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
> <mailto:Fairlight-CMI%40yahoogroups.com> , <peter.vogel@> 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
> 	>
>