In the world of music electronics/ electronic music we've seen many successful designs, but there are still approaches to electronic sampling/playback, analog synthesis, and a myriad of combinations of two that have yet to be discovered. My interests are currently in theater pipe organs and I'd love to see Miditzer and Hauptwerk develop an actual pipe system (ie. Conn)that one can fabricate from simple plans using basic supplies and perhaps software that uses a simple microphone for calibration.
This is an absolutely amazing piece of video/history, thank you so much for uploading it. It's incredible to hear Dr. Bob Moog speak about a technology that was quite different to that which he pioneered yet he understood and accepted it as a way forward for electronic music.
When Bob says "we can specify the strengths or amplitudes of 32 harmonics" do you think that means all the sounds the fairlight makes are made from 32 individual sine waves?
@1982CFD Actually, from the data on the Fairlight I've read, it is capable of 128 harmonics, but that's only for fidelity--I suppose most "synthesized" sounds only need 32 at best to sound good, and more for sampled sounds. The Synclavier did a similar thing--it couldn't directly sample, but I could load up pre-recorded ones and re-synthesize them using FM synthesis instead of the additive synthesis the Fairlight used.
The name of the machine is "Fairlight CMI" (CMI means "Computer Musical Instrument"). It was one of the first digital computerized Synthesizer and Sound-Sampler. They first came out in 1979 and were very expensive (the first ones costs about 1 Million US $ !!) The first CMIs based on the QASAR, a two-processor Motorola 6800 Computer-system. It had it's own OS called QDOS. At all, it was a system of it's own, not compatible to other computers.
In the world of music electronics/ electronic music we've seen many successful designs, but there are still approaches to electronic sampling/playback, analog synthesis, and a myriad of combinations of two that have yet to be discovered. My interests are currently in theater pipe organs and I'd love to see Miditzer and Hauptwerk develop an actual pipe system (ie. Conn)that one can fabricate from simple plans using basic supplies and perhaps software that uses a simple microphone for calibration.
paulj0557 7 months ago
Great video, thanks for uploading. Indeed Moog looks kind of uncomfortable doing the presentation here. But he manages to convey his points anyway.
Audionized 10 months ago
This is an absolutely amazing piece of video/history, thank you so much for uploading it. It's incredible to hear Dr. Bob Moog speak about a technology that was quite different to that which he pioneered yet he understood and accepted it as a way forward for electronic music.
aomvideoland 1 year ago
Comment removed
aomvideoland 1 year ago
I bet a MicroKORG would blow his mind!
trentbuzz 1 year ago
!!!!ELDER GOD OF SYNTHESIZER!!!!! ___R.I.P.___
THEH4VOC 1 year ago
When Bob says "we can specify the strengths or amplitudes of 32 harmonics" do you think that means all the sounds the fairlight makes are made from 32 individual sine waves?
1982CFD 1 year ago
@1982CFD Actually, from the data on the Fairlight I've read, it is capable of 128 harmonics, but that's only for fidelity--I suppose most "synthesized" sounds only need 32 at best to sound good, and more for sampled sounds. The Synclavier did a similar thing--it couldn't directly sample, but I could load up pre-recorded ones and re-synthesize them using FM synthesis instead of the additive synthesis the Fairlight used.
eddievhfan1984 1 year ago
Comment removed
Vulpyra 1 year ago
lol... a Farilight "anywhere in the world" ... yeah all 6 huh?
Melted369 1 year ago
Man, Bob was obviously a very shy man, and standing on a stage doing a presentation must have been terrifying.
postingoldtapes 1 year ago
the floppy idea reminds me of the open architecture Korg OASYS.
r.i.p moog
KaslarProductions 2 years ago
he has a way of making something complicated seem very simple
mrgreanjeans 2 years ago
So sampling was just one synthesis function of the Fairlight, interesting.
davcar23 3 years ago
the floppy disc is realy big!i like this historical music stuff.
djyourgofromlelystad 3 years ago
"I see a man in a white car" ...
CusterFlux 3 years ago
Holy Cow, I remember those old floppys! Jeese! Praise Bob!
AmbientMusic 3 years ago
not understod what was the machine/computer name ? what kind of software / OS it was ?
cybercow222 3 years ago
The name of the machine is "Fairlight CMI" (CMI means "Computer Musical Instrument"). It was one of the first digital computerized Synthesizer and Sound-Sampler. They first came out in 1979 and were very expensive (the first ones costs about 1 Million US $ !!) The first CMIs based on the QASAR, a two-processor Motorola 6800 Computer-system. It had it's own OS called QDOS. At all, it was a system of it's own, not compatible to other computers.
whiteman156 3 years ago 7
The first ones didn't cost a million dollars.
s1962johnson 2 years ago
They might have, if there were sold in really limited quantities. But they managed to bring the price down to below $100,000 by the mid 80s.
eddievhfan1984 2 years ago
Very historical. It's great there is source to see this stuff
MichaelJHuman 3 years ago
This is very cool and bizarre! Why is Bob Moog presenting the Fairlight? Weird. Was this after his Moog music connection?
alphabeets 3 years ago
Yeah, he'd left the Moog company by this point I think.
PaulRoberts 2 years ago
Where did oyu get this? Great video.
Dogboy73 3 years ago
I was a sales engineer for Fairlight and was one of the producers of this presentation.
jhanalog 3 years ago 2
Fantastic. It's great to see this kind of stuff. Cheers for posting.
Dogboy73 3 years ago 2
@jhanalog from wich year was this?
bonkswa 11 months ago
Pure inspiration. Two musical pioneers on the same same. Moog and Fairlight!
johnvonahlen 4 years ago
Thank you for this awesome footage. This should also be packed in one big video instead of pieces, for easier viewing.
anemovatis 4 years ago
I think you can only post 10 min segments so I cut it up.
jeff
jhanalog 4 years ago
I like the presentation. I like to see Bob Moog doing his thing. Nice man, I guess.
Keijz74 3 years ago
Thank you jhanalog and thank you too Bob!
XMOB 4 years ago