The ultimate Fairlight CMI?
Yes, yes, I know…. another Fairlight post, but feck me, this one’s a doozy!!
Up for sale on eBay in Australia now is this rare beauty. A Fairlight CMI III in a rackmount, loaded with pretty much everything you can think of, including some awesome library content from the likes of Pet
Shop Boys, Trevor Horn, Hans Zimmer, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Art of Noise and many, many others. The complete Fairlight IIx library is also included. There is no keyboard included but the description states that any MIDI controller will do the trick. A slight shame, but not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination.
Fairlight CMI III Rack Mount System
The blurb reads….
Offered for sale is a very rare, fully functional, vintage classic Fairlight CMI III computer musical instrument workstation in excellent condition. The system is a late model, in a rack case and as such has the latest and best in technical innovations, whilst still retaining the classic legendary sound of the CMI.
CMI III Rackmount
The system has the latest 9.34 software, has 16 voices, colour graphics card, and 24 output router. It also comes with the later MFX alpha-numeric keyboard, a beautiful golden mouse, and a 15” LCD screen is included (not the one shown in the pictures). Instead of the usual 14 Mbytes RAM memory fitted as standard from the factory, this unit has a brand new 32 Mbyte card, which is the maximum possible in these systems. There is no music keyboard, however any MIDI keyboard or external computer/sequencer will work brilliantly. The only “non-standard” aspect of this system is the MIDI module, which is from a later MFX3, and has 2 ports in, and 2 out. However, since all the cards and modules of a series III are plug-in, it would only take two minutes to retro-fit an original module, should one become available. This aspect of the design also makes servicing a breeze. In the unlikely event of a board failure, this can simply be swapped out for a replacement from me. I have a huge amount of other systems and spares, since I bought most of the factories old stock and spare parts. I have been supporting these incredible systems for many years, and hope to continue this for many more…
CMI III Internals
The libraries supplied with this system are as follows:
Complete Fairlight library, Prosonus Strings, Brass, Percussion, Sound Genesis strings, plus many libraries collected over the last 20 years dealing with top producers and musicians. These include libraries from: Pet Shop Boys, Trevor Horn, Hans Zimmer, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Art of Noise and many, many others. The complete Fairlight IIX library is also included.An external empty 4 Gbyte hard disc, with spare system softwares can also be supplied for a minimal additional cost.
The system will be serviced, have a full set of manuals, all leads, latest firmware, and come with 3 months warranty.
Please note you’ll see other Fairlight systems advertised, and some might be less expensive. However, do some research before you buy. What may look like a bargain might not look so appealing when its obsolete parts finally give up. This applies specially to earlier systems. This system is complete, fully functional, and will work straight out of the box. I worked as product specialist and studio manager at Fairlight in Sydney during most of the 1980s, and have been involved in re-building Fairlight CMIs for over 25 years. I have sold and supported well over 35 of these classic samplers. If you are in any doubt, please type “Peter Wielk Fairlight” into the worlds favourite search engine and see what comes out.
CMI III Screen & Keyboard
I have tried to describe this system as accurately as possible. However, please feel free to ask any questions, or if you’re passing through Sydney, you would be very welcome to have an extensive demonstration. Lastly, these systems were designed and built with no compromises, reflected by their US$75,000 price tag when new. The sound is completely awesome. You might buy a sample CD of the Fairlight sounds, it will sound NOTHING like the real thing.
CMI III System Info Screen
Also, only about 200 systems were built, and they were sold to the most influental musicians and producers in the world. The sounds of the Fairlight CMI formed the soundtrack of the 1980s. So, if you’ve always lusted after one, here’s your chance to own a part of music history!
The pictures in the sequence were taken in my demo studio, which includes an old sign from the factory.
The item has a starting price of $6999 USD and a Buy It Now price of $11999 USD, so it won’t be making it to the Failed Muso studios anytime soon, I’m sad to say, but if you have a spare $12k kicking about, you won’t find a more advanced and complete CMI III anywhere else, I’d wager!
Gear for sale! – ALL ITEMS NOW SOLD
Well, this is the final selection of goodies up for sale by me. I’ve already sold my CS1x and RM1x. That was tough as I really did like those bits of gear, but they were incredibly underused by me and needed to by liquidated to generate funds for the Alesis DM-10 Pro kit I want to buy.
So, to top up the funds and get me to the line, there are three further bits of gear to sell.
They are a Yamaha SU-10 sampler, Roland PMA-5 Arranger/Sequencer and a Yamaha DX27 FM synth.
Yamaha SU-10
Roland PMA-5
Yamaha DX27
They are currently up on eBay so take a look and make a bid! All manuals/power supplies included. All mint condition and never gigged. Only received limited use in my smoke & pet free studio.
Although the eBay widgets are displaying the prices in $USD they are all for sale in £GBP and all items are in the UK. I will consider shipping outside of the UK. Bidders must contact me prior to the end of the auction for a quote. Bidders with zero feedback will need to email me with cast iron assurances of their authenticity.
Tony Wilson’s personal record collection for sale!
In one of those “once in a lifetime” opportunities, a portion of the late, great Tony Wilson‘s record collection has come up for sale on eBay! Tony Wilson is probably best known for being co-founder of Factory Records and the Haçienda nightclub.
Contained for sale are some absolute gems that I’m sure will achieve vast sums of cash.
Here is a copy of Joy Division’s Transmission/Novelty – FAC 13, signed by Ian Curtis!
Click here to browse what is currently on offer and there is more to come apparently!
Also for sale….
In addition to the Elka, I am also selling some of my loop and sample collections. Made by my own fair hand, these are CD’s or DVD’s crammed full of Electro, Jungle, Hardcore, Ambient and Deep House loops and breaks, all in 16bit/44.1KHz WAV format and also saome in REX format.
See HERE for more details 
)
Coldplay Studio clearout !!
Risking yet another deluge of idiots asking me if *I* still have these itmes for sale, I noticed that Coldplay are having a bit of a spring clean. Items include…
Emu SP1200
Roland SH-101
Pearl Syncussion SY1
Korg PolySix
Roland Jupiter6
LinnDrum LM-2
Oberheim Stretch DX
Korg MonoPoly
And just to remind anyone thinking of emailing me asking about these items and whether I still have them for sale or if I can ship to some Aussie backwater hick town, population 5, where the father is also the mother’s brother, I WILL hunt you down and rape you !! ;o)
I AM NOT VINCE CLARKE !!!!
Oh how I wish I was !!!!
A little while back, I posted an article about Vince Clarke (Erasure/Depeche Mode/Yazoo/The Assembly) selling off a whole load of gear on eBay…..
Vince Clarke’s Studio For Sale
.. and ever since, I have been bombarded with emails from ignorant fools who simply don’t read the post, asking if I still have particular items left for sale !!
The first few were amusing, but they subsequently got more annoying and abusive when I told them I wasn’t Vince and I wasn’t selling these things !!!
So, if you have found this post because your sorry ass Googled some bit of vintage gear that you want, DO NOT SEND ME ANY FUCKING EMAILS AS I AM NOT VINCE CLARKE AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY GEAR FOR SALE !!!!!
And the next person that sends me an abusive email because of this will have their cock cut off and force fed to them on a cocktail stick.
I shit you not.
Vince Clarke’s Studio For Sale
EDIT: Would people stop emailing me asking to buy this stuff !!!! Read the post ! This is being sold on eBay by Vince Clarke (or on his behalf, at least). If I owned any of this stuff, I would not be selling it, that’s for sure ! LOL ;o)
Now here’s an auction I am interested in !!
Apparantly, Vince is moving his studio to the U.S. and he’s selling off a load of gear before he goes.
Up for auction are the following…
Gentle Electric Model 101
Ear 822Q
Drawmer DS201 Gate x2
DBX 166A Comp x2
Roland SDE3000A
Eventide H3000-D/SE
Bel Electronics BD-80
Lexicon PCM70
Bel Electronics BA40
Korg Stage Echo
DeltaLab Effectron ADM1024
Orban/Parasound 106CX
Korg Signal Delay
Roland Space Echo
Lexicon Primetime
Peavey Reverb
Ear 823MQ
Drawmer DL221
Roland GS 6
Otari DTR-7
Aiwa XK007 Excelia
Denon DCD 595
Furman Sound RV-1
Astorias Classical Accoustic GTR JM155
Martin&co Steel String Accoustic
Yamaha NS-10 Pair x2
Ear 509mkII Amplifier x2
Ear 549 Amplifier x4
Un-named Studio Control Speakers
SAE P50 Amplifier x2
NAD 3020A Amplifier
Akai S1000
Roland A110 Midi Display
Alesis DATA DISK
Dual 505-2 Turntable
Revox 1/4 inch 2 Track Recorder
David 9000 Speakers
Studer C37 Type828 2 Track Recorder
Studer A80 24 Track Recorder
EMT 140 Plate Reverb
UMI Computers x 8 with drive and memory cards
Optikenetics Solar 250 Light
Speaker Stands 45cm High
AS Filter Bank FB3
EMO RackLight RK1
Sycologic AMI
Sycologic M16x
Sycologic PSP
FriendChip SRC
FriendChip SRC/AT
Ensoniq KMX-16
DAC High Capacity Storage System
Amek Mixing Console
Groove Electronics MC-Lites Midi Box
JBL M553 Crossover
Tascam DA-P1 DAT
Arun Oxley Pin Patch
Otari Radar 24 Track Hrd Drv Recorder Plus SCSCI Drive
Otari RE-8E Controller
Amek Mice Controller
Studer A80 VU Remote Control
Studer AutoLocator
Bantam Jack Patch 6 1U units of 96 inputs
A/DA GTR Flanger
ProCo GTR FX RAT
DaneElectro Tuner
Signex CPM22 MIDI Patch
Symetrix Headphone Amplifier SX204
Fairlight C.M.I
Erasure MIDI/Gate System
Beckmann9020 Oscilloscope
Roland PMA-5 x2
Roland MC-4 Micro Composer x6
Roland CV Interface 0P-8M x5
Roland Digital Cassette Recorder MTR100 x3
Roland SBX-80 Midi Sync Box
Roland MC-300 Micro composer
Roland MC-500 MKII Micro Composer
Behringer Ultra X crossover
BSS DPR522 Gate
AB 215 EQ x2
Behringer ULtra Q Pro
BSS FCS 926 Varicurve x2
BSS FCS 920 Varicurve
Klark Teknik DN514 Auto Gate
Behringer Multicom 4ch Compresser x2
Behringer Composer Pro 2ch Compresser x2
Roland SDE 3000 x2
Yamaha SPX90 x2
Yamaha R1000 Reverb
DBX 120-DS
BSS Soundweb 9088i Signal Processer
BSS FCS 920 Varicurve
Yamaha SPX90MkII
Behringer Virtualizer Pro
BSS DPR502 Midi Noise Gate
DBX 500 SubHarmonizer
DBX 160 2ch Compresser VU Meter Version
AB 215LT EQ
Yamaha PM180 Rack Mixer
Behringer Tube Ultra Q x3
AB 231 EQ
Roland Dimension SDD-320
Citronic V-4.5 Conquest 2ch Amplifier
White Parametric EQ x2
Crest Century 24ch Mixing Console
Crest 32ch Mxing Console
Duke Box
Quite a list and one item of note is the Fairlight although it doesn’t appear in the eBay shop yet. Either it has sold or is yet to be listed. I am led to believe that items are added as and when they become available.
Take a look and bid on a piece of history from one of the greatest electronic musicians of all time.
Nothing for ages, then two come along at once !!
It’s been all quiet on the Fairlight front recently. Just as well really, as now, more than ever, they are destined to be forever out of my reach.
But within the last few days, two have sprung up. And they share a common link.
Firstly, we have this beauty….[via Matrixsynth]
This is a CMI III Revision 9.34 with the MFX2 functionality (revision 11.39) added. MFX2 is basically a 24 track “Direct To Disk” HD audio recorder/editor. This is probably the ultimate CMI. It also comes with the following libraries, capable of inducing involuntary bladder leakage and uncontrolled ejaculation…
Complete Fairlight library, Prosonus Strings, Brass, Percussion, Sound Genesis strings, plus many libraries collected over the last 20 years dealing with top producers and musicians. These include libraries from: Pet Shop Boys, Trevor Horn, Hans Zimmer, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Art of Noise and many, many others. The complete Fairlight IIX library is also included.
Currently sitting with no bids on eBay Australia, it has a starting price of AUS$12,490 and a Buy It Now of AUS$14,865. That works out at about £5047 & £6808 respectively. Then of course there would be the shipping. It’s a fine example and worth every penny.
Secondly, a member of the Fairlight Yahoo list is selling. No pics of this one, but very similar to the afore mentioned CMI. In their own words….
Hi everyone,
I’m selling my Fairlight Series III (rev 9.34), if anyone on this list in interested. I bought it in from NY as a 6.03 machine in 2002 and soon after had it serviced and upgraded to a 9.34 machine courteous of Peter Wielk at Horizontal Productions. It’s served me well ever since
))))
The full spec is as follows:
9.34 Machine
16 Voice
14 Meg RAM (7x 2 Meg Boards)
1x 4GB Internal HD – Full of amazing libraries such as the FULL Series III factory sounds (including Subscription Tapes), IIx libraries, Pet Shop Boys, Hanz Zimmer, Pro Strings, Pro Brass, Pro Percussion, JJ (Art on Noise), plus many more
1x 4GB External HD – Full of rare and excellent libraries, beats, sounds which compliment the 1st HD libraries nicely
Original Monitor
Original Music Keyboard
Original QWERTY / G-Tablet keyboard
Original 60 MB Tape Streamer
Original 8″ Disc Drive
Original cables / wires / plugs
Several 60MB Tapes
Couple of 8″ discs
Cosmetic condition is about 8.5 / 10
Working condition is 99.99%*
It was sold to me as previously owned by ZZ Top, but I can’t confirm this. It’s more likely it had been used by them in the studio they recorded in.* The G-Pen cap, which screws on at the end and holds the metal nib in place, has a chip broken off meaning it can’t hold or keep the nib. This is a dead easy fix. I have thought about melting the plastic and re-shaping it, but it’s something I’m not too clued up on so was waiting for someone to come along and recommend me a better way. Apart from this, it works as it should.
Please mail me off list if you’re interested. It will be very upsetting to see her go, so I’m not about to accept any silly offers. I also have photos which I can supply on demand.
Contact Peter at peter.yahoogroups@googlemail.com if you are seriously interested.
Anyway, the common link is that both these machines have been serviced by Peter Wielk at Horizontal Productions. Peter is a former Fairlight employee, so his experience is virtually unparalleled.
Visit the website & check out the Parts and systems page where, amongst other things, he is selling 4GB hard drives with library ! Now, apparantly there is a piece of PC software that can read these Fairlight HD’s and convert the samples to .wav. I’ve been approached to go halves on one but my budget won’t allow that right now. However, it must be worth it to try and get some of these legendary sounds !
Well, here are a few more pics of the first CMI for you to have a “Tommy Tank” over !
Prepare for a bizarre Oktoberfest !!!
Picture the scene….
You’re sat in a massive marquee, surrounded by strapping German dudes in Lederhosen, and equally strapping German lasses balancing 20 pints of finest German ale on their ample bussoms.
The “Oompah” band in the corner strike up a tune straight out of the heart of the Bavarian hills, when all of a sudden, young Uter, the accordian player, throws down his usual weapon of choice and picks up his newly modified……..
KORG PROPHECY !!!!!!!!
WTF ?!?!?!
The usual parping of wind over reeed is replaced by screaming analog models…..SCHMACK MEINE BITCH UP !!!!!!
This bizarre modification is currently selling on eBay in Austria here..
…and the description translates (with a little help from Babel Fish) as….
For Sale: Korg Prophecy in very good condition! The Synth is converted with a button system for Balkan musicians as well as Balkan music. The modification was accomplished by the well-known master Arsenijevic in Kragujevac. Connoisseurs will therefore know how good this is. Bag, as well as power cable included. Much fun guaranteed!
More pictures of this poor little Prophecy that should have never lived…!!
A more strange synth mod I doubt I’ll ever see ! Pisses on all those circuit benders efforts !! LOL ;o)
Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 on eBay
Found this lovely example of a Rev.0 Prophet 10 on eBay UK (Link to auction in title)
Not a lot to say about this other than it’s a piece of synth pr0n of the highest order and I’m off to get my tissues !! ;o)
