The latest episode of 100 Things I Do details their epic journey to restore a ‘very broken’ Fairlight CMI IIx synth workstation.
The Fairlight CMI II was introduced in 1982 and – while limited by today’s standards – represented the state of the art in sampling synthesis and sequencing at the time.
If you want to see the full journey of repairing this rare instrument, watch the playlist below:
Native Instruments has released Maschine 3.4, a free update that introduces an updated modulation and automation editor and more.
What’s new in Maschine 3.4:
Modernized Modulation Editor – The editor has been rebuilt on a new technical foundation for a smoother, high-DPI visual experience.
New Linear Point Workflow – Maschine now creates smooth, linear transitions between any two modulation points, allowing you to create predictable ramps and sweeps with ease.
Curve Editing – You can now create smooth, curved slopes by simply holding Alt (Option on macOS) + dragging any line segment. This is perfect for filter sweeps, synth swells, and dynamic, expressive modulation.
Optimized Hardware Automation Recording – Your hardware performances are now captured as clean, optimized linear points. This means no more cluttered lanes with micro-steps, just the smooth performance you played, ready to be edited.
Improved Editing Tools:
Pencil Tool: Freely draw complex modulation shapes. Turn on the grid to draw quantized, stepped automation, just like the classic workflow.
Advanced Selection: Use the Marquee Tool to select groups of points at once , or use Shift-Click to select multiple individual points, even if they aren’t next to each other.
Smarter Workflow & Visuals:
Modulation in the Arranger: You can see a preview of your modulation directly on clips in the Arranger view, letting you see modulation in context.
New Visuals: The editor has a refreshed design, a new background grid, and helpful tooltips that show you the precise value of a point when you hover over it.
New Zoom Shortcut: Use Cmd + Scroll (macOS) or Ctrl + Scroll (Windows) for quick horizontal zooming in the editor.
Play Series & Effects for Maschine+ – This update also brings massive new power to standalone. A selection of Play Series instruments (like Empire Breaks, 24K Keys) and studio effects (like Solid Bus Comp, Replika) are now compatible with Maschine+.
