Indeed. It changed my life hearing PG working on San Jacinto, which was programmed in MCL, way back in 1982. Btw We are still developing it. There are two teams of extra-ordinary software programmers from the original Fairlight team and designers looking at 50th anniversary version. Qasar Beach is the flag-bearer at the moment... along with Paul S. We'll talk about it next year :-)
the III series really was the best :) But they all had their charme. Even the first 2 revisions. I still have nothing but the upmost respect for the Fairlight, its designers and everyone who used it back then and even today. The Mother of all DAWs. A real beauty even without the lightpen and CRT. The Touchpad stylus model definitely must have been a lot better to use over a long time in the studio. I would absolutely love to use one of these even today.
Thank you. Actually I was physically with Kim Ryrie the co-inventor and Paul Schlusser the head of software just back in May. We had a reunion here in Box. Also planning a few new things, so watch this space 🙂
I always wanted to play with one of these after seeing Peter Gabriel sampling junkyard noises. I'm grateful i live in a time where a laptop, DAW, audio interface, and midi controller can do a majority of what this can do. I would have never been able to afford one of these had I been an adult when they first came out.
Very interesting! I’d never seen a Series III in action before. It’s quite a bit more advanced than the previous versions, and it’s clearly well on its way to what DAWs eventually became.
Just to make sure no one thinks I'm a Fairlight programmer first and musician second(?!), here's a recent real 'live' string quartet arrangement that I had to also do in double quick time. Yep, used Cubase to play each part in, then scored it out in Musescore. Fortunately I managed to get a couple of Grade 8s when 17 years old at Marlborough College on the 4-manual Church Organ there and also on violin. Need to blow the dust of my fiddle cases one day, I guess, but will have to get past my drum kit in the bedroom first :-) ruclips.net/video/5iiVTqmwIMg/видео.html
A couple of 'typos', sorry, the looped SMPTE out to input (not sample cable from the Mix output to sample input) creates Steve Rance's large timecode display on ESC 1, requested by Steve Levine. Sample the outputs back in when the RS Page is running is only possible if Voice Card 1+2 is not being used, as that's the card which 'clocks' the sample rate, and 'hit' records on the Series III is roughly correct, I think. However, if we include the predecessors, the Fairlight Series I, Series II (with updated sampling capability) and the Series IIx (with a very early Midi) that adds from 1979 to 1984 which was 8-bit. The Series III CMI arrived in 1985. The earliest Series III System 'boot' disk is dated 20 / 11 / 1985 which was copied by Mr Adrian Bruce, probably for the first trade fair outing in Tokyo. Someone really should / could make a fun documentary about all this, maybe? ;-)
I used to dream about owning one of those back in my teens. I have an open source emulation of one that very closely adheres to the original including the original OS on my system now. I also have a plugin of it from Arturia running in my DAW that has much of the original functionality; mostly the sampling and recording features are missing. I can indeed use the Arturia as a standard plugin software instrument to access the CMI's sound library or, I can do the whole project with the standalone version. I have messed around a bit with both and, man, so clunky and unintuitive they are compared to any of today's modern DAWs. We are so spoiled now. BTW, I also have the Synclavier emulation from Arturia as well. That one actually contains the actual audio engine code from the original Synclav. with a new UI by Arturia that makes it much more accessible. I dreamed of that machine in my teens as well while I plinked and plunked my way along on a CZ 101.
Hey Roger, whaddaya mean "most of the commands weren't in the manual"??? We eventually whipped those manuals into pretty decent shape! Haha. I refuse to be held accountable for the deficiencies of your photocopied cheat sheet!
Ha! Calm down Mr Software Manager. I was referring to all the 'speed commands' that Mr Rance had up his sleeve, all the OS9 utilities, WORM drive stuff, and the hidden 'Easter Eggs' such as the embryonic music notation page behind the RS page. When one uses a Fairlight Series III CMI 16+ hours per day for many, many years producing over 300 scores, the 'work-arounds' are essential. Just a fact. Also one's 'pay check' is wholly dependent upon the machine producing music. Just have to look at this all from the users' perspective and being less 69K GBP in the first place, also often ASD.
Oh! And I thin you or Ivor Hay actually printed that 'crib' sheet out for me to proof-read when I was in Sydeny. So, it isn't a photocopy, as you gave it to me :-) Remember?!!
Just another 3am in the morning thought, if anyone is interested in how to make an entire piece of music for the BBC using the Fairlight Series III CMI: ruclips.net/video/9_G5HotUVwI/видео.html
If it takes 16 seconds to read out the date, for no reason, I guessed the rest of the video will be as equally as boring. So decided to stop and do something less boring instead.
Ha! There are two other Fairlights in that room, an acoustic grand piano, PG's old Yamaha CP70 Electric Piano, a drum kit and lots of other musical things. Yesterday we had a former member of 'The Troggs' and the brother of Tears for Fears' singer Curt Smith doing a charity record. They didn't complain. Especially as I do not charge money for doing music since coming back from five years in the war zone in Northern Uganda in 2010. Long story. But I was born there!! :-)
![Eminem - Somebody Save Me (feat. Jelly Roll) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vwa0HenQMi4/mqdefault.jpg)
This video is a real gem. Love the coughing sounds and horrible sound that starts playing around 11 minutes.
I was in awe when I first saw one in action back in the day. What a game changer it was.
Indeed. It changed my life hearing PG working on San Jacinto, which was programmed in MCL, way back in 1982. Btw We are still developing it. There are two teams of extra-ordinary software programmers from the original Fairlight team and designers looking at 50th anniversary version. Qasar Beach is the flag-bearer at the moment... along with Paul S. We'll talk about it next year :-)
Fascinating how technology has made life easier, brilliant video
the III series really was the best :) But they all had their charme. Even the first 2 revisions. I still have nothing but the upmost respect for the Fairlight, its designers and everyone who used it back then and even today. The Mother of all DAWs. A real beauty even without the lightpen and CRT. The Touchpad stylus model definitely must have been a lot better to use over a long time in the studio. I would absolutely love to use one of these even today.
Thank you. Actually I was physically with Kim Ryrie the co-inventor and Paul Schlusser the head of software just back in May. We had a reunion here in Box. Also planning a few new things, so watch this space 🙂
a beautiful machine and interesting piece of music history, thanks for sharing
I purchased my Series III from Syco Systems in 1988 through Andrew, sold it in 2005 and wished I hadn't!
I always wanted to play with one of these after seeing Peter Gabriel sampling junkyard noises.
I'm grateful i live in a time where a laptop, DAW, audio interface, and midi controller can do a majority of what this can do. I would have never been able to afford one of these had I been an adult when they first came out.
Interesting to see that the CMI basically did by then what a modern DAW does now.
fascinating video! Thankyou for sharing this.
The instrument of my youth, all the cool bands had a Fairlight!
Bloody impressive for its time. No wonder it was so sought after and so bloody expensive
what a lovely video ! I even learned a couple of keyboard shortcuts :)
Very interesting! I’d never seen a Series III in action before. It’s quite a bit more advanced than the previous versions, and it’s clearly well on its way to what DAWs eventually became.
Them was the days😊
That was the best explained I ever herd.
Interesting stuff, I just subbed to the channel
Interviewed Kim Ryrie last month. Fantastic fellow.
Just to make sure no one thinks I'm a Fairlight programmer first and musician second(?!), here's a recent real 'live' string quartet arrangement that I had to also do in double quick time. Yep, used Cubase to play each part in, then scored it out in Musescore. Fortunately I managed to get a couple of Grade 8s when 17 years old at Marlborough College on the 4-manual Church Organ there and also on violin. Need to blow the dust of my fiddle cases one day, I guess, but will have to get past my drum kit in the bedroom first :-) ruclips.net/video/5iiVTqmwIMg/видео.html
Very interesting ;)
A couple of 'typos', sorry, the looped SMPTE out to input (not sample cable from the Mix output to sample input) creates Steve Rance's large timecode display on ESC 1, requested by Steve Levine. Sample the outputs back in when the RS Page is running is only possible if Voice Card 1+2 is not being used, as that's the card which 'clocks' the sample rate, and 'hit' records on the Series III is roughly correct, I think. However, if we include the predecessors, the Fairlight Series I, Series II (with updated sampling capability) and the Series IIx (with a very early Midi) that adds from 1979 to 1984 which was 8-bit. The Series III CMI arrived in 1985. The earliest Series III System 'boot' disk is dated 20 / 11 / 1985 which was copied by Mr Adrian Bruce, probably for the first trade fair outing in Tokyo. Someone really should / could make a fun documentary about all this, maybe? ;-)
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
I used to dream about owning one of those back in my teens. I have an open source emulation of one that very closely adheres to the original including the original OS on my system now. I also have a plugin of it from Arturia running in my DAW that has much of the original functionality; mostly the sampling and recording features are missing. I can indeed use the Arturia as a standard plugin software instrument to access the CMI's sound library or, I can do the whole project with the standalone version. I have messed around a bit with both and, man, so clunky and unintuitive they are compared to any of today's modern DAWs. We are so spoiled now. BTW, I also have the Synclavier emulation from Arturia as well. That one actually contains the actual audio engine code from the original Synclav. with a new UI by Arturia that makes it much more accessible. I dreamed of that machine in my teens as well while I plinked and plunked my way along on a CZ 101.
I remember the Fairlight. The dying cat sample, not so much.
Great video. Your voice reminds me of David Bowie haha.
can you do another vid on page r and song mode please? the non-linear (song) programming is really amazing
Hi Roger great video, I love everything Fairlight related.
Do you happen to know where I might be able to purchase a Series III pen tip?
Hey Roger, whaddaya mean "most of the commands weren't in the manual"??? We eventually whipped those manuals into pretty decent shape! Haha. I refuse to be held accountable for the deficiencies of your photocopied cheat sheet!
Ha! Calm down Mr Software Manager. I was referring to all the 'speed commands' that Mr Rance had up his sleeve, all the OS9 utilities, WORM drive stuff, and the hidden 'Easter Eggs' such as the embryonic music notation page behind the RS page. When one uses a Fairlight Series III CMI 16+ hours per day for many, many years producing over 300 scores, the 'work-arounds' are essential. Just a fact. Also one's 'pay check' is wholly dependent upon the machine producing music. Just have to look at this all from the users' perspective and being less 69K GBP in the first place, also often ASD.
Oh! And I thin you or Ivor Hay actually printed that 'crib' sheet out for me to proof-read when I was in Sydeny. So, it isn't a photocopy, as you gave it to me :-) Remember?!!
Ableton: circa 1979.
Just another 3am in the morning thought, if anyone is interested in how to make an entire piece of music for the BBC using the Fairlight Series III CMI: ruclips.net/video/9_G5HotUVwI/видео.html
If it takes 16 seconds to read out the date, for no reason, I guessed the rest of the video will be as equally as boring. So decided to stop and do something less boring instead.
Setting up a 100.000$ dream machine (of the past, I admit) in such a mess of a room is a sacrilege 🤣
Ha! There are two other Fairlights in that room, an acoustic grand piano, PG's old Yamaha CP70 Electric Piano, a drum kit and lots of other musical things. Yesterday we had a former member of 'The Troggs' and the brother of Tears for Fears' singer Curt Smith doing a charity record. They didn't complain. Especially as I do not charge money for doing music since coming back from five years in the war zone in Northern Uganda in 2010. Long story. But I was born there!! :-)
most creative people thrive amongst some degree of clutter
Release the software its outdated now