Fairlight-CMI

--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, Splitpoint <splitpoint@u...> wrote:
> I'm curious, are there any Waveframe 1000 or Synclavier 9600 users 
> on this list?

Yup - I use my 9600 as my main / mother keyboard in the studio - and
as a side benefit I have a stunning sampler into the deal :-)


> I've been toying with the idea of adding a Fairlight series III to 
> my rig and was wondering if anyone here could compare/contrast these 
> systems.

The Series III is stunning - even by comparison to modern samplers -
the integration is superb.

BUT IMHO they're *completely* different machines - I mean, they're a
Prophet 5 vs a Prophet VS - or an Oberheim 8 voice on one hand and a
Polyfusion Modular on the other - both highly desirable, both very
musical and both, even today, really useful instruments - if that
makes sense - the following are purely my own observations.


On the plus side:

1) The Synclavier is still being developed for - and with the Demas
PCI interface means it is, imho, the best integrated sampler there is
- I have over 30gb of sample data instantly available on a set of
drives in my mac (which means I can back them up using modern media
like DVD's or accross my network to a backup server), fully searchable
and with an indexing system that, while a little old fashioned, still
seriously powerful to use. Despite the efforts of superstars like
Peter Wielk, the Fairlight is becomming difficult to keep going.

2) The sound quality of the 9600 has to be heard to be believed with
100khz as standard and a fantastic noise floor it's way quieter than
my new MPC4000 or the E4 Platinum I have - I sat down today to
implement noise gates as standard on my ProTools configuration (lots
of noisy old synths) - with the CMI IIx the threshold has to be up
quite some way in order to bite (I forgive it - it's old but I love
it!) - with the Series III, less so but still noticable - with the
Synclavier I gave up and took the gate off - there was so little noise
that there was no point using the CPU cycles for the graphical interface!

3) The sample libraries are incredible on the Synclavier - I have the
Lucas Film, Strings, Mega Timbres, Master Class - etc - and they're
still available and being enhanced. Despite scrounging every sample I
can for the Fairlights, the libraries are in a differeny league -
sorry, in my experience they are.

4) The user interface is *way* more useable - the 9600 VPK keyboard
provides a load of switches on the front panel - want to reduce the
attack on a sample?  Press a button and turn the jog wheel. Want to
record a sequence?  Just hit record and it'll create a new track,
Build a multisample from four different parts?  Simply press a few
buttons on the front panel without ever taking your eyes of the
musical keyboard - hundreds of editing features are instantly
available from the front panel without looking at the Mac screen /
navigating windows / fumble with a pen - with the Series III I find
I'm forever trying to remember which F key menu set what I'm looking
for is in and that's with an MFX2 alpha keyboard!

5) The Synclavier VPK keyboard feel is superb - just perfectly
weighted for me - the Series III keyboard will never feel quite the
same :-)


On the negative side:

1) A 9600 will, complete and fully serviced, set you back the best
part of £20,000 - a Series III around £5,000. Then again, a fully
loaded 9600 was circa £350,000 in 1994 and a Series III around £80,000
 (ISTR) - says it all really!

2) The cost of replacement parts for the Synclavier is incredible -
things like the voice cards ares still manufactured by Demas - but
they're hellishly expensive (£4,500 for the PCI upgrade!!!).

3) The Synclavier is HUGE and HEAVY - I mean REALLY HUGE and HEEAAVVY
- I've had one of my 9600's repackaged into a 20U flightcase on wheels
(because the drive packs aren't in the case (they're in the Mac) this
cuts down on heat and therefore the need for ducting / fans etc and
therefore space qnd weight).  A Series III is 'portable' in comparison!


I'll probably get flamed as a Fairlight hater - but I'm not - I dearly
love my Series IIx and enjoy the stability of the III MFX2 - BUT the
Synclavier is just different.

Some people sit down with the Fairlight, pick up the pen and love the
thing - then sit at the Synclavier and find it old fashioned and hard
to use.

IMHO - if you can afford a 9600 - buy one - they're rare, sound
stunning and are wonderful to use - it'll become the centre of your
studio - if you can afford a Series III - buy one - they sound
wonderful and are a piece of history.

If people are interested, I'll see if I can bring the 'portable' 9600
down to the Fairlight 2004 meet so people can see some of what I've
explained very poorly.

Ok , flameproof underpants now on!  :-)


Philip