Fairlight-CMI

To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
From: peter.vogel@vogelfamily.net
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:19:38 +1000
Subject: RE: [Fairlight-CMI] Re: Recreating the Fairlight

As well as the tracking filter VCFs, sampling noise and VCA envelope generators, the Fairlight's curious sound came from the use of rate multipliers to generate the variable sample rate. These approximate the required frequency by skipping occasional clocks, with the result that the sampling jitters severely, even though over long periods of many sample the average frequancy is correct.

The acoustic effect of this is distortion, birdies and subharmonics which are related to the pitch played in a very strange way. This would need to be recreated in the software simulation. It's not complex but probably not a standard function any synthesiser would offer, as it would usually be considered a fault, not a feature!

Peter

From: M.J.B. [mailto:yazzofever@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, 23 June 2008 3:27 AM
To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Fairlight-CMI] Re: Recreating the Fairlight

In theory, this is a wonderful idea and with all digital synths, such as the Yamaha DX-7 being recreated in the VST format, it is something that can be done well.

However, as we all know, the Fairlight was almost as important as an analog machine as a digital one. The ways the sounds were processesed in the analog domain, through the VCF(either CEM or SSM filters) and VCA in my opinion really accounts for much of the beauty of the machine. This is what I think would be impossible NOW to emulate.

VST has it's sound..which is good or bad depending on your taste.

MIcah

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--- On Sun, 6/22/08, Rob Puricelli freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

From: Rob Puricelli freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: RE: [Fairlight-CMI] Re: Recreating the Fairlight
To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, June 22, 2008, 9:23 AM

As ever, David, I have followed your Fairlight tales on your blog, much as I did with your EIII :o) I already downloaded the Kontakt samples you made.

I hadn’t even considered the use of IR’s. Good thinking !

I just wonder how difficult it would be to model the Fairlight’s architecture. Korg did a very good job with their M1, Wavestation, Polysix, MonoPoly & MS20 and whilst I appreciate the Fairlight is probably a tad more complex, surely it is possible ?

Anyway, I eagerly await the results of your experimentation :o)

Regards,

Rob

(aka FailedMuso)

From: Fairlight-CMI@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:Fairlight- CMI@yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of dvdborn
Sent: 22 June 2008 14:07
To: Fairlight-CMI@ yahoogroups. com
Subject: [Fairlight-CMI] Re: Recreating the Fairlight

Hi,

I'm with you. I'm also for a quest to recreate the Series IIx sound.

Here's my first attempt using multi samples, which turned out quite good:
http://dvdborn. blogspot. com/2008/ 06/sampling- sampler-about- 10-years- ago.html

This, of course, won't let you create new samples with 'that' Fairlight sound.

My next stop will be impulse responses. I did some initial tests by creating impulses of the
A/D filter which turned out OK. But this of course is only one partial aspect of the sound.

My next experiment will be to create an impulse response of every key. I'm still trying to
figure out what will give the best results. Normally, to create an impulse, using the IR
utility that came with Logic Studio, you need a 10 second sweep tone. Since the IIx doesn't
allow for such a long sample time I need to figure out an alternative method.

David

--- In Fairlight-CMI@ yahoogroups. com, "lovesign50" wrote:
>
> Anyone that knows me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with
> the Fairlight CMI. It started back in the early 80's and is still as
> rampant as it was back then. One day I really do hope to own at least
> a IIx or a III.
>

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