Fairlight CMI Series III is a synthesizer reportedly used on The Wiggles' debut album.
Quote from John Field[]
Their first recording studio was a very interesting little place. It was actually a cupboard. It was as big as a big pantry. A walk-in wardrobe. It had a drum machine in the corner, Jeff operated. It had a synthesizer. It had a Fairlight synthesizer in a corner, which Jeff operated. And Murray sort of was the engineer and Anthony was ordering everyone around and Greg was there with his golden timbre. And they, in this tiny, tiny, tiny studio, it was a demo studio for writers, that's it, they recorded their first album
Controversy[]
Most of this information is disputed, considering the debut album was recorded at Tracking Station Recording Studios, a professional studio that The Wiggles continued to use until 1996. Also, a drum machine and Fairlight synthesizer are not known to have been used on the debut album.
CMI Series 3?[]
It is not necessarily known which model Fairlight was used. However the CMI Series III can do both 8 bit and 16 bit samples. And some possible samples (snare) sound higher quality than other possible ones (trumpet, bass).
For that matter, the E-mu Emax and Korg M1 have MIDI in and out ports. This means that it's possible that the M1 (as a MIDI controller) could have been plugged into the Emax rack sampler. The Emax may have even had a floppy disc with Fairlight and drum sounds inserted into it. John Field may have mistaken the Emax for a drum machine and the Korg M1 for a Fairlight, though this is unknown.
Usage in Albums[]
- The Wiggles (album)
- Here Comes a Song
- Big Red Car (My New Shoes only)