Fairlight CMI IIx Recreated For Linux, Mac & Windows

QasarBeach is a complete recreation of the Fairlight CMI IIx that runs on Linux, macOS & Windows.

It includes all the features of the original Fairlight CMI, including 16 stereo voices, full voice editing and realtime control, harmonic additive synthesis and the Page R sequencer. QasarBeach includes file support for Fairlight Series I, II, IIx, III samples, including all loop points, filter settings, etc.

The latest release, v1.25, was released June 28, 2020, and includes a wide range of fixes and additions. See below for details.

Pricing and Availability

QasarBeach is available for Linux, macOS & Windows as donationware.

Ver 1.25 Update (28 June 2020)

PAGE S changing window sizes now shows title bar
PAGE 2 fatal crash with missing .in files fixed
PAGE E MIX command removed MI version
PAGE E MIX command now operational
PAGE E view current (playhead) segment added
PAGE F improved the function display
PAGE F fixed end of function bug that could return 0 instead of correct position
PAGE 7 MODE moved into the top bar
PAGE T new ‘Pure fx’ added
PAGE T FX now have banks
PAGE 3 added CMI CONVERT. this will take a sample and make it 16k. Which can be used with the ANALYSE command
PAGE 4 ANALYSE help text minor change to add CMI 16k
PAGE D now animates (draws waveforms) to screen ‘internal loading routines now return success or not
PAGE 2 now tells you if the file was loaded OK
Minor audio activation tweaking to prevent audio stopping
PAGE 3 REVERSE added – this will reverse the entire sample
REV added to commands. with no parameters it reverses the entire sample as in the manual
internal language port and recreation in preparation for threading
initial move from event to threading to tackle timing
PAGE 2 Info line now shows if a file has been properly loaded or not
PAGE S logo images updated to match new animated logos
PAGE I animated QasarBeach logo added and operational
PAGE R initial metronome code
PAGE R metron added to UI (metronome)
PAGE R when in record mode, a new (empty) pattern will be automatically created for you
PAGE R SONG section play incorrect position fix
PAGE R PATTERN SHIFT+< SHIFT+> incorrectly triggered note off
PAGE R ‘S PLAY’ added to UI so you can replicate the IIx play operation of playing the song instead of the pattern
PAGE A initial external sampling routines being worked on
PAGE A ‘EXTERNAL” added to input source UI
PAGE A ‘External input now shown as live input into left/right input faders
PAGE R dur now goes up to 99 (it was 96). 96 is the 4:4 time base, giving ability to stretch over a 4:4 bar
internal microphone overload timing crash prevention being added
PAGE R song play (when referencing sections) pattern correction when first started
PAGE A SYNC only appears when using internal sound source
PAGE R song. clicking the section will now enter the command
PAGE R song. click an empty section and the command line will automatically fill with the pattern entry command
PAGE R – tip – add empty patterns to a section. goto pattern, metron = on, record = on, S PLAY. you can now record as the section plays!
PAGE R song. clicking the song block will now enter the command
PAGE R song. click an empty song block and the command line will automatically fill with the block entry command
when song is playing garbage collection is now turned off
Added internal sound sampling protection
PAGE 2 some loading bars added – they might not appear though
PAGE 2 added some trapping for PPG t000.wav library files to prevent them from loading as wavetables
PAGE 3 REDUCE memory protection added
PAGE D end segment now displays correctly
PAGE E start/end/curr segment buttons only appear if sample is 16k
PAGE A gcSuspend() added
revert back to previous language as Windows HATES the new one
Faders are now ‘Live’ and will repond to keeping the mouse button pressed. E.G. you can draw on PAGE 5 ‘PAGE D added faux rotation to 3d view
PAGE A external record time halved
Potential memory error being looked at
PAGE A Corrected Hertz
PAGE 2 ctrl+return, shift+return, ctrl+up, shift+up will goto the previous folder (..)
PAGE 3 potential REDUCE crash fix
PAGE R voice ZERO now stops any playing voice
PAGE S fullscreen removed in macos ctrl+cmd+f or just use maximize icon in window
PAGE R voice ZERO leaves ghost data fixed
PAGE R hidden voices not recording properly – fixed
PAGE R quantize of recoring notes fixed
PAGE 7 additional FINE added to MODE 5 subvoice display, allowing for fine srting of a sample
Internal subvoiceFine data being added to core
PAGE R metronome fixed for other timing than 4:4
PAGE R note velocity 110 not shown fixed
PAGE D start segment will now move with the playhead if 32 or 64 end segments are picked
PAGE E repeated cut causes crash – fixed
PAGE E repeated trim causes crash – fixed
paste waveform crash – fixed
internal sample buffer protection added
added f argument. When run with f added to the filename it will start fullscreen
PAGE E normalize has new code
MODE 4 single shot loop (from segments 1 to 128) caused glitch/pop – fixed
PAGE 3 compressed center text options
PAGE 3 added QUAD COMBINE to options
PAGE 7 MODE 6 added to UI
Further internal crash protection found and added
internal preparation for mode 6
Ctrl+U / Ctrl+Z = waveform UNDO
First version of Mode 6 mono and stereo base tested 🙂
PAGE S added qasarbeach f help text
PAGE S added German Keyboard z is y option
internal systems now respond to german keyboard including settings
PAGE 7 added live segment display to mode 6

21 thoughts on “Fairlight CMI IIx Recreated For Linux, Mac & Windows”

  1. Get yourself a light pen monitor and you’re all set! 🙂 if I didn’t have two Fairlight clones already. Although this is mightly spruced up.

    1. What’s the main point of the Fairlight emulators? To me they sound about like a mod tracker. Is it more like limitations you find help you be more creative?

      1. QasarBeach is not only about the sound, but also the emulation of the workflow too, to give the end-user a more authentic experience at the end of the day 🙂

        You can check out more illustration videos of QusarBeach here:
        https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX73qHRveCquX_Qh3nPegRA

        If you are only interested in sounds, then you can go by more commercial options like Arturia CMI V or UVI darklight iix, but if you want more than just sounds, then QasarBeach could be something for you.

  3. How about the MIDI Sequencer side of things?
    How’s the support for external MIDI interfaces, clocks and such? Selectable PPQN? Analog Pulse Sync?

    1. It’s covered in the docs. More work coming on MIDI. Adam has done amazing things, and is very responsive, deploying new versions regularly.

  5. Including Page R?? WHOA!!!! Now do NED Synclavier with its “Digital Memory Recorder”. Steven Lipson did Grace Jones´ “Slave to the Rhythm” with it.

  7. Are the developers of this connected in any way with those of the original Fairlight series, or have they consulted with them re. software design etc. ?
    – I’m just curious if they’re re-inventing the Fairlight wheel or basing QuasarBeach on the original designs / specifications etc. ?

    1. Manual says:

      QasarBeach has no connection to Fairlight, Fairlight PTY or BlackMagic Designs.
      All code and UI elements have been designed and coded with no access to original code. No code has been reversed engineered.
      Any Trademarks remain the property of their respective oweners as does Copyright.

  8. Fortunatamente questo software non è stato sviluppato da Behringer. Quindi posso leggere, per una volta, principalmente commenti positivi qui per aver portato un mito del passato ai giorni nostri, per le masse.

      1. OK but is that legal and if so how do you know? This walk-through makes a big deal that it didn’t copy any source, but it’s not broadly useful if you need illegal files in order to get the classic Fairlight sounds.

        My own synth software has batchest heavily inspired by the DW-800, MR-61 and so on, that are so close that a long-town owner wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. But I copied NO waveforms or patch files.

        1. You asked for the factory disks and you got them, but you don’t necessarily need to use them. You can also load in your own .wav files and set the loop points as desired.

          I wish you fun!

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