Fairlight CMI IIx (1982–1985)
The CMI IIx was the third model in Fairlight's CMI line. It came after the CMI II and before the CMI III. It was a digital synthesizer and sampling workstation, with a synthesizer, sampler, and sequencer in one unit. It was the machine that cemented Fairlight's reputation in the early 1980s. The full system sold for roughly $100,000, which put it out of reach of all but the most successful studios and artists. It still sold well, and it got used heavily in pop, film, and television production.
The IIx had 8 voices. Each one could do either additive synthesis with up to 32 harmonics or sample playback with an optional 8-bit waveform. Conversion was 8-bit DAC/ADC with 16x oversampling, and the system had 8 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs. Sampling rates were 16 kHz or 32 kHz, and later units were upgraded to 44.1 kHz. The workstation had an 8-octave keyboard, a 9-inch monochrome CRT, internal 8-inch floppy disk storage, and one or two hard drives (a 74 MB drive was offered, later 148 MB). The signature feature was the light pen, which let you draw and edit waveforms directly on the CRT. That was a novel way to work with sound at the time. The system ran custom software including the Music Composition Language (MCL) sequencer, and it could run CP/M via an optional Z80 coprocessor board. Mix magazine (March 1987, p.175) ran classified ads for pro audio gear, which shows the high-end studio market of the era. There was no native MIDI. The IIx used a proprietary interface, though later units could be retrofitted.
The list of musicians who used the IIx reads like a who's-who of 1980s pop and film music: Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Herbie Hancock, Trevor Horn, and Todd Rundgren, among others. It was particularly influential in the British new wave and synthpop scenes.
Surviving documentation on the IIx is thin. No service manuals or original marketing materials were located in the archive, and there is no confirmed data on production numbers, physical dimensions, or common failure modes. The price history has a conflict. Wikipedia cites roughly $100,000 for a full system, while a CNET retrospective claims the IIx "debuted at about $30k" - likely a base unit or an early price before full configuration, but the discrepancy is unresolved. Current market prices are unconfirmed, though working units are known to be extremely rare and highly collectible.
Known specs
- 8 voices; additive synthesis (up to 32 harmonics) or sample playback per voice
- 8-bit DAC/ADC, 16x oversampling
- Sampling rates: 16 kHz / 32 kHz (44.1 kHz on later units)
- 8 analog inputs, 8 analog outputs
- 8-octave keyboard; 9-inch monochrome CRT with light pen
- 8-inch floppy disk drive; one or two hard drives (74 MB, later 148 MB)
- No native MIDI; proprietary interface, retrofittable on later units
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