Fairlight-CMI

--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, Laurent Lemaire <llemaire1@f...>
wrote:
> There's also a NED Synclavier (PSMT) for 13950 GBP ... Looks really 
> over-priced to me !!!
> 
> http://www.spheremusic.com./Bargaindtl.asp?Item=4258



I'm sorry - I can't agree with this statement!  Mainly because it's
*my* Synclavier ;-)

Seriously - ths system is one of the very few that work *perfectly*. 
I bought the original system from a dealer in the US - it's Chick
Corea's old studio system (I also bought his road system at the same
time) - in a non-working condition.

It cost around £8,000 to make the system work the way it does - 
replacing many of the defunct PSV cards, install the newer switch mode
power supplies, upgrade the memory to modern 'fast' memory, replace
all internal system cabling with newer long life parts.  

The system *also* comes with the PCI interface cards - which cost a
cool £6,000 from Demas inc. enabling the system to run 'natively' from
a modern Macintosh with an umbilicle cable - this means you have GUI
and file management - as well as native sample swapping - on your Mac
desktop NOT the old fashioned terminal interface. - Yes, you can back
up onto CD / DVD not Sync. floppy!

ALSO, the price includes the entire Synclavier sound library,
installed on a dedicated 10Gb drive located in the host Mac and is
running the very latest OS release.

Finally, the system comes with the second revision of VP/K keyboard -
which is in mint condition, originating from my 'other' system ex. the
BBC - which has also been completely overhauled. All this is wrapped
into Sting's flightcase (which is liftable by two people and only
stands three 1/2 feet tall) and the keyboard is flightcased in an
original NED case.

To reproduce this system would cost considerably more than £20,000 - I
know because that's what I paid.

In summary, it's a 48 voice (that's *stereo* voices - not mono) with
the very latest revision of software, host mac (G4/500, 512mb, 40GB)
PCI interface, entire NED sound libraries all completely overhauled by
the best expert on these sytems and comes fully working - which not
many do.

BTW, this system cost around £330,000 originally - does it still sound
expensive?

Rant mode off :-)

Philip