, my imagination ran wild. Here was a tiny board with enormous capabilities that could be configured to faithfully reproduce the CMI hardware in its FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Every bit of the 1980’s CMI hardware, the essence of its sound, could be reconstructed faithfully in digital hardware form.

To fully appreciate the astounding potential of the CC-1, download the brochure here:

CC-1 Brochure

I also recently discovered that ALL the IP relating to the original Fairlight CMI including all of the hardware and filter designs, sample libraries etc are still retained by Fairlight.au in Sydney.

So I have been wondering if it would be worthwhile to develop a faithful reproduction of the CMI on the “Virtual Hardware” of the CC-1?

This would perform identically to the original CMI series II or III, but run on a PC fitted with the Crystal Core card. The MIDI input would come directly into the CC-1 so there would be no problem of latency introduced by the PC.

At this stage I’d like to “feel out” the market to assess the level of interest in this project and whether the significant investment in R&D will be worthwhile.

The Fairlight Series IV (CC-1, I/O box and software) might be sold for approximately $US5,000.00.

So my question is, what do you think of this idea? How would a Fairlight CMI at this sort of price be received by the market? Who would the buyers be and how would I tap into them?

What do you think?

Peter Vogel

via failedmuso

In this vintage video, from 1983, Herbie Hancock jams on the Fairlight Computer Music Instrument as Quincy Jones looks on.

I had been looking for a t-shirt with the old (Series I/II(x) era) Fairlight logo for a while, but couldn’t find any. I found shirts with Roland, PPG, etc. logos, but no Fairlight. So, I made my own.

OK – you’ve probably never played a Fairlight CMI, let alone owned one, since they listed for £18,000 when they were introduced. The t-shirts are still pretty cool, though.

via RetroThing

A dedication compilation of material celebrating the pioneering spirit of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Material is edited from the following documentary and information sources: The Alchemists of Sound, The Masters of Sound, The Music Arcade, Radiophonic Workshop archive footage, Doctor Who titles, The New Sound of Music and Sonic State.

via JeffreyPlaide

This is a pretty cheesy interview with Keith Emerson from 1983 about his use of the Fairlight CMI. 

Lots of very dated hairstyles and even worse predictions for the future of music.

There are even a couple of recordings from the Fairlight CMI’s predecessor, the Qasar M8, designed by Tony Furse. The M8 did not use sampling, the sounds were generated by additive Fourier synthesis.

He calls the collection is personal Fairlight audio archives.

You can preview a few samples below, but check Peter’s site out!

The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument is considered to have been the first polyphonic digital sampling synthesizer.

via DVDBorn

There are two pieces on the CD, “The Way Home”, and “Perelandra”. Both are new age/space music pieces with a sense of mystery and wonder. Braheny uses synthesizers in an symphonic way, orchestrating the tracks delicately with airy electronic voices, bells and harps.

“The Way Home” is a magical piece that makes extensive use of an instrument known as the Fairlight CMI. The Fairlight Computer Music Instrument was a tremendously expensive synthesizer when it was released. It was one of the first computer-based digital sampling instruments. While it was groundbreaking at the time, it was very primitive by today’s standards.

Nevertheless, Braheny uses it to great effect. Many of the sounds have an airy quality that sounds like they come from some exotic wind instrument. In fact, the orchestration and sound of “The Way Home” is some of the most beautiful ever recorded.

“Perelandra” was inspired by a novel by C.S. Lewis, and is less new age than space music. It sounds just as beautiful as “The Way Home”, but has more motion. There are some noise-based sounds that sound a little like surf or wind that start off the piece, along with some droning synthesizers. A very slow melodic sequence repeats against the drones, along with some improvised embellishments. Braheny also plays flute-like melodies over this backdrop using a Steiner Electronic Wind Instrument. This allows woodwind-like inflections to be played using electronic sounds, giving them a great deal of expression.

The first section is created using primarily analog synthesizers. The second section is the most beautiful part of the piece. It uses vocal samples that fade in and out, singing “ahhs”, creating the effect of floating through angelic choirs. This section seems inspired by similar work by Brian Eno on his first ambient album. The final section returns to a combination of analog sounds and lush pads.

The two tracks on The Way Home are both classic electronic works, combining the best traits of new age and space music.

The Way Home was one of the first releases on the Hearts of Space records. This classic captures the best of the spirit of HOS, and is a must-have for new age and space music fans.