Currently it's a hidden page as it's not ready for public use.
When finished it allows you to record operations and plat them back. E.G. record a set of changes to a waveform, and then repeat those operations on other waveforms, or PAGE R, etc
This is the best download I've made in a while. I've been WAITING for years to have an authentic Fairlight CMI IIx user experience and this truly gives that. Almost got a chance to jam on one but I blew it. I am going to try and see if I can use an iPad as a sidecar for my mac and get touch screen usability. A couple questions: any chance there could be a note priority/legato off setting when using an external keyboard? So when a new note is hit as another note is being held, it takes priority?
Also very glad to hear there may be the possibility of some multichannel audio (and maybe midi?) routing. At the moment, I know there is sync record within the sampling section, but could Midi Clock sync be an option? Would allow to sync to external hardware and sequencers, and a good way of bouncing out tracks from Page R individually and in sync. Anyway, thanks so much!
Edit. I have installed 64bit linux mint and it now runs. However I am unable to use midi. The issue is that I cannot even enable midi within the program. Is this a bug or is the issue on my end? I click on the midi enable and nothing happens. If I click it too many times the program freezes up.
That's great. For now I have managed to get the windows version running in wine. There is a little latency and I still need to sort out some crackling in the audio but both of those are wine related issues and not specific to quasarbeach.
unfortunately not. The source itself isn't too big around 30,000 lines of code. but you would need the MX2 language which is also custom created plus the editor none of which are documented
I have a big issue with the Page R on v 1.21. The timing is sloppy and slows down to zero. No more workaround with. Can't play the cookbook songs anymore. If I start Page R with v 1.20 it works well (a little timing issue you've known) My system is Windows 10.
The community says thank you for updating QasarBeach. I always explore new things every day and I love all I found out. The community on our Facebook group will report all bugs, crashes or problems and suggestions to help you making the project great.
I have a problem with Velocity and Aftertouch. Can't get it work. Maybe it is my mistake? Tried it directly by routing to some parameters, tried it on function page but nothing happened. Keytime and keynumber are no problem. For example I route velocity to the volume on page 7 I see in the volume line on the right the value is always at the end of 128. The same with Aftertouch but the value is always 0! I tried it out with two different keyboards. Do you have any suggestion for me?
I would love to see ASIO compatibility with the option to use a sound card with 8 outputs, this would give some interesting routing possibilities, when it comes to tracking. [Like if you had a CMI Fairlight installed with more voice cards]
I found this screenshot in your manual. Unfortunatly if I use QasarBeach I didnˋt find Cross Fade or start and endpoint visual in any page like your screenshot. Maybe my mistake by myself?
Thanks for creating this wonderful program. I bought and downloaded it. After that I have less time for other things then Qasarbeach. Fantastic to work with. I hope for more updates in the future. The community will grow.
thanks for the comments - lovely looking system you've got there with the keyboard. The only thing missing is a big white music keyboard with QasarBeach on the back. A new version (1.21) will be posted soon for you.
Thanks for your reply. Always a pleasure having direct contact to the developer. Are you working on the timing of the machine especially Page R? It is very sloppy. We did yesterday night a special "qasarbeach user video chat" for the first time on Jitsi Meet. 4 users compared their systems and helped each other to understand the workflow of the software. On my wishlist is a free configurable CC controller setting.
Some bugs were reported:
Timing, latency, crashes by using to many cc's (simultaneously PB and Volume fader), Page 2 issue while loading operation with a pen on a touchscreen.
I think, after last night, we will continue the video chat meetings in the future.
Yes, the timing is a known issue. some work has already been done, but there is more work needed.
A lot of the midi stuff will be worked on next.
If you have any crash info (page you are on, what was happening), just let me know and I'll add it all to the todo lists, along with any other suggestions you can think of :)
Well, that was a bit convoluted but I got it! I have to say learning the Fairlight is as frustrating as it is enjoyable, it's not intuitive. Nonetheless this is an amazing piece of work, I can't wait to see what's coming! Thanks!
I felt the same the firt time i used it ,i couldn't find how to save the files,but then i read the help file on page 2, aswell as the guide and the user manual of the original fairlight,things got much clearer ,in on or two days i was much confortble .For everyone who's reading this and having the same trouble ,you have to go to page 2 "Disk control ,in the top you can see load/save option ,choose save(this activates save mode) then choose your file (in the file section) ,then below ,you set the file name in the"NAME:" field,the command will appear ,so look to the top :D maximum characters is 8 like in the original...then choose the file type . sound files are saved as ".VC" (voice) ,instrument ".IN"(all voices and controls) ,".CO"(voice controls,) page R composer ".RS",and you can also save the entire system ".SY"(".VC" ,".CO", ".IN" ".RS")... i like to save 2 files ".IN" and ".RS" and when you want to load my project ,i load both files(page 2) since you need both the intruments and the page R sequence,everything like the original fairlight.
Thanks - the Fairlight has it's own way of doing things and I tried my best to replicate it. You can see why 'engineers' were highly sought after. You can also save wav files by using the 'wa' option.
Yes, I do know, I used a Synclavier from '89-'98 and the early days were painful. We're so spoiled using all these great apps and daws. I've been reading the original manuals for the IIX and they do help understand how the system works, and it is pretty basic.
My issue now is I'm not able to edit notes once they are in the pattern. I click on a note and get it's parameters in the left window, but any input I make is ignored. I've tried to change pitch, vel, panning to no avail. Is there something I'm missing?
Hello, found some problems,when loading 8-bit wavs it crashes Qasarbeach, 16 bit and 24 bit works fine.Also in page 2 the "bits" will always display 16 bit regardless if a select a 8 , or 24 bit wav.
Hello ,i love qasarBeach ,i'm reading the user manual to learn more about the fairlight operations,today i was testing page 5 ,in the original there is a (fourier) "ANALIZE" command,that allows to reconstruct a sample by generating harmonics for the segments.Is this being worked on? Also on Page A , will it be possible to record michrophone or stereo mix? thank you so much !
QasarBeach is resolution independent - it will run exactly the same on any monitor. it's core internal resolution is 448x318 which was the original Fairlight IIx resolution
Absolutely love your work with the CMI emulator, but just discovered a possible glitch in V1.20. When moving the fader for the 30th harmonic on the "Harmonic Faders" page up or down, actually the fader for the 20th harmonic moves. The fader for the 30th doesn't seem to do anything. Would also love to see the MCL page (Page C), the keyboard sequencer page (Page 9) and the keyboard control page (Page 3) incorporated as well. Keep up the good work!
This looks very awesome. I would love for this to run on rpi. With implementation for midi and tft. The fact that this is standalone makes me love it even more. Will be getting a donation from me!!
Last time I was excited to use a software was with my Fairlight II and 3.
I use an Emulator 1 , how can I get the sounds in the Qasar ? Only have .EB1 files. Need to export to wav ?
I didn' t saw the subvoice mapping of series III files, did I missed something ? I use a lot SRC in Series III to convert sound from 44.1khz to 22.05khz, they sound more alike the series II. Could we get this function ?
Don't know if we can save .VC . IN and .RS to import them in a IIX and Series III. But would be great to follow work started on laptop. I can help testing
thanks for the comments. currently .eb1 files are not imported - this has been sorted for the next version :)
One way is to change the extension to .em1 and they should import that way.
sub-voice mapping is possible. PAGE 7, MODE 5. show subvoices. All the sounds must be in one sample, and then you just set the segment range for each subvoice and the key range. Series II Fairlight did not have this, so this is a version of the III.
I'd like you to be able to SAVE compatible RS, VC, CO, IN files (Can be read on actual machine) , implement Page C and read / write directly from disk image!
The octave +/- setting does not work on a german keyboard (notebook, dell). The "[" and "]" are controlled by ALTGR-8 and ALTGR-9. This switches to function "8" and "9" instead of oc+-. "äöü" etc. do not replace this.
I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for a proper simulation of the Fairlight CMI. I was able to use a preliminary build of MESS's CMI driver (which only emulates the UI at this time), and I can say that the interface is amazingly faithful yet improved and refined for modern music production workflow. And little things like being able to see all 128 segments in Display "A" mode is just delightful! Thank you so much for developing this, Adam!!
I made a brief video of QasarBeach show a brief recreation of the drum track from Art of Noise's Beat Box.
I hope you don't mind but I have a few questions and suggestions for future features. This maybe a stupid question, but I was wondering how does ADSR envelopes work in the program. Has an envelope generator been implemented yet and if so, is it located in Page 7 or Page F?
Will there be any scaling options such as bi-cubic, etc? A 4:3 aspect ratio option would be nice as well, along with maybe a CRT/scanline filter, however, I totally understand if this is beyond the limits of the graphics engine.
Also, it would be cool to see the Fairlight logo "animate" like in the original software, where it draws over itself several times to create that pseudo-3D effect. Do you think it's possible for logos to support animations?
Awesome work Adam. I've been looking for a good Fairlight emulator for years. One question though. I can run the Fairlight perfectly on both of my Windows 10 machines, but the exe won't open on my Windows 8.1 64 bit studio computer. However, this machine is entirely offline, and hasn't been online since 2013, so I may be missing an OS update that is required by the Fairlight.
Is there a compile that might work with this early OS version? (I'm reluctant to update windows, because the computer works perfectly with all of my day-to-day audio software and hardware.
There's no specific schedule, fixes and improvements are being made and then checked over. Only after i've gone through things a few times to check will I release something. Currently it's running at round 2 weeks per release. Is there something particular you are wanting?
Sampling would of course be something important so that you don't have to use other programs. Are you trying something about Rasperry PI? If you need the library from CMI 3, I have it and could send it to you.
This is so great! One question — I could not get it to change beat/measure to anything other than 4/4 on the R page. Is that possible and if not — will it be? Thanks!!!
That would be amazing of course. I have to say that even though my modular system is rather large I found QasarBeach an incredible tool representative of a very non trivial approach to making noises, still very usable today.
I need help! I moved the entire Qasar Beach folder, and I want to be able to load samples off of different drives..... I have limited space on my C drive, and I'd rather have everything on the D drive or the E drive. Is this possible?
Great Work, really impressive, only problem for me, is the audio output, getting lots of clicks and dropout, I wish it could support ASIO and I could choose the samplerate.
Would be great to have a setting to change the "modern" sample scaling to old-style variable playback speed! And actual in-app sampling would be fantastic. But otherwise, it's absolutely great!
I tried to start QasarBeach on an old EeePC (Intel Atom, Windows 7.32 bit) but nothing happened. I'm looking for alternatives to the Rasperry PI but I think that would be a suitable platform for it. when I'm done with my project I will make it public on Facebook, for example, and when people see that there is a Fairlight Clone for a € 30 mini PC, many will follow suit. but I have a few questions for you. refuses do you know how the fairlight works? do you have one What does the sampling function do? without them, that would only be half the battle. 😉. What about the Fairlight 3 library? Maybe you have them? Thank you for your effort and I look forward to further versions. 😉
Yep. QasarBeach is 64bit - so it will won't run on 32bit platforms - one issue solved :)
Answers:
Yep I know how the Fairlight works, but Series II and III. QasarBeach does not operate in the exact same way as Fairlight have loads of custom hardware. The key difference is the Fairlight actually change speed to change the pitch. QasarBeach takes the modern approach and has a static speed with the pitch being interpolated - if you dont understand - don't worry.
The sampling function allows you to sample in incoming sound source - it is not currently operational in QasarBeach. TBH you can simply use a simple free sound editor to do this and just export to uncompressed .wav or ogg or aif. QasarBeach will load all of them.
Series III library is only available with a real Fairlight.
Yes. I understand, at least at that time samplers worked (theoretically) but doesn't that mean that it doesn't sound so authentic anymore ?. no idea. Another seen in real. ;-) At the moment I am not working with it either, but I am more concerned with the hardware and plan there. that’s why sampling isn’t so tragic, but I hope it’s coming.
As a lover of old synthesizer systems, that was exactly what I always wanted. I love not only the sound, but also the original operation. I've always wanted to work like I did in the great days of Fairlight. even if it takes getting used to .. is like a historian ..
Als Liebhaber alter Synthesizersysteme war das genau das, was ich mir schon immer gewünscht hatte. Ich liebe nicht nur den Sound, sondern auch die originale Bedienung. Ich wollte schon immer so arbeiten wie in den großartigen Tagen von Fairlight. auch wenn es gewöhnungsbedürftig ist .. ist wie ein Historiker ..
wenn Sie auch Ihre eigenen Muster erstellen könnten ...
finally a reasonable clone of this dream machine but I don't think how I can sample myself ?@chris.what do you mean? do you build a keyboard with a Raspberry? That would be an idea if it would run on it.
currently QasarBeach doesn't sample - It's half way complete, but there are some issue with it. Good recommendation would be Amadeus, or audacity just to get the sample into the computer and then export and uncompressed 16 bit wav or aif. QasarBeach can read most uncompressed formats :)
Yes.I am currently planning to build a "Fairlight Clone" with a friend based on the Raspberry. That should consist of a keyboard and a touchscreen monitor. all in the right look, of course.
Unfortunately, I am now little dependent on whether it runs on the PI or not. if not, I have to plan this Fairlight base for the PC. Otherwise everything would fit into the keyboard. Of course I'll post pictures of it here when we start.
Good Evening or Morning fellow AdamStrange, I am pleased with what you’re doing with the quasar apps, is there any change you can make it pay-what-you-want? I would like to contribute fund to further development.
← Return to tool
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I found Page U
What is it for? Could you please explain how it works?
Currently it's a hidden page as it's not ready for public use.
When finished it allows you to record operations and plat them back. E.G. record a set of changes to a waveform, and then repeat those operations on other waveforms, or PAGE R, etc
Wow, interesting. Thanks
This is the best download I've made in a while. I've been WAITING for years to have an authentic Fairlight CMI IIx user experience and this truly gives that. Almost got a chance to jam on one but I blew it. I am going to try and see if I can use an iPad as a sidecar for my mac and get touch screen usability. A couple questions: any chance there could be a note priority/legato off setting when using an external keyboard? So when a new note is hit as another note is being held, it takes priority?
Also very glad to hear there may be the possibility of some multichannel audio (and maybe midi?) routing. At the moment, I know there is sync record within the sampling section, but could Midi Clock sync be an option? Would allow to sync to external hardware and sequencers, and a good way of bouncing out tracks from Page R individually and in sync. Anyway, thanks so much!
I can certainly look into the legato suggestion for you :)
How do I run this on Linux?
Edit. I have installed 64bit linux mint and it now runs. However I am unable to use midi. The issue is that I cannot even enable midi within the program. Is this a bug or is the issue on my end? I click on the midi enable and nothing happens. If I click it too many times the program freezes up.
it's compiled on 64bit mint.
you will need opengl, openal and sdl2 installed as well :)
Thanks for that, however I still cant get midi working. You must have something on your system that I do not.
Midi is something that is still very primitive in QasarBeach. The next version will hopefully have better linux support :)
That's great. For now I have managed to get the windows version running in wine. There is a little latency and I still need to sort out some crackling in the audio but both of those are wine related issues and not specific to quasarbeach.
let me know how you get on, if there are any issues or stuff you can think of :)
Any chance you could release the source code for this?
unfortunately not. The source itself isn't too big around 30,000 lines of code. but you would need the MX2 language which is also custom created plus the editor none of which are documented
I'm sure there are many who would not mind installing a new language or a lack of documentation.
Hello Adam
I have a big issue with the Page R on v 1.21. The timing is sloppy and slows down to zero. No more workaround with. Can't play the cookbook songs anymore. If I start Page R with v 1.20 it works well (a little timing issue you've known) My system is Windows 10.
Is ASIO driver in the pipeline for the future?
Best regards and keep on sampling
Torsten /TMA
I'll get this reverted back to the original timing for you and up a new release in a day or so :)
Wow, thanks for your fast reply.
Is there a way to add layering different voices to play simultaneously? Keyboard mapping to split the keyboard like multi sampling?
Sorry for asking so many questions
Torsten
V1.22 upped with fix for PAGE R
Currently no, but the original IIx did have 'Keyboards" which would allow that sort of behaviour - I'll have a think over the manual :)
The community says thank you for updating QasarBeach. I always explore new things every day and I love all I found out. The community on our Facebook group will report all bugs, crashes or problems and suggestions to help you making the project great.
I have a problem with Velocity and Aftertouch. Can't get it work. Maybe it is my mistake? Tried it directly by routing to some parameters, tried it on function page but nothing happened. Keytime and keynumber are no problem. For example I route velocity to the volume on page 7 I see in the volume line on the right the value is always at the end of 128. The same with Aftertouch but the value is always 0! I tried it out with two different keyboards. Do you have any suggestion for me?
Best regards
Torsten
Confirmed. I just checked and keyvol and aftertouch (from midi) are not functioning. I'll look into it :)
I would love to see ASIO compatibility with the option to use a sound card with 8 outputs, this would give some interesting routing possibilities, when it comes to tracking. [Like if you had a CMI Fairlight installed with more voice cards]
own samples in QasarBeach
That looks amazing. Thanks for sharing. I've installed Audacity also on my virtual Fairlight machine 😉
brilliant - It's how I currently get samples in QB myself. I use Amadeus On the Mac.
Here's something for you all to try. Take a sound - a vocal is a good start
goto Page 7 - the mode will be 4
change MODE: 3, AB MIX:50, B-TUNE:30
play with B-TUNE or link it to LFO 1
change MODE:2
LFO 1 SPEED:8, SEGMENT A:LFO 1
A/B MIX: 46, B-TUNE:64
play around with SEGMENT B
Use the second with wavetables ;)
Brilliant
I will try this tomorrow.You mean a voice Sound Like spoken words or a choir?
i
Hello Adam
I found this screenshot in your manual. Unfortunatly if I use QasarBeach I didnˋt find Cross Fade or start and endpoint visual in any page like your screenshot. Maybe my mistake by myself?
nom you are right, this was just a visual explanation. I can add this into the app for you. it would be on Page 4 Waveform Edit
That would be great. Because it is a visual control about the important loop points
Thanks for creating this wonderful program. I bought and downloaded it. After that I have less time for other things then Qasarbeach. Fantastic to work with. I hope for more updates in the future. The community will grow.
Best wishes
TMA
thanks for the comments - lovely looking system you've got there with the keyboard. The only thing missing is a big white music keyboard with QasarBeach on the back. A new version (1.21) will be posted soon for you.
Thanks for your reply. Always a pleasure having direct contact to the developer. Are you working on the timing of the machine especially Page R? It is very sloppy. We did yesterday night a special "qasarbeach user video chat" for the first time on Jitsi Meet. 4 users compared their systems and helped each other to understand the workflow of the software. On my wishlist is a free configurable CC controller setting.
Some bugs were reported:
Timing, latency, crashes by using to many cc's (simultaneously PB and Volume fader), Page 2 issue while loading operation with a pen on a touchscreen.
I think, after last night, we will continue the video chat meetings in the future.
Best regards
TMA / Torsten
Yes, the timing is a known issue. some work has already been done, but there is more work needed.
A lot of the midi stuff will be worked on next.
If you have any crash info (page you are on, what was happening), just let me know and I'll add it all to the todo lists, along with any other suggestions you can think of :)
I'll try my best to address all issues for you
do you have any .wts files I could look at? preferably 2 :)
All coming together now.
Removed question, I discovered midi cc's control the switches and controls.
I had to check the code for that - I thought i hadn't implemented it yet!!
It was driving me crazy trying to figure out what’s modulating the first two controls and switches, I thought they’re not accessible yet.
I can use pb and mod wheel, I haven’t discovered how the switches work, but if you’re not done yet I understand why.
Ok, I give up. How do you save a pattern or a song?
Well, that was a bit convoluted but I got it! I have to say learning the Fairlight is as frustrating as it is enjoyable, it's not intuitive. Nonetheless this is an amazing piece of work, I can't wait to see what's coming! Thanks!
I felt the same the firt time i used it ,i couldn't find how to save the files,but then i read the help file on page 2, aswell as the guide and the user manual of the original fairlight,things got much clearer ,in on or two days i was much confortble .For everyone who's reading this and having the same trouble ,you have to go to page 2 "Disk control ,in the top you can see load/save option ,choose save(this activates save mode) then choose your file (in the file section) ,then below ,you set the file name in the"NAME:" field,the command will appear ,so look to the top :D maximum characters is 8 like in the original...then choose the file type . sound files are saved as ".VC" (voice) ,instrument ".IN"(all voices and controls) ,".CO"(voice controls,) page R composer ".RS",and you can also save the entire system ".SY"(".VC" ,".CO", ".IN" ".RS")... i like to save 2 files ".IN" and ".RS" and when you want to load my project ,i load both files(page 2) since you need both the intruments and the page R sequence,everything like the original fairlight.
Thanks - the Fairlight has it's own way of doing things and I tried my best to replicate it. You can see why 'engineers' were highly sought after. You can also save wav files by using the 'wa' option.
Yes, I do know, I used a Synclavier from '89-'98 and the early days were painful. We're so spoiled using all these great apps and daws. I've been reading the original manuals for the IIX and they do help understand how the system works, and it is pretty basic.
My issue now is I'm not able to edit notes once they are in the pattern. I click on a note and get it's parameters in the left window, but any input I make is ignored. I've tried to change pitch, vel, panning to no avail. Is there something I'm missing?
Ahh, I need to have Record armed to be able to edit notes on R page.
Hello, found some problems,when loading 8-bit wavs it crashes Qasarbeach, 16 bit and 24 bit works fine.Also in page 2 the "bits" will always display 16 bit regardless if a select a 8 , or 24 bit wav.
Thank you.
can you give me a download to the samples that don't work? I'll debug them for you :)
sure ,here it is:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/393omw0y48f25n6/ACGTR3.wav?dl=0
Thanks for this - very useful. all above now fixed. will be included in the next release :)
thank you :)
Hello ,i love qasarBeach ,i'm reading the user manual to learn more about the fairlight operations,today i was testing page 5 ,in the original there is a (fourier) "ANALIZE" command,that allows to reconstruct a sample by generating harmonics for the segments.Is this being worked on? Also on Page A , will it be possible to record michrophone or stereo mix? thank you so much !
good questions and both are being worked on :)
thank you :)
and one another question, is it possible to have page R track to be sent on external midi port? would be so great to control stuff from the Fairlight
definately :) very good suggestion
any chance of having multichannel outputs support?.. would make it even closer to the original :)
it's something that is being looked into. But won't appear in the short term :)
anyway, good to know it is something that will happen sometime :)
First Test with a active pen and the new QasarBeach
that’s completely brilliant. Can I use it above?
Of ccourse.😉
Which monitor / resolution is used in this video?
QasarBeach is resolution independent - it will run exactly the same on any monitor. it's core internal resolution is 448x318 which was the original Fairlight IIx resolution
Absolutely love your work with the CMI emulator, but just discovered a possible glitch in V1.20. When moving the fader for the 30th harmonic on the "Harmonic Faders" page up or down, actually the fader for the 20th harmonic moves. The fader for the 30th doesn't seem to do anything. Would also love to see the MCL page (Page C), the keyboard sequencer page (Page 9) and the keyboard control page (Page 3) incorporated as well. Keep up the good work!
fader 30 moves fader 20 confirmed bug!!! Yay! you get a fabled QasarBeach bug t-shirt. If They existed :)
I can look into the rest for you :)
Great! Thx!
This looks very awesome. I would love for this to run on rpi. With implementation for midi and tft. The fact that this is standalone makes me love it even more. Will be getting a donation from me!!
rpi version is in the lab, but currently not operational
Just bought your CMI emulator
Last time I was excited to use a software was with my Fairlight II and 3.
I use an Emulator 1 , how can I get the sounds in the Qasar ? Only have .EB1 files. Need to export to wav ?
I didn' t saw the subvoice mapping of series III files, did I missed something ? I use a lot SRC in Series III to convert sound from 44.1khz to 22.05khz, they sound more alike the series II. Could we get this function ?
Don't know if we can save .VC . IN and .RS to import them in a IIX and Series III. But would be great to follow work started on laptop. I can help testing
Would be great to have RS midi clock synchro too
Fantastic job AdamStrange
thanks for the comments. currently .eb1 files are not imported - this has been sorted for the next version :)
One way is to change the extension to .em1 and they should import that way.
sub-voice mapping is possible. PAGE 7, MODE 5. show subvoices. All the sounds must be in one sample, and then you just set the segment range for each subvoice and the key range. Series II Fairlight did not have this, so this is a version of the III.
It's interesting music software!
I'd like you to be able to SAVE compatible RS, VC, CO, IN files (Can be read on actual machine) , implement Page C and read / write directly from disk image!
the current issues about saving compatible files would need access to a real CMI and a way to easily transfer files. currently this is not simple.
PAGE C (MCL) is something I can look into :)
would be great to have the ability to switch the screen zoom like 1x, 2x, 4x etc...
just grab an edge and resize the window to the size you want :)
yes, i know but doing that in discrete manner would be also super-useful :) to retain initial fonts consistency etc...
I can look into that for you 😀
many-many thanks in advance!!!
discrete zoom is suuuuper useful!!! thanks a lot!
The octave +/- setting does not work on a german keyboard (notebook, dell). The "[" and "]" are controlled by ALTGR-8 and ALTGR-9. This switches to function "8" and "9" instead of oc+-. "äöü" etc. do not replace this.
it’s written for uk/us keyboards, but I can look into this for you :)
I tried to run it from my download folder and it immediately shuts down (W10). It runs from a folder directly under "C:", though.
I’m assuming this is a windows protection system. Nothing to be worries about. My suggestion is to make a folder in c: and keep everything there ;)
I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for a proper simulation of the Fairlight CMI. I was able to use a preliminary build of MESS's CMI driver (which only emulates the UI at this time), and I can say that the interface is amazingly faithful yet improved and refined for modern music production workflow. And little things like being able to see all 128 segments in Display "A" mode is just delightful! Thank you so much for developing this, Adam!!
I made a brief video of QasarBeach show a brief recreation of the drum track from Art of Noise's Beat Box.
I hope you don't mind but I have a few questions and suggestions for future features. This maybe a stupid question, but I was wondering how does ADSR envelopes work in the program. Has an envelope generator been implemented yet and if so, is it located in Page 7 or Page F?Will there be any scaling options such as bi-cubic, etc? A 4:3 aspect ratio option would be nice as well, along with maybe a CRT/scanline filter, however, I totally understand if this is beyond the limits of the graphics engine.
Also, it would be cool to see the Fairlight logo "animate" like in the original software, where it draws over itself several times to create that pseudo-3D effect. Do you think it's possible for logos to support animations?
Keep up the great work!!
Excellent video - I've contacted you via soundcloud about it...
Yes, envelopes are constructed with Page 7 and functions patches into the VOLUME
CRT filters can be added as an option :)
I can look into the animated logo situation for you
Yes there is, but not in the way that ADSR operates.
the best way is to use PAGE 7 and patch either VOLUME or AUX VOLUME parameters to a FUNCTION.
Page 48 of the guide shows how to do this for PAN.
Page 41 of the guide shows how to use FUNCTIONS
Page 29 shows how to use PAGE 7
Another way is to use Page 4 and to set a VOL profile - but this is not documented in the guide as it is a more advanced feature
Awesome work Adam. I've been looking for a good Fairlight emulator for years. One question though. I can run the Fairlight perfectly on both of my Windows 10 machines, but the exe won't open on my Windows 8.1 64 bit studio computer. However, this machine is entirely offline, and hasn't been online since 2013, so I may be missing an OS update that is required by the Fairlight.
Is there a compile that might work with this early OS version? (I'm reluctant to update windows, because the computer works perfectly with all of my day-to-day audio software and hardware.
Thanks so much!
it's compiled on 64bit win 7, and will be happy with win 10 64. Unfortunately I don't have access to win 8, so can't do any tests
do you have a schedule of what you're working on? I only ask for a friend.🤭😉
There's no specific schedule, fixes and improvements are being made and then checked over. Only after i've gone through things a few times to check will I release something. Currently it's running at round 2 weeks per release. Is there something particular you are wanting?
Sampling would of course be something important so that you don't have to use other programs. Are you trying something about Rasperry PI? If you need the library from CMI 3, I have it and could send it to you.
yep, the Pi is something that is being worked on. A lot of the back end stuff has now been finished. I am still attempting to compile the main app.
such "standalone" device would be very much appreciated i believe... especially with multichannel support etc
That's wonderful. I just wait for a touch screen and in February we want to get started so the construction of the controller.
Chris, do you have a soundcloud?
Yes,i have.
really serious work! is there any chance for an ios version to appear one day?
currently around 30% possible
This is so great! One question — I could not get it to change beat/measure to anything other than 4/4 on the R page. Is that possible and if not — will it be? Thanks!!!
yep, currently not implemented, but it is coming :)
Thanls a lot!!! And separate big thanks for the manuals, super helpful!
Excellent to know you are finding them helpful. I need to look at how the harmonics systems work next...
That would be amazing of course. I have to say that even though my modular system is rather large I found QasarBeach an incredible tool representative of a very non trivial approach to making noises, still very usable today.
Yes, an insight on (quick) creating of harmonic series would be totally amazing!
Also — another question! Is output channel choosing support planned for multichannel audio cards?
Currently no, but I can put it onto the list for you :)
Not just for him.😉
yass! i'd be happy whenever that's possible! thanks.
V1.19 has user defined time signatures
thanks a lot! i'm seeing that and will experiment soon!
i would like this as a vst
unfortunately QasarBeach is only possible as a standalone app
I need help! I moved the entire Qasar Beach folder, and I want to be able to load samples off of different drives..... I have limited space on my C drive, and I'd rather have everything on the D drive or the E drive. Is this possible?
Currently there isn't a way, but I'll get onto a fix for you.
The Next release will include a new "Drive" option on the disk page. This will allow you open other drives, networks, etc
and also add them as favorites.
awesome!!!! I wish I could find an archive of all the CMI stuff here on the internet. I know I can, but don't know where......
what are you looking for?
Basically, I'm looking for as many sounds & instruments I can get.
The instrument files won't really help you a great deal as only Fairlights can use them. The complete library is in qasarbeach.zip
Great Work, really impressive, only problem for me, is the audio output, getting lots of clicks and dropout, I wish it could support ASIO and I could choose the samplerate.
what os and machine specs do you have?
Windows 10 x64 ,intel i9, RME Digiface USB
64 gb RAM
certainly the specs are very good, I'll see about doing some tests for you :)
Wow this looks very impressive!!!
Did you consider adding the master tuning function whereby one can enter the tuning of the whole system?
As an owner of an original CMI I have to say this is one of my favourite things about the system and the uber 8-bit crunchy sound of course.
That's an excellent suggestion - I'll get onto it. Let me know how you get on and if you encounter any issues :)
What a big and great Update and the new PDF looks so good.thx 🙏
Would be great to have a setting to change the "modern" sample scaling to old-style variable playback speed! And actual in-app sampling would be fantastic. But otherwise, it's absolutely great!
both are being looked at, but the variable rate playback would need a core rewrite
can you please tell me what are the minimum requirements for Windows to use the program?
a good question. It should be pretty low, it’s a very small app with low system usage. It is compiled on windows 7, so anything from that onwards
I tried to start QasarBeach on an old EeePC (Intel Atom, Windows 7.32 bit) but nothing happened. I'm looking for alternatives to the Rasperry PI but I think that would be a suitable platform for it. when I'm done with my project I will make it public on Facebook, for example, and when people see that there is a Fairlight Clone for a € 30 mini PC, many will follow suit. but I have a few questions for you. refuses do you know how the fairlight works? do you have one What does the sampling function do? without them, that would only be half the battle. 😉. What about the Fairlight 3 library? Maybe you have them? Thank you for your effort and I look forward to further versions. 😉
Yep. QasarBeach is 64bit - so it will won't run on 32bit platforms - one issue solved :)
Answers:
Yep I know how the Fairlight works, but Series II and III. QasarBeach does not operate in the exact same way as Fairlight have loads of custom hardware. The key difference is the Fairlight actually change speed to change the pitch. QasarBeach takes the modern approach and has a static speed with the pitch being interpolated - if you dont understand - don't worry.
The sampling function allows you to sample in incoming sound source - it is not currently operational in QasarBeach. TBH you can simply use a simple free sound editor to do this and just export to uncompressed .wav or ogg or aif. QasarBeach will load all of them.
Series III library is only available with a real Fairlight.
Yes. I understand, at least at that time samplers worked (theoretically) but doesn't that mean that it doesn't sound so authentic anymore ?. no idea. Another seen in real. ;-) At the moment I am not working with it either, but I am more concerned with the hardware and plan there. that’s why sampling isn’t so tragic, but I hope it’s coming.
Wow great...
As a lover of old synthesizer systems, that was exactly what I always wanted.
I love not only the sound, but also the original operation.
I've always wanted to work like I did in the great days of Fairlight.
even if it takes getting used to ..
is like a historian ..
if you could also create your own samples ...
I hope that comes too.?!?
Wow großartig...
Als Liebhaber alter Synthesizersysteme war das genau das, was ich mir schon immer gewünscht hatte.
Ich liebe nicht nur den Sound, sondern auch die originale Bedienung.
Ich wollte schon immer so arbeiten wie in den großartigen Tagen von Fairlight.
auch wenn es gewöhnungsbedürftig ist ..
ist wie ein Historiker ..
wenn Sie auch Ihre eigenen Muster erstellen könnten ...
Ich hoffe das kommt ..?!?
finally a reasonable clone of this dream machine but I don't think how I can sample myself ?@chris.what do you mean? do you build a keyboard with a Raspberry? That would be an idea if it would run on it.
currently QasarBeach doesn't sample - It's half way complete, but there are some issue with it. Good recommendation would be Amadeus, or audacity just to get the sample into the computer and then export and uncompressed 16 bit wav or aif. QasarBeach can read most uncompressed formats :)
Yes.I am currently planning to build a "Fairlight Clone" with a friend based on the Raspberry. That should consist of a keyboard and a touchscreen monitor. all in the right look, of course.
I'd be very interested in this
Unfortunately, I am now little dependent on whether it runs on the PI or not. if not, I have to plan this Fairlight base for the PC. Otherwise everything would fit into the keyboard. Of course I'll post pictures of it here when we start.
I wanted to install the Linux version on my Raspberry Pi but unfortunately that is not possible. Is it possible to compile a version for a Pi?
The Pi would need a different compile of the language. I'll see what can be done. Let's give this one a 60/40
that would be wonderful. I would like to build my own device. So what Behringer does with synthesizers. 😉
Absolut amazing but i have a question?is there an env?i didnt find it?
Yes there is, but not in the way that ADSR operates.
the best way is to use PAAGE 7 and patch either VOLUME or AUX VOLUME parameters to a FUNCTION.
Page 48 of the guide shows how to do this for PAN.
Page 41 of the guide shows how to use FUNCTIONS
Page 29 shows how to use PAGE 7
Another way is to use Page 4 and to set a VOL profile - but this is not documented in the guide as it is a more advanced feature
Ok.thank you.😊
Wow, looks impressive. Will there be Windows version?
yep, both windows and Linux versions are planned for release very soon
Good Evening or Morning fellow AdamStrange, I am pleased with what you’re doing with the quasar apps, is there any change you can make it pay-what-you-want? I would like to contribute fund to further development.
no problem. I've changed the download to a 'suggested' amount.
🤗 great news
Version 1.17 now available with Windows and Linux. These are not fully tested, so PLEASE let me know if there are any issues :)
Thank you for a wonderful Christmas present!