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Serial Number scheme?

2012-03-19 by Kirk Keyes

Does anyone know what the numbering scheme is for serial numbers on Fairlights? I can see there is a pattern with the alpha part of the serial numbers where SNA is the CPU, SNB is the Monitor, SNC is the alpha keyboard, and SND is the music keyboard. 

What about the numeric part of the serial numbers? Here are my numbers, for example:

CPU serial number is SNA108050
Monitor is SNB108051
alphanumeric keyboard is SNC0783198
master keyboard is SND0783198

It doesn't look like there is an obvious manufacture date encoded in them and it doesn't look like they are purely sequential serial numbers based on the numerical order of production. I know Roland has some sort of month/year of manufacture encoded into their old serial number scheme - is there something like that going on here?

Does anyone have a clue as to how they numbered them?

Thanks!
Kirk

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Serial Number scheme?

2012-03-19 by Harald Feldmann

Hi Kirk,

Peter Wielk and Peter Vogel probably know exactly how it works, but you
can see 0783 as july 1983. 1080 october 1980. Presumably the next two or 3
digits are the actual unit number. 50, 51, 198.
my 2c.

Regards,
Harald

Show quoted textHide quoted text

> CPU serial number is SNA108050
> Monitor is SNB108051
> alphanumeric keyboard is SNC0783198
> master keyboard is SND0783198
>
> It doesn't look like there is an obvious manufacture date encoded in them
> and it doesn't look like they are purely sequential serial numbers based
> on the numerical order of production. I know Roland has some sort of
> month/year of manufacture encoded into their old serial number scheme - is
> there something like that going on here?
>
> Does anyone have a clue as to how they numbered them?
>
> Thanks!
> Kirk
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Serial Number scheme?

2012-03-19 by Kinematic

Hi,

Peter Wielk once told me it is exactly like that what Harald described.

Cheers

Roland



Am 19.03.2012 um 17:47 schrieb "Harald Feldmann" <feldmann@xs4all.nl>:

Show quoted textHide quoted text

> Hi Kirk,
> 
> Peter Wielk and Peter Vogel probably know exactly how it works, but you
> can see 0783 as july 1983. 1080 october 1980. Presumably the next two or 3
> digits are the actual unit number. 50, 51, 198.
> my 2c.
> 
> Regards,
> Harald
> 
>> CPU serial number is SNA108050
>> Monitor is SNB108051
>> alphanumeric keyboard is SNC0783198
>> master keyboard is SND0783198
>> 
>> It doesn't look like there is an obvious manufacture date encoded in them
>> and it doesn't look like they are purely sequential serial numbers based
>> on the numerical order of production. I know Roland has some sort of
>> month/year of manufacture encoded into their old serial number scheme - is
>> there something like that going on here?
>> 
>> Does anyone have a clue as to how they numbered them?
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> Kirk
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------------
>> 
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
>

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Serial Number scheme?

2012-03-19 by WT

Cool !

Then my IIx is from September 1984 except for the Computer Keyboard which is from February 1985.

Show quoted textHide quoted text

----- Original Message -----

From: Kinematic

To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 7:15 PM

Subject: Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Serial Number scheme?

Hi,

Peter Wielk once told me it is exactly like that what Harald described.

Cheers

Roland

Am 19.03.2012 um 17:47 schrieb "Harald Feldmann" <feldmann@xs4all.nl>:

>; Hi Kirk,
>
> Peter Wielk and Peter Vogel probably know exactly how it works, but you
> can see 0783 as july 1983. 1080 october 1980. Presumably the next two or 3
> digits are the actual unit number. 50, 51, 198.
> my 2c.
>
> Regards,
> Harald
>
>> CPU serial number is SNA108050
>> Monitor is SNB108051
>> alphanumeric keyboard is SNC0783198
>> master keyboard is SND0783198
>>
>> It doesn't look like there is an obvious manufacture date encoded in them
>> and it doesn't look like they are purely sequential serial numbers based
>> on the numerical order of production. I know Roland has some sort of
>> month/year of manufacture encoded into their old serial number scheme - is
>> there something like that going on here?
>>
>> Does anyone have a clue as to how they numbered them?
>;>
>> Thanks!
>> Kirk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>;
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Re: Serial Number scheme?

2012-03-19 by Kirk Keyes

That does make sense!

OK - so the alpha characters denote the item (CPU, monitor, keyboards), the next 4 digits are the month and year (MMYY). Do we know if the next 2 or sometimes 3 digits are he total produced for the month or the total production run for the series? I suspect it's the total production for the series, or perhaps all series? 

I do find it interesting that my IIx CPU and monitor were both made in October, 1980. I wonder if someone had a II that was send back and upgraded/refurbished to a IIx.

My IIx was owned by Kevin Kelley/Keyboardmuseum.com for a while. He has posted in this forum years ago stating that he had two systems at one point. It looks like I may have the CPU and monitor from one of those systems and the music and alpha keyboards from the second system. One of the systems that the Keyboardmuseum had is said to have come from Daryl Hall.

It sure would be great if we could find out who bought which serial number originally.

Thanks!
Kirk

--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "WT" <waveterm@...> wrote:

Show quoted textHide quoted text

>
> Cool !
> 
> Then my IIx is from September 1984 except for the Computer Keyboard which is from February 1985.
> 
> WT
> 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Kinematic 
>   To: Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 7:15 PM
>   Subject: Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Serial Number scheme?
> 
> 
>     
>   Hi,
> 
>   Peter Wielk once told me it is exactly like that what Harald described.
> 
>   Cheers
> 
>   Roland
> 
>   Am 19.03.2012 um 17:47 schrieb "Harald Feldmann" <feldmann@...>:
> 
>   > Hi Kirk,
>   > 
>   > Peter Wielk and Peter Vogel probably know exactly how it works, but you
>   > can see 0783 as july 1983. 1080 october 1980. Presumably the next two or 3
>   > digits are the actual unit number. 50, 51, 198.
>   > my 2c.
>   > 
>   > Regards,
>   > Harald
>   > 
>   >> CPU serial number is SNA108050
>   >> Monitor is SNB108051
>   >> alphanumeric keyboard is SNC0783198
>   >> master keyboard is SND0783198
>   >> 
>   >> It doesn't look like there is an obvious manufacture date encoded in them
>   >> and it doesn't look like they are purely sequential serial numbers based
>   >> on the numerical order of production. I know Roland has some sort of
>   >> month/year of manufacture encoded into their old serial number scheme - is
>   >> there something like that going on here?
>   >> 
>   >> Does anyone have a clue as to how they numbered them?
>   >> 
>   >> Thanks!
>   >> Kirk
>   >> 
>   >> 
>   >> 
>   >> 
>   >> ------------------------------------
>   >> 
>   >> Yahoo! Groups Links
>   >> 
>   >> 
>   >> 
>   >> 
>   > 
>   > 
>   > 
>   > 
>   > ------------------------------------
>   > 
>   > Yahoo! Groups Links
>   > 
>   > 
>   >
>

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Re: Serial Number scheme?

2012-03-19 by Harald Feldmann

> That does make sense!
Thank you.

>> Do we know if the next 2
> or sometimes 3 digits are he total produced for the month or the total
> production run for the series? I suspect it's the total production for the
> series, or perhaps all series?

The 'series' as you put it. A series II(x) cardcage is different from a
series III cardcage, so are the music keyboard, monitor and alpha
keyboards. So the number would be the total number produced to that date
for a particular item (II(x) alpha keyboard for example).

> My IIx was owned by Kevin Kelley/Keyboardmuseum.com for a while. He has
> posted in this forum years ago stating that he had two systems at one
> point. It looks like I may have the CPU and monitor from one of those
> systems and the music and alpha keyboards from the second system. One of
> the systems that the Keyboardmuseum had is said to have come from Daryl
> Hall.

It's always nice when you can buy the unit from the original owner, or to
have evidence of prior ownership. Adds to the story of the machine.

This one for example:
http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2005/07/ebay-of-day-2-ministrys-old-fairlights.html

Not immaculate white, but really very very original..

> It sure would be great if we could find out who bought which serial number
> originally.
>
> Thanks!
> Kirk

Regards,
Harald.