Fairlight-CMI

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the welcome! I'm sure I'll need some help at some point. At the 
moment, I'm having a hard time figuring out if I can set sustain for a voice or if 
this is only available on a sub-voice. I don't own a sustain pedal and I'd like a 
piano voice to sustain a bit. Any help on that? I've found I can usually figure 
things out in short order but this has me stumped. 

You're right, it really doesn't take long to learn the instrument although I know 
I've barely cracked the surface but for the short time I've had it, I feel I'm doing 
pretty good, not having to refer to the manual every time I touch it. 

24 channel you have huh? NICE! Have any of your sound cards needed 
repair? It seems to be a fairly rugged instrument. I had never imagined that all 
this time after the fact, they'd still be going strong. All of my sound cards are 
working just fine-luckily! 

 Hope you get your software problem straightened out. I had wanted to test my 
floppy drive to see if it was ok but I do not know how to access a floppy. Not 
sure if I can give a directory command for it? Couldn't be too much different 
than reading off a tape but I don't want to try it without knowing exactly what I
I'm doing.

Have some fond memories of the Thompson Twins and Howard Jones when I 
was in my teens although I didn't learn till later they were Fairlight users. I 
have been into Mike Oldfield for many years. I hold him in the HIGHEST 
regard. As a musician, he is God-like to me.  His ideas, his scores, his 
expression, his sound design just hit me like nobody ever has. Wonderful 
music to  pour an Absinthe, put a pair of headphones on, sit in candlelight and 
let the music take you over.  I had read his liner notes and didn't really take 
much notice to his credit of "Fairlight C.M.I."  at the time.

It wasn't until I heard Kate Bush's album The Dreaming that I was ' properly 
introduced' to the Fairlight. She had used it a bit on Never Forever but she 
had her own by the time she worked on The Dreaming and I took notice. 
That's when I began to search out what this Fairlight business was.  Was also 
a big fan of Peter Gabriel's but what Kate did with it was mind boggling to me. 
By the time she put out Hounds Of Love, I was hooked and desperately 
wanted a Fairlight. Of course, I was 16 or 17 and at the price of it, it wasn't 
ever going to happen. 

So I'd sit and listen to Mike Oldfield-his use of the Series III on Islands is 
outstanding, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel and Jean Michel Jarre who also blows 
me away with his use of it and dream of what it would be like to have my own.

Now, 17 or so years later I do have my own and am proud. Still have to pinch 
myself every morning when I wake up and see it sitting there. 

Have only heard about the Linn drum machine. Again, Kate Bush credits it. 
My experience with drum machines is limited, I have a Roland TR 505 (I think, 
it's in the attic). I recorded a bit with it but the drums in the Fairlight sound 
explosive in comparison so not much chance of me getting out the Roland 
now.

You mentioned in a modern studio, the Fairlight would sound even better 
now. I still hear some Fairlight sounds but it seems nobody credits it anymore. 
Wonder why? I think you're hard pressed to get a richer or warmer sound in 
the digital world we live in today?!  That's one thing that still amazes me, with 
the advancement of technology, nothing I've heard can match that classic 
Fairlight sound. That sound just feels comforting, like going home and curling 
up under a favourite blanket. 

  
> Jerry do sit down a make music with it you won't regret it.

Oh I do plan on it!   Just have to get back up to speed, it's been quite a while 
since I've played seriously but I'm doing it again. To be one of the lucky few 
who will ever own one of these, I plan to use it. We are a privileged few. What 
was there only something like 700 of these ever produced in the entire run of 
the CMI?

Best Regards,

Jerry