QasarBeach – A Desktop Fairlight Experience!

For some time now, I have been helping/consulting with the developer of an application that seeks to replicate the functionality of the Fairlight Series IIx within a modern computer environment. And as of yesterday, he has made it publicly available for people to download and try.

QasarBeach Homepage

Firstly, it is worth pointing out that this is NOT a code emulation, nor does it model any of the hardware. No original CMI code has been duplicated in any way at all. This application has been built from the ground up and is heavily based on the CMI OS. It is able to read original CMI .VC files, as well as many others too.

It is a very small app and you can download it, along with some demo files and a visual guide to get you up and running. The developer, who goes under the name of AdamStrange, has faithfully recreated much of the functionality exactly as it was on the original, whilst adding a few features to allow it to work with things that just weren’t around at the time of the original, such as external MIDI controllers.

You can configure the look and feel to suit your taste and it even has a fully functioning Page R!

I have shown this to various Fairlight experts, including one of its inventors and they were incredibly impressed with it.

At present, it is available on macOS, Windows & Linux, although the Windows and Linux version are not as thoroughly tested as the Mac version at this time. Download it now and have a very nostalgic, musical Xmas!!