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.
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!
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