Fairlight-CMI

Oops, meant to address this to Matthew Weiner.
Sorry about that.

David


--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "dvdborn" <dvdborn@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Laurence,
> 
> Here's a nice clip where you can see Page R in action:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afkAcPirz9U
> 
> Best,
> David
> http://dvdborn.blogspot.com
> 
> 
> --- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "matthew_weiner_2000" <matthew.weiner@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > Laurence, thank you — that was helpful to hear.  I've actually tried
> > some of the things you suggest with...mixed success.  I would def.
> > agree that the monophonic and velocity things are big — it adds to the
> > robotic feel of the thing.  
> > 
> > I don't know if you're familiar with the program, but Reason—with its
> > pattern-based Redrum drum machine emulator and Matrix
> > Modulator—strikes me as being a system that SHOULD do a fairly decent
> > job of reproducing the Fairlight composition process.  But still I
> > don't get it exactly — things I do seem to plod repeatedly where most
> > Fairlight sequences seem to be in a constant state of change.  
> > 
> > Lastly, I'm replying to this response of yours, as part of me wonders
> > how much of the artiest IIx stuff I've been hearing—JJ Jezcalik's work
> > with Trevor Horn comes to mind—was done on MCL as opposed to Page R. 
> > There's just this hyperattentive level of detail on some of those records.
> > 
> > Any further thoughts?  Part of me thinks that hearing a multitrack of
> > some of this stuff (a la Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey" but with all
> > Fairlight) would really help.  As would seeing this thing for myself,
> > though where that would happen is anybody's guess...
> > 
> > --- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, Laurence Shields <mercybox@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > It's not a stupid question at all. First, the Series II and IIx had
> > three sequencers, Page 9, MCL, and Page R. There was no way to "sync"
> > any of the sequencers together (apart from multi-tracking one to tape,
> > then loading and syncing the other). If you think about it, it
> > wouldn't make much sense anyway, as the Fairlight could only play 8
> > voices altogether. Having those voices shared between two sequencers
> > at once would be of limited value. 
> > > 
> > > Page R, as has been said, is a rhythmic composition page. You have 8
> > monophonic lines that you can repeat, transpose, and so forth. You use
> > patterns to represent, say, parts of a song, and then you can arrange
> > them in different orders to make up that song. Really, just think
> > glorified drum machine and you've basically got it.
> > > 
> > > Page 9 (or Keyboard Sequencer) is altogether different. It is a
> > straight record and overdub page. It's basically useful as a
> > scratchpad for recording a performance but there are no editing
> > features of any kind. No quantize either(!). You can overdub lines
> > with another sound in the Fairlight's memory and change the tempo and
> > such but that's about it. You play it in, it plays it back. That's it.
> > It does have a facilty for importing MCL sequences, for easy playback.
> > > 
> > > MCL (or Music Composition Language) is also quite different. It
> > doesn't using the music keyboard at all. Commands and note events are
> > step-entered from the QWERTY keyboard using codes for pitch, length,
> > velocity, controllers and so on. Unless you are experienced, composing
> > a song in this way takes a pretty long time. However, you can achieve
> > results that are not possible with the other sequencers. I think many
> > power users in the early 80s must've used this quite a bit on records.
> > Incidently, this is the only one of the sequencers in which you can
> > record and play back controller data that has not been assigned to one
> > of the Fairlight's physical controls, if that makes any sense. :-)
> > > 
> > > By the way, the Series III is totally different in many, many ways.
> > Not only do you have 16 voices, but you have another sequencer, CAPS,
> > that is a bit more modern and supports polyphonic recording and such.
> > I would imagine that many people used that.
> > > 
> > > Hope that helps.
> > > 
> > > Laurence
> > > 
> > > 
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > From: Andrew <taoist.hermit1@>
> > > To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Wednesday, October 4, 2006 5:46:47 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [Fairlight-CMI]Re: Page R — What Made It So Unique and
> > How Can I Emulate It?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I hope this isn't a stupid question.  I don't have a Fairlight so
> > I'm just 
> > > on this list for gathering information.
> > > 
> > > As I recall (from many years ago :D), the Series II had Page R as a
> > rhythm 
> > > programmer, but also Page 9 as a sequencer.  I would have expected
> > if that 
> > > was the case that Page R would usually be used for rhythm events - 
> > > percussive stuff - and Page 9 for note sequences.
> > > 
> > > But that doesn't seem to be what's being said here, which refers to
> > Page R 
> > > being used for rhythmic note sequences.  Is this because - as many
> > people 
> > > complained at the time - there wasn't a way to link Page R and Page
> > 9?  I 
> > > always assumed (dangerous, I know) that Fairlight would fix that with a 
> > > software update, or sort it with the Series III, but it doesn't
> > sound that 
> > > way from what's being said.  So I'm curious about Page 9 and why people 
> > > didn't use it for sequencing.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >  
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> >
>