Fairlight-CMI

Ah, very helpful -- I actually had that song handy, so checked it out
asap.  It's interesting how the sound breaks apart twice as it shifts
down and both times recollects its timbral qualities a few pitches
further down.  I imagine that has something to do w/ the inaccuracies? 

--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "Eight to Infinity (Arron)"
<arron@...> wrote:
>
> Hi there,
> 
> Because of the resampling in the cd-rom of the IIx sample set, the
information has already 
> been lost before you start this expriment , as they are not bit for
bit digital copies : they 
> are variable unclocked analogue signals from the fairlight,
resampled a an arbitary bitrate 
> through an aditional A/D by the creators of the libaray. 
> 
> Probably the same is true of the Art of Sampling CD.
> 
> I guess there is no really way to do the test apart from getting you
own fairlight samples at 
> 32 bit 192Khz, transfereing to a software sampler and a/b ing the
fairlights transpose and 
> the software sampler transpose.
> 
> One of the best examples though on record, is Instruments of
Darkness by the Art of noise 
> on In Visible Silence : there is a massive pitchbend of a sample
being pitchshitfed down till 
> it starts breaking apart. If you think about how a modern sampler
sounds when you start 
> pitching down that far, it should give an idea of the textural
differences.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> A
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "matthew_weiner_2000"
<matthew.weiner@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > Arron, as before, good, thoughtful stuff.  In fact, I may have read
> > your post earlier on KVR -- I liked it then as well!  I particularly
> > liked your point regarding how people don't really get creative about 
> > microediting, which--I agree--has become something of a lost artform
> > in the wake of this machine's demise.
> > 
> > At any rate, I see what you mean.  I'm getting more satisfied as once
> > you've added in gated sounds and the composite thing, you do really
> > start approaching that cut-up sound I was talking about.  
> > 
> > One question about how different the machine sounded than modern
> > samplers.  I was thinking that I'd be interested in hearing a
> > side-by-side A/B-ing of a Fairlight sound as played by the Fairlight
> > and as played by a modern sampler, realizing that you would want to
> > transpose them to the other's sampled to hear the biggest
difference.  
> > 
> > But since each sound with the Fairlight IIx sample library has two
> > samples apiece, usually an octave or two apart, for almost every
> > sound, I realized I could do it on my own.  So, I just tried A/B-ing
> > one of the vibes sounds, "Rhythm1" (which was sampled 3 octaves lower)
> > and "Tibet1" that way.  And honestly, some aliasing aside, there
> > wasn't a marked difference there.  
> > 
> > This isn't to refute your point about multiplexing, misaligned cards
> > or the analog filters--you are the one with the machine, I'm trying to
> > recreate it--but I am straining a bit to hear the difference you're
> > talking about.
> > 
> > --- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "Eight to Infinity (Arron)"
> > <arron@> wrote:
> > >
> > > HI there : 
> > > 
> > > I glad to hear youre getting closer. Unfortunaly, you might be at
> > the point where you might 
> > > have to recognise the limitations of how close you can ultimately
> > get. This is a post I made 
> > > to the KVRAUDIO list describing why the fairlight is unique, and why
> > you cant emulate in 
> > > software with the current state of play in software design : it
> > refers mostly to the Series III, 
> > > but im sure some of the series I and II owners will have their own
> > thoughts :
> > > 
> > > --------
> > > 
> > > The series III specification wise still holds its own against
> > everything else Ive got. Sampling 
> > > up to 100 Khz theoretical maximum at 16 bits still sounds very
nice. 
> > > 
> > > But is it still unique ? 
> > > 
> > > The series III comes with 3 sequencers : Page R, which is basically
> > a tracker, CAPS which is 
> > > like an old version of cubase, and MCL which is a text based
> > programatic sequencer. 
> > > 
> > > What makes it special is that for each step on the grid, you can
> > have a different sound 
> > > loaded, like an old amiga tracker, so for doing those old tracker
> > tricks, its great, especially 
> > > page-R. CAPS is clearly outdated, and not something thats very
> > usefull anymore. MCL is 
> > > great, but ive never got the hang of it, and might have been great
> > for achedemic electronic 
> > > music, if more fairlights had found their way into that
environment. 
> > > 
> > > What gives the fairlights a unique sound is due to its brute force
> > engineering architecture : 
> > > 
> > > You have the digital side : with a digital voice card which controls
> > the data buffers etc for 
> > > each 16 voices, which routes to an analogue voice card per voice,
> > which has a sample 
> > > playback occilator, and the rest of each voice is an analogue
> > subtractive structure. 
> > > 
> > > So, you get all the nice sound of analogue filters etc. And of
> > course, misalignment between 
> > > the settings on the cards ensures each voice sounds a bit
different. 
> > > 
> > > Also, each playback occilator transposes not by multiplexing, but by
> > altering the clock 
> > > playback speed. This means a note slowed down because it is played
> > lower sounds very 
> > > different than it does on a multiplexed system such as an akai
S6000. 
> > > 
> > > Also if you play a note quiter, the analogue VCA levels are altered,
> > not the sample 
> > > playback depth, so even a quiet not is 16 bit, giving a lot more
> > dynamic range. 
> > > 
> > > There is no multiplexed output either : each voice is exposed as an
> > XLR output, and you 
> > > have to mix them on an 16 channel analogue desk, so you get into
> > that "Analogue 
> > > summing" vs digital multiplexing argument. Also it ensures there is
> > absolutely no 
> > > dithereing going on anywhere in the system. 
> > > 
> > > The upshot of all this, is that sounds a million miles away from a
> > s6000, or softsynth. 
> > > 
> > > In terms of interface : its very simple, and very focused. Its easy
> > to do what you need in 
> > > terms of sample editing, and is great for zooming in and doing
> > "micro" editing and mixing 
> > > different samples and crossfading to create new sounds : mixing a
> > tr808 bassdrum with a 
> > > bass guitar sample to produce a playable hybrid etc. The sort of
> > thing people are too lazy 
> > > to do these days. 
> > > 
> > > Lastly there is the additive and resynthesis functionality. Load in
> > a sample, click analyse, 
> > > and go in and manually redraw some of the FFT frames, interpolate
> > between them, etc etc. 
> > > Additive is the same thing, but starting with a blank waveform. I
> > dont know of any current 
> > > program that does that, maybe cameleon ? I know it does additive,
> > but i dont know about 
> > > resynthesis. And then you have all the standard analogue subtractive
> > on the outputs. 
> > > 
> > > It has 4 midi ins and outs, which are rock solid in timing, and a
> > funky graphics pad for 
> > > drawing stuff. It has a keyboard with keys dedicated to rests,
> > sharps and steps to make 
> > > programming much quicker than using generic keyboard shortcuts. 
> > > 
> > > It comes with a beutifull fully weighted keyboard, with a built in
> > remote keypad, and you 
> > > can get a extended MFX controller with even has a secondary display,
> > and some of the 
> > > alphanumeric keys are velocity sensative so you can triggers samples
> > without having to 
> > > reach over to the main keyboard. You can plug in a mouse to use
> > instead of the graphics 
> > > tablet if you prefer. 
> > > 
> > > There is a retrofit board to give you colour VGA output, and you can
> > also get a dedicated 
> > > DSP timestretch card. 
> > > 
> > > So its a pretty funky and unique beast ! And the additive and
> > re-synthesis subsystems 
> > > where never really tapped at the time, as sampling was the thing, so
> > there's still plenty of 
> > > room for original sounds beyond SARR1.VC 
> > > 
> > > Cheers, 
> > > 
> > > A 
> > > 
> > > /// edited to add : ive heard the IIX library, and as may possibly
> > be obviosus from the 
> > > above, playing a fairlight sample back on another sampler sounds
> > nothing at all like a real 
> > > fairlight, for all the reasons above. If yove heard the IIX sample
> > library, and think it sounds 
> > > nothing special : I agree with you. If youve heard a IIX or series
> > III playing back the same 
> > > samples, its a very different experiance.
> > >
> >
>