Current circumstances are making it difficult to offer in-person demos or even arrange shipping for anyone who might be interested in buying. As such, I am going to suspend this sale until later this year. Thanks to everyone interested who has reached out so far.
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This is a very rare, complete Fairlight CMI Series I - serial number 25, built in May 1980.
I bought it in 2015 with the intention of setting it up in my studio and maybe getting the keyboard case refinished at some point. But instead it's been sitting in my workshop and has been rarely used since I bought it.
Very mixed feelings about offering this system for sale because I'd rather keep it, but I know it will only sit longer. I'm sure there are musicians, collectors, studios or museums out there who could make better use of it, or at least give it the care it deserves.
I'm not in a rush to sell it, so I'm putting it out there to see if there's any interest at the price point I'm interested in. I'm basically just trying to break even, and this being a very rare complete Series I, hopefully may have appreciated or at least maintained its value since I bought it.
The synth collector I purchased it from told me it was once Bob Moog's demo system. Some of the disks and paperwork that came with it have "Bob" written on them, but I cannot confirm this. It may even be the system Bob Moog demoed in the Jeff Harris YouTube video clips.
You can see it in action in my YouTube video (search for Fairlight Mars Lasar) or when I exhibited it at VCF East 2015 (search for Scott Joplin Fairlight).
The photos attached here were taken a few weeks ago, so the machine still powers up and boots up fine.
Screen is still crisp with very little screen burn and almost no screen rot. Light pen still works fairly well. Keyboard is typical for a Series I, very light plastic action, but works fine. Both floppy drives work. QWERTY keyboard works fine, and all keys respond with tactile feedback. The entire power supply was replaced in 2015.
Comes with full original sample library plus several other boxes of disks containing custom samples and Page R sequences.
Please note that:
- This is a very complex 40-year old system that is basically a large vintage computer. As far as I know, it boots up and everything still works. However, due to its vintage nature, you are buying it AS-IS and there will be no refunds. You can be certain that it will need maintenance at some point.
- Due to risk of damage, I WILL NOT SHIP THIS. You will either need to come to my workshop to collect it IN PERSON, or hire a private packing/shipping company to have it professionally packed and shipped to you at your expense.
- I will NOT sell off individual boards or parts. Period.
If you have any other questions, or are interested in seeing the system in person, please feel free to message me.
But please, serious inquiries only.
My workshop is located in Northern NJ about 45 minutes west of NYC.
