Fairlight-CMI

Very interesting debate / thread. Just hope it doesn't become too heated ;-)

P

On 12/15/06, Lee <ensnareyou@aol.com> wrote:

The Depeche Mode sound is based more upon old analog synthesizers than samples. The
lush strings, beds, leads, and musical bleeps and blips aren't samples, they are real ARP,
Moog, Roland, EMS, Oberheim, and other Modular synths. They did use the Emulators a
lot (mostly EII), Fairlight as well, but you aren't going to be able to reproduce the analog
sounds they had from your EMU sampler and have it sound the same. Most of their
records were also cut using 2" analog recorders which further added to the great organic
quality of their records.

I've owned nearly every sampler made, EMU included (EMAX, EII, EII+, EIII, EIV), and none of
them sound anywhere near as good as my CMI III. The EIII did have nice filters and could
reproduce synth sounds quite nicely though. I've tried numerous times to port my
Fairlight CMI III library to my EMU, AKAI, Roland, Sequential, Korg, Dynacord, and
Synclavier samplers to no avail. Every time I put the CMI original up next to the sample I
loaded into another unit, it was never even close so I gave up the idea of porting them
altogether.

I can't imagine anyone designing a sampler that sounds as good as the CMI III ever again.
The cost of making such and instrument is astronomical and in today's world it seems end
users have become quite cheap. If the market existed for such a high end unit Fairlight
would still be making CMI's but its no longer profitable. To me its pathetic to see VST's,
Romplers, and other digital synths that try and emulate synths and samplers of the past.
So far I've never heard any of these new fangled VST's, samplers, or synths sound
anywhere close to the original.

I would welcome a new Fairlight sampler and would be one of the first people to buy one
should Fairlight ever decide to get back into the sampler market (I doubt I am the only
person who would be). The CMI III made me a believer in what exceptional build quality
with no price point can sound like. I'd love to see a CMI IV!

Fairlight's commitment to great audio quality continues to this day with the Dream
Products and CC-1. Its unfortunate that more people aren't aware of just how great these
products sound and work but they can be expensive. Sound and build quality do come at
a cost but to some who demand the best, cost is not of great concern. Pro Tools has been
the bane of the audio marketplace for a long long time and its about time Fairlight came
out with a platform that is cost effective that will make Digidesign rethink what they are
doing with "Slow Tools". If you haven't had a chance check out the CC-1 and Dream HD
products, they are phenomenal.