Fairlight
Encyclopedia
Fairlight is a digital audio company based in Sydney, Australia. In 1979 they created the Fairlight CMI
, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel
, Kate Bush
, and Jean Michel Jarre
. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio recording and mixing console
s. Fairlight became such a prominent part of 1980s pop music that Phil Collins
included the text "there is no Fairlight on this record" on the sleeve of No Jacket Required
.
and Kim Ryrie. They produced microprocessor
-based sampler
s which were revolutionary for their time.
New sounds could be created by drawing a 'sound wave' on the screen, which the computer would produce as sound. Theoretically, any sound was possible. Apart from opening up a world of new sounds, the Fairlight gave composers and performers instant playback. By changing the wave patterns presented on a screen they could tweak a sound into shape without singing or performing it all over again.
Their hybrid analog/digital Computer Video Instrument, invented by Kia Silverbrook
, debuted in 1984. The fact that the CVI was also a "computer" was transparent to its use: it did not use a conventional ASCII keyboard (though in later models one could be attached), but rather a set of sliders and a small graphics pad about the size of the palm of a hand. Menu selections were made with a stylus rather than a mouse. The CVI allowed you to paint directly over the top of video footage as well as "with" video footage via an extensive series of effects.
In April 1989, Fairlight ESP (Electric Sound and Picture) was established by Kim Ryrie, with the financial backing of Australian distributor Amber.
In August 2009, a new company called Fairlight Instruments was launched by Peter Vogel, with the objective of producing a new range of computer musical instruments (CMI) based on Fairlight.au's "Crystal Core" media engine.
-based architecture, but a Field Programmable Gate Array.
Xynergi - a tactile control unit that makes use of self-labeling LCD keys.
Fairlight CMI 30A - a new CMI being developed by Peter Vogel through his own company (using technology provided by Fairlight.au), not yet released, said to be released during 2010.
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, and Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio recording and mixing console
Mixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
s. Fairlight became such a prominent part of 1980s pop music that Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
included the text "there is no Fairlight on this record" on the sleeve of No Jacket Required
No Jacket Required
The album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Collins , was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant's dress code of "jacket required" for dinner, while Plant was allowed in. Collins was wearing a jacket, and argued about it. The Maître d'...
.
History
In 1975, Fairlight Instruments Pty Ltd was established by Peter VogelPeter Vogel (computer designer)
Peter Vogel is an Australian inventor and technologist. He was born in Sydney on 30 August 1954 and now lives in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with his wife Lorraine and Jasmine, the youngest of his four daughters, in a which he spent 4 years building himself.-History:In his youth Peter was...
and Kim Ryrie. They produced microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
-based sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
s which were revolutionary for their time.
New sounds could be created by drawing a 'sound wave' on the screen, which the computer would produce as sound. Theoretically, any sound was possible. Apart from opening up a world of new sounds, the Fairlight gave composers and performers instant playback. By changing the wave patterns presented on a screen they could tweak a sound into shape without singing or performing it all over again.
Their hybrid analog/digital Computer Video Instrument, invented by Kia Silverbrook
Kia Silverbrook
Kia Silverbrook is an Australian inventor, scientist, and serial entrepreneur. He is the world's most prolific inventor with 4,097 granted U.S. utility patents as of 23 August 2011...
, debuted in 1984. The fact that the CVI was also a "computer" was transparent to its use: it did not use a conventional ASCII keyboard (though in later models one could be attached), but rather a set of sliders and a small graphics pad about the size of the palm of a hand. Menu selections were made with a stylus rather than a mouse. The CVI allowed you to paint directly over the top of video footage as well as "with" video footage via an extensive series of effects.
In April 1989, Fairlight ESP (Electric Sound and Picture) was established by Kim Ryrie, with the financial backing of Australian distributor Amber.
In August 2009, a new company called Fairlight Instruments was launched by Peter Vogel, with the objective of producing a new range of computer musical instruments (CMI) based on Fairlight.au's "Crystal Core" media engine.
Current products
Crystal Core processing engine - a sound processing device capable of sampling frequencies up to 384 kHz. Crystal core does not use DSPDigital signal processor
A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing.-Typical characteristics:...
-based architecture, but a Field Programmable Gate Array.
Xynergi - a tactile control unit that makes use of self-labeling LCD keys.
Fairlight CMI 30A - a new CMI being developed by Peter Vogel through his own company (using technology provided by Fairlight.au), not yet released, said to be released during 2010.
External links
- Company making the Fairlight CMI 30th Anniversary edition
- Fairlight Users Group
- FairlightUS North America
- Fairlight Europe
- Candor Chasma - The main French resource about the Fairlight CMI (English version available)
- Image of Xynergi based studio
- Mars Lasar worked for Fairlight while composing his own works
- Some of Peter Vogel's historical Fairlight images and music collection.
- http://www.fairlightau.com/Archive_Site/2006au2.html
- http://www.vintagesynth.com/
