Fairlight-CMI

Peter,

This news brings a very large happy smile on my face. Thanks. :-)))
I'm sure I'm not the only one on this list with such a smile ;-)

Cheers,

Peter Kersten.

--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, peter.vogel@... wrote:
>
> Thanks for your comments Peter.
>
> I should point out that I have no connection with Fairlight (the
company)
> these days, but I will pass on your comments to them. I think
supporting
> things like 8 inch floppies is not as easy as keeping motorbike
parts, but
> perhaps if I do continue to develop a Series IV I could look into
how the
> old CMIs could be maintained better too.
>
> Certainly the ability to transfer old sounds and sequances to the new
>; platform would be a noce option.
>
> As the Series IV will have only one proprietary card, the support
problem
> is dramatically reduced compared to the many cards involved in the old
> series. Also the cost is a dramatically less.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Peter
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Peter Kersten
> Sent: Thursday, 13 November 2008 10:24 PM
> To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Fairlight-CMI] Re: Fairlight CMI series IV?
>
>
>
> Hi Peter,
>
> Interesting to say at least.
>
> However: as a IIx user, first thing that comes to my mind is lack of
> good service and upgrades.
>
> In 1979 I bought a brandnew Motorbike, limited edition even. And even
> today ALL parts can be obtained.
>
> How different is the story for my IIx, and all the other CMI systems,
> which cost 20 times the amount I paid for the bike.
>
> Look at the trouble it takes to even get a floppydrive replacement or
> a HD.
>
> From this point of view, I wonder what would happen if the card from
> the IV system dies on me in the future????
>
> My advice: Improve support.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Peter Kersten.
>
> You should be proud of what you created Peter. A CMI system is
> something very special and it should not die a slowly death. Keep in
> mind that many musicians get very attached to their instrument. It
> sorta becomes part of them. Bob Moog understood this very well. Hope
> you do so to.
>
> --- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com
> Fairlight-CMI%40yahoogroups.com> , wrote:
> >
> >
> > There have been discussions from time to time about replicating
the CMI
> > using a software emulation. These efforts will have limited success
> because
> > the "Fairlight sound" relies on the peculiarities of the hardware
> used in
> > the original design.
> >
> > In the days when I was the designing CMI hardware, my greatest
> challenge was
> > to minimise the distortions and artifacts that were inherent aspects
> of the
> > hardware available at that time. In effect, we struggled to make the
> > Fairlight sound less "Fairlight". So the intimate details of what
> makes a
> > Fairlight sound like a Fairlight are indelibly etched in my brain.
> >
> > When Fairlight brought out the Crystal Core Engine last year, my
> imagination
> > ran wild. Here was a tiny board with enormous capabilities that
could be
> > configured to faithfully reproduce the CMI hardware in its FPGA
(Field
> > Programmable Gate Array). Every bit of the 1980's CMI hardware, the
> essence
> > of its sound, could be reconstructed faithfully in digital hardware
> form.
> >
> > To fully appreciate the astounding potential of the CC-1,
download the
> > brochure here:
> >
>
http://www.fairlightau.com/downloads/public/Fairlight%20NEW%20CC-1%20Brochur
>
<http://www.fairlightau.com/downloads/public/Fairlight%20NEW%20CC-1%20Brochur>
> > e%20for%20WEB%20VIEW.pdf
> >
> > I also recently discovered that ALL the IP relating to the original
> > Fairlight CMI including all of the hardware and filter designs,
sample
> > libraries etc are still retained by Fairlight.au in Sydney.
> >
> > So I have been wondering if it would be worthwhile to develop a
faithful
> > reproduction of the CMI on the "Virtual Hardware" of the CC-1?
> >
> > This would perform identically to the original CMI series II or III,
> but run
> > on a PC fitted with the Crystal Core card. The MIDI input would come
> > directly into the CC-1 so there would be no problem of latency
> introduced by
> > the PC.
> >;
> > At this stage I'd like to "feel out" the market to assess the
level of
> > interest in this project and whether the significant investment in
> R&D will
> > be worthwhile.
> >
> > The Fairlight Series IV (CC-1, I/O box and software) might be
sold for
> > approximately $US5,000.00.
> >
> > So my question is, what do you think of this idea? How would a
> Fairlight CMI
> > at this sort of price be received by the market? Who would the
> buyers be and
> > how would I tap into them?
> >
> > What do you think?
> >
> > Peter Vogel
> >
>